Drinking water treats water retention

Water retention is a common problem triggered by various factors like excess salt intake, protein deficiency, thyroid disease, blocked lymph channels, physical inactivity, high levels of waste and hormonal changes because of the menstrual cycle. In fact, most of the time, it’s triggered by disorders of the kidney, heart and liver.

Edema or swollen tissues is the most obvious symptom of water retention and is most prominent in legs, feet and ankles. As water retention is more a symptom than a disease, don’t neglect widespread or long term edema.

Natural tips to get rid of water retention

1. Drinking cranberry juices and eating cranberries provide for a natural remedy for relief from fluid retention.

1. Garlic, onion, fennel, parsley and celery are all effective at reducing water retention. Even drinking black tea or coffee or green tea in small amounts before a workout can to an extent, help control fluid retention.

1. You need to increase the amount of fluids you consume every day while restricting your salt and sugar consumption to treat and prevent the retention of water. If you manage to drink about 8 to 10 glasses of water a day, it helps remove your body toxins and excess fluids. Moreover, your body does not retain fluids when the body is well hydrated.

1. While herbal teas like grapefruit seed extract, Echinacea, bilberry, alfalfa and dandelion help, it’s better to consult your doctor before starting as they might interfere with some medications.

1. Massage essential oils with a massage oil or cream on your legs to get rid of water retention. Examples are rosemary, geranium, grapefruit, juniper berry oil, lavender and grapefruit. Soaking your feet in a footbath with 3-8 drops of an essential oil helps treat fluid retention in the ankles.

1. Even soaking your feet in a warm water foot bath with Epsom salt for 20 minutes helps heal water retention in legs. Make it a point to keep your legs elevated with a pillow under the knees and ankles whenever you sleep or lie down.

1. Regular exercise also helps as it improves the blood circulation in your body which in turn helps in healing of water retention. Half an hour of swimming helps get rid of water retention as the water pressure forces excess water out of the tissues into your bladder.

1. Support or compression stockings help deal with circulatory problems, so does yarrow tea cold compresses.

Last, but not least, your diet. Follow a healthy diet with more of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables for your body’s fiber, vitamins and mineral requirements. This means you need to include bananas, pumpkin, berries, cucumber, cabbage, green peas, tomatoes, milk, seeds, nuts, beets and spinach to your diet. Consequently, avoid processed and canned foods as much as possible along with alcoholic beverages.