Natural Tips Against Moisture Retention

It can happen that suddenly your ring no longer fits or your ankles are heavy and swollen, while you have stopped eating. Your body probably retains too much fluid. The retention  is not a serious condition, but can be very annoying. 

Doctors see it as a symptom of an underlying ailment or an existing imbalance in the body that we should pay attention to.

Facts about water retention

Fluid retention occurs when water and other body fluids do not completely drain from the body tissues and continue to accumulate under the skin. Fluid regularly leaks from our bloodstream and is excreted from the body by the lymphatic system or returned to the bloodstream.

However, if too much fluid is released from the bloodstream to the surrounding tissue and cannot flow back sufficiently, then there is fluid retention or edema.

We see fluid retention more often in women. It is always important to find the correct cause of this in order to be able to treat it properly.

In most cases, fluid retention can be resolved fairly quickly. It is important to know that the body always strives in a natural way for a balanced fluid and hormone balance. 

For example, if you drink more water as needed, you will excrete this excess fluid in the form of sweat or urine. Fluid problems and edema occur when the body is unable to excrete excess fluids.

This creates an imbalance known as fluid retention.

What are the causes?

The most common causes of fluid retention are:

• An unhealthy diet or nutritional deficiency:  Deficiency of protein in the body can cause fluid retention.
• Hormonal disruption:  Some women also retain fluids a couple of weeks before their period.
• An excessive consumption of salty or spicy foods.
• Diseases of the liver also lead to fluid retention.

• Heart failure and kidney disease.
• Certain drugs are known to cause fluid retention as a side effect. Pill use can also cause edema.
• A sedentary lifestyle and too little exercise.
• The last months of pregnancy.
• Menopause.

The most common symptoms by which we can recognize edema:

• An increase in weight with no other plausible explanation. Some people can gain pounds in a few days or weeks.
• Swelling in the hands and legs, which may also feel painful or stiff.
• palpitations.
• General fatigue.
• Cramps in the calves.
• Feeling of weakness and discomfort.
• Also, a high blood pressure may occur.
• Cellulite:  When the skin is pressed, the skin can hold that impression for a few seconds.

• Producing little urine.

Food that you should avoid in case of fluid retention

• Salt : We recommend that you follow a low-salt diet. You can also replace salt with a natural product such as sea salt. If you would like some spice and taste, you can also add seaweed, herbs or cardamom to your diet. Be wary of “hidden” salt. You will find this in prepared meats such as sausage, smoked meat, canned food, ready meals, instant soup and sauces such as mayonnaise and ketchup.
• Saturated fats and red meat.
• Cow’s milk  is rich in fats and is therefore best avoided. Skimmed and lactose-free milk, however, are processed too much chemically. As a result, the body is required to make extra effort to digest this liquid. In addition, it has been shown that dairy products cause the edges of the intestines to stick. This makes it more difficult to remove waste products from the body. Therefore, choose alternative plant-based milk products such as coconut milk, rice milk, almond milk, etc

Natural remedies for moisture retention

• Dandelion  is a well-known natural medicine that has a detoxifying, purifying and diuretic effect. Make a decoction of the roots and leaves. Do this by processing a handful of it in one and a half liters of water. Cover, then let cool and drink a cup before each meal. This is how you successfully remove excess moisture.
• Corn : Pull the beard (or stigmas) off the corn while it is still fresh and green and dry it in a dark place. Then infuse a few teaspoons of it for twenty minutes. You can also buy this dried herb in the spice shop. This tea has been used for a long time to solve urinary tract problems or edema. Drink the tea once a day.

• Tea : Most herbal infusions stimulate the kidneys and increase fluid secretion. The guideline for the correct amount is always 1 tablespoon of dried herb per cup of water.
• Meadowsweet : The leaves and flowers of this medicinal plant are edible and have been used for a long time as a blood purifier with an anti-inflammatory effect. Use about 4 grams of dried flour and leaves to prepare an infusion. Preferably drink a cup twice a day.

Even more remedies

• Sundew : You can make tea from the leaves of this plant, which also has excellent diuretic properties due to its high concentration of flavonoids. Make an infusion with 1 to 2 grams of sundew per cup of water and drink it up to three times a day.

• Cherries : Cherries stimulate the excretion of urine. They are therefore an excellent natural means of keeping the kidneys in optimum condition. We recommend them in obesity, edema, inflammation and impaired renal function.

• Chicory  supports the functioning of the liver and kidneys, making it an ideal natural remedy for gout and osteoarthritis. It also works well against edema in the lower legs and ankles. Use 30 grams of dried root to cook in 1 liter of water. Drink two cups of this a day for good results. Read also: Herbs to purify your liver

Recipes for juices against fluid retention

• Grapefruit-Apple-and-Fennel Juice : Take a whole grapefruit, 1 apple, and half a tuber of fennel for this recipe. Peel the apple and grapefruit. Then cut everything into fine pieces and mix it in the blender. Drink with breakfast, once every three days.
• Asparagus Cucumber Juice : Blend a pack of asparagus with two cucumbers in the blender. Then drink a cup a day of this diuretic juice.
• Parsley Carrot Juice : Blend a bundle of parsley with two large carrots and water in the blender. Drink 1 cup per day for optimal results.

• Carrot, Cucumber, Parsley, Apple and Pineapple Super Juice : Blend two carrots, 1 cucumber, five parsley sprigs, one apple and two pineapple slices in a blender along with a cup of water. Drink once a day before breakfast.