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Some of you may have heard of jet belly, but for those of you who don’t know what it is, it’s a term I became too friendly with while working as a stewardess.
Jet belly: (noun) the bloated state in which your stomach inflates post-flight. Also, a very unpleasant feeling. May also make you look like you’re 3 months pregnant.
So how does one prevent this jet belly? Well, it all depends on what you eat on the plane. You can’t always avoid eating the airplane food, especially if you’re on an 11 hour flight to Asia, but you can take steps in and post-flight to help combat this evil thing.
Now, I don’t know the scientific reasons behind it, but I’ve come to learn (far too well) about the consequences of eating all the greasy (not too mention, extremely high in sodium) food. That, along with the changes in pressure, your body is sure to have some unpleasant changes. Don’t worry, this jet belly isn’t permanent, but the sooner you get rid of it, the better you’ll feel.
Ways to avoid jet belly.
Pack some healthy snacks for your flight. I always applaud passengers when I see them being proactive and bringing their own snacks. You’re not only being a responsible human being, but you’re also putting your health first. Some TSA friendly snacks you could bring are: dried fruits, nuts, grain salads, granola bars, lunchables (lol), literally, ANY other food (as long as it’s not liquid, because TSA) is allowed on planes. I, personally, love these Mama Chia Squeeze packs for travel because they’re portable and delicious and filling. Also, try to consume lemon water before, during or after your flight. Not only will it look aesthetically pleasing, but lemons are a natural diuretic and a gentle laxative (especially when added to warm water, but we’ll get to that later). If you guys want more food ideas, check out this helpful article: 10 Foods That Help With Bloating
You can also take a probiotic. I’ve found that this helps keep me maintain my gut health, which can partly aid in jet belly.
Ways to fix jet belly. (after a flight)
So it’s too late, you’ve eaten all the airplane food, have unbearable gas, and landed looking like you’re carrying a 3 month fetus inside of you. I’ve been there. I’ve done that. Now, you can leave it alone, sure, and have jet belly for the next few days, maybe even use it as an excuse to cut in line at amusement parks, or have priority seating on the train.. OR you can combat it as quickly and as effectively as possible so you can go back looking like your regular sexy self.
First thing I do in the morning when I wake up with the stubborn jet belly is consume warm lemon water. No crazy fancy recipes, just plain old lemon in warm water. I keep drinking and continue refilling my mug until I’m out of the house running errands. When I come back from my errands, I add more lemon water to my mug and continue drinking that, or maybe add my favorite tea bag. Now, I have to warn you, the warm lemon water is a natural diuretic so you will need a restroom close by..
Also, I’m a big breakfast kind-of-gal, but when I have jet belly, I tend to opt out for something a little lighter, like a smoothie or oatmeal and a coffee. Not before I’ve had my lemon water, though.
Next, I get some kind of cardio exercise in. If I’m too tired, or jet lagged, I opt out of the gym and take a class on Peloton because sometimes you just need to be told what to do and pushed a little harder by an instructor. Also, if you don’t have a Peloton membership, just click on the link and you can try it out for free for 60 days! This is what I did today, I took a killer strength class then ran/walked up and down some local stairs. If you guys happen to have a good set of stairs close to your city, take advantage of them by doing this quick and mindless work out:
Run/walk up the stairs
Do an ab circuit for 1 minute
Run/walk down the stairs
Repeat 10 times
Another little trick, that I’m not really sure works completely, but I still use it because it helps me sweat, is using Sweet Sweat Stick. This was recommended to me by a friend who lost a lot of belly weight, so I figured I could use this on days that I have jet belly and need a little extra perspiration during my work out. I lather this stuff around my midsection, which is where the bloat is, before my work out and find that it helps me sweat more in that area, which normally doesn’t sweat at all. Now that I’ve linked this above, I noticed that it’s on sale so mama is about to stock up! (Too bad this stuff is not TSA friendly..)
I also like to pair my Sweet Sweat Stick with the Sweet Sweat Waist Trainer. I swear these two go together like peanut butter and jelly. They both ensure that my work outs are worth while by helping my mid-section detox and sweat out any extra water weight I carry.
Even if you’ve landed somewhere that’s not home, lets say, for example, you’re at a hotel, you can still combat jet belly and use the above tips. Almost, if not all, hotels have a work out room. Usually, after I take these steps, I notice a huge difference in my belly. I’ll even include a before and after picture so you guys can see.
This is me after a sweaty work out:
This is me, when I first woke up this morning, with my jet belly.
Now, let’s say you’re home, coming in from a post work out, starving and want to run to your nearest fast food joint. Halt right there! Instead, make a quick protein shake to help ease the hunger, while you make something a little healthier. My go-to is always this little recipe down here:
1 frozen banana
1 cup of nut milk
chia seeds
dash of cinnamon
spoonful of your choice of nut butter
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
blend all together and enjoy!
Now that the inner beast is tamed, I can calmly whip up something healthy-ish, like spaghetti squash with homemade pesto and shrimp. I’ll have to save this recipe for another post because I already feel like this post is getting a little long for you guys..
So there you have it, there is a cure for jet belly, you just have to be proactive and take the right steps to rid of it. I really hope you enjoyed reading this so leave a comment below if you did and would like more random travel tips, similar to this one.
Safe travels,
Stew
Stew Travels 