The Best Foods to Help Tighten and Tone

Let’s head to the store! These familiar foods can help reduce bloating, reveal muscle tone, and even help you feel better during the day.

You’ve been training hard and eating (mostly) right. Good for you! So… why does it seem like your muscle definition is still hiding behind puffiness and bloating? The answer could be a few key foods that you’re under-utilizing in your diet. 

But when you’re on the right track with your weight loss and muscle gain goals, making a few strategic additions can make a difference that you can see and feel right away. When it comes time to shred down for summer, focus on these science-backed foods. And back them up with the supplements and topical creams in the guide at the end! 

Easy-digesting, Low-Allergen Carbs

The first thing many people do when they’re looking to increase muscle definition and decrease bloating is to start cutting out carbs. Unfortunately, this also usually leads to their workouts tanking and overall energy levels suffering, as they struggle to provide their bodies and brains with adequate fuel. If that sounds like a recipe for your fitness and physique progress hitting a brick wall, that’s because it is! 

Here’s a better way: Focus on carb sources that have been shown in study after study to be the easiest for most people to digest. Allergies and food intolerances are one of the biggest contributors to bloating and digestive problems, and unfortunately most people struggle through them without ever realizing what’s going wrong. 

If you’re looking to tone up and feel better while you do it, you can’t go wrong with using these foods as your carb fundamentals: 

• Bananas

• Potatoes

• Rice

• Sweet potatoes

These foods consistently show up on studies of the least-allergic, easiest-digesting foods. There’s a reason that they’re usually the backbones of so-called “elimination diets,” which doctors use to help people identify and treat food allergies.  And they’re also among the cheapest and easiest-to-find foods out there. Win-win!

Added Benefit: Bananas and potatoes are also two of the best sources of potassium, which helps balance your body’s sodium levels. This can have a rapid effect in reducing water retention and bloating, which can also help increase your muscle definition and make you look leaner.

Fermented dairy and colostrum

You’ll hear plenty of people say that dairy products are one of the foods most guilty of inducing bloating, but all dairy products definitely aren't the same. Fermented dairy like yogurt and kefir contain probiotics that can help positively influence your gut health, potentially improving digestion, immune health, and reducing bloating. 

They’re also complete proteins, as well as being rich in numerous crucial vitamins and minerals. Along  with a scoop of grass-fed bovine collagen peptides and a banana, this is about as perfect a post-workout smoothie as you could ask for.

Know what other dairy product can be a game-changer for bloating? Bovine colostrum powder. This supplement, often called “nature’s perfect food,” is a powdered form of the first milk that a calf drinks after being born. It’s packed with immunoglobulins, probiotics, and other potent nutrients to help improve digestion and immune health. For many people, this also leads to a quick and noticeable decrease in bloating.

Tone Up! The Best Supplements & Topicals for Muscle Toning + Bloat Reduction

Abs of Steel Fat Burning Cream

What it does: Tighten skin, break down subcutaneous fat

How often: Twice per day

Steel Fit + Tone Total Body Toning Lotion

What it does: Daily moisturization plus skin firming & contouring 

How often: Twice daily

First Milking Bovine Colostrum

What it does: Support immune and gut health, energy levels, reduce bloating

How often: 1-3 times per day

Hydra Steel All-Natural Diuretic

What it does: Flush excess water, replenish electrolytes

How often: Twice daily for 10 days before a big event