Water retention is usually associated with pregnancy, however, water
retention can affect the best of us, and can sometimes sabotage weight
loss plans. If you’re feeling puffed and bloated, and don’t seem to get
anywhere no matter how many crunches you do, you may be suffering from
water retention.
What is Water Retention?
Edema, also known as fluid or water retention, and is caused by the
accumulation of excess fluids in the circulatory system and areas
between the body’s cells. It can cause different body parts to swell,
with the face, hands, feet, ankles and legs being most common. Edema
often affects pregnant women, but anyone can develop the condition.
Certain diuretic and potassium-rich foods can help combat edema.
Causes of Water Retention
According to University of Maryland Medical Center, there are many
potential causes of water retention, such as the body’s reaction to
humid weather, hormonal changes during menstration, pregnancy, menopause
and side effects of oral contraceptive pills among women. Nutritional
deficiencies, hypothyroidism, heart or liver disorders could be the
reasons behind water retention for both, men and women. Further, a lack
of protein, poor kidney function, prescribed medications and inadequate
intakes of certain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are all thought
to be potential causes. Even the presence of toxins in the body caused
by everything from pollution and smoking to dust and processed foods,
are also believed to be possible contributors. But top of the hit list
are food allergies.
Food Allergies
As we get older our stomachs become less efficient at producing acid
and our food doesn’t digest properly. The partially undigested food then
passes into the intestine where it can cause irritation and
inflammation. This also damages the intestinal wall, causing it to
become ‘leaky’, allowing undigested food particles and other potentially
harmful substances to enter the blood.
Because these particles should not be in the blood, the immune system
springs into action and releases antibodies to deal with them, this is
what causes allergy symptoms, including fluid retention. It is thought
we are more likely to become allergic to the foods we eat most often
such as wheat, dairy and eggs, so these are the main foods that are most
likely to be responsible for causing fluid retention.
Eliminating the foods causing problems will cause the fluid retention
to disappear and you’ll lose weight quickly. If, however, fluid
retention is caused by another problem, weight loss may be much slower.
How To Beat The Bloat
Lay Off The Salt
Eating foods such as french fries, potato chips, and various other
foods loaded with unnecessary amounts of sodium, will cause you to
retain water. The body only needs between 2000-2500mg of sodium a day to
complete its metabolic functions, so if you go way over that, you are
overindulging, which can create many health problems and concerns. Keep
your sodium moderate, and replace excess salt with spices such as
garlic, ginger, fresh vegetables, black pepper, chives, cilantro, or hot
sauce.
Eat More Fiber
Most Americans, and even more surprisingly, most “bodybuilders”, do
not consume adequate amounts of fiber. Similar to water, which cleanses
the urinary tract and kidneys, fiber cleanses the colon & intestinal
tract, keeping things moving smoothly, and mores, aiding in the removal
of excess fluid.
During meals, I include fresh vegetables, and eat them raw or steamed
with Balsamic Vinegar and/or garlic for plenty of nutrients. I also
include fresh fruits such as blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and
strawberries, all of which have plenty of fiber and many antioxidants
that help prevent cancer and other ailments.
Get Sweaty
Water retention is not simply “water”, but sodium ions trapped
underneath the skin, and is why your sweat tastes salty. Sweating is a
way the body regulates its temperature, and if you are sweating, it
means your metabolism is in high gear. A higher metabolism equals a
higher resting body temperature, so a trick you can use is to sit in a
sauna, and keep drinking water or coconut water. In the beginning, your
sweat will taste salty, telling you that you are retaining sodium, but
after a while, your sweat will begin to taste like water. This tells you
that you have sweat most of the sodium out that was being retained
underneath your skin, and have lost a good portion of that
muscle-masking fluid.
Natural Diuretics
Diuretics can be natural or synthetic, and they increase the amount
of urine excreted from the body. The kidneys make urine by filtering out
water, sodium and potassium from the blood, then the kidneys return an
exact amount of sodium and potassium ions and some water to the blood
stream so these levels will remain constant. The rest of the water goes
into the bladder as urine.
When blood flow to the kidneys declines due to illness, they respond
by retaining water, which is why diuretics are prescribed. For this
reason, doctors also prescribe diuretics to treat high blood pressure,
congestive heart failure, and liver disease, all of which cause water
retention.
That said, prolonged use or abuse of any diuretics without medical
supervision can lead to dehydration, which can cause kidney damage and
an imbalance in normal levels of electrolytes (sodium & potassium),
which are vital to the heart, kidney and liver function. When
electrolytes are out of balance, you’re at high risk for heart failure
and sudden death.
Foods With Diuretic Properties
Beverages containing caffeine like Coffee and tea work very well,
along with several other foods including celery, onion, eggplant,
asparagus and watermelon are also very effective.
In addition, many herbs such as hawthorn, corn silk, and parsley are
used as diuretics in natural medicine. Of these, hawthorn, is said to be
the most powerful. The natural herb dandelion root is also a good
naturally occurring diuretic, and works well when taken in conjunction
with the previous methods I have outlined.
One main rule of thumb is that 90% of your diet should consist of
whole grains, unprocessed foods, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, non-GMO
tofu, soya and oily fish. The other 10 percent can be whatever you
want.
Water
You may think restricting your water intake will reduce your bloat,
but dehydration will actually make your body hold on to water, just like
it does with fat. When it comes to water, DRINK UP! Drink a glass as
soon as you wake up and keep sipping all day. Make it even more
effective by slipping it with a few slices of lemon, lime, or orange as
citrus is high in potassium and can relieve bloating!
Melons
Melons, citrus, and other potassium-rich fruits will help reduce
water retention because they are high in the mineral potassium that
balances sodium levels. Start your day with a fruit salad or a fruit
smoothie!
