Did you know that the human body consists of approximately 60% water? Water is vital in helping us to function properly and is largely responsible for dissolving nutrients and eliminating waste. When we fail to eliminate excess water, it’ known as water retention.
When your water retention isn’t the result of a serious medical condition, the discomfort can be relieved quickly and easily. Here are some signs of water retention to look out for.
1. Swelling of extremities
The most obvious sign of water retention is the swelling of your extremities, i.e., your hands and feet. You may also have swollen ankles or lower legs, as well as your stomach.
2. Difficulty to lose weight
Another indication of water retention is difficulty to lose weight despite diet efforts. You may have also experienced unexplained weight gain over a short period of time.
3. Thumb press leaves an indentation
One way to find out if you’re retaining water to gently press your foot, ankle or calf with your thumb. If you’re suffering from water retention, an indentation will show on your skin.
4. Additional symptoms
Carpal tunnel syndrome, morning stiffness and headaches may accompany the swelling caused by water retention. Water retention can also be mistaken for premenstrual syndrome or make existing premenstrual syndrome worse.
It’s possible to retain up to 5 pounds of water weight, most of which is stored in the fluid that surrounds the cells throughout the body. Overweight people tend to retain more water because they consume more calories and as a result, tend to consume higher amounts of sodium which greatly contributes to water retention.
If you’re looking for natural ways to get rid of water retention, stay right here! We’ll be covering them all in this video.
1. Lower your salt intake
When you have too much sodium in your body, that’s when you hold on to fluid retention. So the first point of action is to reduce your salt intake. Instead of adding table salt to your food, try using different herbs and spices to add flavour instead. Cutting back on processed and packaged foods will help too, since those are often loaded with sodium.

2. Reduce your stress levels
As if you needed another reason to lock yourself in the bathroom and run a bubble bath: excess stress can cause water retention. When you’re stressed out, your adrenal glands secrete more aldosterone hormone, which tells your body to hold onto fluid.
3. Drink more water
Although it may seem a little counterintuitive, you actually need to increase your water intake to 1.5 to 2 litres a day. We need those fluids to drain the excess salt and help our bodies to cleanse. If you’re not a big water lover, you can also sip on other healthy cleansing fluids like herbal tea.
4. Limit foods you’re sensitive to
Unlike a food allergy, which produces an immediate reaction, a food sensitivity has a delayed effect. It could be a few hours or even days before you have an inflammatory response and that inflammation will then trigger your body to hold onto extra fluid.
The solution: Identify what foods you’re sensitive to and cut them out. You can do an elimination diet and stop consuming some of the culprits that could be behind the inflammation and water retention, like dairy and gluten, which tend to be the most common.

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