The countdown is over. The day of the modelling casting or shoot has arrived. Obviously you want to be sure you look, and perform, your best\u2026 but how do you stop a last-minute case of bloating?<\/p>\n
The most important thing to tell you is that bloating is not \u2018water weight\u2019 so don\u2019t hold off on drinking fluids out of fear of bloating. You should stay hydrated at all times, not only for your skin, hair and general health but so you have the energy to perform to your best.<\/p>\n
So what does cause bloating? We sat down with model, dancer and nutritionist Ewa Golan to get her advice.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how to avoid bloating before a modelling casting or shoot.<\/p>\n
To Chew or Not to Chew?<\/p>\n
bloating<\/p>\n
To chew! But your food, not gum ideally. Your mouth is the first step in the digestive process, and saliva helps break down and process food. The more you chew, the more you\u2019re processing the food you eat \u2013 which makes it easier on your tummy and results in less bloating.<\/p>\n
When it comes to gum, there are a lot of rumours about it helping you stay fuller longer and stopping you bloat, but they\u2019re not true. Chewing gum isn\u2019t actually good for you at all. They put so many nasties in it, Ewa says, that it\u2019s little surprise it makes you bloat. Also, chewing gum is likely to make you inhale extra air, which increases bloating.<\/p>\n
If you have to chew gum, choose gum with Xylitol. Not only will it keep your breath fresh, it reduces risk of decay and , most importantly is sugar and aspartame free. Aspartame is really, really bad for you. Xylitol is a sweetener derived from wood (!) and is a healthy substitute for other sweeteners.<\/p>\n
Watch your portions<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t eat a massive dinner the day before the modelling casting or shoot or you\u2019ll be more likely to bloat. If you have dinner commitments you can\u2019t cancel, go for a soup or a light salad instead \u2013 your tummy will thank you for it the next day!<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also best to avoid eating within 2 hours of your bedtime, so your digestive system has time to rest and settle. As a general rule, you should try and eat smaller meals every few hours as large meals can expand your stomach.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t starve yourself though! If you skip food, you\u2019ll have less energy and be less able to perform to your best at the casting. Good health should be your number one goal, and that means giving your body the fuel it needs to perform.<\/p>\n
Exercise<\/p>\n
Commercial Modelling<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t have to do a full-on workout \u2013 and you probably don\u2019t have time to if you\u2019re on a modelling job all day \u2013 but exercise will help stop bloating. Physical activity stimulates the muscles in your digestive system, which helps food and air move more smoothly through your body.<\/p>\n
Simply go for a 30-minute walk to speed up your metabolism, and you\u2019ll be looking flat and fresh all day!<\/p>\n
Ewa says she find yoga really helps her avoid bloating on shoot days, even if it\u2019s only 15 minutes of stretching in the morning before she gets ready. So, get that blood pumping, models.<\/p>\n
Ditch the Latte, and the Fizz<\/p>\n
bloating<\/p>\n
This is a key culprit in the bloating stakes. A regular latte has nearly 150 calories, and a Venti semi-skimmed has 250 \u2013 and almost all of those drinks are milk.<\/p>\n
Considering that most people are at least marginally dairy-intolerant, you\u2019ll be best off avoiding the milk-hit. Go for a flat white instead, and switch out the traditional milk for almond or coconut milk where possible.<\/p>\n
You should also avoid carbonated drinks on the day before and day of your modelling casting. Bubbles are a sure-fire way to bloat, plus you\u2019re filling yourself up with empty calories that won\u2019t do much for your energy levels. Also avoid drinking through a straw or gulping drinks too quickly \u2013 as with chewing gum, these habits can mean you take in too much air: bloat o\u2019 clock.<\/p>\n
Avoid Gassy Foods<\/p>\n
bloating<\/p>\n
There are certain foods that are known to produce more gas in your gut than others. Excess gas is the primary cause of bloating, so it\u2019s important to think about what you\u2019re putting into your body.<\/p>\n
Key culprits are:<\/p>\n
Beans and lentils
\nCruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus and cauliflower
\nFructose, found in many fruits, wheat and soft drinks
\nLactose, the natural sugar in milk
\nThat\u2019s not to say you should avoid these things completely. Your body gets accustomed to your diet, so the most important thing is not to make any major changes on the day of a modelling casting or shoot. If you don\u2019t normally eat a lot of beans, for example, definitely don\u2019t eat these on the day or day before!<\/p>\n
The most crucial thing is to listen to your body, as everyone has different sensitivities. Work out what works best for you, and stick to a regular diet and you\u2019ll be much more likely to avoid bloating.<\/p>\n
And last but not least\u2026<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t Stress!<\/p>\n
bloating<\/p>\n
You\u2019re no doubt nervous about the modelling casting or shoot, but try not to stress. When we\u2019re stressed, we hold tension in our bodies and nothing works as it should. Stress causes blood to be diverted from your GI tract where you digest food, so you\u2019ll digest more slowly and be more likely to bloat.<\/p>\n
Also, when we\u2019re nervous, we can tend to breathe more heavily which leads to us swallowing more air and bloating. Instead, take long breaths and focus on exhaling for a few beats longer, to calm yourself down and cut your stress off in its tracks.<\/p>\n
Take these deep, measured breaths and say to yourself \u201cI\u2019m great at what I do and I really want this. They will like me for who I am\u201d. Then walk into that casting with your head held high, a huge smile and a great attitude (and a flatter bloat-free tummy!).<\/p>\n
We Are Models member Ewa is a dance fitness instructor and nutritionist. Ewa teaches empowering dance classes every week and offers nutrition advice to transform your lifestyle from unconsciously unhealthy to consciously healthy & happy. To find out more, visit her Website, Follow her on Facebook HERE and Instagram HERE.
\nWe Are Models are committed to empowering aspiring and professional models to launch and grow their career. We believe modelling is a lifestyle and not just a career and we want to help you get to where you want to be. READ MORE about becoming a We Are Models member today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The countdown is over. The day of the modelling casting or shoot has arrived. Obviously you want to be sure you look, and perform, your best\u2026 but how do you stop a last-minute case of bloating? The most important thing to tell you is that bloating is not \u2018water weight\u2019 so don\u2019t hold off on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":10911,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[625,817,1618,1619,334,1620,1621,441],"class_list":["post-10910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-casting","tag-exercise","tag-foods","tag-latte","tag-modelling","tag-portions","tag-shoot","tag-stress"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/map.model.world\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10910","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/map.model.world\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/map.model.world\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/map.model.world\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/map.model.world\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10910"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/map.model.world\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10910\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10912,"href":"https:\/\/map.model.world\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10910\/revisions\/10912"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/map.model.world\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/map.model.world\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/map.model.world\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/map.model.world\/directory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}