Foods That Fight Bloating And Water Retention

Are you a little unhappy with your figure? An excessive intake of calories combined with insufficient physical activity usually ensures that you'll have more fat on your body. A healthy, balanced diet and plenty of exercise means you're pretty likely to be happy with your body. 

You might be surprised that you can look quite a bit slimmer by eating certain foods while avoiding others. Let's take a closer look at the foods that fight water retention, and those that make you look bloated and fat.

Ingredients You Should Avoid If You Don't Want To Look Bloated

Almost everyone is aware that too much salt is going to make your blood pressure rise, and many people also know that excessive salt can make you look bloated. Do you know how much is too much though? The American Heart Association recommends that you don't consume more than 1,500 milligrams of salt daily, yet the average American is closer to 3,400 milligrams. 

If your diet contains more processed and fast foods than you care to admit, you don't even have to add additional salt to your meals to end up on the wrong side of that daily limit. Salt is a good first enemy to fight if you want to see how much better your body can look if you retain fewer fluids. 

You might think cutting down on salt is going to be a challenge — and you're probably right — but that's nothing compared to the starches people living in developed western nations rely on so much. Potatoes, bread, pasta and other flour-based products may be your trusted staples. These foods are versatile, quick to prepare and make you feel satisfied for long periods of time. They may also be the reason you are bloated. That's because starches are infamous for causing water retention. When you eat starch, you rely on the bacteria that live in the intestines to digest them. These bacteria make you gassy and bloated. 

Read More: Ten Home Remedies for Gas, Flatulence, and Bloating

When you choose what to eat, you also inadvertently decide what not to consume. Starchy carbohydrates are important sources of energy and they will also supply you with a range of vitamins and minerals (calcium, iron, and B vitamins). Yet overdosing on them means you'll consume fewer fruits and vegetables, which you also need and a few of which actively fight bloating and water retention. 

Stay away from carbonated drinks, especially those that contain large amounts of artificial sweeteners. 

Foods That Fight Water Retention

Avoiding foods that lead to water retention and bloating will make you look and feel a lot better. To actively combat water retention, you'll want to make up for the foods that caused your problem by consuming things that help you flush your system. The first — and arguably most important — of those is water. 

Anyone who suffers from water retention should increase their water intake. Your body holds onto water more readily if you have a chronic shortage of it. We know you've heard this mantra a thousand times before but will bore you with it yet again because hardly anyone actually lives in accordance with it.

Women tend to have more of a problem with water retention than men, a fact that is due to hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle. Try foods rich in magnesium, potassium and calcium to help with chronic water retention. You could use a supplement like evening primrose oil, but you can get adequate amounts of these minerals through food alone if you know where to look. 

Anyone who suffers from water retention can try citrus fruits as a source of potassium. Leafy greens like spinach will also help you become less bloated, and make sure to add more tomato, celery, carrots, onions and peppers to your diet. Watercress is another food you can easily add to salads to fight water retention and bloating. 

Don't think you'll have to live off fruits and veggies alone to look and feel better, though. You can also try adding salmon and other foods that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, and nuts for vitamin B6 to your regular diet. Dandelion and ginger are also natural diuretics that are a natural part of some people's diets — you can add these to almost any meal. 

Read More: Water Retention (Edema): Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Water retention can be caused by hot weather, using the contraceptive pill, other medications, or hormonal fluctuations caused by the menstrual cycle. Being bloated and holding onto water weight can also be the result of chronic venous insufficiency, kidney problems, heart failure, thyroid disease, and other serious medical conditions. Abdominal bloating can be caused by lactose intolerance or inflammatory conditions like Crohn's Disease.