The problem of edema plagues many people. At first, excess water in the body may go unnoticed: a person does not pay attention to slight swelling of the face in the morning and a slight weight gain. But if this problem is left as it is, it may get worse. Weight gain becomes noticeable, and the person begins to feel worse and worse. To prevent serious health problems from developing, you can follow simple techniques that tell you how to get rid of excess fluid in the body.
Causes of excess water in the body
There are several factors that affect the amount of fluid in the body, and some of them may seem quite surprising.
- Oddly enough, the cause of excess moisture can be a lack of fluid . A person should drink 1.5-2 liters of clean water per day. If this does not happen, the body begins to store fluid. Therefore, for starters, it’s worth acquiring a useful habit - drinking clean water (without gas or additives).
- Our body tries to retain liquid if we often drink coffee, black tea, carbonated drinks, and beer. Give preference to green tea and clean water. A couple of weeks and you will understand that it is not only healthy, but also tasty.
- Do we like salty foods, and because of this we often drink, thinking that this is normal? In fact, when we quench such thirst, the liquid is not excreted later. The next morning we see swelling and an increase on the scales. Minimize salty foods.
- If drink late in the evening, the kidneys will not have time to cope with water, which entered the body. The result, as usual, will be on the face and legs.
Don't drink 2-3 hours before bedtime! Let your kidneys work as normal.
- Persistent swelling is a good reason to check cardiovascular disease and kidney function . Contact your GP so they can give you a referral for testing.
Causes of fluid accumulation
Girls, admit it, we have a habit of talking to the scales every morning. And I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have disagreements with this electronic device: it doesn’t show me the numbers that I would like to see.
I am especially indignant when, quite accidentally, I eat a couple of pieces of cake in the evening and pour it all with a lot of tea. Honestly, it's just an accident. And in the morning, once - and I gained two kilograms. Well, it’s not like I gained fat so quickly. It's more likely a matter of accumulation of excess fluid in the tissues. Exactly, exactly! Now let’s figure out what else could be the cause of such a tragedy.
- Every representative of the fair sex sometimes feels that there is excess water in the body. This happens every month before menstruation. If this is the only reason, then you don’t have to worry: one week and everything is fine
- We drink too much before bed. It is quite logical that it is not advisable to drink water at night. This puts extra strain on the kidneys, causing them to function less actively. Therefore, you should not be surprised if in the morning you find that your face is swollen. Personally, I try not to drink water 3-4 hours before bed so that my kidneys have time to process it
- Poor metabolism due to poor diet and sedentary lifestyle. As you know, carbohydrates are capable of retaining water, which also leads to edema
- It’s a paradox, but dehydration also causes water accumulation. Everyone knows that you need to drink at least two liters of fluid per day. We do not count teas, coffee and other drinks here. Only clean water is counted. So, if this need for fluid is not met, then the body begins to prepare its reserves on its own. In general, teas and coffee are considered diuretic drinks that expel moisture from the body.
- There is a lot of salt in the diet. Our body deliberately retains water so that salt does not harm it so much. It's a kind of defense mechanism
- And, of course, the cause of this phenomenon can be various diseases. For example, heart failure or liver disease. Edema also occurs due to hormonal changes.
How to get rid of it?
How to remove water from the body without causing harm to it? Let's start with products that help in this difficult task:
- watermelons, melons, cucumbers - to cleanse the kidneys and remove water, you should arrange fasting days once a week, when you eat only one of these foods;
- natural birch sap helps get rid of toxins and excess water;
- green tea (leaf) also helps in getting rid of toxins, and also perfectly tones;
- for weight loss and if you have excess fluid, pay attention to rice and oatmeal (rice helps thanks to the potassium it contains);
- Include fresh fruits and vegetables ;
- Zucchini and cabbage have a diuretic effect ; in addition, they are excellent sources of copper, iron and potassium;
- Freshly squeezed juices from carrots and beets also help with fluid retention.
Diet
What should you eat? We suggest sticking to this diet for 7 days to feel the first results.
We remind you that you need to drink clean water (at least 1.5 liters per day), and also give up fried, salty and sweet foods for the entire period of the diet.
- On the first day, boil and eat five potatoes.
- The second day we eat chicken breast , boiled or grilled without oil and with minimal addition of salt.
- On the third day, you can cook - boil or bake - lean fish , it is better to give preference to sea fish.
- On the fourth day we eat one hundred grams of red meat , preferably veal.
- On the fifth day we eat fruits , excluding bananas.
- On the sixth day we eat vegetables: cucumbers, zucchini, beets, cabbage .
- The seventh day is the most difficult - you can only drink water and kefir .
Get out of this mode gently and smoothly, without attacking food. Cheer yourself up, look in the mirror and watch how the swelling slowly goes away and your health improves. Let this be your best incentive to defeat this disease!
Foods that remove liquid
A properly formulated diet will help reduce excess water in the body even without the use of medications. To achieve this effect, you need to include seasonal vegetables and fruits, herbs, and some spices in your daily menu. For example, cinnamon and ginger, celery and parsley successfully remove water from the body. Products such as:
- watermelon;
- cabbage;
- beet;
- prunes;
- raisin;
- cucumbers;
- dried apricots;
- eggplant;
- dill;
- asparagus;
- horseradish;
- potato;
- oatmeal;
- green tea;
- kefir;
- vegetable juices.
What physical activities should you prefer?
Training and exercises will help you cope with the problem of water retention in the body much faster.
- If you work in an office and sit constantly, don't forget to take breaks . Get up, walk around the building or go outside. You only need 15 minutes every few hours for your body to stop retaining fluid.
- To improve blood circulation, book a massage .
- Walk more and do gymnastics .
- Sign up for swimming . After the pool, take a contrast shower.
Traditional methods
And folk remedies can solve the problem of swelling and heaviness.
- Chamomile decoctions : 3 tablespoons, 2 glasses of water, half an hour in a water bath, and the drink is ready. Drink ½ glass cooled half an hour before meals.
- At home you can make tinctures from avran . It is infused in the same way as chamomile, but you should drink 1 glass after meals.
- If you do not have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, you can grind viburnum berries and pour boiling water over them, add natural honey and eat a spoonful after meals.
- Berries and leaves of lingonberries can be poured with boiling water, and then drunk 1 tablespoon after meals.
- An excellent diuretic is birch leaves . They are also steamed with boiling water; you can take 1-2 spoons 3 times a day at any time - before or after meals.
Advice for pregnant women
As you know, there is little that pregnant women can do. Therefore, in the fight against swelling, you need to be extremely careful and constantly consult a doctor.
- First, you should reconsider your diet. You should forget about canned food, smoked meats, sushi and other foods that contain a large amount of salt.
- Include fresh vegetables and seasonal fruits in your diet . They not only have a beneficial effect on the body, but also improve your mood.
- Train yourself to drink freshly squeezed juices , it is better to make them from citrus fruits. For example, from oranges (if there is no allergy).
- If you want to try diuretics, they should be natural! Forget about the medications you took before pregnancy. Replace them with green apples, freshly squeezed carrot juice, strawberries, cucumbers and zucchini.
- Herbal infusions also help with swelling during pregnancy.
Do not use herbs without direct instructions from your doctor! He will recommend those that are right for you.
Fruits and berries
Daily consumption of fruits and berries will significantly reduce swelling. Moreover, they can be either fresh or frozen.
The first place in terms of diuretic action is occupied by watermelons and melons - they actively remove salts and dissolve kidney stones. And vitamins and microelements saturate the cells.
An apple is considered an equally useful fruit on the list of diuretics. The presence of potassium and malic acid helps to gently remove excess fluid from the body, cleanses the intestines and improves brain activity.
What should you not do?
Many of us make a mistake when swelling appears - stop drinking . Refuse clean water, avoid tea and other drinks. But this is precisely what leads to a worsening of the condition. Of course, there are situations when you can’t drink a lot, but they are determined by a doctor, and if there is constant swelling, you should turn to him for professional help.
Diuretics are another dangerous drug. Abuse can cause a lack of fluid in the body, so you should not prescribe them yourself and drink thoughtlessly. Remember that you need to monitor your health under the supervision of a doctor. Only then will you be able to avoid fatal mistakes.
Leader products
A good diuretic effect is achieved by consuming lemon. However, it is not necessary to use such a product in its pure form. The effect can be observed even when adding a few drops of juice to ordinary clean water or food. Due to its good fluid removal effect, lemon is often prescribed by doctors to prevent blood pressure problems and urinary tract infections.
More about ways to remove water from the body >>
Traditionally, celery is used by professional athletes to remove excess fluid. The product contains a lot of water, which contributes to the diuretic effect and frequent urge to go to the toilet. In addition to the effectiveness of celery as a diuretic, the plant is very nutritious and helps ease digestion.
Many people end up consuming this product because of its specific taste. Today there are many recipes in which celery is an addition and problems with lack of taste are easily solved.
Ginger root is considered one of the best remedies for cleansing the body and removing toxins. Swelling and excess moisture disappear due to improved blood supply, and taking such a herbal remedy reduces pain due to arthrosis.
Products with ginger have an immunostimulating effect and normalize metabolism in the body. The diuretic effect can be noticed by putting a small piece of the root in a glass of water and drinking this remedy.
Let's sum it up
Dealing with excess fluid in the body can spoil your mood and take a lot of time. Therefore, it is worth contacting a specialist, undergoing an examination and sticking to proper nutrition and water regime . This approach will allow you to achieve better results and forget about eye patches and compression tights.
Proper nutrition, 1.5-2 liters of fluid per day, physical activity are the key not only to getting rid of excess water, but also to good health. Follow our recommendations and be healthy!
