Does your body tend to retain fluids? We show you how to stimulate their elimination in the correct way and thus how to lose unnecessary kilos quickly.

Water retention: identify the causes

Increased water retention in our body can be due to different causes. For example, pregnant women , menopausal women and the elderly tend to suffer more from it. At a young age, the hormonal imbalance during the menstrual cycle can favor the accumulation of fluids in the tissues.

Diseases such as heart or kidney failure can also cause water to not be transported properly within the body. If you add to this a wrong diet and little exercise , water retention has an easy game.

As a result, water is stored in certain areas of the body: usually the buttocks , thighs , abdomen , arms and ankles are affected .

Editor’s tip: paradoxically, to get rid of excess fluids you need to drink a lot, especially water or tea. Want to change up a bit? Try our Peach Raspberry Sparkling Iced Tea ! Refreshing and at the same time rich in protein.

Why is it so important to provide the body with enough water?

The body of an adult human being consists on average of 70% of water which is used as a means of transport for various substances. Among other things, water allows our blood to flow, allows the elimination of harmful substances and the correct functioning of our brain . Every day we eliminate a part of it through the skin and breathing.

Surely it has already happened to you that you drink too little. On those occasions you will have noticed that it is more difficult to have good sports performance, maintain concentration in the office and that you are more prone to headaches. These are all signs of dehydration. To find out how much water you should drink so that this doesn’t happen, read our article .

Eliminate excess fluids through food

There are several ways to drain the body. Often it is sufficient to include certain foods in the daily diet for a few days.

Important : it may seem contradictory, but if you want to eliminate excess fluids you must drink enough.

The reason is that, as we have already said, our body only works properly if it has large quantities of water available. If you drink too little your body will try to store water for emergencies. If, on the other hand, you give him enough fluids, the excess fluids will be eliminated faster.

We therefore recommend eating natural foods with a high water and potassium content .

Draining foods

Cucumbers, melons, pineapples, strawberries and asparagus are particularly suitable for reducing excess liquids. Artichokes, onions, garlic, carrots, avocados, potatoes, and even rice can also help. To the list we add nuts such as hazelnuts, cashews, peanuts and almonds, and dried fruit which also contains an abundance of potassium, especially apricots and bananas. Do you spend a lot of time away from home? Our Mix of Nuts and Berries is for you!

Caution: Potassium should be consumed in small quantities and in the form of food.

Clearly there are also foods that should be absolutely avoided including alcohol, caffeine and salt. This is because our conventional table salt is made up largely of sodium which retains liquids.

Eliminate excess liquids with tea and herbal teas

If you want to help your body drain, you have to choose the right drinks. Many teas and herbal teas can have a draining effect that helps reduce fluid buildup, such as nettle, parsley, birch leaves, horsetail, dandelion, ginger, and green tea .

Other methods to combat water retention

In addition to following a balanced diet, there are other ways to get rid of excess fluids .

1. Lymphatic drainage

If the water retention is so strong that it causes you pain, lymphatic drainage can be useful. In this type of massage, unlike the classic one, the tissue is treated very delicately with a special technique that stimulates the lymphatic tracts responsible for removing liquids, facilitating their outflow. Before undergoing this type of treatment, ask a specialist for advice.

2. Foot reflexology

Foot reflexology is a practice which, by massaging the soles of the feet, aims to activate the lymphatic system and the correct functioning of the liver and kidneys, thus stimulating the drainage of liquids.

3. Endurance training

Unilateral postures, such as sitting for long periods and standing without doing much movement , can cause water retention, on the contrary, light resistance training is very suitable for draining the body. In particular, cycling is indicated as it activates the circulation of the whole body and has the advantage of being a sport that does not put too much strain on the joints . In addition, it causes water to be eliminated through sweat on the one hand and transported better within the body on the other.

4. Foam roller

If you have a foam roller at home you can use it to encourage the elimination of water from the body. In fact, by stimulating the muscles, you simultaneously stimulate the lymphatic system . The foam roller, like lymphatic drainage, activates the body’s own drainage mechanisms.

Eliminate excess fluids in preparation for competitions

Even bodybuilders and martial arts athletes, while not suffering from chronic water retention, try to lose a few hundred grams, sometimes even a few kilos, in a very short time using different techniques. This is because the competitions are divided into weight classes.

While the fat is slowly reduced, it is possible to lose 1 kg in the form of water quickly. However, it is important to remember that this weight is not lost in the long run and will return to the scale the next day.

Those who practice martial arts before the competitions train with a special suit that increases sweating or with a little extra clothing . These athletes go to a sauna after training and until the competition they eat nothing more, limiting themselves, at most, to drinking a little water.

Bodybuilders usually take a more professional approach: they follow a precise diet that dictates exactly how much carbohydrates, fat, protein and water they can consume, thus achieving maximum muscle volume while keeping the percentage of fluids to a minimum.

Important: draining the body in this way is only a very short-term solution for losing weight and water and is absolutely not recommended for amateur sports.

Water retention: in brief

• It is crucial to identify the causes of water retention.
• To reduce excess fluids you need to drink a lot.
• Foods with a high content of water and potassium help you drain your body.
• Alcohol and caffeine stimulate the storage of water.
• Salt is made up mostly of sodium which increases water retention.
• Certain herbal teas help you drain liquids.
• Lymphatic drainage, plantar reflexology massages, a light resistance workout and the use of the foam roller stimulate the elimination of liquids from the tissues.
• The methods used by athletes to reduce water retention in preparation for competitions have an effect only in the short term.