Aug 05 2009
Losing Water Weight
The idea of losing water weight refers to getting rid of excess water that is retained in body tissue and not used for generally hydrating the body. So if you want to know how to lose water weight, read on.
Water retention, or edema to call it by its correct medical name, is a condition where the body stored excess fluid in body tissue which can cause swollen legs or ankles and causes a person to be heavier than they need to be. So how do you go about losing this excess fluid?
The very first thing you should do is to consult your doctor. That way the doctor can test for and rule out any medical conditions that might be causing your edema. If you are given a clean bill of health, you doctor may prescribe diuretic pills (water pills) which will help your body to flush the excess fluids. These must only be taken for a few days then stop, or following your doctor’s guidelines.
There is also a natural way to deal with water retention and that is through diet. Yes, that old weight watcher’s word raises its ugly head yet again. But really, if your diet is not up to par, then you are letting yourself if for a whole host of unhealthy conditions that will build up over time without you realizing and then will come out and hit you when you least expect it.
So for dealing with water retention, you should make sore you cut down on your salt intake for a start. If you are consuming too much sodium, you will retain more fluids as well as raise your blood pressure and risk several other medical problems down the line.
Cut down your refined sugar intake if this is high. Too much sugar causes a equal and opposite response by your body by releasing high levels of insulin into your bloodstream, which not only cause more fat storage but also water retention.
Increase your intake of proteins if this is an area you are neglecting. That means more meat (of you are not vegetarian, that is) fish, nuts, seeds, fresh fruit and leafy green vegetables. Also increase you intake of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids (walnuts, flax seeds or cod liver oil caps are good for this) and also the B vitamins.
Doing all these things while combining them with daily exercise and drinking more plain water (yes, really) and herbal teas and green tea will all help to rid you of the excess fluids in your body.
