Appreciated Advice to Avoid Dieting My Mama told me: "If you ever gain 5 lb.; stop eating sweets and cut down on breads until you are back down." Rita Eat Naturally Diuretic Foods Some foods have a natural diuretic function. They stimulate your kidneys to rid your body of water, rather than close them down as do the salty foods just listed. Naturally diuretic foods tend to be relatively high in potassium content, compared with their sodium content. Here is a list of foods that will help you get rid of excess water. The most effective ones seem to be fresh pineapple, asparagus, citrus fruits, and green vegetables. apricot asparagus banana beef, lean broccoli cantaloupe chicken cottage cheese figs grapefruit and grapefruit juice lamb, trimmed milk, skim and low fat nuts, unsalted pineapple, fresh potato prunes and prune juice oranges and orange juice raisins tomato tuna, water packed turkey watermelon Those women who experience periodic water retention find it particularly helpful, especially when it is combined with the daily exercise that I recommend. It will also do wonders for your mood since water retention is often associated with an increase in negative emotions such as depression.