Be a flat-tum mum

Ten weeks after giving birth, Mancunian TV presenter Tess Daly was pictured on husband Vernon Kay's Twitter page having a water fight in a teeny-weeny bikini. Tess was proudly displaying the abs of a 20-year-old cheerleader, not a 38-year-old mother of two.

Bloating, water retention and excess fat are the three problems we need to combat to achieve a flat tummy

Whilst ten-week Tess is an unsustainable goal for most people, let alone new mums, there are diet and exercise tips that can really help to improve your stomach area.

Celebrity personal trainer Gillian Reeves has been working in the fitness industry for 10 years and is often asked how to target this core area. She said: “I’ve worked with film actors and, without exception, their biggest worry is always their belly. Bloating, water retention and excess fat are the three problems we need to combat to achieve a flat tummy, and I’ve devised a simple diet, supplement and exercise regime that guarantees results.”

Avoid trans-fats
Nasty trans-fats make you fatter than other foods with the same number of calories. Research suggests it actually draws fat away from other areas of your body to give your tum an extra layer. Trans fats occur when vegetable oil is heated over 100 degrees, so stick to cooking with olive oil. Also, look at the ingredients list of food when you’re in the supermarket: in the USA the level of trans fat has to be declared on all packaging, however in the UK it is hidden within the category of ‘saturated fat’. Where possible, avoid foods with high saturated fat (more than 5g per 100g), such as margarine, deep fried food, ramen noodles and soups and baked foods, like biscuits and cakes.

Exercise it off
Abdominal crunches, along with exercises that switch on the deep core muscles in the torso, are the best way to get a washboard stomach. Lift your head and shoulder blades off the floor while breathing out to get the muscles moving in the right way. Concentrate on drawing your naval down towards your spine to activate the deep core muscles. Make sure that you do the same amount of exercise for your back as well to ensure muscular balance. For example, lay on your front and slowly lift head and shoulders off the floor pulling your abdominals in slightly, then lower back down.

I often suggest to my clients that they take part in a boxing class. This challenges the muscles of the torso and is great for the waist line as there is a lot of twisting involved. Boxing will also burn lots of calories and help shed the excess on top of your belly.

Correct posture is another great belly-flattening technique. Always stand tall with your shoulders pulled back and down and deep abdominals held in slightly

Bloating
It sounds unbelievable, but it’s possible that your waist is actually inches smaller than you think. Being bloated can cause us to go up several dress sizes, however because of our daily lifestyles many people don’t realise they are constantly bloated – somewhere under there a tiny waist could be waiting to be revealed. Banish the bloat by:

Breaking your bad habits
Swallowing too much air can lead to a bloated tummy. There are several habits that can cause this: talking while eating, using a straw, chewing gum and eating on the go or too quickly. Try to curb these habits and you’ll notice a big difference.

Eating smart
What you eat has a big impact on how much excess air your digestive system creates.

Flat tummy super foods: ginger, peppermint tea, fennel, cinnamon, chamomile

Flat tummy enemies: alcohol, tea and coffee, sugar, carbonated drinks, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, sprouts, onions and garlic.

Walking after meals
Take at least a five minute walk directly after every meal. It will get things moving in your digestive system to release trapped air and help keep your tummy flat.

Supplement with prebiotics
Prebiotics are supplements crammed with goodies that the beneficial bacteria in your tummy thrive on. If you take them regularly you will boost the number of good bacteria in your stomach, so digestion is improved and your tummy will bulge less. I like Flat Tummy, £8.99 from www.naturesdream.co.uk. It comes in a handy blister pack that is discreet and easy to carry around, plus the minty flavour also helps to keep your breath fresh. For more information about prebiotics, please click here to read the Body Confidential article on health supplements.

Water retention
One of the biggest barriers to a flat tummy is one of our favourite seasonings: salt. Sodium attracts water, so if you are eating more salt than necessary you’ll be carrying around a lot of excess water, leaving you feeling sluggish and looking puffy. It may be difficult at first, but cut down your salt intake and after a few weeks your belly will have shrunk and your taste buds will adapt so things will start tasting salty again anyway.