Beat-the-bloat diet for a special occasion

Desperate for a flat tummy in time for a special event? Try our anti-bloat diet

A perfect diet - our last minute anti-bloat diet will give you a flat tummy, and you're still allowed alcohol and chocolate!

Banish bloating and tummy pain with our exclusive five-day diet, which works on the theory that starch - or carbohydrate - in foods such as potatoes, pasta and bread is what makes our stomachs balloon. By banning these foods from your diet, you'll have a flatter stomach within days.

And the good news is, this diet isn't as prohibitive as you'd imagine - you can still eat chocolate and ice cream, and you can still drink wine, beer, coffee and tea. Nutritionist Carol Sinclair*, who created the diet, says, ‘In my search for a cause for my bloated tummy and gut pain I went from doctor to doctor, but then it disappeared when I gave up eating starch.' Carol, who's 68, suffered on and off with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and joint pain for 30 years, but since giving up starch, both have disappeared.

Why women bloat
Some women don't suffer from bloating at all, but they're usually ones with tiny waists who, Carol suspects, have very efficient digestive systems. The problem for women who do bloat, according to her, is that they eat far more starch than they can properly digest. ‘A range of bacteria, both good and bad, lives in the gut,' she explains. ‘Both types live on undigested starch in the gut, but bad bacteria causes this starch to ferment and it's this that causes bloating and pain.'  

Starch, or carbohydrate, which is made up of sugars and comes from plants, can cause digestive problems for many people, but not everyone. Some people may need to cut out all starchy products, but others can get away with cutting out the main culprits (grain products, especially wheat). We advise cutting out all starch while on this five-day diet, but you can reintroduce foods after that and see what their effect is to assess your starch-tolerance levels.

The starch test
The starch in food turns black when tested with iodine (which can be bought in a dropper from the chemist). Drop a small amount on a tiny piece of white bread and watch the colour turn from orange to black. This is your benchmark and you can try it with any type of food. No food blackens more than food made from grain flour. Any colour from pale grey to black shows that starch is present.

THE DIET:
Foods you CAN eat

● Beef, lamb, pork, poultry, game and tofu

● Starch-free processed meats, plus fish and smoked salmon

● All raw and cooked fruit (except bananas, mangos, pineapples)

● Lettuce, spinach, celery, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, fennel, spring onions, mushrooms, asparagus, garlic, onions (not fried brown), shallots and leeks

● Herbs, salt, German and French mustard, dried garlic and onion powder

● Cocoa, chocolate, honey, maple syrup, all jams, and jellies not thickened with starch

● Ice cream, mousse, egg custard, crème brûlée, crème caramel, meringues, fruit sauces, toffees, fudge, chocolate, plus cakes and biscuits made with ground almonds

● Milk, cream, cheese, yogurt (be wary, though, as many contain starch), eggs and olive oil

● Tea, coffee (with milk and/or sugar), wine, spirits, beer, cider, lager and home-squeezed orange juice

Foods you CAN'T eat

● Grains such as pearl barley, bran, bulgar wheat, couscous, modified starch, oats, polenta, rye, cracked wheat, wheat flour, wholemeal flour, wheatgerm and rice

● Bread, rolls, buns and croissants

● Breakfast cereals, including muesli

● Cakes, biscuits, cookies and crackers

● Pastries, pies, flans, quiches, pizzas, battered foods and foods in breadcrumbs

● Pasta (including tinned varieties), noodles and dumplings

● Doughnuts, pancakes, puddings and soufflés

● Gravies, sausages, meatloaf, rissoles and meatballs

● Sandwiches, most pâtés, relishes and chutneys

● Foods thickened or mixed with soya beans or soy flour, all beans (ie, kidney and butter beans) and lentils, textured vegetable protein and pease pudding

● Potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Day 1

Breakfast: Bacon (fried or grilled) with a fried egg.
Lunch: Prawns, Egg And Avocado (serves 1). Mix a small pack of ready-to-eat prawns (about 200g), 1 boiled egg, Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise (optional; not low-fat) and 1 ripe avocado.
Dinner: Roast, grill, bake or steam any fish, poultry, beef, lamb or pork to your own recipe without adding flour or starch. Eat with salad or low-carb vegetables. Add rice or potatoes for your family.
Dessert: Shop-bought chocolate mousse.

Day 2
Breakfast: Melon wedges followed by smoked salmon and/or a selection of cold meats and cheeses.
Lunch: Bacon Star (serves 2). Lay 750g/1½lb bacon rashers in a large, shallow, ovenproof dish and place in oven at gas mark 6/200ºC (190ºC in a fan oven). Peel and grate 2 medium sweet apples, then grate 175g/6oz mild cheese. Remove partly cooked bacon, cover with a layer of apple and top with grated cheese. Return to oven and cook for 15-20 mins, till cheese is melted. Ideal as a cold snack when travelling, too.
Dinner: Marinated Lamb Chops (serves 2-3). Put 6 lamb chops in bowl. Whisk together 4tbsp raspberry vinegar, 2tbsp redcurrant jelly, 1tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, 1tbsp olive oil, 2tbsp orange juice and pour over chops. Leave in fridge for several hours. Remove chops from marinade and cook in oven till tender. Alternatively, have an omelette with a smoked salmon and crème fraîche filling.
Dessert: Shop-bought portion of panna cotta (caramel or coffee flavour).

Day 3
Breakfast: Eggs (poached or boiled).
Lunch: Goats' Cheese Salad (serves 1).
Ingredients: Mix 100g/ 3½oz goats' cheese, salad (lettuce, herbs, olives, tomatoes, capers). Toss with vinaigrette made with lemon juice, olive oil, mustard and vinegar. Place cheese under grill till beginning to brown, then place on salad.
Dinner: Smoked Fish Puff (serves 1). Flake 175g/6oz smoked haddock, and mix with 2tsp tomato ketchup and 2 egg yolks. Whisk 2 egg whites till stiff and fold into fish mixture. Place in a small, buttered, ovenproof dish. Cook for 15-20 mins at gas mark 4/180ºC (170ºC in a fan oven). Serve with salad.
Dessert: Shop-bought portion of crème brûlée.

Day 4
Breakfast: Herta Frankfurters with grilled mushrooms.
Lunch: Salmon Salad (serves 1). Mix Little Gem lettuce, celery, 2 tomatoes, ½ red pepper, ½ yellow pepper, 1tbsp chopped parsley, medium tin pink salmon, vinaigrette (see Goats' Cheese Salad).
Dinner: Chicken With Mustard And Roasted Veg (serves 2). Brown 6 chicken thighs/drumsticks with skin on in frying pan with olive oil. Drain excess. Roughly coat one side of chicken with Dijon mustard. Turn and coat other side. Pour in enough medium-sweet wine, to barely cover chicken. Cook on low heat, partially covered. During cooking, turn pieces and coat with more mustard. Cook uncovered at times to reduce sauce. Add more wine if it becomes too thick. When cooked, mix in a dash of runny honey.
Dessert: Hartley's ready-made orange, raspberry or strawberry jelly.

Day 5
Breakfast: Melon followed by Greek yogurt with honey.
Lunch: Scrambled eggs (made using 2 eggs, butter, milk) topped with grated cheese and 1 sliced beefsteak tomato.
Dinner: Gammon Bake (serves 1). Spread 1tsp Dijon mustard over 1 large slice cooked gammon or ham. Peel and slice 1 small eating apple and lay on ham. Place 1-2 slices processed cheese on apple. Grill or cook at gas mark 6/200ºC (190ºC in a fan oven) till cheese is brown and bubbling.
Dessert: Wall's Magnum Classic.



Eating-out guide
Choose any plain steak, chicken, lamb or fish cooked without flour or sauce and have it with salad dressed with vinaigrette or low-starch mayonnaise. Ice cream or any non-starch dessert is allowed. You can have any wine, beer, spirits, coffee, tea or soft drinks, except Schweppes Bitter Lemon. Indian and Chinese restaurants and takeaways are not recommended.


Snacks

● Salted, toasted almonds. You can make your own by frying packs of blanched whole almonds in olive oil till lightly brown, sprinkle with salt and cool. Store in an airtight container for several weeks.

● Dates filled with cream cheese.

● Slices of marzipan icing.

● Plain or milk chocolate bars with almonds and raisins.

● Vanilla ice cream.

● Dried apricots and prunes.

● Cheese slices wrapped in lettuce.

Three easy beat-the-bloat exercises
Follow these expert tips from personal trainer to the stars Nicki Waterman:

Yoga wind-relieving pose
Stretch the spine to aid digestion. Lie on your back. As you inhale, pull your right knee tightly to your chest. Keep your left leg straight and on the floor. Press your shoulders and back of your neck into the floor. Breathe for ten seconds. Switch sides, holding your left knee to your chest for ten seconds. Complete the set by hugging both knees to your chest and holding for ten seconds. Repeat.

Breathing exercise
Exercising your internal organs aids digestion. Stand with your feet together and place your left hand on your stomach. Lift your right hand to shoulder height, with your elbow and arm close to your body, palm facing in front of you. Breathe in through your nose, then breathe out slowly through your mouth, simultaneously pushing your right palm out in front of you. Time the outward motion with the outward breath. Breathe in through the nose and draw your right hand back to its starting position. Repeat three times, and increase over three weeks to six times. When you're finished, place your right hand on your stomach and your left hand on top. Breathe in and out three times.

Yoga upward boat pose
This strengthens tummy muscles, improves balance and aids digestion. Sit on the floor. Bend your knees and place your feet on the floor. Inhale, lean back and lift your heels off the floor, straightening your legs as much as possible. Extend your arms with palms facing down. Hold the pose for 30 seconds, keeping your back straight and ensuring your tummy muscles are working. Visit www.nickiwaterman.com for further information.


For a more in-depth look at the low-starch diet, buy a copy of The IBS Low-Starch Diet by Carol Sinclair (Vermilion, £9.99)

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