1. Dried plums and 100% plum juice (not to be confused with prune juice): provide the body with fiber, potassium, magnesium and sorbitol…all found naturally in the fresh plum and which also help keep the digestive track humming along. You might have seen PlumSmart juice in your grocery, which is new from SunSweet, and is plum juice enhanced with dextrin, a prebiotic fiber which works as a teammate along with probiotics such as found in yogurt to increase the beneficial cultures in the digestive tract.
2. Whole-wheat tortillas: contain insoluble fiber which acts like Roto-Rooter to keep everything running smoothly. This same insoluble fiber is found in whole grains including whole wheat pasta and bread, brown rice and fruits and vegetables.
3. Melon: a diuretic fruit due to its high water content.
4. Cucumbers and lettuces: also have a high water content and act as diuretics to release some of the retained fluids.
5. Avocado: when you consume too much sodium, fluid retention can be an issue. The mineral potassium has the opposite effect helping to shed the fluid. An added bonus is the positive effect of potassium-rich foods on helping to lower blood pressure.

Margit Ragland, Senior Editor from Family Circle magazine joins me on the podcast this week. In addition to no-bloat foods, we dish on how to make Fruit and Cheese Bites, sweet yet spicy tiny cheese balls that include a touch of hot sauce to give a slight kick to the cheese along with the sweetness of dried pineapple and apricots. These Fruit and Cheese Bites are speedy to make when friends are dropping by unexpectedly. You can find this recipe and many others at the Nutrition & Health Center on WDBO.com.

Listen to this week’s podcast

1. Pre-party prep: eat a lean protein, high fiber snack such as ½ a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with mustard or a small handful of nuts and piece of fruit before you go. Why? The snack will curb cravings and hunger so you are more in control of what and how much you eat.
2. Check out the eye candy: I call all the tempting food ‘eye candy’ since you eat with your eyes first. Instead of eating your way through all the offerings, take a look at the food spread and decide which items you really want to try.
3. Alternate drinks: if you consume alcohol, alternate with sparkling water. Not only do you cut calories significantly but the more alcohol you drink, typically the more you eat of everything.

The November 29^th issue of Family Circle magazine has specific suggestions to indulge guilt-free. My regular guest, Margit Ragland, senior editor at Family Circle joins me on my podcast this week.

Margit shared a number of easy tricks including:

Instead of: Three pigs in blanket
Reach for: Four steamed shrimp with cocktail sauce
Calories Saved: 240

Instead of: Martini
Try: Champagne or White Wine Spritzer (1/2 wine, half seltzer)
A large martini can pack as much as three shots of alcohol and as many as 300 calories.
Calories Saved: 200

Instead of: One frosted and decorated sugar cookie
Try: One lightly decorated gingerbread man cookie, calories saved: 90

Speaking of gingerbread men have you started your holiday baking? Check out the recipe from Family Circle for gingerbread men posted at the WDBO.com Nutrition & Health Center. Most every year I make gingerbread men and am anxious to give this recipe a try.