So you’ve indulged in a slice of pizza, or 5. Or you tried a new restaurant in town and woke up the next day feeling like Will Smith did during his allergic reaction in Hitch. Eating foods high in sodium can really make you feel less than sexy the next day, so I want to talk about a mineral that can help flush out water weight and help you dwindle back down to your normal size in no time.
And that mineral is potassium. Now before you run to the grocery store and buy 10 bananas, let’s quickly break down how this works and a study that supports it.
Potassium Rich Foods That Flush Out Water Weight:
How does it work?
So potassium is an important mineral and electrolyte that helps our cells, tissues, and organs in our body function properly. If you’ve heard the term electrolyte before, you know that electrolytes are crucial to balancing fluid levels within our body as well. Also, if you’re not consuming enough potassium in your diet, you could experience water retention as well.
By ensuring that you have enough potassium in your diet, it helps lower sodium levels by encouraging sodium excretion through urine (1). So when you’ve had an evening of restaurant food (who knows how much salt they put in that pasta), you can help de-bloat by having a banana for breakfast or an asparagus salad.
We generally have an abundance of potassium in our bodies already, but if you work out excessively and sweat excessively during these workouts, you could be losing electrolytes and your potassium levels could decrease. SO it’s important to ensure that when you take a hot yoga class, you not only hydrate with water, but also consume foods that contain electrolytes like potassium, calcium and magnesium.
Plant-Based Food Sources of Potassium:
It’s quite simple to ensure that you have enough potassium in your diet as many plant-based foods are rich in potassium. To name a few:
- bananas
- sweet potatoes
- spinach
- mushrooms
- tomatoes
- apricots
- asparagus
- avocado
- coconut water
- white beans
And, many tasty recipes can be created with these ingredients! Take a gander at what I’ve rounded up below and get your aprons out.
Vegan Chocolate Banana Icecream
Cleansing Mung Bean Spinach Soup
Breakfast Chickpea Spinach Muffins
Sun Goddess Sweet Potato Carrot Bowl
Crispy Sweet Potato Chips
Be careful though…
While eating natural food sources of potassium can help you flush out water weight, having too much potassium in your system can be very dangerous. I do not recommend taking potassium salts or potassium supplements (unless prescribed by your doctor). Also be weary of eating too many foods high in potassium if you take any sort of blood pressure medications. Make sure you always consult with your physician before starting any new type of diet or supplement routine.
Study source:
(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9428447
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