Water retention is the buildup of excess fluids within the body. This occurs when the body is no longer able to eliminate excess water through excretory.
How do you know if you have water retention? This problem causes many unpleasant symptoms such as a swollen face, eyelids, abdomen or legs, and extra weight gain in a short period of time.
Moreover, water retention can also be a symptom of critical medical conditions like kidney failure. By keeping your diet under control, you will maintain a healthy body weight and avoid the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle.
These minor changes will help you quickly defeat water retention.
1. Limit Salt Consumption
Eating excessive salt can result in water retention. If you have an inaccurate balance of sodium and potassium, you will begin to see these problems. The sodium outside the cell walls helps you determine the amount of water the body holds.
When you consume too much salt, the kidneys will not release too much water as urine. As a result, you may experience oedema or swelling in certain parts of the body.
Therefore, it is vital to reduce the intake of this sodium. While preparing your meal, ensure you do not add extra salt to your food. Avoid or reduce the processed foods you consume.
2. Increases Water Consumption
Insufficient water consumption is one of the leading causes of water retention. Water regulates circulation and optimizes kidney function, eliminating waste from the body.
Drinking take of water every day will help you lose water weight.
The idea is to stay hydrated, and for this, you should drink eight glasses of water a day. You can tell if your body is hydrated enough is the colour of your urine. If the urine is yellow and light, it means that the body is hydrated, while in cases where the urine is dark or brown, the body is dehydrated.
You may have to drink more water if you have an active lifestyle because you can sweat and lose water quickly. Your body starts to hold water if you suffer from dehydration.
Therefore, you should drink fruit juices, water, herbal teas, as well as beverages that are not caffeine to stay hydrated. Stay away from alcohol and drinks with caffeine. Sugary beverages should also be avoided.
3. Avoid Tight Clothes
Straight clothes make it difficult for blood circulation to cause oedema, varicose veins, and other problems.
4. Keep Your Feet and Legs Elevated
You may have swollen legs standing for too many hours. To reduce swelling and to prevent water retention, we recommend lifting your legs and feet for a while.
You have to keep your feet high above your heart level. You should have 12 centimetres around the heart level to help the fluids move away from your feet.
Elevated your feet aids better blood flow, which helps to reduce swelling and water retention.
5. Exercise and Stretch Your Body
Sedentarism or the habit of spending a lot of time in the same position can produce inflammation in the body, causing circulatory problems and water retention.
Exercise is a healthy way to get rid of water retention in the body. Training will make you sweat more, reducing the fluid amount in the body. Sweating helps you to get rid of extra sodium in the body, which in turn prevents water from being retained.
Exercise regularly, for 30 to 40 minutes a day, activates blood circulation, improves cell oxygenation, and keeps the body clean and balanced.
Make sure to include cardio exercises for aerobics as this will make your heart work more, making your body sweat even more.
6. Eating a Healthy Diet
Consuming vegetables, high-fibre foods, and fruits, and avoiding processed foods help maintain body balance.
We recommend that you eat as many fresh products as possible. Fibres are healthy as they help eliminate any waste, water, or excessive nutrients from the body.
Good sources of fibres are legumes, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, cereals, nuts, seeds, etc.
7. You Can Try Medication
There are various medicines you can take to get rid of water retention. Loop diuretics are ideal for removing body fluids without having to extract vitamins and minerals along with them.
8. Walk Out For 30 Minutes Every day
Walking improves blood circulation, facilitating the transport of oxygen to the veins and arteries, and maintains the elasticity of these blood vessels.
By adopting this habit, you will begin to feel your legs lighter and more functional in just a few weeks.
9. Increase in Potassium Intake.
Potassium is an essential nutrient which can help to eliminate fluid retention.
To help balance the sodium in your body that is causing the swelling, you need to increase your potassium intake. Eat food like bananas, spinach, apricots, melons, and beans to increase your potassium level.
