If you want to look good in your Christmas party dress the last thing you need is a swollen tummy. Plan ahead with these tips so that you look the best you can on the night

1. Avoid salt

Salty food causes you to retain water which often concentrates around your mid-section. If you want your tummy to be as flat as possible avoid salty snacks and meals for a few days before the event. Chinese food is especially heavy in sodium (the key ingredient in salt which causes you to swell) so avoid that if you want to look your best. Look out too for processed foods and ready meals which tend to be high in salt (to make up for the lack of taste). Stay well away from fast food, family restaurants and pizza places too which salt food like it was going out of fashion. Eliminate salt completely on the day of the party for best results.

2. Choose low GI foods with some protein

Starchy foods like bread and pasta tend to puff you up because they cause you to produce excess insulin. Eat only small quantities of carbohydrate foods and choose those which release energy more slowly into the body, the so-called low GI foods. These tend to be whole grains rather than white processed products. Eat some protein with each meal to keep your insulin levels steady.

3. Don't swallow air

Drinking through a straw and chewing gum introduce a lot of air into your system which ends up in your tummy causing you to bloat up. So leave them well alone. And avoid foods which you know cause you to feel "gassy".

4. Drink Water

All fizzy drinks, even diet soda will cause you to swell up due to the amount of sodium and air they contain. Instead, drink lots of water to help flush out your system - about 8 glasses a day.

5. Eat fresh Fruit and Vegetables

Fresh foods (which contain a lot of fibre) will help sweep your system clean ready for your big night out. They tend to be high in potassium too which helps regulate water balance in the body.

6. Keep your digestion healthy

Ensure you are digesting your food properly by eating your food slowly and chewing it well. Don't eat too much at one meal - smaller more regular meals are easier to digest. Also avoid drinking with your meals - drink water half an hour before or an hour afterwards. Peppermint tea may help your digestion if you have problems.

7. Help from your wardrobe

Once you've done everything you can from the inside, get all the help you can from your clothes. You can get great tummy controlling undies these days and they don't have to look like something your granny would wear. Also make sure your clothes fit your properly and skim rather than cling if you have more curves than you would like.

8. It's a wrap

If you want to look your very best, you could try a body wrap treatment at your local spa or beauty salon. They can work magic. Unfortunately these treatments are expensive and the results are only temporary. So save this one for a really special night out.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small