Water retention is a sore point for many women. Moreover, it is the cause of those extra pounds that just can’t be shed despite the great efforts that are made.
So, in this article we will see what it is, the causes and 5 tips to fight it.
What is water retention? Water
retention is nothing more than an accumulation of water in the interstitial space between one cell and another .
What causes water retention
1. A diet rich in refined products (biscuits, crackers, white bread, snacks, brioches, etc.), sugar, prepackaged products and an excessive consumption of products of animal origin.
This type of diet is highly acidifying and although our body is equipped with “buffer” systems to counteract this acidity, what is not immediately buffered must be taken from the tissues to be subsequently disposed of. Our lymphatic system has the task of recovering these excess acids, which overload and fatigue it.
Since the lymphatic system should take care of bringing nourishment to the cells and eliminating the normal waste substances produced within them, if it is overloaded by acid waste this exchange cannot take place efficiently and a stagnation of liquids is created.
2. A diet rich in salt, sausages and cheeses.
Salt, or rather, sodium, retains water and, if consumed in excess and not counteracted by a sufficient supply of potassium, can cause water retention .
It is not just excessive salt consumption that contributes to excess sodium. Frequent consumption of sausages and cheeses that require large quantities of salt for conservation also actively contribute to increasing the amount of sodium consumed daily.
Not to mention chips, peanuts & co. which are a concentrate of salt and should only be consumed on special occasions.
3. A reduced consumption of proteins.
If the protein intake is low, the amount of protein in the bloodit is not enough to attract water into the blood vessels, thus favoring the stagnation of liquids between the cells.
4. Low muscle mass.
Water is found in lean mass, not fat mass, and lean mass includes muscles (as well as bones, teeth, internal organs and connective tissue), so if you have good muscle mass, water is inside. muscle cells, otherwise it is deposited in the extra-cellular space causing water retention.
Low muscle mass and sedentariness are often connected and little movement is harmful to the lymphatic system which, not having a pump that pushes the lymph from the bottom upwards as it does for the blood thanks to the heart, needs movement to facilitate this. ascent.
5. Excessive Stress.
Be it mental or physical stress due to excessive training, stress involves an increase in cortisol , a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, which causes water retention, increases a hormone called ” anti-diuretic hormone ” which, as the name implies, restrains liquids and does not cause them to be expelled with diuresis.
The False Myth to Fight Water
Retention Some people recommend a high-protein, low -carbohydrate diet to combat water retention.
This theoretically makes sense: our muscles store energy in the form of glycogen (resulting from the consumption of carbohydrates) and the glycogen to remain within the muscles themselves retains water. By not eating more carbohydrates, the glycogen stores are reduced and so is the water that is in the muscles.
But interstitial water, that is, the water that causes true water retention, does not go away and, on the contrary, with a high-protein diet you risk excessively acidifying the body, worsening the situation.
Moreover, as soon as carbohydrates are eaten again, glycogen is inevitably stored in the muscles and with it the water also returns and here the kilos that you were convinced you have lost return in the blink of an eye.
The 5 tips to combat water retention
1. Follow an alkalizing diet.
A diet rich in raw and cooked seasonal vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds combined with the consumption of quality animal proteins of biological origin, mainly caught fish and eggs, is very important for restoring balance acid-base of the body. Adding green extracts can
also be of great help thanks to the very high content of chlorophyll and therefore magnesium which alkalizes the body.
Super alkalizing green extract: 1 cucumber, 1 stalk of celery or ½ fennel, 1 slice of pineapple, 1 piece of fresh ginger, 4-5 lettuce leaves, 250 gr of spinach / chard and juice of half a lemon / lime.
2. Increase your consumption of potassium-rich foods and cut back on salt.
Bananas, cantaloupe, grapefruit, apricots, spinach and broccoli are very rich in potassium.
Reducing the salt used for cooking and above all limiting the consumption of products that contain it such as sausages and aged cheeses is extremely important. But be careful not to completely eliminate the salt . Sodium is essential for transmitting nerve signals in the body!
3. Minimize the consumption of refined products.
Cookies, crackers, breakfast cereals, croissants, snacks, white sugar, etc., acidify the body, create inflammation and strain our digestive system .
4. Increase muscle mass.
Gaining mass with weight room or yoga workouts and reducing cardio workouts is very important. As well as how to structure the workouts in order to minimize the production and accumulation of lactic acid, also linked to water retention . Rely on a good personal trainer to create the most suitable workout for you.
5. Stimulate the lymphatic system.
This can be done in several ways:
• By dry brushing using a special brush made of natural fibersmassaging the legs in circular motions from the ankle towards the groin. To see the benefits, this massage should be done every day, preferably in the morning and evening.
• Taking walks to allow the lymphatic system to function efficiently.
• Doing lymphatic drainage massages .
The extra help to counteract water retention
Combining with the advice indicated above, a product of your choice from the Diurerbe Forte line can be extremely useful : thanks to birch sap, orthosiphon and the presence of magnesium and potassium, combined with other ingredients that work synergistically,the products of the Diurerbe Forte line promote lymphatic drainage and the elimination of excess fluids .
