1. Asparagus:
One of the best diuretic veggies there is, have you ever noticed how eating asparagus can make your urine smell?!
This is nothing to worry about, as it’s simply caused by an acid in asparagus reacting to cause the odour. As a powerful detoxifying vegetable, it can help you to avoid or alleviate painful kidney and urinary tract infections. But it’s extremely effective in diminishing bloating in your body as well as puffiness under your eyes, which can sometimes be caused from consuming too much salt.
Asparagus contains 288 milligrams of potassium per cup and is naturally low in salt, which helps to balances out your blood electrolytes, boost kidney function and banish the bloat.
The high levels of fibre found in asparagus also helps detoxification by keeping your digestive tract healthy, and is a good source of vitamin A for tissue repair and healthy skin.
2. Ginger:
You don’t need to eat a lot of this aromatic, pungent and spicy rhizome to enjoy its many benefits. Just adding a teaspoon of chopped fresh root ginger to smoothies, soups, dressings and stews will zest up your food and help to cleanse your body.
As it helps to improve blood flow, ginger can prevent blood from stagnating under your eyes and creating those dark shadows that are difficult to conceal and make you look haggard. Ginger is highly anti-inflammatory, thanks to its compounds called gingerols. They even help to improve the joint pain associated with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Ginger is also good news for puffiness under your eyes as it works well as a diuretic, helping to flush out stored fluid and improve kidney function. Try sprinkling fresh grated ginger and toasted sesame seeds on quinoa and brown rice dishes for extra flavour, or try my Chewy Gingerbread Squares!
3. Watermelon:
A tropical fruity favourite and no better way to cool off on a hot summer’s day than with a big wedge of chilled watermelon!
Its name gives away the very high water content of about 92%, which is one of the reasons why its such a deeply cleansing diuretic food and delicious way to minimise puffiness under the eyes. It’s also one of the most detoxifying fruits there is, leaving a highly alkaline residue in your blood and cells as it’s metabolised.
According to the naturopathic physician Dr. Ariel Policano, watermelon aids the liver in processing the toxic nitrogen waste product ammonia, by changing it into urea which is safe to be excreted via the kidneys.
The phytochemicals in watermelon like lycopene and carotenoids, plus its antioxidant flavonoids lutein, lycopene, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthin, all help to protect your cells, tissues and organs from free radical damage for healthier and younger-looking skin!
Watermelon is so refreshing in light salads, though I love to enjoy its alkalising powers with a large glass of my Frozen Watermelon Slushie 🙂
