Food and beverages to combat water retention

 Are your legs swollen? Are you bothered by 1 to 2 kilos that come and go with your menstrual cycle? Don't worry: it's water! 

Diet is the key to reducing bloating caused by water retention. By focusing on certain nutrients like potassium, fiber, and other minerals, we can help the body naturally release excess water.

With fluid retention, not only do we feel like we've gained 10 pounds and move like penguins, but the fluctuating estrogen levels just before our period become even more distressing.

There are many causes of water retention: venous insufficiency, hormonal imbalance, or certain foods that send a message to the kidneys to release hormones that prevent water reabsorption. If it is important to look for the causes in order to find the appropriate treatment, we can also act by adopting an anti-swelling diet.

What foods eliminate water retention?

Dietary fiber regulates the digestive system and prevents constipation. You can fill up on grains (quinoa, millet, barley), celery, beets, and peas to reduce water retention.

Also consider asparagus, rich in diuretic nutrients and fiber. Oranges, lemons, and limes contain minerals and enzymes that stimulate the release of water by the kidneys. They are also acidic, which reduces the sodium load that causes water retention. Finally, ginger contains enzymes and minerals that naturally release excess water.

Focus on diuretic fruits and vegetables

Leeks, artichokes, zucchini, fennel, cucumbers, melons, watermelon, red fruits... Seasonal fruits and vegetables are diuretics: they are rich in potassium and fiber which contribute to elimination and diuresis.

Focus on potassium, a powerful regulator

Consumption of potassium helps regulate sodium in the body, thus reducing water retention. Foods rich in potassium include avocados, pistachios, spinach, kale, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, artichokes, fennel, Brussels sprouts, arugula, bananas, mangoes, and tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and nuts.

Eat enough protein

Any protein deficiency leads to metabolic disturbances that can lead to water retention. It is therefore recommended to eat animal (meat, fish, egg) and/or vegetable (cereals, pulses) proteins every day to cover your daily needs (0.83 g per kilo of body weight).

Which drink is effective against water retention?

Drinking tons of fluids is probably the last thing you want to do, but in fact, it helps to minimize bloating. Water aids digestion, especially when combined with fiber, and allows the body to flush out excess salt.

Although water is the most recommended drink, there are other ways to hydrate with vegetables such as cucumbers, lettuce, zucchini, radishes, celery, tomatoes, kale, eggplant, and peppers.

Fruits like watermelon are also great for preventing water retention. Although caffeine is a diuretic, it does not help reduce bloating. Alcohol, on the other hand, contains sugar that increases inflammation in the body and increases discomfort.

How to eliminate water retention quickly by reducing salt?

Salt (sodium chloride) retains liquids in the cells. When consumed in excess, it causes swelling. Therefore, avoiding salty foods helps to reduce fluid retention and improve menstrual bloating.

To reduce salt intake:

• Taste before you salt;
• Remove the salt shaker from the table;
• Use spices and herbs. Replace added salt with spices and seasonings such as garlic powder, oregano, chili powder, and dry mustard to add flavor to your dishes without causing bloating;
• Limit the salt consumed in its hidden forms: cold cuts, cheeses, prepared dishes, bouillon cubes. For the aperitif, forget peanuts, pistachios, and other exotic cocktails intended for the aperitif which are full of salt: 1 g of salt for a 40 g handful!

How to get rid of water retention naturally: tips

Reduce carbohydrates and fat

Carbohydrates like bread, white rice, and pasta retain water. Try to limit your intake of these foods. The same goes for fatty or fried foods, which contain omega-6 fatty acids, but no omega-3. You can replace them with salmon and olive oil.

Avoiding bad fats

Rather than foods rich in saturated fats (butter, cream, cold cuts...), we prefer those rich in omega-3, such as fatty fish (salmon, herring, mackerel...) and walnut oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, wheat germ oil (2 to 3 tablespoons per day)... These unsaturated fatty acids with anti-inflammatory properties are essential to the balance of our metabolism and the proper functioning of our defenses.

Cooking with vegetable oils

Use rapeseed, walnut, or olive oils for your dishes, and avoid peanut and palm oils which contain more saturated fatty acids. Olive oil is nutritionally interesting and can be heated without being degraded. You don't like this oil? Opt for rapeseed oil, which can be heated.

Varying legumes

Pulses (also called legumes) are full of nutrients: proteins, B vitamins, iron, magnesium... So, in addition to the classic lentils, think of red and white beans, flageolets, split peas...

Revolutionize your picnics

Chips, sausage...They are all on the list of the saltiest foods! We prefer cold meats, hard-boiled eggs, crunchy vegetables, and fresh fruit, as well as figs and raisins, which are rich in potassium and have diuretic properties.

Reconnect with naturalness

All processed products, even sweetened ones, contain salt, but also additives that could lead to intolerance, at the digestive level, responsible for retention. We prefer homemade and basic foods, and we confine prepared meals to the emergency room, checking that they contain less than 1 g per portion (400 mg of sodium).

Typical menus to fight water retention

Often hereditary, water retention can be fought by adopting good eating habits. The first of these is to eat less salt. Here is a reminder of the basic rules of the anti-puffiness diet, to put into practice with our meal ideas.

Day 1 of the anti-water retention diet

Breakfast:

• 1 tea
• 1 boiled egg wholemeal bread
• 1 cup of red fruits

Lunch :

• Herbed sea bream on slices of grilled eggplant a la plancha
• Boulgour
• 1 tablespoon of rapeseed-olive oil
• 1 slice of watermelon

Snack: 1 herbal tea

The fruit or dairy from lunch can be deferred to snack time, as can the dairy.

Dinner:

• Green bean salad, potatoes, thinly sliced chicken, tomatoes, red onion
• 1 tangy vinaigrette (raspberry vinegar)
• 1 yogurt + raspberries
• 1 herbal tea

Day 2 of the anti-water retention diet

Breakfast:

• 1 tea
• 1 plain yogurt with wheat germ + muesli + prunes and plums

Lunch:

• Rice salad + grilled sardines (or canned with olive oil) + red beans and corn + cucumber + cherry tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon of rapeseed-olive oil
• 2-3 apricots
• 1 herbal tea

Dinner:

• Iced zucchini soup with fresh goat cheese and fresh mint
• Slice of cold roast beef + green salad + vinaigrette
• Wholemeal or cereal bread
• Watermelon, fig, and pistachio compote
• 1 herbal tea

Day 3 of the anti-water retention diet

Breakfast :

• 1 red fruit rooibos
• 1 strawberry/banana/yogurt/wheat germ smoothie
• Spelt bread
• Soft butter

Lunch:

• Melon
• Marinated mussels, quinoa salad, and red peppers
• 1 cottage cheese + honey
• 1 herbal tea

Snack :

• 1 nectarine
• 1 herbal tea

Dinner :

• Artichoke + vinaigrette
• Zucchini Omelet with strips of Basque sheep
• Melon soup

Day 4 of the anti-water retention diet

Breakfast:

• 1 tea
• 1 yogurt + muesli + diced peach + cranberries/goji berries

Lunch:

• Veal grenadine with herbs
• Ratatouille
• Wholemeal bread
• 1 summer fruit salad
• 1 herbal tea

Dinner :

• Gaspacho tomato-cucumber-pepper marinated
• Pasta salad + shrimp + mesclun
• 1 cottage cheese, 20% + currants
• 1 herbal tea

What to eat and drink in case of water retention: rules to remember

Reduce your salt intake;

Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day;

Eat enough protein;

Eat enough protein; eat certain foods, especially fruits and vegetables rich in minerals and fiber, or that improve blood circulation;

We respect the acid-base balance of the body: during meals, think of associating an acidifying food (cereal, meat, fish, egg...) with an alkalizing food (fruit, vegetable, tofu, spices...) to neutralize the first one.