Tips to combat water retention:
Water retention happens where your kidneys are functioning slightly at a lower efficiency than it should. The human body consists of 60% of water, and we know how important water is for us. Water is absolutely essential in helping us dissolve nutrients and eliminate our waste. Usually water retention (unless you are very old, and there is a malfunction or you are on dialysis) is temporary and treatable. Edema is the term used when you have fluid retention (general), causing the body to swell or a body part to swell (localized).
You will notice it when your fingers are swollen and your rings don’t go on and off easily, or when you cannot button your pants. It’s usually the extremities of the body that are involved first. You can actually retain 2.5 kilos with just water weight, if you have edema.
Causes could vary from high intake of salt, to over-worked kidneys, a protein deficiency, when you are intolerant of certain foods, over supplementation, standing for long periods of time (professions like a chef, arline crew or hair stylists), rapid weight loss, menopause (hormone levels go off), PMS.
Here are some tips to reduce water retention –
- Decrease salt intake, or eliminate salt for a week.
- Cut out processed foods.
- Do not have packaged sauces, salad dressings or anything canned.
- Add a magnesium supplement; good sources through foods are whole grains, leafy greens and nuts.
- Add B6 foods like bananas, potatoes and walnuts.
- Add a Vit C supplement or foods like oranges, peppers, carrots (coloured foods).
- Cut out sugar and refined carbs, which will cause insulin levels to go out of balance, and will re-absorb the sodium causing more water retention.
- Add potassium-rich foods which will decrease sodium and increase urine elimination get these from avocados and tomatoes .
A HOME REMEDY to decrease water retention is to use parsley by (fistful) boiling it in water for 5-7 minutes, strain and have; it acts like a diuretic and flushes out the water.
