One of the worse things that could happen to a woman is the horrible unannounced ‘visit’ from edema – which is probably more widely known as water retention. Edema is an absolute nightmare to have because just overnight you’ll find yourself gaining anything from 1lb to 5lbs and waking up to a fat puffy face, a bloated tummy that your skirt just won’t zip up over, fat feet that your shoes simply will not cover and rings that will not fit on what was just the night before a slender finger.
So what causes water retention – I would say there are many reasons but in general the 2 main culprits are dehydration and ‘that time of the month’. Honestly water retention can really make you tip the scale and the depression and the sight of the needle pointing to a higher weight just really makes you desperate to rid yourself of water. So desperate in fact you resort to pills and all sorts of strange ‘cures’ at an attempt to make your body normal.
Water retention if caused by the above 2 reasons does go away on its own…but it takes time. You can help the process on its way by taking the few following natural steps:
1. Flush the water with water
Drink lots of water to ‘inspire’ your body into releasing the excess water it is keeping in the tissues. With dehydration, the body thinks it need to do water rationing. So when you drink sufficient amounts of water, it will coax your body out of worry that it will be starved of water. Also pair this with the practice of avoiding/cutting down on sodium. Salt dries you out.
2. Go bananas
Rich in potassium which is a natural cure of fluid retention, a diet high on bananas or raisins can help your cause.
3. Instill the aid of diuretics
Go for natural diuretics. I’d avoid coffee because of the caffeine but why not opt for cranberry juice or eat lots of cabbage instead? You may also opt for a tea made with:
- Holy thistle
- Rose hips
- Dandelion
4. Un-bloat the tummy with cultures
If you are prone to bloating around the waistline then the active cultures in yogurt may be able to alleviate that.
5. Increase your vitamins intake
Vitamin C and A are known to reduce water retention
