When it comes to weight loss, it’s most important to eat a variety of whole, naturally slimming foods to help you fight bloating the natural way.
However, not all foods help reduce bloat, even if they’re natural. And while many processed foods may not cause bloating, that also doesn’t mean they’re healthier for you as a result.
The most important factor to consider when attempting to eat more slimming foods is to focus on foods that help reduce water weight and don’t contribute to excessive gas and bloating.
In order to do this, you’ll need to add more potassium-rich foods to your plate, reduce the high levels of sodium and added sugars in your diet, and overall aim to fit more natural foods into your meals whenever you can.
The Main Causes of Bloating and Water Weight Gain:
Large meals and lots of food additives can also contribute to bloating and water weight gain.
If you’re looking to eat more slimming foods, start by focusing on foods that encourage the reduction of water weight by offering natural diuretic properties. It’s also important to eat a balance of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates so your digestion works at optimal levels like it’s meant to.
With those notes in mind, here are 10 healthy, slimming foods that can help you fight bloating all just by eating them!
1. Cucumbers
Cucumbers are high in water, Vitamin C, and potassium which all help reduce water weight gain and flush wastes out of the body. Cucumbers are also high in detoxifying properties in general, and you can add them to any salad, smoothie, snack on them raw, juice them, or top any cooked entrée with them as well.
Cucumbers are also beneficial since they are rich in the mineral silica which strengthens collagen levels in the body and can help improve the hair, skin, and nails.
If you purchase cucumbers, opt for those that are organic since cucumbers are high in pesticides when purchased in conventional form.
2. Zucchini
Zucchini actually has more Vitamin C, potassium,and fiber than cucumbers, and it’s a wonderful slimming food to help you fight bloating.
Zucchini is rich in chlorophyll as well which is a natural cleansing compound found in green and yellow vegetables. Chlorophyll is useful for slimming because it helps the body get rid of wastes that lead to water weight gain, bloating, and even general weight gain from excess fat.
Zucchini can be roasted, grilled, sauteed, added to a smoothie, juiced, or even used to make veggie casseroles and stews.
You can also use it in place of chickpeas to make zucchini hummus and feel free to use it in place of any starchy item if you’re looking to eat less high-carb foods at your meals.
Zucchini is also a good source of fiber but not the type of fiber that normally causes bloating. It’s one of the best foods you can eat to flush out water wastes and is a delicious one at that!
3. Asparagus
Asparagus is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables you can add to your plate and is high in beneficial fibers that stimulate the growth of good bacteria. It’s also a rich source of natural diuretics which is one reason it tends to cause you to urinate more often after eating it.
Asparagus even helps boost liver function to aid in natural detox and can help the body produce more bile needed to detoxify and cleanse on its own. Plus, asparagus is delicious and can be grilled, roasted, chopped into soups and salads, or can be enjoyed raw with some salsa as a healthy snack.
When purchasing asparagus, you may want to cut off the tough, white stems at the end since they can be especially fibrous, tough, and hard to break down. Enjoy the top ¾ of the asparagus spear and juice or compost the ends if you don’t want to waste them.
Pair asparagus with some salmon or lentils for an especially slimming, metabolic-boosting meal as a delicious way to enjoy it!
4. Pumpkin
If you’re avoiding high-carb veggies like sweet potatoes and winter squash, think twice before you leave out pumpkin.
Pumpkin is packed with beneficial properties that help reduce bloating naturally to keep you slim and full! Pumpkin is high in minerals such as potassium, iron, magnesium, and it’s a great source of fiber to help keep you full.
Another bonus of eating pumpkin is that the fiber found in pumpkin and other types of squash don’t tend to lead to bloating like other vegetables because they’re an easily digested type of fiber known as soluble fiber. Soluble fiber gels up slowly in the stomach unlike the rougher, insoluble fibers found in foods like broccoli and wheat that can lead to bloating more easily.
Pumpkin is also rich in water to help move fiber through the body more easily, and it’s rich in Vitamin C which flushes out toxins more easily.
These qualities of pumpkin contribute to a slimmer waistline as a result. Just one tip you don’t want to miss: always buy whole (fresh) pumpkin or canned (mashed) pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie mix which has added sugars and additives.
You can use pumpkin in place of eggs, oil, and butter during baking as a lower calorie option, or you can use pumpkin in curries, stews, dips, smoothies, eggs, oatmeal, chia pudding, or just season it and steam if for a tasty side dish at lunch or dinner.
5. Fish
Fish is one of the most slimming foods you can eat, but it’s important to choose those that are wild to avoid toxic chemicals that can harm your health. (See the difference in wild versus farmed fish here if you’re confused about this issue.)
White fish (such as halibut) is one of the most slimming foods you can eat that can help you fight bloating because it’s low in fat, and it’s also a great source of protein and minerals like potassium and selenium. Potassium helps fight water weight gain, and selenium is needed for optimal thyroid and hormone function for optimal weight loss efforts.
Salmon is also a good option when choosing slimming foods since it’s a beneficial source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats and a great source of protein.
When preparing your fish, opt to bake, grill, or lightly steam or sauté your fish in water or low sodium broth in place of oil as the most slimming and heart-healthy option. You can also add it to the slow cooker with some vegetables and whole grains to make a heart-healthy stew or soup.
6. Red lentils
Most beans, including lentils, can cause bloating, but one that is the exception to the rule is red lentils. Red lentils are technically split and cook up quickly as a result.
They also digest more easily as a result of being split before preparation, and they are very easy for the body to break down.
Lentils are also one of the best sources of magnesium, fiber, iron, potassium, and protein you can eat among all beans, peas, and lentils which are all referred to as legumes or pulses.
The fiber in lentils, (along with all the minerals and protein it contains), can help your body cleanse and detox naturally which will result in a lower waistline as a result.
Red lentils cook up in just 15 minutes in a pot or can be cooked in the slow cooker with vegetables for a quick, lower carb and protein-rich stew. Finally, red lentils have a sweet and nutty flavor which makes them an enjoyable source of protein for vegetarians and vegans that won’t cause bloating or indigestion.
Although red lentils don’t need to be soaked, you can give them a quick soak for a couple hours and then rinse them if you’re looking to make them even easier to digest. Because they’re so lean and rich in protein and fiber, these legumes are ones not to miss out on if you’re looking to slim down and fight bloating more easily!
7. Lemons
Lemons are high in Vitamin C, potassium, water, and many antioxidants that flush toxins out of the body.
In case you didn’t know, the body tends to hold more water when it’s attempting to deal with toxic byproducts from our diets and the environment because that’s its way of protecting us.
The body holds onto water to help absorb those toxins so they don’t reach our vital organs, but the excess water weight can lead to uncomfortable levels of bloating due to water weight gain which is definitely no fun!
So in order to flush out toxins and reduce water weight gain at the same time, it’s important to eat more bloat-reducing and cleansing foods whenever you can, starting with lemons and other citrus fruits such as grapefruits, limes, and oranges.
Lemons are one of the best detoxifying foods you can consume, and all you have to do is add a little lemon juice here and there to your water, salad greens, and cooked dishes to get the benefits!
8. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is high in fiber, water, protein, and minerals that help reduce bloating and can help you slim down more easily. It’s one of the best slimming foods you can eat and also one of the most beneficial for your overall health, especially your heart and cholesterol levels.
Oatmeal is high in soluble fiber, Vitamin B6, protein, iron, magnesium, potassium, and it’s even a good source of calcium and zinc. It also absorbs a lot of water, but it tends to have diuretic properties once consumed which can help you shed water weight as a result.
Opt for whole grain oats in place of highly processed and flavored instant oatmeal that tends to have added sodium and sugars. Quick-cook, rolled, steel-cut, and whole oat groats are all similar in nutrition, so choose whichever one works best for you. Oat bran is also a good option and is the most fiber-rich part of oatmeal that is higher in soluble fiber and high in protein than whole oats are.
You can cook your oats, soak them overnight, add them to smoothies, or make them savory and serve them in place of rice and other grains at dinner as an easy way to work them into your diet.
9. Plain Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is one of the best sources of protein and potassium you can eat. And while most dairy products are high in cholesterol and saturated fat, non-fat, plain Greek yogurt is the exception to the rule. It’s very low in calories, has little to no cholesterol (depending on the brand), and is a rich source of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and potassium that can help you slim down more easily.
Greek yogurt also tends to held build lean muscle and helps reduce the urge to eat sugary foods since it’s so satiating. It also contains probiotics that help reduce bloating and that can also lead to lower weight over time.
Finally, Greek yogurt is a great source of lean protein that makes a great replacement to meat if you’re looking to eat leaner sources of protein.
Yogurt is also one of the only dairy products that most people digest easily since the probiotics eat up most of the lactose (milk sugar) found in dairy products during the culturing process of the yogurt.
10. Pineapple
Pineapple is high in Vitamin C and the enzyme bromelain that helps your body digest fats and protein. Pineapple is also high in potassium which flushes out water wastes and improves blood pressure levels.
While most people think that pineapple is high in sugar, a whole cup actually has less sugar than a small apple and about the same amount as a cup of berries. An entire cup of pineapple will also provide you with an entire day’s worth of Vitamin C needs. It’s hard to beat that!
Pineapple is one of the most slimming foods you can eat because breaks down foods more easily to reduce bloating and it reduces inflammation that can lead to water weight gain. You can enjoy a little pineapple before any meal for better digestion or you can add pineapple to any meal you choose for healthier digestion too.
Finally, pineapple is also rich in a mineral known as manganese which is needed for optimal thyroid and metabolic health. Fruits that offer as many benefits as this tropical fruit should never be avoided, especially when you’re considering what naturally slimming foods to add to your plate!
Last Tips for Slimming Success:
Remember that when you’re looking to eat more slimming foods, always turn to nature before turning to boxed and processed foods. In general, the more natural foods you eat, the slimmer you’ll be and the less bloated you’ll feel.
It’s completely natural to be a little bloated after a meal, especially if that meal is high in beneficial fibers that you need for optimal health, however, if bloating is a consistent struggle for you, it’s time to take a look at your diet more closely.
Choose a variety of nutrient-dense foods to make your meals with instead of relying on a small selection. Variety is the key to the spice of life and it’s a great value to keep in mind when considering optimal nutrition from whole foods!
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