Hey there, viewers! Your body has about 60% of water,
which plays a crucial role in your survival. But just like you need water to stay alive,
it’s also true you could have excess water in your body. It is caused by water retention.
Women, especially, experience water retention during pregnancy and menstruation. As a result,
your weight increases. The good news is you can reduce water retention easily.
In today’s video, we are going to discuss 13 easy ways to lose water weight.
How does exercising regularly help get rid of water retention? Does taking electrolytes help?
What about magnesium and dandelion supplements? We’ll be discussing all of these AND more...
1. Exercise regularly While this may seem like
an obvious method, you’d be surprised by how many people brush off exercise.
Exercising on a regular basis is one of the best ways to reduce water weight.
When you exercise for an hour, you can lose fluid between half a liter
to two liters per hour. How much you actually lose depends on heat, clothing and how much you sweat.
The other advantage is that during your exercise session, your body moves the
water into your muscles. This ensures there is a reduction in excess water outside your cells.
Which is your favorite workout? Strength training or cardio? Share your preferences with the Bestie
community in the comments below. 2. Sleep more
Take a good night’s rest, and you’ll see a significant reduction in your water retention.
Getting an adequate amount of rest is as important as your diet and workout sessions.
When you don’t sleep well, it will affect the nerves in your kidneys,
which regulate the sodium and water balance in the body. Also, getting the recommended
hours will help your body regulate hydration levels, and reduce the amount of water retained.
The recommended number of hours of sleep is between 7 and 9 hours.
3. Reduce stress When you’re under stress for a long time,
your body produces too much cortisol. This leads to more water retention from your body.
The reason cortisol has this impact is because it increases antidiuretic hormone
(ADH) which controls your water balance. ADH sends your kidneys signals about how
much water needs to be pumped into your body. So if you can reduce your stress
levels and bring them to a normal level, you’ll be able to keep ADH under control. As a result,
you’ll reduce your water weight. 4. Take electrolytes
Electrolytes include minerals such as magnesium and potassium,
and have an electric charge. More importantly, the electrolytes in your body play a vital role,
which includes regulating the water content. If the electrolyte levels are imbalanced on the
higher or lower side, it will cause your body to retain water. As a result, your weight increases.
If you drink a lot of water, you may have to balance that by taking electrolytes. If on the
other hand, you live in a hot environment or exercise every day and sweat a lot,
you may have to take electrolytes to replace all the water lost by your body.
But you should also ensure that you don’t increase your consumption of electrolytes beyond a certain
point. Too much salty foods or supplements with electrolytes can end up causing weight gain.
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5. Manage salt intake Of all the electrolytes in your body,
sodium is the most common. This is because salt is an inherent part of everybody’s diet.
You’ll need to make sure the amount of sodium is not too high or too low.
Eating lots of processed food can have an impact on your sodium levels. In addition, if you don’t
exercise or drink enough water, you tend to retain it. All of this impacts your weight. In short, the
number on your weighing scale is also dependent on how much salt you eat on a regular basis.
One study showed if you drastically increase or change the levels of salt you consume daily,
it impacts your water retention levels. You tend to store more water than necessary,
causing you to gain weight. 6. Take a magnesium supplement
Magnesium is another key electrolyte vital for your body. In fact, research has shown
that magnesium plays an important role in as many as 600 bodily functions.
Your water retention level is among one of those functions.
Results from a study among women showed magnesium can not only reduce your premenstrual symptoms,
but also bring down the water weight in your body. Taking magnesium supplements can ensure your body
gets enough of the mineral. These supplements have many other health benefits as well.
Before we move ahead, here’s another video you might like. Watch and learn more about the 7
signs of a magnesium deficiency. 7. Take a dandelion supplement
Dandelion is an herb used specifically for treating water retention. Bodybuilders and
athletes have taken this in recent years in order to reduce their water weight.
Research shows dandelion supplements can increase the number of times you urinate in a five-hour
period. These supplements work by telling your kidneys to get rid of the extra sodium,
and also to expel urine. 8. Drink more water
So you get rid of water retention by drinking more water? Sounds silly, right? Being well
hydrated actually reduces the amount of water retained by your body. This is because your body
understands you’re consistently maintaining hydration levels, and doesn’t see the need
to store water for future use. This of course does not mean you just guzzle water
endlessly. The key is to make sure you have enough water when you feel thirsty, and remain hydrated.
By drinking a good amount of water, you’re improving the health of your liver and kidney
as well. This in turn reduces the need for water retention over a longer period.
9. Focus on healthy foods To deal with water retention, you need to include
certain healthy foods in your diet. Foods rich in potassium are recommended. They
can bring a balance to the sodium levels in your body, and raise the frequency of your urination.
As discussed previously, foods with magnesium can also help in dealing with water weight.
Dark chocolate, whole grains and leafy vegetables are some examples of magnesium-rich foods.
A bloated belly is not necessarily an effect of water retention.
It’s good to skip foods that typically make you bloated. Highly processed foods are also to blame,
while dairy and beans can lead to it as well. 10. Reduce carbs
This is probably the most obvious option, but is something people forget. Cutting
carbs can go a long way in reducing the amount of water your body retains.
The reason behind this is that carbs, while getting stored in your liver and muscles,
also pull in water with them. A single gram of glycogen in your body would
also store about 3 to 4 grams of water. This is why you see an immediate change in
your weight when you switch to a low-carb diet. The glycogen stored in your body is reduced,
which means the water also comes down with it. Another reason to avoid carbs is its impact on
your insulin levels. Carbs increase the insulin levels, which in turn raise sodium in your body,
and the amount of water your kidney reabsorbs. 11. Take caffeine supplements,
or drink tea and coffee Coffee and tea have diuretic effects.
So drinking these beverages or taking caffeine supplements can help bring down your water weight.
In a study, two groups of participants were given a glass of water. One with,
and the other without caffeine. The group that had the water with caffeine saw a significant
increase in the volume of urine expelled. The catch here is that it may not have
much of an impact on those who drink caffeinated beverages on a regular basis.
12. Change your habits This goes without saying... you need to
change your habits if you want to get rid of water retention forever. For instance, avoid sitting for
long periods of time. Sitting all day causes water retention in the body. Wondering how? Well sitting
in one position reduces blood circulation in your body. As a result, you hold onto more water.
Another habit you need to change is overriding the hints your body is sending your way. If you feel
bloated after eating a particular food, by all means skip it. Replace it with a healthier option.
Last but definitely not least, you need to learn to reach out for water.
Every time you feel thirsty and grab a can of soda, think about how that’s going to affect you.
Opt for plain water instead. 13. Prescription Water Pills
If you have moderate to intense problems retaining water, your doctor can prescribe you prescription
diuretics and water pills. They flush out excess water through urine by activating your kidneys.
When it comes to water retention, your kidneys play a very crucial role.
It’s only natural to want to keep them healthy. Knowing the warning signs that your kidneys are
in trouble can lead to an early diagnosis. Similarly, there are foods you shouldn’t be
eating if you want healthy kidneys in the long run. Here’s what you need to know…
Check out 12 Signs That Your Kidneys Need Help. Or how about 9 Foods That
Are Destroying Your Unhealthy Kidneys? Go ahead, click one. Or better yet,
watch both and learn more about health and wellness. Do you drink enough water
throughout the day? Do you face water retention issues? Let us know in the comments below!