Don’t you just hate that little bulge you get when in your favorite jeans? We are in the festive season again, and rice, chicken, soda and all things fattening will be circulating. Everywhere you go, everyone you visit has something they feel you should eat. So here are some tips on how to make your tummy flatter, please note there are no miracles involved, no short cuts, you need to want this and work towards it.

So here we go:

• Get herbal tea, any type you feel comfortable with; from slimming green tea to ginger tea to detoxifying tea, there are so many options of herbal teas it shouldn’t be hard to pick one. Take a cup of your favorite green tea with half a teaspoon of crushed ginger. This helps wake up your digestive system, as a slow digestive system causes bloating.

• Potassium is your friend, as potassium helps circulate body fluids, so go for bananas, potatoes, generally foods with potassium. Proper circulation of fluid will help reduce a bloated tummy, try tomatoes too, I personally love them, they are also good for exfoliating the skin, but lets keep that for another day.

So avocados,almonds,yam just to name a few, sneak them into your diet this festive season.

• No chewing gums, I personally am not a big fan of gums, it makes my jaw hurt after a while, so ditching it was easy, but for my gum lovers please put that in your new years list, no more chewing gums. Gums make you swallo tummy bloating air, they contain sugar, artificial sweeteners. If you must opt for organic gums, but I would avoid cold turkey, no gums at all.

• Break large meals into tiny meals, so instead of one large plate of Asu, try small portions of Asu. Whatever meals you are having try to cut it down to two, and eat at intervals. Your body tends to burn more calories when you eat several small meals, trust me.

• Eat slowly, we all love our food hot hot hot, however rushing your food makes you consume more air which contributes to a bloated tummy, so slow down a bit and eat like the queen you are. Trust me, that’s a royal secret.

• Yes its the festive season , but to get the flatter tummy you desire say no to alcohol. Its bad on so many levels, stick to loads of water or tea, you could put a little lime in your water for flavor.

Give your body a little energy boost, rev up your metabolism, EXERCISE. Exercising cannot be over emphasized, stroll a bit, dance a bit, skip, just don’t sit in front of your favorite seasonal movie and expect tummy fat to disappear. Get up and do something, 30 mins minimum.