Since coming to the East Coast in 2005, I’ve been fascinated with how many people go to the beaches in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey. One of our clients recently traveled to the Jersey shore, and it got me thinking: what would be a good meal plan to follow the week before going to one of these so-called summer hot spots? We all know the importance of looking good in a reduced amount of clothing during the summer. And although I am not a “fad diet” advocate, maybe we can create a smarter IAP version of beach body nutrition tips. Lets try this on for size.

We know that carbohydrates are necessary for brain function, performance, and many other important things. They also help the body hold a lot of water and give some people a “puffy feeling”. This is a major reason that some people avoid potatoes and pasta. The first move we are going to make is to eliminate those starchy, water feeding carbs after 2 pm. Lets get some in for breakfast and lunch (to help with brain function), then shut it down. The rest of your day should focus on fruits, vegetables, and a lot of animal protein (…I love America).

Some fruits and veggies have an advantage over others for combating water retention. I want to highlight a few of these key fruit and veggie options to help you get the hot bod you want in your next Facebook pic.

Asparagus – The good news is that it’s a diuretic. Eating asparagus once a day for five days will help flush out excess water. Another good thing: it can reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce inflammation, fight cancer and many other things that people don’t think about.

Melon – Eat cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew, squash, and cucumbers—yes, the last two are in the melon family—and a lot of it. Consuming these fruits every day will continue to flush out water. Did I mention that they’re high in vitamin C and potassium, low in calories, reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease and help keep your eyes right?

A note for the ladies: consuming these diuretic foods also can reduce and prevent bloating during that time of the month. A win/win situation, right?

Finally, the week before your trip to the land of sand and sun, stay away from salt. If you didn’t already know, high salt intake causes water retention.

So let’s create a mini goal for ourselves the next time we plan a trip to the shore. Follow the three tips above for the five days prior to your beach trip. This way we can take some great fun-in-the-sun pictures and gain all of our water weight back on Monday. Pictures are forever, after all.