5 Simple Ways to Decrease Water Retention
Water retention, also known as liquid retention, is a problem for people who want to stay in shape. Many people want to decrease water retention so that they appear slimmer.
Water retention can be troublesome and irritating. It can make everyday activities such as watching TV on the sofa uncomfortable due to bloating.
You can decrease water retention by varying your daily habits. But, what exactly causes water retention?
Water retention is caused by liquids gathering in our blood vessels or in the lymphatic system. From there, the body should process them and remove them from your system. But, sometimes there is too much liquid for the body to handle.
Other times, regardless of the amount of liquid, it is too much for your blood vessels to handle. There are many causes for this issue. Some common reasons are bad circulation, obesity, or a renal deficiency.
You should talk with your doctor about your concerns as there could be a serious issue behind your liquid retention.
That being said, it’s usually a small issue. It can be related to:
- Sitting or standing in one place for a long time
- Changes in temperature
- Your ovulation cycle
- A lack of physical exercise
It can also appear with:
- Certain medications
- An excessive amount of salt in your diet
Whatever the case, you can do something to reduce water retention. Good news: it’s easy and simple to reduce water retention in your body.
5 simple ways to decrease water retention
1. Walk for 45 minutes a day
Walking at a brisk pace will undoubtedly increase your quality of life.
When you walk, you use your muscles. Using your muscles allows your blood to start flowing more quickly and effortlessly.
By doing this, the liquids in your blood will spread. Also, sweating gets rid of some of the retained liquid. Therefore, exercise decreases the amount of liquid your body has to process and helps to decrease liquid retention.
Find out more about exercise: Improve Your General Health With These Exercises
2. Drink 8 glasses of water a day
Many people give up drinking water to avoid retaining more liquids. This is bad because your body needs water to correctly process fluids. It uses water to get rid of the excess water in our body.
So, don’t forget to drink water. Although it’s easy to forget, it is important for your overall health and well-being.
If you don’t like drinking water, we recommend that you try drinking teas. They are diuretic and have many properties that help you to stay healthy.
Why not try one of these 5 Teas for Abdominal Swelling
3. Eat carbohydrates
When we start a weight loss diet, the first thing we do is start to cut out carbohydrates. However, these give us the energy we need to think and work.
Keep in mind that some carbs are better than others. The best thing to do is eat complete carbohydrates and whole grains in small quantities. To do this, try buckwheat or spelled flour.
4. Eat diuretic fruits
Fruit is another controversial food to eat due to its high levels of sugar.
However, like with carbohydrates, some fruits are helpful in getting rid of liquids in the body.
The best fruits to decrease water retention are:
- Kiwi
- Apples
- Lemons
- Strawberries
- Pineapples
- Melons
You can eat them as is or drink them in a juice or a smoothie.
5. Eat foods rich in vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 dissolves in liquids and helps to remove excess fluid from our body.
The best sources of vitamin B6 are:
- Legumes
- Liver
- Whole grain
- Complete cereals
- Flounder
With this easy advice, you can help decrease liquid retention. These methods are easy and economical.
If you are very stressed, it’s a good idea to plan your meals every week. That way you will be well-prepared to cook healthy meals.
More and more people are incorporating healthy diets into their lives. Following a few simple rules can transform your quality of life.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Galloza J, Castillo B, Micheo W. Benefits of Exercise in the Older Population. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2017 Nov;28(4):659-669. doi: 10.1016/j.pmr.2017.06.001. PMID: 29031333.
- Yoshida Y, Simoes EJ. Sugar-Sweetened Beverage, Obesity, and Type 2 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents: Policies, Taxation, and Programs. Curr Diab Rep. 2018 Apr 18;18(6):31. doi: 10.1007/s11892-018-1004-6. PMID: 29671076; PMCID: PMC6025796.
- Aune D, Giovannucci E, Boffetta P, Fadnes LT, Keum N, Norat T, Greenwood DC, Riboli E, Vatten LJ, Tonstad S. Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality-a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. Int J Epidemiol. 2017 Jun 1;46(3):1029-1056. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyw319. PMID: 28338764; PMCID: PMC5837313.
