Beat the Bloat!

We've all been there; had a little too much to eat and drink, not enough sleep, and even though a ton of FUN, we're feeling the effects of whichever event or holiday we just celebrated.
So now what? Instead of standing and staring at our watery faces and bellies in the mirror (guilty), here are some tips to get you over the water-retention hump and on your way back to your pre-holiday body!

1. Drink more water! Seems counter-intuitive right? But drinking more water allows your body to excrete more water through excretion, thereby ridding you of the water "retention". In addition, water helps to flush your kidneys, digestive system, and hydrate your body, thereby allowing your metabolism to function more effectively. Especially if you've overindulged a bit in the sweets department, you may notice your skin tone and complexion suffer as a result. Want to know what helps clear skin up? WATER. Alright I think you get it.
2. Get your sweat on! Sweating is a way of "evaporative cooling" which allows your body to regulate its own temperature. In order to sweat, your metabolism is most likely in a higher than normal state since a higher metabolism usually results in a higher resting body temperature. Not only does sweating get your heart rate up, but it helps you get rid of sodium that is also being retained under your skin. Ever wondered why your sweat tastes salty? You were retaining sodium! A great way to sweat a little harder is to sit in the sauna. Use caution when using a sauna however, because you will also sweat out some essential vitamins and electrolytes, so supplement with a daily vitamin and bring water in there with you!
3. Lower your sodium intake for a day or two! Replace it with other spices such as garlic, ginger, black pepper, etc...Mrs. Dash has a great line of sodium-free spices!
4. De-stress! Take a long soak in an epsom salt bath, burn a soothing candle, have a Netflix marathon...whatever it is that gets your mind to stop racing. When your stress levels are high, so are your cortisol (stress hormone) levels, and higher cortisol levels are correlated with higher water retention, specifically in the "midsection".
5. Eat/drink more fiber! Fiber cleanses your intestinal tract and keeps things running smoothly, further aiding in the removal of any excess fluid!
6. Cut out alcohol. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it causes you to urinate, often excreting more water than the beverage itself contains. This puts your body in a dehydrated state, and a dehydrated body desperately tries to hold on to any water you give it...leading to bloating!
7. Last but certainly not least, don't go to extremes with your diet! Get back on track, but don't cut out huge chunks of calories or only drink vegetables in order to slim down quickly. Your body is already trying to combat something "not right", so don't make it try to understand yet another change! Just take a deep breath, give yourself a break, and start fresh!

Here's an illustration of what my post-Thanksgiving "transformation" looked like. No I didn't look terrible on the left, but my face says it all; I was unbelievably uncomfortable (stomach discomfort/rumbling, constant feeling of fullness...etc.)
All I did was hit the gym, increase my veggie and water intake a bit, and get back to my "normal" daily meals pre-feast. Two days later, back to normal!