Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
If you think you are too big for your clothes, your face is puffy and looks swollen when you get up in the morning, then you are suffering from water retention. The other symptoms are bloating of the stomach or tightness of the ring in the finger. Your shoes will pinch and all these events will cause you a lot of discomfort. This is called water retention or edema.
Consume only low-fat protein sources – While proteins are essential for the structure of our cells and tissues, some of the most protein-rich foods may also cause water retention with excess grease and sodium. Non-animal protein sources such as soy protein or beans work well, or low-fat animal proteins such as fish, turkey or skinless chicken.
Salt Around the time you expect your period, drastically reduce your salt intake. Sodium increases fluid retention, so don’t use the salt shaker. And if recipes call for salt, try adding more pepper or another spice instead. But, most importantly, cut down on processed foods and fast foods, all of which are overflowing with salt.
People think that if they are bloated, they are probably consuming too much water so the logical thing to do is to stop drinking this precious fluid. The argument may appear sound, but depriving your body with water is not really a good idea. When you are dehydrated, your kidneys will be in a conservation mode and will try to retain fluid to make sure that your body has enough to perform important functions.
Hormones are to blame and fluctuations in our estrogen levels turn on production of a hormone called “aldosterone”. Aldosterone then causes our kidneys to retain fluids throughout the body, and we see a sudden gain in water weight quickly.
Standing or sitting in one place for extensive amounts of time can also restrict circulation and cause excessive fluid retention. If you are required to stay in one place for several hours at a time, especially if you work in an office or as a cashier, try to take a break every hour or so to walk around a little and stretch out to get the blood flowing again.
You may not know it but swimming daily in deep water has many advantages, one of them being that it helps to expel salt from your body. When your body has less salt, you will be able to cure water retention. So make it a point to swim everyday in deep water. If you are a pregnant woman you should avoid water that is above 100 degrees temperature.
Anise- This herb is native to the eastern parts of the Mediterranean. While it is mostly used for cooking, anise has been known to have properties that can help in digestion, relieve flatulence and increase urine excretion. As a diuretic, this herb can prove to be beneficial against water retention in women.
Although ascorbic acid – Vitamin C – increases water output from the kidneys, its excessive use could stress your kidneys and there is a likelihood of increase in retaining water in the future. There are certain things you can try to increase the output of water from your body.
Excessive sodium intake though is not the only cause of this common problem. Living a sedentary lifestyle can also cause the body to retain fluid. This is another reason for couch potatoes out there to put on their trainers and start moving their bodies. One of the benefits of exercise is the improvement of circulation.
