You’ve probably experienced swelling or bloating more than once and wondered what was causing it. The abnormal buildup of fluid is the culprit. The reason why this happens is the modern lifestyle and unhealthy eating. The problem might become more serious over time, and have a negative impact on your health causing heart, kidney or liver disease to name a few.
Bad eating habits which feature a lot of salt and alcohol and also, hormone imbalance are what’s causing it. In order to get rid of this problem, it’s important to make a few life changes, and the oedema would soon become a thing of the past.
For starters, drink a lot of water. This might sound strange and contrary to what was expected but there are legitimate reasons why this is so. When there’s no adequate water intake, our body slowly becomes dehydrated. And when we consume fluids after some time, our body creates water reserves to store water. If you think that limiting water intake will make you look skinnier and thinner, you’re mistaken. On the contrary, your body will hold onto it. Moreover, you should limit your salt intake as much as possible because it’s exactly the salt in your diet that leads to fluid retention. Here’s why. When we eat salty foods, salt together with sufficient amounts of water trigger swelling. Our body then starts releasing large amounts of calcium, consequently getting rid of the mineral.
Focus more on eating foods which help eliminate excess water such as parsley, watermelon, lemon, pineapple, asparagus, artichoke, onion and celery. These are all diuretics which boost your metabolism, and by doing so, get rid of the accumulated toxins. Apart from the previously mentioned, our body also releases potassium, an electrolyte which plays an important role in our body. Like potassium, sodium makes sure the water balance is in order. Low potassium leads to swelling which is why you should include more potassium rich foods in your diet like bananas, tomatoes, oranges, avocados, apples, blueberries, melons, as well as garlic which is used in our kitchens on a daily basis. Apart from being a powerful diuretic, garlic is also a natural antibiotic. It helps get rid of excess water and toxins.
Pregnant women make easy targets because of their fluid retention issues. Due to the sensitivity of their situation, food intake should be looked at more closely. In order to get rid of excess water and swelling, mild tea is recommended, e.g. birch leaf tea. Drinking tea will prompt diuretic activity and reduce swelling.
No matter what causes the problems you’ve been having, don’t hesitate to turn to nature for advice.