Water is an element that plays a pivotal role in every aspect of life, and the human body contains about 60% of it. With that in mind, there are still a lot of people that are concerned when the topic of water weight comes up. This applies more to professional bodybuilders and athletes as they look to improve their appearance or meet a certain weight category.
Edema, which is excess water retention by the body, is a different case. Generally, it doesn’t pose any harm, but it could be a warning sign of other severe medical issues like kidney, liver, or heart disease. If you severe edema, it is advisable to contact your healthcare provider. However, there are ways to get rid of excess water weight safely and fast. These methods include;
Drink Coffee and Tea or Take Caffeine Supplements
Caffeine and drinks that contain caffeine, like tea and coffee, can be effective if you are looking to lose water weight as they have diuretic effects. Research has shown that it can reduce water weight as well as increase short-term urine output.
A study taken had participants take doses of a glass of water with or without caffeine. The urine volume of the participants increased when they took the glass of water that was combined with caffeine. It is important to note that the diuretic effect of caffeine is mild, as it does not result in dehydration.
Reduce your intake of carbs
If you are looking to drop excess water weight quickly, then you should opt for a common strategy, which is cutting carbs. Your liver and muscles store carbs as glycogen, which would pull water in with it. About 3 to 4 grams of water is stored in your body with every gram of glycogen you store. This is why when you switch to a low-carb diet, you will experience a rapid reduction in weight as it decreases glycogen storage.
Carbs have also been found to cause a boost in insulin levels, which would increase reabsorption of water and sodium retention in your kidneys. You should mix things up with your carb intake to find the one that is best for you.
Focus on specific healthy foods
If you are battling with water retention, there are certain foods you need to incorporate in your diet. It is recommended that you take foods that are rich in potassium, as potassium helps to increase urine production and balance sodium levels, which would result in loss of excess water. Potassium-rich foods include yogurt, tomatoes, avocados, bananas, beans, and dark green leafy vegetables.
Magnesium-rich foods or magnesium supplements are also good, and they include whole grains, nuts, dark green leafy vegetables, and dark chocolate. You can also cut down on foods that may cause bloating even though a bloated belly is not as a result of water retention.
Drink more water
This might come as a shock, but you can battle water retention by being well-hydrated. Since your body is constantly looking to keep your body healthily balanced, so if you are always dehydrated, more water is retained by your body in a bid to avoid excessive dropping of water levels. You must achieve an optimal daily water intake as it is crucial for the health of your kidney and liver, which has been found to decrease water retention in the long run. It is a well-known fact that constant intake of water has a lot of benefits, and it is also beneficial for brain function, fat loss, and overall health.
Take a dandelion supplement
Dandelion is used in alternative medicine as a treatment for water retention. Over the years, it started becoming more popular among athletes and bodybuilders that are looking to lose water weight to meet a weight category or for aesthetic purposes. The dandelion supplements help to get rid of water weight by sending a signal to your kidneys to offload more urine as well as extra sodium or salt. This claim is backed by studies that showed that the intake of dandelion supplements increases the frequency of urination over the course of five hours.
Take a magnesium supplement
Another essential electrolyte and mineral is magnesium. In recent years, its use as a supplement has become rampant when it comes to sports and health performance. All the studies that have been conducted with magnesium have shown that it has more than 600 roles in the human body. It can actively help to reduce water weight. It can help control the body’s water balance as it plays a crucial role along with other electrolytes like potassium and sodium. Magnesium supplements have also been found to provide many other health benefits for those that are missing the mineral in their diet.
Manage salt intake
One of the most common electrolytes found in the human body is sodium, and it is gotten from the daily intake of salt. It has been known to play an important role when it comes to hydration levels. When your sodium levels are too high or too low, it could result in imbalances in your body and cause fluid retention. When your salt intake is high, maybe because you incorporate a diet with a lot of processed foods, you could suffer from water retention. It especially happens when you don’t take a lot of water and don’t exercise. But, it usually depends on your current blood level and sodium intake.
Take Electrolytes
Minerals that have an electric charge, like potassium and magnesium, are referred to as electrolytes. They are responsible for a lot of things in your body, which includes the regulation of water balance. Shifts in fluid balance occur when your electrolyte levels become too low or too high, which would increase water weight. It is recommended that your electrolyte intake is tailored to your water intake. If your water intake is high, then you need to up your electrolyte intake. You will also need extra electrolytes if you exercise a lot because electrolytes are lost when you sweat. However, it is important you don’t take large amounts of electrolytes without adequate water intake as it could increase water weight.
Stress less
The hormone cortisol is influential when it comes to water weight and fluid retention. This hormone will experience an increase if you experience long-term stress. This can happen because cortisol and stress increase a hormone that is responsible for controlling water balance in your body, which is ADH or antidiuretic hormone.
The work of ADH is to send signals to the kidneys and tell them the amount of water that should be pumped back into the body. Learning how to control stress levels would see that you keep a normal level of cortisol and ADH, and this is especially essential for your long-term health, disease risk, and fluid balance.
Sleep more
A lot of studies have shown that getting the right amount of sleep is as essential as following the right diet plan or exercise routine. Sleep has also been found to have an impact on the sympathetic renal nerves in your kidneys, which is responsible for the regulation of water balance and sodium. Getting the required amount of sleep can aid in controlling hydration levels and minimizing water retention. The amount of sleep that is considered healthy is about 7 to 9 hours for most individuals.
Exercise regularly
Exercising is one of the most effective ways to lose water weight in the shortest possible time. When exercising, you lose sweat more, and it would result in a loss of water. When you exercise for an hour, you will lose about 16 to 64 ounces on average, and this also depends on factors like clothing and heat. While exercising, a lot of water is shifted by your body into your muscles.
What this does is an aid in the reduction of water outside the cell and reduces that soft look that occurs as a result of excessive water retention. But you should still drink a lot of water when exercising. The sauna is also a great option to boost water loss and increase sweat, and you can add it to your after-gym session.
Try prescription water pills
Prescription diuretics and water pills can be utilized for the treatment of excess water retention. These pills help to activate the kidneys and wipe out excess water and salt through urine. They are mostly given to people that have lung or heart problems, and it also helps reduce swelling, prevent fluid buildup, and regulate blood pressure. It is essential that you can differentiate prescription diuretics from online or OTC water pills.
Prescription pills have gone through a series of tests and verified to be safe, while OTC pills might not have clinical research and are not guaranteed to be safe. These two types of pills can help in the treatment of excess water weight or edema. You must discuss with your healthcare provider before you try any of these pills.
