Against edema and excess weight: 12 ways to remove water from the body

A common problem that many girls face. Spoiler: it needs to be solved as a whole. All methods are simple - read the material and choose yours.

The human body contains about 60% water, which is important for all biological processes. It is recommended to consume a sufficient amount of liquid every day - about 2.0-2.5 liters. But many people note water retention, which causes weight gain and swelling. We give detailed instructions on how to remove fluid from the body quickly.

Swelling or excess water: what's the difference?

Correcting body weight by removing excess fluid is necessary for professional athletes and bodybuilders, for whom it is important to meet a certain weight category or improve their appearance.

Excessive water retention, which forms edema, is another problem. Although in most cases they are harmless, persistent swelling can be a symptom of serious medical conditions such as heart, liver or kidney disease. Women experience fluid retention during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy.

Our material contains advice for healthy people and athletes. If you have severe swelling in your legs or arms, see your doctor. It is important to exclude kidney pathologies and serious endocrine metabolic diseases.

Regular exercise

This is one of the best ways to reduce weight quickly and safely. Any form of exercise increases sweating, which means the body loses water. The average fluid loss during one hour of training is 0.5-2 liters per hour, depending on the temperature in the room and clothing. During exercise, the body also transfers water to the muscles. This helps reduce the amount of fluid under the skin, improving the appearance and eliminating pastosity (swelling of the subcutaneous tissue).

When worrying about how to remove excess fluid from the body, we must not forget about adequate water consumption during exercise. Otherwise, serious dehydration may occur and you will feel worse. A sauna helps increase moisture loss and eliminate swelling. It activates sweating with fluid loss through the skin. If you go to the sauna after class, the effect will increase.

How to remove fluid from the body: recommendations

If you want to expel water and waste accumulations from the body, try to follow these recommendations:

• Limit your daily amount of salt, it retains fluid in your body. To do this, you need to salt your food less and instead flavor your dishes with spicy seasonings.
• Increase the proportion of fresh vegetables in your diet, they help remove excess fluid. Beets, cabbage, eggplants, zucchini, carrots, and cucumbers are especially effective in this regard.
• It is useful to take a steam bath or sauna every week; in the steam room, drink only water, no other drinks.
• When taking a bath, it is advisable to use pine needle extracts.
• It is advisable to carry out fasting days 1-2 times a week; you can do them on cottage cheese, kefir, watermelon, apples, etc. All day you need to eat only one product and drink up to 2 liters of water. This unloading can cleanse the intestines well, get rid of toxin accumulations, and reduce weight.
• Products with a slight diuretic effect also help expel water from the body, a list of such products is given below. Alternate them in your diet.
• The following exercise relieves fluid stagnation and improves blood circulation: you need to lie on the floor and raise your arms and legs up without bending them. Then you need to slowly shake them so that the body vibrates. Then you need to gradually increase the pace, and at the end of the exercise, slow down the vibration. The exercise should be performed for 2 minutes.

Foods that retain water in the body

Many foods retain fluid in the body, primarily pickles, smoked foods, pickled foods, as well as fats and oils.

You will also have to give up:

• canned fish and meat;
• sausages;
• cheeses;
• ham;
• caviar;
• grilled chicken;
• loins;
• sauces;
• mayonnaise;
• cream;
• desserts with rich creams.

During the diet, they cannot be consumed at all; after the diet, you need to limit their consumption, allocating no more than 15% of the total diet for them, or allocating one day to them every week.

Foods that remove water from the body

To remove fluid from the body, it is advisable to eat more foods containing fiber or potassium. So, let’s list what removes water from the body:

1. Among vegetables, the best diuretic effect belongs to pumpkin, cabbage, zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, and herbs;
2. From fruits and berries: pomegranate, apples, bananas, watermelons, strawberries. We have already talked about the best diuretic fruits in a special review.
3. Porridge: oatmeal, rice, muesli;
4. Whole wheat bread;
5. Category “Juice”: liquid is expelled by consuming birch, beet, cabbage;
6. Among teas, green is best.

Getting enough sleep

Scientists have proven that adequate sleep is important for metabolism, along with physical activity and diet.
During sleep, the sympathetic nervous system activates the kidneys, which regulate the amount of sodium and fluid in the tissues. Adequate sleep regulates fluid levels and reduces water retention by subcutaneous tissue. On average, you need to sleep about 7-9 hours a day.

Brief conclusions

• Water-salt balance is a certain ratio of salts and fluids in the body, the violation of which can lead to poor health or the development of various diseases.
• For the normal functioning of all organs and systems, it is equally important how much water and salts enter the body and how much they are excreted.
• Disturbances in water-salt balance are not only a lack of salts and water in the body, but also their excess.
• There are two forms of imbalance of fluids and salts in the body - dehydration (dehydration) and swelling (overhydration).
• Symptoms of dehydration or overhydration should be taken seriously, especially if they occur in children.
• The balance of salts and fluids in the body is restored with the help of a special diet, medications, chemical solutions, and also on an outpatient basis, depending on the severity of the case.

Stress Reduction

Constant stress increases the concentration of the hormone cortisol in the blood plasma. One of its effects is water retention in tissues, which causes swelling. This is because the stress hormone stimulates the activity of ADH (antidiuretic hormone), which retains fluid. The basis of the work of ADH is signals to the kidneys about salt retention, which automatically provokes retention - less urine is released, water remains in the tissues and subcutaneous tissue.

Eliminating stress helps normalize the functioning of ADH, relieves its negative effects on the kidneys, allowing urine to be produced more actively, removing excess moisture.

Correcting Electrolyte Imbalances

If the body does not receive enough electrolytes - ions that have an electrical charge - a fluid imbalance can occur. Positive ions are especially important - potassium, magnesium and sodium, negative chlorine. If the concentration of electrolytes in plasma or cells sharply increases or decreases, this provokes a violation of fluid flow. Swelling inside cells or in the intercellular space is possible.

How to remove water from the body during edema, if the cause is an imbalance of ions

It is important to correlate salt intake with fluid intake; if there is a lot of moisture, more salt is needed, and vice versa.

When playing sports or living in a hot climate with high air humidity, it is necessary to consume additional portions of electrolytes to replenish the loss of salts during sweating.

If a person consumes a lot of salt in food or supplements, it is necessary to drink enough water. Otherwise, the salt will attract, retain fluid and cause swelling.

Determining the presence of excess water in the body

Determining the presence of excess water in the body
Before you run to see a doctor or think about what quickly removes water from the human body, you should analyze your lifestyle. Often this is an unbalanced diet or an unhealthy lifestyle that does not contribute to the removal of fluid from the tissues.

1. Not drinking enough water during the day

   Think about what you drink throughout the day. Most likely, these are tea, coffee, juices from packages, sweet sodas (cola, tarragon, etc.). But they do not provide the required daily water intake. Our body needs clean water, and not drinks containing many different substances that do not dissolve or remove waste and toxins.

   Count how often you drink diuretic drinks in the form of tea and coffee. Sweet sodas and beer also do not saturate with water, but, on the contrary, remove it, thereby drying out the body. As a result, the cells begin to accumulate any moisture that comes in for use in an emergency. This is expressed in the form of edema.

   When you consume too much salt, liquid accumulates in order to dissolve it. Herring eaten for dinner causes thirst not because the fish loves water, but because excess salt in the body must be dissolved and removed with water. With regular consumption of large amounts of salt, the body simply begins to store water in order to eliminate it on time.

2. Lifestyle and level of physical activity

   You can sit in an office chair all day or walk on your feet. The result will be the same in both cases - swelling. With a sedentary lifestyle, your metabolism slows down. Office workers move around the building slowly and do not move for most of the working day.

   How, then, to remove water from the body? There are a number of recommendations, if followed, you will be able to avoid the accumulation of excess fluid and achieve a beautiful figure.

Taking extra magnesium

Another key mineral needed to maintain fluid balance in the body. It not only regulates the volume of water in plasma or intercellular fluid, but also normalizes the functioning of the nervous system and the transmission of impulses between cells. In the human body, magnesium is involved in 600 different metabolic processes, reducing body weight and the severity of PMS in women, relieving stress.

It actively interacts with sodium and potassium, controlling the filtration of fluid by the kidneys and its reuptake (reabsorption) under conditions of dehydration. Taking supplemental magnesium helps in weight control by removing water and suppressing stress reactions.

How to relieve swelling of the legs:

1. 1. Lying with legs elevated. When you get home with swollen legs, immediately after a contrast shower, go to rest. At the same time, place a cushion or hard pillow under your ankles so that your feet are higher than your head. Spend 30 minutes in this position. Elevating the legs using gravity will remove swelling and help the veins cope with stagnation of venous blood.
2. 2. Contrast baths. Prepare two bowls of water: in one there is water at a temperature of 30 degrees, in the second - cool water, you can add additional ice. Take turns lowering your swollen feet into different basins and keep your feet there for 20 seconds. Alternating cold and warm temperatures trains the valves of the veins, provokes their expansion and sharp contraction, and activates blood circulation. A contrast shower for the whole body has the same effect.
3. 3. Foot massage. Proper lymphatic drainage massage starts from the groin area. First come light stroking, then kneading the muscles. Pay special attention to your feet. Press one by one on the bases of your fingers, massage the pads of your fingers, and rub the point in the middle of your foot and heel. The anti-swelling massage lasts at least 5 minutes.
4. 4. Cosmetics with menthol.

Taking Dandelion Extract

Common dandelions are a medicinal plant that has a natural diuretic effect. Infusions and decoctions of dandelion root are used at home to introduce excess moisture to reduce the severity of swelling.

The active substances in the decoction signal the kidneys to more actively filter water and salts, increasing the volume of urine excreted. Over the next 5 hours, the work of the renal glomeruli intensifies, filtering more urine. It is important to consult your doctor first. There are certain restrictions - pathologies of the kidneys, heart or liver.

Consuming more regular water

This helps eliminate fluid retention in tissues and cells. The body strives for an ideal balance - optimal intake and elimination. If a person is constantly suffering from dehydration, the body will regularly turn on mechanisms to retain fluid so that metabolic processes do not stop.

If a person achieves optimal balance, the body actively removes excess water through the kidneys and through the skin, which eliminates swelling and prevents its occurrence. Consuming enough water is not limited to preventing edema. This is necessary to activate the breakdown of fat and proper brain function.

• Reference point - feeling thirsty

  . It is important to drink a few sips of plain water every time the urge arises, but you do not need to drink 1-2 glasses at a time. In hot weather or during exercise, fluid consumption increases.

• Another landmark - urine color

  . If it is pale yellow in color and transparent, it means that the body receives the optimal amount of water and the tissues are fully hydrated.

  Read also:  Beer for weight loss: can you drink it, how does it affect weight, what to replace it with

Eating Selected Healthy Foods

The easiest way to remove water from the body for weight loss is to eat more foods that regulate fluid balance (especially those rich in potassium)

. This mineral stimulates the kidneys to excrete excess sodium, and with it, water.

• Dark green leafy vegetables
• Beans
• Bananas
• Avocado
• Tomatoes
• Yogurt or other dairy products.

Magnesium supplements or products containing the following substances help in the fight against edema

• dark chocolate;
• dark green leafy vegetables;
• nuts and whole grains.

There are a number of herbal products that have a mild diuretic effect:

• corn silk;
• horsetail;
• parsley;
• hibiscus;
• garlic;
• fennel;
• nettle.

Although fluid retention does not cause bloating or discomfort, limited consumption of foods that cause flatulence is also beneficial for edema. The dangerous group includes highly processed foods with sufficient fiber content, beans and dairy products (with lactose). It is worth choosing low FODMAP foods for a while to see the effect.

Ways to remove excess water from the body at home

Since stagnation of water in the body can lead to the formation of circles under the eyes, swelling on the legs and arms, rings growing into the skin, and puffiness of the face, you should definitely remove excess water. This will help you avoid health problems and achieve weight loss. There are several ways to remove water at home.

Milkweed

You can remove water from the body for weight loss using milk tea. It is quite simple to prepare this remedy for weight loss and removal of unnecessary water. You need to take 2 liters of milk with a minimum percentage of fat content and 1.5 large spoons of black or green tea. The dry product must be poured with milk brought to a boil. Healthy tea is poured into a pan or thermos. The tea should be steeped for about a quarter of an hour.

This infusion for losing weight and removing excess fluid from the body should be drunk in a course. For the first 3 days, the volume of the drink is divided into 6 servings. In this case, you only need to drink tea: food is excluded from the diet. From the fourth day, the diet based on milk tea should be supplemented with oatmeal cooked in water. Also during this diet you can eat boiled meat in small quantities, stewed vegetables and vegetarian soups without potatoes.

The duration of the milkweed diet for weight loss and water removal is 10 days.

But after this you should be extremely careful when returning to your normal diet.

You can arrange similar fasting days. This is very beneficial for the body. Tea for losing weight and removing excess water perfectly cleanses the intestines and also normalizes kidney function.

Herbal infusions

You can also remove excess water with the help of herbs. If you make decoctions, it will not be difficult to achieve a delicate but effective diuretic effect. Herbs - bear's ears and bearberry - give an excellent effect. It is recommended to combine these dry plants. In total you need 3 teaspoons of the product. The raw materials are filled with 1⁄2 liters of clean boiling water. The composition must be simmered in a water bath for 10 minutes. Then the weight loss product is infused for half an hour. You need to drink the resulting herbal decoction daily after meals, 0.5 cups. The total duration of the course is 7 days.

Birch sap “works” in exactly the same way. But this drink must also be taken in a course. This should be done gradually. First, you need to drink birch sap for weight loss 3 times a day. One dose - one spoon. Gradually the portion should be increased to 100 grams.

Tea with the addition of rose hips is no less effective in helping you lose weight and remove water from body tissues. The berries need to be chopped. The total amount of rose hips should be 2-3 large spoons. The resulting product is poured with a liter of boiling water overnight. It is best to pour the mixture into a thermos. You need to drink the resulting tea in small portions for 10 days.

Bath and sauna

A bathhouse is excellent for removing water and promoting productive weight loss. Under the influence of high temperatures, excess fluid naturally leaves the cells. A hot bath, steam bath or sauna stimulates metabolic processes. Intense sweating causes metabolic waste products to leave the body and allows you to lose weight.

Diet for removing water

An excellent solution to water retention at home is diet. It is calculated for a week. Before it, it is recommended to administer an enema, which will help cleanse the intestines and also allow you to remove water from various systems of the body. During such a diet, you need to drink one and a half liters of kefir every day. Plus, you have to consume certain foods every day:

• 1 day – 5 boiled potatoes;
• Day 2 – 100 grams of boiled chicken fillet;
• Day 3 – 100 grams of steamed veal;
• Day 4 – 100 grams of grilled or boiled fish;
• Day 5 – a variety of vegetables plus assorted fruits;
• Day 6 – pure kefir;
• Day 7 – going out on a mineral water free of gas.

Reducing carbohydrates

Another option for removing excess water from the body. Simple sugars are stored in the muscles and liver in the form of glycogen, which also retains water in the tissues. For every gram of glycogen in the body, there are 3-4 grams of water. This explains why people immediately lose weight when they switch to a low-carb diet, which reduces glycogen stores.

Carbohydrates also stimulate an increase in insulin levels, which increases sodium retention and water reabsorption in the kidneys. Low-carbohydrate diets cause insulin levels to decrease and excess sodium and water to be introduced into the kidneys. Try changing your carbohydrate intake and see how the swelling goes down.

Symptoms of leg swelling

The main cause of heaviness in the legs is a violation of lymph flow and venous circulation. These phenomena manifest themselves in the form of certain symptoms:

● swelling of the legs. At the end of the day, the feet become full, the shoes begin to press;

● spider veins on the legs. “Snowflakes” of red capillaries or bluish venules are a signal that the circulatory system cannot cope with the load, there are problems with lymphatic drainage;

● tiredness in the legs. The feeling of heaviness is most clearly expressed in the feet. At the end of the day, you want to throw your legs higher and massage them to remove the aching pain;

● convulsions. This is a signal that the innervation of the lower extremities is disrupted due to edema. Most often, cramps occur during sleep.

If you ignore all these symptoms of swelling of the legs, then there is a high probability of encountering varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, and eczema on the legs. Therefore, when alarm bells appear, it is important to seek help from a surgeon or phlebologist (a doctor who deals with the prevention and treatment of vascular diseases).