Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (261 page)

Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that can aid digestion.

AVOID

Heavily spiced foods, junk food, and fried foods.

Caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated drinks.

Rich, creamy foods, full-fat cheeses, wheat-based foods, which all increase stomach gas.

HERBS AND SUPPLEMENTS

Slippery elm, peppermint, chamomile, and thyme teas all help.

Fennel tea, which tastes like licorice and has antigas as well as antispasmodic properties, making it especially helpful for bloating.

Drink a small glass of aloe vera juice before every meal.

L-glutamine.

Gentiana root for general digestive disorders.

Betaine hydrochloric acid for acid reflux.

EXTRA TIPS

A strip of kombu seaweed cooked with beans helps to predigest them.

Eat small, regular meals. Do not overeat but don’t starve yourself either. If you leave your stomach empty for long periods of time, the secretion of digestive enzymes slows down, which triggers, you guessed it, bloating.