A Nutritionist Reveals the Foods That Help With Bloating and Shrink Your Waist Fast
We’re sharing the easy anti-bloat menu that’s getting great results for women over 50
We’re a nation that loves takeout and junk food, so it’s really no wonder we see so many ads for pricey bloat remedies. The good news? If you find yourself feeling a little puffy, “you can skip the supplements,” says nutritionist and women’s wellness advocate Cherie Calbom, MS. “It’s possible to get relief in a short time just by eating natural foods that help with bloating.” These foods—including tasty options like drinkable yogurt, salmon, greens and ginger—have no scary side effects, and “they cost the same as ordinary groceries,” Calbom adds. A win-win!
Tami Bogdanoff, 63, pictured above, is proof a natural approach works. She followed Calbom’s easy anti-bloat menu, and her too-tight pants were loose in mere days. Plus the anti-bloat foods seemed to lift her energy and spirits. Keep scrolling for the menu and how to make it work for you.
What’s the difference between bloat and weight gain?
We can feel bloated while eating foods and drinks that make us gain weight, but “bloating is caused by gas, constipation and retained fluid, not fat storage. It tends to make your face puffy and your belly feel like it’s filled with air,” says Calbom, who began experimenting with bloat relief after she personally became prone to tight waistbands.
Woman's World Answers
Common foods that cause bloating
Calbom notes that each of us has a unique body chemistry, and foods that increase gas production or increase water weight are different for everyone. But there are some common culprits:
- High-sodium foods
- Fizzy drinks and carbonated beverages
- High-fat and fried foods
- Dairy products, especially those high in lactose (milk sugar)
- Gluten-containing foods
- Artificial sweeteners
- Sulfur-containing veggies, like broccoli, cauliflower and garlic
- Beans and peas
- Alcohol
In general, salty fare makes us hang on to fluid to dilute excess sodium. Meanwhile, carbonated drinks actually introduce air directly into our digestive systems, Calbom notes. Other foods on the list are broken down in a way that tends to release gas.
An important note: In Calbom’s case, antibiotics had wiped out beneficial bacteria in her gut that help prevent bloating, and she needed to be treated with probiotics. And there are also serious conditions like celiac disease, liver disease and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) that can cause stomach distention. So it’s always a good idea to discuss persistent or unexplained bloating with your doctor.
Foods and drinks that help with bloating
For ordinary bloat, Calbom’s got you covered. Here’s what she advises:
Fresh produce and fermented foods
The trillions of microbes in our guts have a huge impact on digestion. “Some strains of bacteria are extremely beneficial, helping us break down food and keeping things moving so we don’t get constipation-related bloating,” says Calbom. Meanwhile, “certain ‘bad’ bacteria produce a lot of gas.” Bacteria have lifespans as short as 20 minutes, so we can make a difference right away.
Try this: First, go at least 24 hours without eating the sugar, refined carbs and processed meat that allow bad bacteria to thrive. At the same time, give good bacteria a boost. Prebiotic fiber from produce is their favorite food. And then there’s kefir. The creamy drink is sometimes called drinkable yogurt, but it actually has up to 61 times more probiotic strains (forms of good bacteria) than yogurt you eat with a spoon. Kefir helps so much, a Turkish study found that getting 14 ounces daily slashed “bloat scores” in two weeks—even among bloat-prone IBS patients.
Omega-3-rich fare
Heavy restaurant fare and ultra-processed foods often lead to GI upset, causing bellies to swell with puffy, inflamed tissue. “Sugar, white flour and alcohol are common culprits,” says Calbom, author of The Juice Lady’s Anti-Inflammation Diet. “Solving the problem feels good and flattens your tummy.”
Try this: Take a mini-vacation from pizza and wine, giving your system time to rest and restore itself. Adding omega-3-rich seafood and antioxidant-rich plants can speed the process. Calbom gives a special shout-out to ginger, which she adds to smoothies and juice. It contains compounds so good at inhibiting inflammation, it’s been linked to serious reductions in both bloating and abdominal pain.
Dandelion tea and water
“Salty foods and dehydration triggered by alcohol consumption prompt the body to retain fluid,” says Calbom. “Hydrating releases that water weight.”
Try this: In addition to going easy on salty snacks, sip enough water to keep your urine pale yellow, suggests Calbom. You can also try mildly diuretic dandelion tea. University of North Carolina testing found urine output of middle-aged women increased by up to 50 percent on days when they sipped three cups of the drink. “There are extra bathroom runs, but it does the trick,” says Calbom.
Your anti-bloat meal plan
This menu is “quick, easy and very effective,” Calbom promises. “I created a plan based on what worked for me personally, and I had 50 women test it. We saw great results!” Women lost up to an inch from their waists and one pound of water weight a day for three to four days in a row.
Calbom’s simple menu is built on ingredients proven to flush bloat. Veggie choices are up to you, but best bets are asparagus, celery, cucumber, onion and parsley. Want a snack? Have veggies or veggie juice. Sip water plus anti-bloat dandelion or ginger tea. Repeat the menu for up to a week, then add more healthy variety.
Breakfast: Anti-bloat smoothie
Blitz 1 cup berries, 1 cup plain kefir and 1 inch peeled/chopped fresh ginger or 1 tsp. powdered ginger.
Lunch: Bloat-flush soup
Simmer 2 cups veggies and 4 oz. cooked chicken in bone broth; add a side salad with vinaigrette.
Dinner: Simple salmon
Serve 6 oz. baked salmon with lemon, steamed veggies and a side salad with vinaigrette.
Anti-bloat success: Tami Bogdanoff lost 2” off her waist
Tami, who owns a Seattle-area travel agency with her mom, loves getting wellness advice from Calbom. “She turned me on to juice cleanses and clean eating,” says Tami, who has often needed help keeping weight off her petite 5′ frame. When Calbom began testing her anti-bloat plan, “I’d been going to one event after another. It was wine, more wine and then a wine tasting,” laughs Tami. Her pants snug, she figured it was a perfect time for a tune-up.
Tami was soon sipping smoothies (using a coconut-based kefir alternative, since she’s sensitive to dairy) and turning anti-bloat veggies into juice that made a great snack. She also ate big salads and feasted on salmon and asparagus. At tea time, she went for an herbal blend with ginger. “The first day is always the hardest, and when I was looking for things to chew, I had celery,” she recalls. By day two, the hunger lifted and her pants were already looser. She cruised through days three and four, energy and mood soaring.
The easy plan delivered results fast
Tami has been using little detox plans for years. What sets this one apart? First, her pants got a lot roomier really fast. And Tami was almost equally impressed by how simple it was. “Detoxes can be so complicated, with so many things to buy and make. This is just a few meals you repeat for a few days.” If you want to try it before a special occasion, “it’s really perfect for that. I think anyone can do this and have success. The hardest part is getting started. After that, it’s easy!”
Tami lost two inches from her middle—which is equal to one or even two sizes for someone her height.
This story originally appeared in the December 29, 2025, issue of Woman’s World
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