Expert Tips to Beat the Summer Bloat

Transcript:

Melanie: Welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition, brought to you by Nutritional Weight & Wellness. You know, summer is all about spending time outside, going on vacations, gathering at picnics and barbecues, and feeling your best. But if you have ever found yourself feeling puffy, uncomfortable, or just dealing with unexpected bloating during warmer months, you're not alone.

You may have noticed that rings fit tighter on hotter days. You may feel more bloated after summer cookouts or special drinks by the pool or long days in the heat. Well, in today's episode, we are diving into the surprising reasons bloating can be more common in the summertime, and more importantly, what you can do to feel lighter, more comfortable, and energized all season long. My name is Melanie Beasley, I'm a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, and I'm here with Britni, who's also a Registered and Licensed Dietitian.

Britni: Happy to be here with you, Melanie. I'm Britni Vincent. You know, we hear this all the time. Clients come in and they say every summer it's more difficult to be consistent with my balanced eating. Or in the summer, my rings don't fit, or my belly's constantly bloated. In many cases, summer bloating isn't body fat gain. Often it's fluid shifts, inflammation, digestive changes, and there's a few seasonal habits that can leave you feeling uncomfortable.

Why does bloating tend to get worse in the summer? (#1: heat)

So first let's talk about why bloating tends to get worse during the summer months. One of the biggest reasons is heat. When temperatures rise, your body works hard to regulate your temperature. Blood vessels dilate to help release heat, which can cause fluid to move into your tissues, especially your hands, feet, ankles, and legs. And that's why people often notice swollen fingers, tighter shoes, or puffiness after spending a day outdoors.

Melanie: That's the truth, especially if you go on walks. When you go on walks and you're just walking along, all of a sudden your hands feel like you have little sausages.

#2: dehydration

Another factor is dehydration and many people become mildly dehydrated during the summer. And when your body senses dehydration, it often holds on to fluid as a protective mechanism.

And this is one of the biggest misconceptions that we see is that people feel puffy and think they should drink less water. When in reality, you really need to be more hydrating so your body can relax. Hydration is not just about how much puff or not puff you have. We need that fluid to detoxify the body. That's how it transports toxins out through urine and bowel, stool, sweat, breath. So it's important that we're hydrating.

Britni: It is extremely important. There's a lot of summer habits that play a role into this and can contribute to some of this dehydration, too. You know, think about barbecues, chips and dips. I don't know about you, but if there's a chip and dip sitting in front of me.

Melanie: It calls.

#3: common summer foods that can contribute to dehydration & puffiness

Britni: Yeah. Vacation foods, patio foods and drinks, alcohol, ice cream, sugary drinks like lemonade or sweetened iced coffees or sweetened iced tea. Many of these foods, they are higher in sodium, sugar, or they contain ingredients that are going to cause some digestive discomfort.

Melanie: And when you say salty foods, what comes to mind for me are bratwurst. Those pack a punch when it comes to sodium. So if you feel puffy and you may be confused if it's bloating, water retention, or increased body fat, let's distinguish between those. Bloating is usually digestive. You may notice your stomach feels distended. It may get worse by the end of the day. You feel gas, pressure, that abdominal discomfort. It feels like if someone would just stick a pin in you and let some air out, you'd get some relief.

And then there's water retention, which is different. And you might notice the puffy sausage fingers I mentioned or swollen ankles, a fuller face. You know, temporary, the scale increases when you're holding this fluid. And then your clothing feels tighter. I have a client, she went on vacation and she said, I brought these jeans, but I couldn't wear them. I wore leggings the whole time because I always feel bloated.

Britni: Yeah, because in reality, actual body fat gain, it's going to take longer than just a weekend. You don't gain five pounds of body fat over a holiday weekend. Most of those rapid changes are usually related to water retention, inflammation, food volume, or digestive issues. That can add a couple pounds on the scale.

Melanie: That'll bloat you and lend that abdominal discomfort where you just don't feel like yourself. And who wants that noise in your head when you're on vacation the whole time of I'm uncomfortable every walk? You know, it's important because many people panic when they see that scale jump up after a vacation or a summer weekend. And often your body just needs a few days to rebalance all of these things we're talking about, especially if you flew.

Dietary connections to bloat & water retention

If you fly, you retain fluid. Don't get on the scale the day you've arrived home. And let's explain the dietary connection to bloat and water retention. On Dishing Up Nutrition, we are always connecting excess carbs and sugar with whatever health topic is on the agenda. Well, today is no different. We're back in that lane again. And when you eat carbohydrates, your body converts some of them into glycogen, which is stored in your muscles and your liver for energy.

Well, for every gram of glycogen stored, your body stores roughly three to four grams of water alongside it. So if you increase carb intake and store extra glycogen, you may also retain water. It's always fun when I have a client who has come to me who's been keto and she says, whenever I start eating carbs, I gain like five pounds the next day. Well, did she gain body fat?

Britni: No.

Melanie: No. It's this whole concept of suddenly the body is getting carbs and those three to four grams of water alongside those carbs. So this is why people often see this scale go up after a weekend of indulging in things like cookies, crackers, pasta, pizza. It's also how you can lose weight quickly when starting a low carb diet, then it plateaus because you're going to drop that water really, really fast. So most of that quick weight change is water. Not body fat. It's satisfying to step on the scale and go. But know that it takes longer and consistently to lose body fat. But water, she can come and go.

Britni: She shifts very quickly. You know, the other carb connection here is carbohydrates, especially those refined carbs and sugar, they're going to raise blood glucose, which raises our insulin. And insulin will signal the kidneys to hold on to sodium. And since water follows sodium, more sodium retention means more water retention. So you might have experienced that bloated water retention feeling after eating high carb foods that are also high in sodium: pizza, chips, fast food, fried foods, plus all those heavy foods, they're not very friendly to your digestive system. So they can really slow things down and again make you feel fuller and bloated for a longer period of time.

Melanie: My daughter texted me this morning and said, Mom, I have a gluten hangover

Britni: I’ve heard that before too.

Melanie: Because she had all of her friends were together and they ordered pizza, which is not usually her jam. She eats pretty clean. And she said, I overdid it. I'm bloated. I feel like I brain fog. It's a gluten hangover.

Another one is alcohol, speaking of hangovers, and during summertime, drinking alcohol seems to be more normalized than other times of the year. We live in Minnesota, and that patio time is a thing for clients. It's a sacred time to sit in the sun with your friends and the warmth, have a cocktail. But alcohol acts as a diuretic. So therefore, you would think it reduces water retention. And initially it can increase fluid loss, but afterward, alcohol contributes to dehydration and then you've got that rebound water retention. And if you've drank alcohol, you might be able to relate to your face and body looking puffy the next day. It's not a good look.

Britni: I think there's probably a lot of aha moments happening with our listeners. Connecting the dots here, what's causing all that puffiness?

Melanie: And the dark circles, I can almost tell I have a couple of clients that when they have indulged on the weekend, they have dark circles, which is probably from the puffiness.

Britni: Yes. Certain individuals may also react to foods they are sensitive too, like we just talked about gluten. So in addition to gluten could be dairy, could be artificial sweeteners, especially sometimes sugar alcohols. If bloating is persistent, I think it's really worth exploring potential triggers with a dietitian. Because if you're getting bloated from something and you have a food sensitivity, it's wreaking havoc elsewhere in your body too.

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Melanie: Yes. And you don't want to keep playing with a food that's making your body angry. When your body has a symptom, it's trying to communicate. Symptoms are communication. Something is not right. And if we keep ignoring it, sometimes things can progress to a place of further detriment. But that's not what we want. So we got to be a little detective, figure out what's going on there.

Practical solutions for summer bloat (#1: hydrate consistently)

But now let's get into practical solutions for the summer bloat. The first strategy is to hydrate consistently. Many people wait until they're thirsty, but by then they're already behind. Aim to drink water throughout the day rather than trying to catch up all at once. So sip, sip, sip instead of glug, glug, glug.

A helpful goal is to bring a refillable water bottle wherever you go, work, the beach, sporting events, and even traveling, and make it a big one. You know, they make big ones that fit in your cup holders now. That way you can sip, sip, sip and really hydrate and also think of hydrating foods.

It's common to think of fruits as refreshing during the heat. Why is that? It's because fruit is high in sugar but easy to overdo. So try limiting that to a half a cup serving. The reason it feels so fresh is because it is full of water. But also sugar. So we have to kind of limit that to about a half cup. Berries, three fourths of a cup-ish is better because they're lower in sugar.

And then vegetables are a better option for water dense foods: cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, leafy greens, celery, bell peppers. And these are foods that are over 90% water. Zucchini is another good one. And we're getting ready to hit zucchini season here. So summer is a perfect time to load up on vegetables.

I also want to mention that fruits and vegetables are higher in potassium. So you're going to get a better potassium and sodium, they balance each other out. So when you're getting foods that are high in sodium, we talked about chips, pizza. You want a lot of fruits and vegetables so that you're getting a lot of potassium to balance out the sodium. They're supposed to work in tandem together.

Easy ways to get in more veggies in the summer

Britni: So, what are some easy ways to have more veggies in the summer? You know, a couple things that come to mind are even just chopping up cucumber with oil and vinegar, salt and pepper. Very easy. It's a little more exciting than just applying cucumber. You know, we've all probably had that creamy cucumber salad, but I will just make it with chopped up cucumbers, some fresh dill if I have it, a little red onion, mayonnaise, and a little vinegar. Again, super simple. It stays good in the fridge for a couple days.

Melanie: I love to throw dill in that.

Britni: Yes.

Melanie: Now that we've got fresh dill from all the farmers markets. One of the things I like to do is if you're entertaining, charcuterie boards are fun. Take a big fat zucchini and a seedless cucumber and a big fat carrot, slice it on the diagonal and use those as crackers. People love that. They feel really righteous having their little sausage and ham and cheese on that. And then you can have grapes and berries and other things on your charcuterie board that are fluid dense and also real food.

Britni: Great idea. You could do little caprese skewers with tiny mozzarella balls, cherry tomato, basil. You could even take it a step further, drizzle it with a little balsamic.

Melanie: Delicious. And you can always start with that and then say, did that satisfy like I thought maybe the crackers and cheese would? And usually it always does. The other thing I like to do is make hummus from zucchini. You can Google a recipe, zucchini hummus. It comes out great. You can dip your veggies in that, but you're getting additional vegetables in the zucchini hummus versus just plain old hummus, which it's hard to find good hummus that doesn't have seed oils out there. But when you make your own with all the zucchinis growing in the garden, it's easy. It lasts a while and it tastes just like hummus.

Prioritize protein

Britni: Great ideas. I think the next thing to think about is prioritizing protein. So a lot of summer meals, they're carb heavy. So that protein, it's going to help to stabilize blood sugar, reduce swings and insulin that promote inflammation. One way to get a little more protein and veggies, you can use cottage cheese as a dip. Sprinkle like some ranch seasoning in there.

And if I'm at a barbecue, load up on the protein first. If you start with the protein or the veggies, you're going to feel fuller, you're going to be less likely to overindulge in those higher carb foods. And then the protein and the veggies first also slow down that absorption and reduce the blood sugar increase too.

Melanie: Yeah, and I love to bring a crock pot of chicken drummies. I mean, if you put a bottle of Primal Kitchen Italian dressing over chicken drummies in your crock pot, easy meal. Everybody loves those. You can do wings instead of drummies. The other thing is kebabs. Who doesn’t love a kebab? You're getting the vegetables, you're getting lots of meat.

Britni: And if you really want a brat or something like that, you can look for better quality ones out there. Look at the ingredients, look for nitrite free. Should really just be spices, the meat and the casing.

Melanie: And you want to avoid MSG, things that say natural flavorings because MSG holds fluid. So if you've ever eaten Chinese, they use a lot of MSG and you feel so puffy.

Potassium balances sodium & regulates fluid regulation

Well, you could incorporate, again, more potassium-rich foods. Potassium helps balance that sodium and supports healthy fluid regulation. So the kebab is perfect, right? Because you've got maybe some marinated meat and then you've got some vegetables on there.

Some other great options would include avocados, sweet potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, cantaloupe, all really good sources of potassium.

Include movement

And we also can't forget to move our bodies. So we are ready for our first break and we will be right back to help you not have that bloat in the summer.

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Britni: Welcome back to Dishing Up Nutrition. We are talking about how to get rid of that summer bloat and puffiness. And we're talking about some ideas on how to prevent that from even happening. We've been talking about what causes it. Now let's give some more real life solutions. So movement.

This is huge. Luckily, summer is a time when we tend to naturally be more active, especially in Minnesota. It's warmer outside. Movement, it's going to improve circulation, lymphatic flow. Even a 15 to 20 minute walk can help reduce feelings of puffiness. I think the lymphatic drainage, that whole topic is very hot right now.

So some other ideas, jumping. If you have a rebounder, you know, one of those little mini trampolines, dry brushing, which you just purchase a dry brush and you rub it on your body up towards your heart. Even when you're putting on lotion after the shower, you can rub that in, massaging it again towards your heart.

Melanie: Vibration plate, a good one, like a Power Plate. You don't want one that tick tocks because that could be joint damage. But a vibration plate is a great way for lymphatic drainage. People that have inflammation, fluid, just standing ten, fifteen minutes on a vibration plate can help with that.

Don’t skip sleep

Britni: Yeah, I have some clients that have purchased one and they notice a big difference. Lastly, do not skip sleep. I think for a lot of people in the summertime it can be hard to go to bed because it stays light out so late and you want to maximize your time outside. But we do know poor sleep increases stress hormones, can worsen inflammation. I mean a poor night's sleep, you're going to be more likely to have cravings the next day. Can make digestive symptoms worse, fluid retention, all of that.

Melanie: Sleep is so key. When we rest, we repair. So you've got to give your body time to repair. So if you are more active, which is important, motion is lotion, you're going to sleep great. So getting to bed, you know, before 10:30, 11 usually shows you have a better sleep cycle.

How long does it take to reduce fluid retention?

So how long does it take to decrease that fluid retention? This is one of the most common questions because if you're feeling puffy, it can be really uncomfortable. So you want some simple solutions. And the answer depends on what's causing the water retention. If you've had a high sodium restaurant meal or a weekend of indulgent eating, many people notice that significant improvement within a day or two after returning to a real food diet, movement, adequate sleep, and hydration. Get back in that routine. You know, when you stop assaulting the body with certain things and you begin nourishing the body with what it needs, the body's designed to repair itself and it will.

Britni: Our bodies are smart. And if dehydration is involved in this, again, making sure you're properly hydrated, drinking throughout the day. Chugging 30 ounces of water in one sitting is not the solution.

Electrolyte balance is important (& more on hydration)

And then electrolyte balance. We've talked about that. That can improve symptoms within a day or two. So electrolytes, you can go to the store and there's probably at least five different options.

Melanie: You just want to make sure you're not getting one that's got artificial colors, artificial sweeteners. You know, stevia and monk fruit are okay.

Britni: Yeah, read the labels. And you know, electrolytes, those include sodium, potassium. We've talked about both of those, but magnesium and calcium, they are also electrolytes. So all of those work synergistically to regulate fluid balance, among other important functions in the body. And during the summer, especially if you are sweating heavily, spending a lot of time in the heat, I think electrolyte powders can be really beneficial for people.

So again, read the ingredients. Unless somebody has their lab results, because generally you're going to get your electrolytes checked when you go to the doctor. So unless a client has those readily available, I generally recommend an electrolyte product that has close to an equal amount of sodium and potassium in there.

If you have had your electrolytes checked recently, I would read them. I have a lot of clients that are actually low in sodium. So we need to be adding more. But you may not want to consume a ton of extra sodium if you don't know that that is a concern for you.

Melanie: And if you were a salt-a-doodle, I'm a salt-a-doodle. I salt everything. I get an electrolyte that's a little lower in sodium, higher in potassium, because I know I'm putting salt. I love salt on my food. So know yourself and then evaluate accordingly. And if I do a higher sodium electrolyte, I puff up. It's just a little too much because I've got the salt covered.

Britni: I mean if you are somebody that are sweating a lot, you're using the sauna, you're working out outside, going for runs, yard work, use one. You are going to feel better.

Melanie: A lot of my clients will say, I'm getting leg cramps and I've got them on magnesium. They're doing enough magnesium. They're either dehydrated or it's low potassium. So adding the electrolyte can really be helpful. So if travel and hormonal shifts, stress or digestive issues are causing your bloating symptoms, it may take several days to see that bloat improve. The important thing is not to respond with extreme dieting.

We see people try juice cleanses, starvation diets, excessive exercise, detox teas, powders. Like I said, you know, get a mile high above this. When you stop assaulting the body and you start feeding it nourishing foods, the body is designed to rebalance and heal itself. These strategies often make things worse in the long run. Plus, they can make you feel miserable while you're doing them. So instead just focus on hydration of protein and vegetables. Sleep and gentle movement and your body is incredible at this.

Britni: It's really getting back to the basics. And I think one misconception we hear we talked about earlier too is that drinking water will make you retain more water and cause more bloating. It might logically make sense that drinking water will make you retain more water, but that is not fact.

Because drinking adequate water actually helps your body regulate fluid balance. So you can think about it this way: when your body senses dehydration, it becomes more protective of fluid. Holding on to water can be a survival mechanism. So when you consistently hydrate your body, then your body gets the signal that water is readily available. So there's less need to conserve every drop that you have.

Melanie: Sometimes you'll find yourself doing the whole 30 ounces at one sitting because you haven't drank all day and you're really, really thirsty. You have to think of that as a typhoon on a dry hill. It's just going to run right down and out. So if you sip all day like a slow, steady rain, the tissues will saturate appropriately to what they're supposed to do. Systems start working tickety boom and you're going to feel a lot better.

So of course we all have that moment where we're so thirsty because we got home from a bike ride or whatever and we “clug clug”, but really try to hydrate all day, sipping regularly, intervals every 15 minutes, and you're going to get there. And of course, balance matters. You don't need to force that large amount of water on yourself, but you do need to try to get half your body weight in ounces of fluid, right? A practical hydration tip, check your urine. If your urine is a pale straw color, great. If it is a dark mustard color, you are dehydrated. Pale yellow is what we're looking for. Dark yellow suggests you need more fluids.

Britni: And if it's clear all day, you are probably over hydrated.

Melanie: Or if it's bright yellow because you just took your multivitamin that has B vitamins in it, that does not mean you're dehydrated. Those are the metabolites from the B vitamins. It's appropriate and normal. It doesn't mean you're not absorbing your B vitamins.

Britni: And that looks a little different, a little more neon.

Melanie: A little neon.

Britni: But that overhydration, I mean, that's a thing too. And then you're just diluting your electrolytes. So your cells are even less hydrated in that situation.

Wrapping it up

So as we wrap things up, let's give listeners a simple summer depuffing, de-bloating checklist. Drink water consistently throughout the day. Prioritize protein and vegetables at every meal. Enjoy fruit in moderation, reduce excess sodium from restaurant meals and ultra processed foods.

Melanie: Limit alcohol intake. Remember it dehydrates you, and then move your body daily. Remember, motion is lotion. And get quality sleep, manage your stress, and be patient with your body after vacations and special events. It's in recovery. It'll get there. Remember, a temporary increase on the scale or tight fitting clothes doesn't automatically mean fat gain. Most of the time your body is responding to hydration status, your sodium intake, hormones, digestion, or lifestyle factors like stress or travel.

Britni: In wrapping up for today, summertime should be enjoyed, not spent worrying about every pound of fluctuation. And if you are feeling bloated, focus on supporting your body's natural systems rather than looking for another quick fix or an extreme cleanse. Consistent hydration, balanced meals, quality sleep, movement, stress management, those can go a really long way.

Melanie: And if you're needing some extra support in feeling your best this summer, come meet with me or Britni or one of the other dietitians at Nutritional Weight & Wellness. You can find out more about our counseling on our website, weightandwellness.com, or give us a call and ask questions at 651-699-3438. We are in network with many insurance plans, so you might have coverage you don't even know about. We are here for you. Give us a call.

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Britni: Well, thank you for joining us for this episode of Dishing Up Nutrition. If you found this episode helpful, the best way you can support our podcast is to share it with a friend who you think could benefit from listening. Our goal at Nutritional Weight & Wellness is to teach people the power of real food and how life-changing it can be. It's a simple yet powerful message. Thanks again for listening and have a great day.