7 Super simple ways to relieve water retention

Bye Bye Bloating: 7 Super simple ways to relieve water retention

Angela Goh

24 Aug 2016

updated the Wednesday, August 24, 2016

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Eat less salt
Nope, it’s definitely not an old wives’ tale, too much salt can definitely cause water retention. And a very severe case of it, at that. The sodium in salt binds to water molecules in your body in order to maintain the balance of fluids inside and outside of your cells. Eating foods high in salt, such as highly processed potato chips, causes your body to retain too much fluid. Decrease your sodium intake and you’ll definitely see a decrease in the amount of water your body needs to store.
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Try dandelion tea
The dandelion herb is a very handy one. It has been used as a natural diuretic in traditional medicine for the longest time. Its diuretic properties help to reduce water retention by making you urinate more often, flushing out not just extra fluid but toxins as well. As such, dandelion tea is a very effective liver cleanser.
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Drink lemon water
Squeeze the juice of a single lemon into a cup and mix it with some warm water. No, don’t turn it into lemonade by adding sugar. Just drink it plain. Lemon juice, like dandelion tea, can help to flush out excess fluid and toxins from your system. Drink this concoction once in the morning and once at night, you’ll see results in no time.
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Soak in an epsom salt bath
Through reverse osmosis, soaking in an epsom salt bath will allow your body to rid itself of excess fluids. Epsom salts are also fantastic at drawing out toxins and also soothing sore muscles. It has a calming, relaxing, spa-like effect on a tired body, so even if you don’t have a water retention problem, you can definitely still benefit from a bath. To reap the benefits of an epsom salt bath, mix two cups of epsom salts in a bath filled with warm water, let it dissolve, then soak yourself for about 15 minutes. Do this three times a week.
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Increase your magnesium intake
Increasing your magnesium intake by eating foods such as nuts, dark chocolate, green leafy vegetables and whole grains may help decrease water retention. Studies have shown that consuming 200mg of magnesium a day is capable of reducing water retention in women with PMS symptoms. Better load up on some spinach and almonds, then.
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Fennel seeds can help
White bread and sweet pastries are carb-heavy food sources that can lead to a rapid spike in your blood sugar and insulin levels. High insulin levels tend to cause your body to retain more sodium, which, as mentioned previously, can lead to your body storing more fluid than necessary. Try to avoid processed grains, table sugar and high-carb goods that contain very little nutrition overall.
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Fennel seeds
Several studies have proven that fennel acts as a diuretic, much like dandelion, making you head to the toilet more often to get rid of your excess fluid. Fennel can also detoxify the body as well as aid digestion and relieve gas and flatulence problems. Soak a teaspoon of fennel seeds in hot water for 10 minutes, strain, and drink the tea. Do this a couple of times a day.

Ladies, here’s how to prevent your body from storing too much water and making you feel like a balloon.

Feeling a little bloated? And not just in your tummy but all over, from your legs to your face? Water retention is a pesky phenomenon that most of us encounter from time to time. Occurring in the circulatory system as well as within your body’s tissues and cavities, there are many reasons why our body decides to retain water. The most obvious reason is dehydration – your body feels starved of water so it tends to store as much of it as possible the next time you have your fill of liquids. Ironically, the counter to water retention due to dehydration is to drink plenty of water. Water retention is also a symptom of PMS – your hormones and period have a part to play in this.

There are a few natural methods to get rid of that extra fluid in you and make you feel a little more comfortable. Head up to the gallery to check them out – you can thank us later.

Angela Goh

Photos: Getty Images

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