There are so many natural ingredients that can help you debloat, and certain foods which are almost guaranteed to add weight to your middle. If you’ve over-indulged on fat, sugar, salt or alcohol, these recipes can help you quickly get back on track.
When you’re feeling bloated, fennel can be your best friend. I include several recipes in my Juice Fast Program that contain fennel because it is uniquely capable of helping belly bloat go way down. I’m always surprised at how many people have never tried this vegetable in any form! Fennel contains the important anti-inflammatory phytonutrient anethole, which helps soothe digestion and help toxins exit the body. Other debloating ingredients I included in these recipes for you are:
Cucumbers: These crunchy veggies are natural diuretics, high in fluids and a source of silicon and sulfur that may help to boost kidney function and the ability to produce urine and rid the body of waste
Beets: Beets are loaded with nutrients that have been found to help fight inflammation in the body like anthocyanins. Beets contain some diuretic properties and may help to flush water from the body, and are a good source of potassium that helps maintain fluid balance in the body.
Ginger: Ginger is loaded with healthful nutrients like gingerol that act as antioxidants in the body and help boost immunity. Ginger also has mild diuretic properties.
Parsley: Parsley helps your liver produce detoxifying enzymes and also helps to promote a gentle diuretic effect.
Here are the recipes for you. I recommend making these and consuming them over a period of 2 days and with any other food that you eat, completely avoid added sugars, salt, grains and added fats just for 48 hours and watch the bloat disappear!
FENNEL BROTH
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1Â fennel bulb, shaved
- 1 green onion, finely chopped (2 Tbs.)
- 3 cups of water
Cook fennel in a pot with lemon juice, garlic, and 3 cups of water for about 30-45 minutes or until fennel becomes soft. Resist the urge to add salt, salt retains water and is not debloating friendly. Eat throughout the day.
CARROT GINGER SOUP
- 1 small yellow onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 inch piece of ginger
- 3 apples
- 15 carrots
- 3 cups water
Cook onions with 1/4 cup of water (water saute) about 10 minutes until onions are soft.  Add ginger and garlic and cook for one minute, until fragrant. Add the water to the pot. Juice carrots and apples, and add to onion saute. Continue cooking on low until entire soup is warm. Again, avoid salting this soup. It may seem more bland then you are used to without extra spices, salt or fat, but that’s the idea. This isn’t a dinner party menu, it’s a menu to seriously bring down the bloat.
GRAPEFRUITÂ SALAD
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
Toss all ingredients together and snack on this throughout the day.
GINGER BEET JUICE
- 1 red beet
- 1 inch piece of ginger
- 1 cucumber
Juice and drink!
