The main explanation for gaining weight is water retention. If you are overweight, water retention may be the main problem preventing you from losing extra pounds. Feeling puffed and bloated are the main symptoms that show that you may be suffering from water retention.
Water retention
Water retention, or edema in medical terms, can be caused by the aggregation of extra fluids in your circulatory system and in the areas between the cells. Swelling of different parts of the body, such as face, hands, ankles, legs and feet show that you are suffering from water retention. It can affect anyone, but mostly pregnant women. You can still prevent it by consuming potassium-rich foods.
Causes
The main causes of water retention, according to research form University of Maryland Medical Center, the main causes of water retention are pregnancy, menopause, hormonal changes and body’s reaction to humid weather. In addition, the following list describes all the causes of water retention:
– Food allergies
– Hypothyroidism
– Nutritional deficiencies
– Liver disorders
– Lack of protein
– Poor kidney functioanality
– Minerals
– Antioxidants
– Inadequate intake of certain vitamins
– Smoking to dust
– Fast food
Food allergies
The food in our stomach doesn’t digest properly as we get old. That’s because the stomach doesn’t produce as much acid as it used to. In this way, a lot of undigested food passes into the intestine where can cause damage, like inflammation and irritation on the intestine wall. The intestine wall becomes thin and leaky, allowing undigested ‘pieces’ of food to come in contact with the blood. The immune system deals with this problem by sending antibiotics, which can cause allergy symptoms, like water retention. The foods that are the main factors in causing water retention are eggs and dairy.
At this point, losing weight is a matter of dealing with these foods by removing them from your daily routine. But, this could not eliminate the problem as water retention may be caused by another problem.
Advices on how to get rid of water detention
Water
Everyone may think that consuming less water would deal with this disorder, but the opposite actually happens. Consuming less water could lead in dehydration, and the body will hold on to water, as it does with fat. So, the first and the best advice is to drink water every day, all day long. You can combine it with a slice of lemon or orange to relieve from the disorder in a much efficient way.
Salt
Your body needs 2-2.5 gr of sodium every day, so the metabolism could function properly. But, consuming foods like fried fries, chips and other foods that contain sodium could cause water retain. Our advice is to keep sodium in normal range, and replace sodium-rich foods with spices such as ginger, garlic, chives and even fresh vegetables.
Sweat
You ever wondered why your sweat tastes salty? Well, under your you have sodium ions that mix with water, and in this way the salty sweat is present. Sweating shows that your metabolism is fully functional, so you must continue to drink water during the entire day. In this way, after a while, you will have a water-tasty sweat. This is an indicator that you are sodium-free, and you have lost a lot of that bloat fluid.
Fiber
Fiber has cleansing properties, similar to water. It cleanses the colon and intestinal tract, helping in this way the removal of excess fluids. You can consume fresh vegetables, and even fresh fruits, which are fiber and antioxidant-rich, for helping in cancer prevention and water retain.
Fish
Fish is the main food you must always include in your eating routine. Its meat is rich in omega-3, essential for the body. You must include fatty fish, like salmon, tuna and flax twice a week in your diet.
Melons
Water retention can be reduced by consuming melons and citrus as they are rich in potassium that balances the sodium levels. You can add to your morning diet a fruit salad.
Grains and nuts
When you are filling buffed, you may want to consume grains, as they are rich in vitamin B6, a nutrient associated with PMS relief. But, you must avoid those that are rich in sodium and salted nuts. In addition, fiber is another ingredient of grains, and nuts are rich in fats.
Diuretics
The kidney filter water, sodium and potassium to make urine, and low amount of these is returned to the blood to keep the levels constant. Diuretics increase the amount of urine, helping in this way water retention. They are also used to regulate blood pressure, to treat congestive heart failure and liver disease, which cause water retention.
But, extended use of diuretics could cause dehydration, causing kidney damage and imbalance in the potassium and sodium levels, which are vital for the kidney, liver and heart functionality. Imbalance in normal levels of electrolytes could cause death at the worst case scenario.
The list of the foods with diuretics properties:
– Caffeine-rich like tea and coffee.
– Celery
– Onions
– Watermelon
– Corn silk
– Hawthorn is the most powerful
Our advice is that your diet consists 15% of any food and 85% of grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, seeds and soya.
What to avoid
If you want to avoid water retention, you must limit the daily salt intake, by eliminating processed and packaged food, which are always sodium-rich. Instead of salt, you can use fresh foods, like the ones mentioned before, to maintain a healthy and functional metabolism.
Source of the article: http://www.losingweightdone.com/
