If you keep a weight diary, you may discover that you fluctuate by a few kilograms each day, irrespective of your personal activities. First and foremost, you should realize that your experience is quite typical and that the fluctuation in your weight is most likely water weight.
The fluctuation in water weight is our body's way of defending itself against dehydration, as we can only survive for a few days without water. In a nutshell, water retention is a survival strategy — you need it to survive. It isn't anything you should aim to lose.
Now that you understand that water weight is generally beneficial to your health, let's get a bit more specific.
Reasons Behind Water Weight
Water retention can be caused by a wide number of factors. Some causes may indicate a serious health condition, while others may not.
1) Flying in an airplane
Modifications in the cabin pressure as well as being positioned for a prolonged period of time can trigger your body to hold onto water.
2) Consuming too much sodium
You may get too much sodium by using a lot of table salt or ingesting processed foods and soft drinks, which is one of the prime reasons for water retention in your body.
3) Too much standing or sitting
It's critical to get up and walk around frequently to keep the blood flowing. Schedule time to get up and walk around if you work a sedentary job.
4) Medications
Water retention is an adverse effect of some drugs. These are some examples:
- Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications for chemotherapy patients
- Blood pressure medicines
- Parkinson's disease drugs
- Birth control tablets
5 Foods to help you get rid of water weight
Changing your diet and exercise routine can help you lose excess water weight while avoiding fluid buildup. A number of supplements might also be beneficial.
Here's a list of five food items that you can add to your diet to reduce water weight:
1) Cranberries
Cranberry juice is a natural diuretic. To reduce water retention, drink a glass of cranberry drink instead of a single glass of water every day. Most vitamin C-rich foods additionally include natural diuretic qualities.
Cranberry juice is a natural diuretic that can aid in the removal of excess water. It also contains anthocyanin, a powerful antioxidant that aids in the fight against certain illnesses and disorders, as well as in the management of cholesterol levels.
2) Watermelon
Watermelon is one of the most beneficial fruits to eat if you're attempting to lose weight because it contains 90% water. A 100-gram portion only has 30 calories. It's also high in arginine, an amino acid that has been shown to help reduce fat quickly.
In addition to keeping the body hydrated, eating watermelon will keep you satisfied, preventing cravings between meals.
3) Coffee
Foods with a substantial amount of water also help to keep the body nourished and remove additional fluid weight from the body. Coffee, in addition to being an excellent diuretic, also contains a chemical called caffeic acid, which aids in weight loss.
4) Lemon
Incorporating lemon into your detox drinks, tea, or drinking lemon water can aid in the burning of abdominal fat and the reduction of water weight. It is because lemon contains diuretic qualities as well as being high in vitamin C and antioxidants, which help enhance immunity while also restoring nutrients lost due to toxin flushing.
5) Tomatoes
Tomato includes a miraculous mixture of water and potassium, which aids in stomach flattening by emptying extra salt, water, and bloat from the body and abdomen.
Tomatoes have a rich fiber profile that is also great for your gut health and helps reduce the puffiness caused by diarrhea.
To summarize. If your fluid retention problem persists, becomes serious, or worsens suddenly, you should always seek medical assistance. Excessive retention of water can be a result of a significant medical issue in rare situations.
Finally, the best strategy to combat water retention is to determine and cure the underlying reason. Excessive salt consumption, a shortage of electrolytes, inactivity, excessive stress, or regular consumption of processed meals are all examples of the latter.
Many of these are additionally among the leading causes of ill health and disease, and that may be an even more compelling reason to avoid them.