Pregnant women, overweight people and older people in particular know the problem: the body stores water in the tissue. The result: swollen legs, ankles and fingers. But that’s not all, because the unwanted water retention is also noticeable on the scales. In this article we would like to show you how you can drain your body healthily with the help of natural remedies.

How do I recognize water retention – and what is the cause?

Water retention is also known as edema in medicine. You can recognize these deposits by the fact that your arms, legs, hands and feet swell. They often occur when increased pressure causes water to leak from our blood vessels and lymphatic system and accumulate in the body. This can be exacerbated by certain external circumstances, such as the profession in which we work. For example, salespeople have to stand a lot in their daily work. Due to the lack of movement, the blood in the legs is not pumped back up. The result is often water retention in the legs and feet.

You can use a simple test to determine for yourself whether a swelling is really edema: Press with your finger on the affected area for several seconds. If a dent appears that only slowly disappears, it is a case of water retention.

The case is a little different for pregnant women: here, hormones and the baby in the belly – which presses on the veins – are also responsible for the water retention.

What can be done against water retention?

As a rule, our body regulates itself in a healthy state. However, there are ways and means to support this natural drainage.

In order to drain water in a healthy way, the first thing to do is to boost the metabolism and – even if it may sound absurd – to drink a lot of water. Up to four liters are not uncommon when draining. It works even better if, in addition to water, you also use dehydrating teas. For example, nettle, birch leaf, field horsetail, dandelion, ginger and green tea have a draining effect.

To the nettle leaves
To the birch leaves

 

To the field horsetail
To ginger

 

In addition to dehydrating teas, you should also consume mainly those foods that have a high water content and/or a dehydrating effect. These include:

  • Cucumber
  • Melon
  • Pineapple
  • Strawberry
  • Asparagus
  • Artichokes
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Carrots
  • Avocados
  • Potatoes
  • Rice
  • Nuts

You should avoid salt and carbohydrates during dehydration. Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. Unfortunately, the nutrient in this form draws a lot of water: for every gram of glycogen, three grams of water are stored. And salt also binds water in our bodies. If you consume a lot of salt, the amount of water your body stores also increases.

In addition, you should move around as much as possible during this time, and in the evening you should also like to put your legs up.

By the way: In our online store you will find a variety of high-quality organic herbs and teas that support you in healthy dehydration. If you have any questions about their use or dosage, please feel free to contact us at any time. The Herbathek team will be happy to help you with words and deeds.