Who knew your favorite granola bar or canned tuna could double as a salt lick? In a recent report published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about American sodium consumption, researchers found that approximately 75 percent of the sodium in the typical American diet doesn't come from the shaker -- it's added to commercial foods during processing, or while a restaurant cook's prepping your meal. In fact, only about 25 percent occurs naturally or is added at the table or in home cooking, the CDC report explained.
Cut the added sodium and you'll lose water weight and bloat. To tackle the excess white stuff, consume "no more than 500 mg of added sodium per day -- like salt from processed or prepared foods," says Beth Reardon, director of integrative nutrition at Duke Integrative Medicine. She says a lot of seemingly "healthy" foods (think processed cereals, cottage cheese, and even frozen vegetable mixes!) are high in salt. The good news? These can easily be replaced with oatmeal, Greek yogurt, and fresh DIY veggie/grain combos.
One trick: The more potassium you consume, the more your body will get rid of sodium, says Reardon. Sweet potatoes, coconut water, apricots, bananas, cantaloupes, figs, oranges, and beats are all high in the big P.
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Get Regular
It's not very ladylike to talk about poop, but moving those bowels is an effective route to a flat stomach and fewer pounds on that mean ol' scale. That said, this is no time to reach for the laxatives. Natural routes to regularity are your best bet for short- and long-term well being.
First up, fiber. While the recommended intake is 25 mg per day for women, Reardon suggests eating 35 to 40 g of both soluble and insoluble fiber to lighten your weight and look like you've lost 5 pounds. Both types of fiber are equally important for health, digestion, and preventing conditions like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and constipation.
When making a food choice, however, don't worry about choosing one form of fiber or the other. Just know that soluble fibers are found in the plants you eat -- they're the parts that pass through your system undigested, delay the emptying of your stomach, and make you feel full, which helps control the munchies. This type of fiber is found in foods like oats, legumes, barley, apples, pears, and flaxseed.
On the other hand, insoluble fibers have a laxative effect and add bulk to your diet; they pass through the GI tract relatively intact, and speed up the passage of food and waste through your gut. This fiber is found mostly in grains and vegetables, including whole wheat, whole grains like barley and brown rice, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, dark leafy vegetables, and grapes.
Supplements, broken into doses throughout the day, can also help -- namely digestive enzymes taken 30 minutes before a meal to aid digestion and probiotics taken 30 minutes after a meal to help regulate bowels, says Reardon. Chelated magnesium, taken before bed, also helps with regularity.
Finally, a cup of hot water with lemon, in the morning or as a nightcap, can also get things moving. "This drink lowers the PH in your belly, which helps preserve natural probiotics and helps activate digestive enzymes," she notes. As a health bonus, all this excretion will help rid your body of toxins, excess estrogen, and lower your cholesterol levels as well.
If only I could lose 5 pounds by Friday.
So goes the all-too-common refrain, often overheard in dressing rooms, ladies restrooms, and spin classes galore — or, let's face it, anywhere there's a mirror and a captive female listener who'll pretend to care.
It's not like we're obsessed with being something we're not, but a flatter belly or looser jeans asap would definitely come in handy for an impromptu beach weekend or party where we expect to see an ex. The thing is, most of us don't think it's possible to look 5 pounds thinner that fast. But here's a shocker: It's do-able. And you don't need to go on some long-term, healthy foods diet to lose weight that quickly.
Don't just take our word for it. Our favorite experts say that depending on your body type, it's realistic to drop 5 pounds in five days -- or at least lose enough water weight, or trim enough inches, to make it look like you have, which is all that really matters. Best of all, none of the following ways to look skinnier involve crash dieting, funky pills, or hunger pangs that'll make you run for the nearest vending machine at 4 p.m.
Instead, these tips involve eating good-for-you foods, staying adequately hydrated, exercising for a reasonable amount of time, and breathing deeply — all stuff that we should be doing anyway to help our bodies thrive in the midst of our stressful, busy, and emotionally exhausting lives (funny how these are the factors that contribute to a lot of weight gain in the first place). And while each tip is designed to make an impact on its own, combining a few of these can only help you lose weight more quickly.
So put down that diet soda and get a jump on sliding into those skinny jeans by Friday. Here's how.
