10 Foods to Avoid Before Boarding a Plane

En español | Avoid anything that can cause excess gas to build up in your stomach. That includes the obvious suspects — beans — as well as other usually good-for-you foods such as broccoli and cabbage. Besides the embarrassment of being gaseous, you don't want to spend the flight feeling bloated.

Carbonated soft drinks can cause flatulence. Plus, sodas with caffeine will both keep you from napping and lead to more trips to the plane's toilet. The carbonation might also cause you to belch or get heartburn.

Eating garlic can cause really bad breath. Halitosis in the tight quarters of an airplane is not a nice thing to share with your seatmates. As it's absorbed into your bloodstream, garlic can also cause body odor — again, something those sitting near you can do without.

The smell of fries wafting from airport food stands might beckon, but the fats and oils in fried food can cause heartburn, meaning a super-uncomfortable flight. Food high in trans fats and salt can also lead to fluid retention, which, in turn, can cause your feet to swell.

You might want to calm your nerves by indulging at the airport bar, but alcohol can have a dehydrating effect. Since airplane air may also leave you dehydrated, you set yourself up for a double whammy. Plus, a stiff drink or two can leave you with bad breath.

A lot of people have difficulty digesting meat. Indulge in a burger at the airport, and you might find yourself spending the flight with digestive issues as your body tries to process the fat. Eating meat can also lead to unpleasant body odor as it stagnates in your digestive track.

A lot of us like to grab a pick-me-up before a flight, but it's best to avoid doing so. Besides leaving you with coffee breath, a cup of joe not only can make you jittery and dehydrated but also can irritate your bladder, making you generally uncomfortable.

Spicy food can cause stomach discomfort and bladder irritation; it can also cause bad breath and leave your mouth burning. You don't want to deal with any of these things during a flight, so save the spicy treats for when you land.

Apples aren't easy to digest and, like other fibrous fruits, can leave you gassy. Avoid them before flying. Ditto orange juice. It's very acidic and likely to cause heartburn. Plus, vitamin C can make you have to urinate more, meaning more treks up and down the airplane aisle.

Chewing gum might stop your ears from popping but, as you swallow more air, gas builds up in your stomach and can make you feel bloated. Sugar in the gum can stimulate your bladder, and artificial sweetener in the sugar-free stuff can cause flatulence.

• 9 thrilling road trips
• Historic walks and trails
• Beautiful, iconic homes
• World's best cruise ports
• Best cities to visit in 2013