Watch what you eat if you want slimmer, swell-free legs, round the clock. If you are still struggling with water retention issues despite all your gym sessions, perhaps it is time to look into your diet.

One major culprit that causes water retention is sodium, or salt. Sodium binds to water and moves to wherever has highest concentration of salt. Hence, a high-salt intake diet encourages fluid retention as there will be a high concentration of salt outside in body cells, drawing more water in. This is how you will feel bloated, making it hard for you to fit into your favorite clothes.

Munch on healthier treats

Besides maintaining a low-sodium diet, you should also take in more vegetables and fruits. The key is to look out for diuretic food which will help you flush out the extra water in your system. Here are some recommended food that will combat against it!

Vegetables

Look for vegetables that are either high in potassium, magnesium or even both as these two elements are effective against reducing water retention. Potassium-rich foods are cucumbers, tomatoes or even corn. Whereas dark leafy greens, broccoli, squashes (pumpkins, zucchinis) are rich in magnesium.

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Fruits

Similarly, you can also look to consume food that is high in potassium like bananas, avocadoes, raspberries. You can also look to diuretic fruits such as cranberries, watermelons or lemons to lose all the water weight so you can feel less bloated. You can even alternate between these fruits as your afternoon or post-dinner snack, so as to prevent it from happening the next day.

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Herbs and Tea

Still feeling bloated? Green tea and black tea contains caffeine, which is also a diuretic and will help to remove the excess water while serving as your healthier, mid-day pick-me-up. Though be mindful not to consume caffeine in the late evening as it might affect your sleep, prompting another day of water retention woes.

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Other alternative is to have non-caffeinated, herbal teas. Hawthorn and roselle (a species of hibiscus flower) tea is one such tea to have, with both of them possessing diuretic effects. Other than preventing bloating, this herbal tea is also good for lowering cholesterol, blood pressure while promoting fat metabolism and even weight loss.

Other herbs with diuretic effects include dandelion, horsetail or juniper. Do look for these the next time you are grocery shopping.

Fight Water Retention With These Easy Juices
Apple Celery Tango

- 3 apples

- 3 stalks of celery

Celery is an excellent diuretic, while apple is also rich in potassium. Both will efficiently aid in removing excess water from your body. The sweetness of the apples pairs well with the crisp and refreshing celery.

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Watermelon & Strawberry Blitz

- 5 slices of watermelon

- 1 cup of strawberries

Optional: a squeeze of lime for that extra citrus tang.

Perfect on a sweltering afternoon, a giant glass of this icy smoothie will wash away all uneasiness – your bloated feeling included! High in potassium, both watermelon and strawberry will decrease sodium levels, while aiding you to flush these extra salts out of your system.

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Eat Right & Say Goodbye to Water Retention

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