1. Cut back on salt
One of the main causes of water retention is high sodium intake from salty food, which prompts your body to hold on to water in order to maintain a safe electrolyte balance. Even if you don’t add much table salt to your food, it lurks in large quantities in many packaged and processed foods, so avoid these or opt for low-sodium alternatives.
2. Eat more of these foods!
Potassium and magnesium play an important role in balancing sodium levels in the body – good sources include bananas, avocados, leafy greens, citrus fruit and wholewheat flour. Vitamin B6 can also help to reduce water retention and is found in foods such as nuts and seeds, brown rice, sweet potatoes, lean meat, tuna and salmon. Finally, diuretic foods can help to flush the excess fluid out – watermelons, lettuce, cucumbers, asparagus, celery, parsley and other fruits and vegetables with a high water content are all great in this respect. But beware of caffeine and alcohol – while these have a diuretic effect, they also dehydrate you and further aggravate water retention.
3. Put your feet up – high!
If you’re prone to swollen feet and/or legs, elevating them can encourage the trapped fluid to move back up through the body. For this to be really effective, you need to lie down with your feet above the level of your heart. If your mobility allows, a simple yoga pose which helps to get rid of water retention in the legs is to lie on your back with your legs propped up against a wall (ideally at a near 90 degree angle, but less is also fine). For those who spend most of their time sitting due to impaired mobility, using a foot stool can also help to relieve swollen feet and legs.
4. Stay active
If your job keeps you sitting or standing long hours in the same position, try using the "Pomodoro Technique" where you work in focused 20~25 minute stints followed by a 3~5 minute break – you can set reminders on your phone to go off at the appropriate intervals. And use those short breaks to get your circulation going – walk around, stretch, do star jumps, get a glass of water... whatever your body and your work environment allow! This way you’ll be much less prone to swollen feet and legs, as well as other occupational hazards such as back and neck ache, and it also improves your focus and productivity. And don’t forget to make regular exercise a part of your life outside of work – along with its countless other benefits, staying active is one of the best ways to improve blood circulation and prevent water retention!
5. Stay hydrated
Drinking more water may seem counter-intuitive when you’re trying to get rid of water retention, but in fact if your body is holding on to water it may be because you’re not getting enough of it! Especially during warmer weather, it’s easy to become dehydrated without realising it so make sure you drink plenty of fluids.
Good to read: Hello H2O - Why drinking water is important for a healthy life.
6. Compression garments
Compression socks or stockings help to ease swollen feet and legs by gently squeezing them to keep the blood circulating and prevent fluid from building up. Similarly, compression sleeves and gloves can relieve water retention in the arms and hands. But don’t apply this principle to all your clothes and footwear! If you suffer from chronic water retention, wearing tight-fitting clothing and shoes will only increase your discomfort.
7. Herbal teas and Water retention pills
Herbal teas such as dandelion, verbena, mint and nettle are great for stimulating your waterworks. Also worth considering are various herbal supplements with diuretic effects available over-the-counter, to provide relief from the symptoms of water retention. If you have persistent oedema, your doctor may prescribe diuretic medications.
8. Massage
Massaging your feet and legs with smooth upward strokes helps to get the circulation going and shift the trapped fluids back into the blood vessels and away from the swollen extremity (the same applies for swollen hands and arms). You can either do this yourself or enlist the help of a friend or partner – in the latter case, lying down with the affected limbs elevated will help to get the fluids moving in the right direction. Water retention in the abdominal area can also be eased by massage – use the heel of your hand and apply firm pressure while massaging with circular strokes.
For facial bloating, massage focusing on the lymph nodes around the face and neck can bring relief – stay tuned for next month’s newsletter, where we will dive deeper into massage techniques and acupressure points for a healthy and radiant face!
If you have stubborn water retention caused by blockages in the lymphatic system, it may be worth booking yourself a lymphatic drainage massage. (You can also find a series of videos on self-applied lymphatic drainage massage here.)
9. Dry Brushing
Another great way to boost your circulation and get rid of water retention is dry body brushing. Choose a natural fibre brush with a long handle to give you a better reach. A simple dry brushing routine takes no more than a few minutes, and the best time to do it is just before a shower since it also exfoliates your skin, which you can then sluice off. Using short, rapid strokes of the brush, start at your feet and work upwards towards your heart – then repeat for your arms, starting at the hands. This stimulates the lymphatic system and flushes out stagnant fluid and toxins.
8. Massage
Massaging your feet and legs with smooth upward strokes helps to get the circulation going and shift the trapped fluids back into the blood vessels and away from the swollen extremity (the same applies for swollen hands and arms). You can either do this yourself or enlist the help of a friend or partner – in the latter case, lying down with the affected limbs elevated will help to get the fluids moving in the right direction. Water retention in the abdominal area can also be eased by massage – use the heel of your hand and apply firm pressure while massaging with circular strokes.
For facial bloating, massage focusing on the lymph nodes around the face and neck can bring relief – stay tuned for next month’s newsletter, where we will dive deeper into massage techniques and acupressure points for a healthy and radiant face!
If you have stubborn water retention caused by blockages in the lymphatic system, it may be worth booking yourself a lymphatic drainage massage. (You can also find a series of videos on self-applied lymphatic drainage massage here.)
9. Dry Brushing
Another great way to boost your circulation and get rid of water retention is dry body brushing. Choose a natural fibre brush with a long handle to give you a better reach. A simple dry brushing routine takes no more than a few minutes, and the best time to do it is just before a shower since it also exfoliates your skin, which you can then sluice off. Using short, rapid strokes of the brush, start at your feet and work upwards towards your heart – then repeat for your arms, starting at the hands. This stimulates the lymphatic system and flushes out stagnant fluid and toxins.
10. Acupressure
Last but not least, acupressure can be phenomenally effective in getting rid of water retention. Which points you use may depend on which part of your body is affected – here we’ll look at a few points which are useful for oedema in the legs, feet and abdomen, as well as one which helps to relieve oedema throughout the body. (More points targeting facial puffiness coming next month!)
