6 Ways to Avoid Water Retention!

6 Ways to Avoid Water Retention!

What is Water Retention?

Yes, the body is made of 70% of water but the problem lies when the body tends to hold on to the water and this my friend is water retention. It can occur in different parts of the body but there is no one reason why it occurs like-

• Hormonal Imbalance 
• Eating processed,junk foods
• Lack of physical activity 
• Vitamin deficiencies 
• Medications like NSAIDS
• Travelling (via air)
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Health Ailments like liver ascitis,heart diseases and thyroid
• Too much toxins in Body

Some symptoms of water retention are as follows:

• Bloating
• Puffiness under eyes
• Fluctuations in weight
• Swellings of feet 

Now, that we know what is it, let’s get to know how to treat it.

#1 Eat Correct amounts of salt

Sodium is an essential micronutrient for the functioning of the body and eating correct amounts of salt is important.A low-sodium diet can help you reduce water retention,this means you need to avoid processed food and packaged food.Adding other flavors to your food like spices or vinegar/lemon can help you achieve it.

#2 Exercise

Exercising is one of the best way to defend water retention. Increasing the physical activity in your daily lifestyle can be a great help like choosing stairs over elevator,stretching between work,frequent workouts,indulging in outdoor games like swimming,badminton,etc or covering 10,000 steps per day .These are some small but healthy changes you can choose.

#3 Hormonal Imbalance

Usually,women experience water retention more than men mainly during their menopause,pregnancy and when PMSing. Hormones fluctuates the functioning of the kidney and manipulates the electrolytes and essential enzymes by the body.The hormones estrogen and progesterone also affect the water retention. Elevated level of estrogen and decreased level of progesterone leads to fluid accumulation.

#4 Diet

Your dietary intake plays a major role in water retention.There are certain foods that cause gas or bloated feeling.

*Increase Protein intake,as it plays a good role in water balance.Include foods like oats,curds,paneer in your diet.

*Check with your B6 and magnesium levels.Here are some foods that will help you level them-Almonds,Spinach,Bananas andAvacado.

*FOODS TO AVOID: Popcorn,salty foods

#5 Drink enough water

Yes,you read that right.Drinking enough water is a way of getting rid of that excess water. This is because when we are dehydrated, the body reacts by storing water so that it can cope with what it sees as a dry spell. Drinking more water also has the added benefit of helping you excrete more salt from your body. 

Excess of toxins in the body is also a reason for water retention and the simple remedy of flushing them out is having water.

#6 Keep thyroid in mind

Having disorders with the thyroid can too lead to water retention which can be seen  as swollen abdomen or feet or having puffiness around the eyes or in the face.This can be taken care off by consuming less iodine and taking in more of the green veggies like Brocolli,Spinach,Cabbage,etc.