How do water deposits occur?
The legs are swollen, the face appears to be bloated – even our best beauty routines often fail to store water. Women with soft connective tissue are particularly affected and are annoyed when they no longer get into their favorite shoes or when the wrist watch suddenly sits too close on the wrist. The fluid accumulation in the tissue arises from circulatory disorders of the smallest veins ("capillaries"). Various causes ensure that excess liquid is washed out of the capillaries into the surrounding tissue.
Causes of water retention
The following triggers are responsible for water retention:
- Hormonal fluctuations, e.g. B. at PMS
- Hypothyroidism
- Standing or sitting for a long time
- Side effects of medication
- malnutrition
- Salt consumption too high
The climate can also play a role: the body tends to store more water when it is warm – especially in summer.
Help with water retention: How to get rid of the swelling
So that the unpleasant water retention can go back, help a few simple tips for everyday life:
1. Reduce salt
Salt binds water in the body – if you suffer from water retention, you should make sure to reduce your salt consumption. This works best if we do without finished products and cook ourselves with fresh ingredients. The less processed food ends up on the plate, the better. Incidentally, sugar can also increase water retention – so it is best to remove it from the menu as far as possible. Tip: Healthy smoothies with draining fruit such as pineapple or strawberries not only help with edema, but also purify the body.
2. Alternate showers
To prevent edema, we should promote blood circulation – and this can be done, for example, with alternating showers. It may take some getting used to at first, but it's worth it! Simply move the shower jet with alternating cold and warm water over the affected parts of the body. Due to the change in temperature, the vessels contract alternately and expand again. This not only helps the blood circulation, when the vessels contract, the excess water is also removed.
3. Drink a lot
Sounds paradoxical, but: If you have stored water, you should drink a lot. Because if the body doesn't get enough fluid from outside, he keeps everything within himself in order to be able to carry out various processes such as detoxification. In addition to simple mineral water, herbal tea is also suitable – nettle in particular is known for its draining properties.
4. Check the mineral supply
Various minerals and vitamins can also help us against water retention. These primarily include vitamin B6 (e.g. in beans, cucumber, pineapple, watermelon or potatoes), potassium (e.g. in nuts, spinach or bananas) and magnesium (e.g. in dark chocolate, whole grains or nuts) , If you are unsure whether you are well looked after, you should have a test done by your doctor.
5. Pay attention to footwear and clothing
Tight and pressing clothes and shoes may look great, but they disrupt the blood circulation – and thus cause water retention. Anyone who has to struggle with it anyway should therefore rely on airy, wide fabrics and comfortable shoes. Extra tip: not only is walking barefoot drained, it also has other great health effects.
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