Abdominal bloating, a feeling of heaviness, abdominal tension and digestive difficulties are all characteristic signs of a "swollen belly", a very common problem in which the cause is often the excessive presence of gas in the stomach and intestines.
As Professor explains Nicola Sorrentino, dietitian in Milan and professor at the University of Pavia, in his latest book We are swollen, we are not fat just published by Mondadori Electa, to counteract abdominal swelling it is necessary to start from a review of one's eating habits.
Start by drinking every day, after dinner, a "flat stomach" herbal tea based on anise, fennel, mint, lime, chamomile, ginger: just add a teaspoon of the herb mix in a cup, cover with 200 ml of boiling water, leave to infuse for 5-8 minutes, filter and drink.
And to discover the weekly belly-deflating diet suggested by the expert, browse the gallery!
Monday
Breakfast
• Coffee or tea
• 1 glass of soy milk (or rice or almond) or 1 low-fat yogurt
• 2 rusks or 30 g of cereals
Snack
• 1 citrus juice or 3 walnuts or 10 almonds
Lunch
• 70 g of raw ham
• Cherry tomatoes
• 1 wholemeal sandwich
Merenda
• 1 low-fat yogurt or 1 square of dark chocolate
Price
• Ditaloni and zucchini (recipe below)
For 1 person
Wash 200 g of courgettes and chop coarsely. Put them in a non-stick pan with ½ clove of garlic, a few basil leaves and very little water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Salt the vegetables and transfer them to a bowl. Then season it with 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, 1 of grated pecorino cheese and 2 mint leaves. Boil 90 g of ditaloni, drain them al dente and pour them into the bowl with the courgettes. Mix well and serve.
Tuesday
Breakfast
• Coffee or tea
• 1 glass of soy milk (or rice or almond) or 1 low-fat yogurt
• 2 rusks or 30 g of cereals
Snack
• 1 citrus juice or 3 walnuts or 10 almonds
Lunch
• 80 g of boiled rice with 1 teaspoon of Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon of oil
extra virgin olive oil
Merenda
• 1 low-fat yogurt or 1 square of dark chocolate
Price
• 1 wholemeal sandwich
• Scrambled eggs with green beans (recipe below)
For 1 person
Boil 200 g of green beans in plenty of salted water and cut them into small pieces. Transfer them to a non-stick pan, greased with a drizzle of oil, and leave to flavor for 5 minutes. Separately, beat 2 eggs with a little salt, pepper, chopped parsley and chives. Pour the mixture over the green beans and cook until it hardens.
Wednesday
Breakfast
• Coffee or tea
• 1 glass of soy milk (or rice or almond) or 1 low-fat yogurt
• 2 rusks or 30 g of cereals
Snack
• 1 citrus juice or 3 walnuts or 10 almonds
Lunch
• 1 plate of vegetable minestrone without legumes
Merenda
• 1 low-fat yogurt or 1 square of dark chocolate
Price
• Raw carrots seasoned with balsamic vinegar
• 1 wholemeal sandwich
• veal piccatine with tomato and oregano (recipe below)
For 1 person
Cut 10 cherry tomatoes in half and place them in a non-stick pan with 1 teaspoon of capers, 1 clove of garlic and 1 pinch of oregano. Season with salt and cook for 15 minutes, adding a little water if needed.
Then add 200 g of veal slices and, when they are well cooked, season them with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and chilli.
Thursday
Breakfast
• Coffee or tea
• 1 glass of soy milk (or rice or almond) or 1 low-fat yogurt
• 2 rusks or 30 g of cereals
Snack
• 1 citrus juice or 3 walnuts or 10 almonds
Lunch
• 80 g of boiled rice with 1 teaspoon of Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
Merenda
• 1 low-fat yogurt or 1 square of dark chocolate
Price
• Steamed fennel and zucchini seasoned with soy sauce
• 1 wholemeal sandwich
• Sea bream in crazy water (recipe below)
For 1 person
Arrange 250 g of sea bream fillets in a pan, cover flush with water, add 5 halved cherry tomatoes, 1 clove of garlic, 1 sprig of parsley, 1 tablespoon of white wine, salt, pepper. Lid and cook for 15 minutes.
Then season with 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil.
Friday
Breakfast
• Coffee or tea
• 1 glass of soy milk (or rice or almond) or 1 low-fat yogurt
• 2 rusks or 30 g of cereals
Snack
• 1 citrus juice or 3 walnuts or 10 almonds
Lunch
• 150 g of roast beef with cooked and raw vegetables, 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and 1 of extra virgin olive oil
Merenda
• 1 low-fat yogurt or 1 square of dark chocolate
Price
• Mezzi ziti with vegetables (recipe below)
For 1 person
Sauté ½ clove of garlic and ¼ of chopped shallots in a pan with 1 tablespoon of white wine. Combine 10 cherry tomatoes and 1 small aubergine cut into pieces, 3 green and 3 black pitted olives, basil and chilli. Cook for 15 minutes. Boil 80 g of half ziti and season them with the vegetables and 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil.
Saturday
Breakfast
• Coffee or tea
• 1 glass of soy milk (or rice or almond) or 1 low-fat yogurt
• 2 rusks or 30 g of cereals
Snack
• 1 citrus juice or 3 walnuts or 10 almonds
Lunch
• 70 g of bresaola with lettuce and cherry tomatoes
• 1 wholemeal sandwich
Merenda
• 1 low-fat yogurt or 1 square of dark chocolate
Price
• 2 small boiled potatoes
• diced tofu with pizzaiola (recipe below)
For 1 person
In a non-stick pan pour 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, ½ clove of garlic, 125 g of peeled tomatoes (mashed with a fork), 2 tablespoons of red wine, a little oregano and salt. When the sauce is ready, add 150 g of diced tofu and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add the chilli and serve.
Sunday
Breakfast
• Coffee or tea
• 1 glass of soy milk
• 30 g of cereals
Snack
• 1 citrus juice
Lunch
• 80 g of boiled rice with 1 teaspoon of Parmesan cheese and 1 of extra virgin olive oil
Merenda
• 1 low-fat yogurt
Price
• Vegetable fricassee (recipe below)
For 1 person
Slice ¼ of an onion and sauté it in a non-stick pan with 1 tablespoon of water and a little nut. Then remove it and in its place put ½ red pepper, ½ yellow pepper, ½ aubergine, 2 courgettes, 3 cherry tomatoes, 1 carrot and ½ bunch of ribs (all in small pieces), 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil and salt. Cook, adding a little boiling water if necessary. Boil 60 g of quinoa in boiling water. Drain it, transfer it to a bowl, then add the vegetables and some grated ginger.
