Use These Eight Nutrition Tips To Remove Unwanted Fluid In Your Body

May 28, 2018

Bloating isn’t an uncommon experience, especially in the feet, legs, and abdomen. Some people can’t even wear their own shoes or button clothing when they experience bloating, or, in medical terms, edema. It’s basically due to water retention and accumulation of fluid in the soft tissues.

There’s an array of causes and several nutrition tips to help rid yourself of the resulting excess fluid.
 

Many health factors, systemic processes, and even the things we eat and medications we take can cause water retention, including:

Menopause, PMS, Pregnancy, Poor Nutrition, High Salt Intake, Dehydration, Venous Insufficiency, Inactivity, Stress, Allergies, Anxiety, Hormone Imbalances, Hypertension, Heart Disease, Kidney Disease, Lung Disease, Thyroid Disease, Arthritis, Medications ( such as contraceptives) and so on.

As fluid accumulates, the affected body part may become visibly swollen, red, puffy. Nearby joints may become stiff or even immobile. Blood pressure and pulse may also rise. Or, you may have a more generalized feeling of being overly full or bloated.

Do keep in mind that severe, prolonged fluid retention may be a sign of a serious, life-threatening heart or kidney condition that requires immediate medical intervention. But, for everyday bloating and fluid retention issues, here are eight dietary tricks to get the fluid moving along and out.

Salt is a big culprit in water retention, and around 90% of American diets are too high in sodium according to the CDC. Salt regulates your body's water volume by osmosis. Basically, as salt goes through membranes and vessels, water follows it. Circulation carries the salt away for the kidneys to filter out through urine. But, when any one of these processes (kidneys or circulation) become sluggish or there’s too much salt for them to transport, the salt and it’s water entourage become trapped in tissues and cause swelling.

The Department of Agriculture recommends no more than 2,300 mg of salt per day, and other organizations, such as the American Heart Association, recommend at-risk groups eat even less salt.

Parsley is an antioxidant that’s rich in B vitamins, calcium, and iron. Here’s the trick - eating it daily can help sodium and its water entourage to be reabsorbed by the body. Add it fresh to your food, or make a tea with a cup of boiling water and a handful of parsley; steep, strain, and drink several times per day.

Fresh lemon juice is another antioxidant, but its real fluid retention fighting power comes from its natural diuretic properties. It can help flush the body of excess fluids and toxins. Studies have shown that lemon zest promotes fluid secretions in the lungs and blood plasma. Add a freshly squeezed lemon to your morning tea or a warmed glass of water, and don’t be afraid to add the zest if you have time.

Not the most common tea of choice, but this tea has long been used by Native American and Arab tribes to help the liver and kidneys function better at removing toxins. How? Its potassium content makes it a natural diuretic. Do be careful because dandelion root is quite bitter; a common allergen; and may interact with some prescribed medications, such as diuretics and lithium.

ACV, unfiltered, is another way to flush toxins. It’s potassium and magnesium content make it a powerful diuretic. It’s also an alkaline substance that can help neutralize the gas and bloating of gastrointestinal upset involving an overload of stomach acid. Mix it with olive oil for a salad or add a shot in some warm lemon water.

Garlic is yet another natural diuretic option to help you get excess fluid on the move. It’s a powerhouse of nutrition, capable of reducing fat stores in the liver and relaxing arteries for better circulation. Try cooking with it daily and infusing healthy oils with it.

These little seeds are packed with A, C, and K vitamins; magnesium; thiamin; riboflavin; calcium; folic acid; and iron. Beyond being a diuretic, coriander also has the essential oil components cineole and linoleic acid, which have been proven helpful in inflammatory rheumatic and arthritic conditions.

These are rich in potassium for diuretic purposes. Anti-acidic properties stimulate the secretion of digestive and gastric juices that can help reduce inflammation and gas in the gut.

Have you been suffering from fluid accumulation? Tell us your story, what you’ve done successfully and not so successfully, and which of the above you plan to try. Send this article to your loved ones to make their life easier as well!

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!