Water Retention is the body's reaction to a hormonal, environmental, or illness alteration. It's not unusual for your body to retain excess fluids, resulting in bloating and weight gain. While excessive Fluid retention can cause aching limbs and stiffness, many people initially notice an increase in weight. Unless caused by an underlying ailment, this "water weight" is manageable with diet, exercise, and preventive practices.
Altering Your Diet
1. Consume potassium-rich meals. Potassium aids in the absorption and limitation of sodium in the body. Add potassium-rich foods to your diet, such as sugar potatoes, beets, oranges, coconut water, apricots, figs, cantaloupe, raisins, and bananas.
2. Limit your salt consumption. Sodium, or salt, encourages you to store water in your tissues. Remove processed items from your diet since they are more likely to contain high levels of salt. This includes potato chips, canned goods, frozen foods, and fast food. Instead of table salt, season your food using herbs and spices.
- Avoid eating out. Restaurant meals typically include more salt than home-cooked meals.
3. Include coumarin-rich foods in your diet. According to some sources, this naturally occurring chemical can help you change the fluid in your tissues. Limit your coumarin consumption to low, healthy levels: Sprinkle cinnamon on your cereal or in your coffee, drink chamomile tea in the morning or evening, and in many dishes, add celery and parsley.
4. Increase your fiber intake. Experts recommend 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day, but many adults only receive 10 to 15 grams. Fiber boosts the efficiency of your digestive system, allowing you to eliminate both fluid and solid waste. Fresh fruits and vegetables are an excellent source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. You want each of them to have a healthy digestive system.
- Subtle carbs should be replaced by whole grains. Instead of white bread, choose high-fiber, whole-grain breads and cereals. Prepare brown rice, quinoa, and other historical grains to go with your protein and veggies.
- Introduce fiber into your diet gradually since your digestive system may require some time to adjust.
5. Limit your intake of coffee and alcohol. A diuretic is a drug that increases how much and how frequently you urinate, and caffeinated beverages and alcohol are common diuretics that can cause dehydration. Although they can help you get rid of some water in the short term, they might dehydrate you and cause bloating in large or frequent dosages.
- Herbal diuretics such as cranberry juice and cabbage, on the other hand, may be beneficial in lowering fluid retention.
6. Consume 8-10 glasses of water every day. Make an effort to consume at least 64 oz (1.9L) of water every day. Although it may appear counter-intuitive to drink water when attempting to shed water weight, increased water consumption helps improve metabolism and the functions of your organs. Being well-hydrated can help to remove pollutants, salt, and other causes of water retention from your system.
- This is especially important if your bloating is caused by premenstrual syndrome (PMS). If your water retention is caused by coronary heart failure, renal illness, or another clinical condition, see your doctor about how much water to drink each day.
- If you want something with a little more flavor, try heated or iced natural teas, or add lemon, lime, or cucumber slices to your water. Avoid sugary liquids, such as soda, because your kidneys will desire to process the sugar, limiting the benefits of hydration.
Developing Preventative Behaviors
1. Use compression stockings if your doctor recommends them. Compression stockings are tight socks or stockings that constrict the lower legs. This can help with circulation and is commonly used if you're on your feet all day or have Leg edema. Consult your healthcare physician about the usage of compression stockings.
2. Elevate your legs often. Gravity causes fluid to collect in the feet, ankles, and legs. Try to offset this pressure by lifting your legs whenever possible. At the end of the day, prop your legs up on a chair and cushions, or sleep in bed with your toes and legs multiplied with pillows.
- Ideally, lift your legs above the level of your heart. This helps to decrease fluid accumulating and return circulation to the heart.
3. Consult your doctor about using water tablets. "Water pills," or diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide and furosemide, might be recommended by your doctor to help you lose more fluid. Remember that all medications may have side effects, and that these will only help if your water weight is linked to certain diseases. Diuretics, for example, will help with edema but should no longer be taken for easy bloating associated with PMS.
4. Check with your doctor to see if any of your medications cause water retention. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen, beta blockers such as metoprolol, and estrogen treatments (including birth control pills) might cause you to retain fluids. If any of these are causing you problems, you may be able to switch to a better medicine. Before reducing or discontinuing a medical medication, consult with your doctor.
- Say something like, "I exercise and eat healthy, but I still feel bloated." "Do you think any medication I'm taking is causing a problem?"
5. Decrease your tension. Cortisol is a hormone that your body creates when you are stressed, and it causes you to retain water weight. Reduce your stress level to feel healthier and shed more water. Meditate, practice deep breathing, use aromatherapy, go on a walk - do anything you enjoy that will help you feel serene.
- Make certain that you receive enough sleep every night. Your stress levels will rise if you do not get enough sleep.
6. Get a massage to improve circulation. Massage therapy will boost blood flow and help to empty your lymphatic system, which stores a lot of fluid in your body. This fun hobby can help reduce stress hormones, which can contribute to weight problems. Discuss your concerns with your massage therapist so that they may focus their work with beautiful methods.
Keeping Active
1. Work out for 30 minutes every day. Exercise might help you shed water weight rapidly if you work up a good sweat. Jog, use the elliptical, ride a bike, dance - do anything to get your heart rate up for at least half an hour every day, if feasible.
- Before beginning a new intensive exercise regimen, see your doctor.
- Always stay hydrated when exercising! You want to shed more water through sweating, but you don't want to harm yourself through dehydration. Every 20 minutes, take a water ruin.
- Keep in mind that when you initially start a new exercise regimen, you may gain weight rapidly by storing water in your muscles. That is why regular exercise is beneficial. Do not starve yourself - this will just make your water retention worse!
2. Run errands to keep moving. You don't always want to go to the gym to be active. Make it a point to go out and about every day. Shop at your local outdoor market instead of a supermarket, and take your time walking around. Instead of using a shopping cart, bring your own baggage inside the store. Make it a point to remain physically active while performing your daily chores.
- Make monotonous family cleaning enjoyable by putting on some music and picking up the pace. Dance your way through your daily activities for a fun and productive workout.
3. Move about frequently during the day. Fluid retention in the legs is quite common in the elderly and sedentary people because when you sit still for long periods of time, you build fluid in your legs. If you work at a desk or sit for lengthy periods of time, take a break every 1-2 hours to get up and walk about for a few minutes.
- Reduce the amount of time you sit or stand in one area. If you suffer from fluid retention, taking walks or exercising in little amounts two or more times a day may help you shed fluid faster than a single workout.
- When you're flying, stretch your legs. Get up and walk along the aisles, or perform calf lifts from your seat. Your body will most likely retain fluid during the voyage; nevertheless, you may reduce water weight by moving as frequently as possible.
