List of Foods You Should Avoid That Causes Facial Bloating

Picture this: you spend the evening at your favorite restaurant eating all those dishes you enjoy, filled with cheesy delight, accompanied by a glass of wine. You go home feeling full, drooling as you recall the sensation of all those flavors on your taste buds, tucking yourself in happily. Yet, when you wake up the next morning, you find yourself feeling puffed up. In the mirror, your face looks bloated, making you feel extra gross this early in the day. All those pleasant feelings of last night fade, only to be replaced by the weary after-effects.

If you have experienced this moment, then you have been subject to facial bloating, too. All of us have been there, at one point or another. All of us have had those nights when we can’t resist a delicious snack and end up indulging ourselves to the point that we wake up gassy and puffy.

Also Read: Things That Your Face Can Reflect About Your Health

While most of us only associate bloating with our stomachs, it can sometimes affect our faces, too. It can be off putting to wake up feeling that way, especially after a night of fun. This happens because most of us are not aware of the foods that cause facial bloating. Hence, we don’t know what we should avoid to prevent it. Knowing all the foods that cause puffy face can help us make the required changes in our diet, so we are a bit more aware of our choices in food. It is important to figure out the balance between satisfying your taste buds while also being mindful about the effects on the rest of your body.

What Causes Facial Bloating?

Before knowing about which foods to avoid for bloated face, you should know what in those foods is causing you discomfort in the first place. The one-word answer is sodium. When you consume meals that are high in sodium content, your body tries to balance this out by retaining water in certain areas, one of which could be your face. Eating foods which have too much salt makes your body retain fluid, which in turn causes that annoying puffiness.

That being said, there are other foods such as milk and alcohol which can also cause bloating for different reasons. But the most common cause is consuming a salty, greasy meal at night before going to bed. So what can one do? Of course, we would never expect you to give up on those tasty snacks. You deserve to have something lip-smacking every once in a while, as a reward for all your hard work. However, we can try to control the amount and the type of food we eat on these occasions. Instead of choosing all options with foods that cause puffy face, we can instead replace a couple of those for healthier choices, such as foods that reduce facial puffiness. That way, we can form a satisfactory compromise between both taste and health.

Also Read: Homemade Remedies for Puffy Face

Which are the Foods that Cause Facial Bloating?

Now that you know just what ingredient is the culprit behind your puffy face, you may think you have it all figured out. However, not all the items on this list of foods that cause facial bloating are obvious ones. A lot of foods may have high sodium content even if you don’t realize it yourself. Also, there are other foods which can cause bloating even without sodium.

You may feel discouraged to find a lot of delicious options here, but remember that no one is asking you to completely abandon them. The whole point of such lists is to make the reader aware of their food choices so that they can be more responsible the next time they decide on a meal. Knowing all the positive changes you can make to your diet has many benefits, ranging from losing weight to even reducing your chances of getting cancer. Thus, we must be more active in learning about these things as go on making diet choices

Here are the list of foods that reduce facial bloating to be avoided at night:

1. Sushi

Sushi is one of the foods that cause puffy face because of having a lot of salt. Thus, when you eat sushi, your body has to retain water to balance the incoming sodium. Plus, sushi is also often eaten with soy sauce, a condiment which also has high sodium content. This leads to the bloating you see in the mirror the very next morning.

Fun fact: Hollywood actress Julianne Moore has described a puffy face after a night of eating as the “sushi face”.

2. Soy Sauce

Yes, soy sauce is also responsible for causing that gassy swelling in your body and face. This is because of two reasons, one being that normal soy sauce has a lot of sodium and second that it also contains gluten. This means that even if you go for a soy sauce that is sodium-free, the gluten content in it can cause bloating, especially if you have a gluten allergy. Thus, if you are someone who is allergic to gluten, you should consider switching to a more gluten-free diet to avoid such side effects.

3. Milk and Other Dairy Products

Milk is also one of the foods that cause facial bloating, even if it is not high in sodium. This is because milk contains a sugar named lactose, which can be difficult to digest for a lot of people. Such a condition is called lactose intolerance and many who suffer from it don’t even realize it until much later, especially because one can develop it at any stage in life. So, if you find yourself experiencing certain signs such as bloating, in the abdomen or face, after drinking milk, or consuming any dairy products such as cheese, you may be lactose intolerant.

4. Processed Meats

As much as we love processed meat, it can be hard to digest for your stomach, because of its high salt due to the method of preservation, as well as high fatty content. Thus, foods such as sausages, ham, bacon, etc. can be foods that cause facial bloating. Along with this, red meat is also more likely to cause puffiness due to containing a protein which is hard for the body to digest.

5. Alcohol

Drinking alcohol can cause facial bloating as alcohol dehydrates the body, making the skin and other vital organs to hold onto as much water as possible. Thus, alcohol is one of the foods to avoid at night to reduce facial bloating. This is why you may often wake up with a puffy face in the aftermath of a joyous night out.

Also read: Exercises to Lose Face Fat

Foods that Reduces Facial Puffiness

Now that you know all about foods to avoid for bloated face, you may be wondering just how to make do without them. While it is true that we will end up snacking on foods that cause facial bloating ever once in a while, we can add certain healthier foods into our diet to make up for it. These foods will help not only help you in reducing puffiness but also in maintaining your gut health.

Here are a few foods that reduce facial puffiness:

1. Fruits and Vegetables

If you are feeling hungry, try to go for the fruits and vegetables every once in a while. They usually have high Fibre and vitamin content, while being low in fat and sodium. This means that they help in better digestion, while also supplying our bodies with nutrients. Many fruits and vegetables also have high water content which means that they help your body in staying hydrated and avoiding bloating. Thus, the next time your stomach starts rumbling at bedtime, try to go for healthier late-night snacks.

2. Yoghurt

While this may seem odd considering dairy is known for causing bloating, certain types of yoghurt such as Greek yoghurt have live and active bacterial cultures which help in breaking down the lactose, making your boy digest them much easier, which in turn reduces your puffiness.

Foods That Reduce Facial Puffiness

3. Whole Grains

Whole grains such as quinoa and amaranth are rich in Fibre, vitamin, minerals, antioxidants, etc. which help in better digestion, which then reduces bloating.

4. Water

As bloating is often caused due to water retention, staying hydrated ascertains that your body has sufficient water, reducing chances of puffiness.

Conclusion

Making positive changes in our diet means undoing a lot of habits we have developed over the years. Hence, it can be a long, frustrating process with a lot of stumbling and fumbling along the way. You need to patient with your progress and allow yourself the occasional guilty pleasure. Remember that you are human and it is okay to find it difficult to always make the best decision when it comes to food. Leading a healthy lifestyle is much more than just knowing foods to avoid for bloated face. It means trying to accept yourself and your growth with encouragements along the way, instead of self-hate. Do not shame yourself for your food choices. Instead, focus on the times when you did make a different choice. Because while we cannot always make a healthier choice, we can at least try our best to make it more often.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. What foods make your face less bloated?

A. Consuming fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats can make your face less bloated.

Q. Does drinking water make your face bloated?

A. No, this is a myth and it does not make your face bloated.

Q. What causes weight gain around the face?

A. Lack of exercise, poor diet, and aging are some of the causes of weight gain around the face.

Q. Can thyroid problems cause puffy faces?

A. Yes, thyroid hormones can make your eyes and face puffy.

Q. How can I slim my face in 3 days?

A. It is not possible to reduce face fat in just 3 days. However, a bloated face can be improved with hydration and a good diet.