One of the things you can do if you're retaining a lot of fluid is regular exercise. You can also ensure that your body retains less fluid by means of your diet.
Guest blogger and nutritionist Anita Mulderij tells more about it.
Anita: 'If you retain a lot of fluid, you can suffer from a swollen stomach, heavy arms and legs. In that case, your scale will often indicate a higher weight and your pants and jewelry will be tighter. That can feel very unpleasant.
Most women retain more fluid during the second part of their cycle. You may also retain more fluid after an unhealthy meal, due to a high temperature or if you are pregnant. You can do several things to retain less moisture. Here are five ways to help you get rid of fluids:
1. Use less sodium
Sodium is known to retain water. Although less and less salt is added to processed foods in the Netherlands, there are still many people who eat too much salt. If you regularly retain fluids, try to limit your salt intake to a maximum of 6 grams of salt per day. That can already help to get rid of the excess fluid in your body. Avoid salty foods such as ready meals, canned food and sauces.
2. Eat enough protein
A protein deficiency can be the cause that you retain a lot of fluids without realizing it. A certain type of protein in your blood — called albumin — allows water to be absorbed from your tissues into your blood. This protein prevents you from retaining moisture. If you have a protein deficiency, this will not happen and you can retain too much fluid in your body, which makes you feel bloated. Therefore, make sure that you get enough protein by eating grass-fed meat, fresh fish, legumes, mushrooms, nuts, seeds or eggs with every meal.
3. Eat less carbohydrates Carbohydrates are stored in your liver and muscles as glycogen and they tend to attract water. In addition, carbohydrates – especially refined ones – raise your insulin level. This also increases your sodium level, causing you to retain fluids. If you want to prevent a bloated stomach, it is therefore wise to eat according to a low-carbohydrate diet. This also stimulates fat burning, which is ideal if you want to lose weight.
4. Take more potassium Potassium can help restore the mineral balance in your body. You need 3100-3500 mg of this mineral daily. You get that by eating spinach, broccoli, bananas, tomatoes and quinoa, for example. So put these fruits and vegetables on the menu every day if you notice that you easily retain a lot of moisture.
5. Make sure you get enough magnesium A magnesium deficiency can cause you to retain water. So make sure you get enough magnesium. You can do this by eating almonds, black beans, edamame, avocado or Greek yogurt daily. Good to know:men need 300-350 mg of magnesium per day and women 250-350 mg. If you suffer from menstrual complaints in addition to water retention, it is a good idea to pay attention to this. It can also help to take a magnesium supplement to supplement your diet.'
More tips for a beautiful and healthy body? Visit JasperAlblas.nl for free nutritional tips and delicious healthy recipes.
Text:Anita Mulderij | Image:Shutterstock
