Magic foods that reduce bloat

Whether your overdid it on too many drinks and stuffed potato skins or whether it is experiencing the few days right before your period begins, feeling bloated is never fun.

And even if the last thing we want to do it to eat when you feel that your stomach, fingers and eyes are just a tad bit more puffy than usual, there are a few magic-pill foods that can help you reduce water-retention so that feeling and looking good is just perhaps a meal or snack away.

Potassium: This powerful electrolyte is responsible for helping to move sodium out of the body and since sodium is a significant factor in bloat, countering your weightiness with some potassium-rich foods is one of your best defenses against extra bulk. While bananas are known as potassium wonders, avocados, papayas, honeydew melon, edamame , sweet potatoes and spinach are great potassium sources as well. Most of us get far less than the recommended 3500 to 4500 mg of potassium a day so it is all the more important to supplement your diet with these potassium winners to give you health a boost as you give your bloat a boot.

Caffeine: This widely-consumed stimulant is also nature’s diuretic. Drinking caffeine to reduce bloat needs to be done with caution: You don’t want to induce the uncomfortable and sometimes dangers effects of caffeine by overdoing it. Therefore, it’s best to maintain your usual daily caffeine intake whether it’s a cup or two of  ‘joe in the morning or a Diet Coke with lunch to reap the anti-bloat effects of caffeine.

Water: Even if you’re vigilant with drinking enough water throughout the day, one surefire way to leach that excess sodium and bloat from your body is to keep flushing your body with plain water. Not only will keep you keep things moving out but you’ll also feel like eating smaller portions and less frequently since the extra water is going to fill you up.

Asparagus: These delicate green stalks are one of nature’s wonder foods. Containing hefty amounts of folate, iron and thiamine, asparagus has been eaten for hundreds of years not just for it’s nutritional benefits but for its diuretic effects as well. This spring favorite is super low in calorie and virtually fat-free so steam a bunch for dinner or chop a few stalks for your salad or morning omelet.

In addition to what you eat, pay attention to how you eat and exercise. Grazing on a few small meals throughout the day may benefit your dietary needs but may be detrimental to others who end up taking in more calories. And exercise gives you an instant metabolic lift so be sure to supplement these bloat-banishing foods with a solid 30 minutes of sweat-breaking fitness every day.

~Heather Ashare, DietsinReview Heather Ashare is a writer who has a Master’s degree in public health who focuses in nutrition and overall wellness. She is also a mother and a dedicated Ashtanga yoga practitioner. Visit DietsinReview