Many people around the world are constantly dealing with bloating, or retention of water in their bodies. People find their clothes not fit correctly and are negatively affected both in comfort and self-esteem. So, is there anything natural a person can do to help offset this unpredictable hormonal nuisance? YES!
First of all, we should understand what factors can cause water retention. Surprisingly, not drinking enough water is the main culprit. Water helps your liver convert fat into usable energy. If you don't drink enough, your kidneys are overwhelmed with concentrated fluids, and they will make your liver do extra work. As the liver already works hard to turn your body fat into the energy you use, if it has to do the kidney's work, the liver would simply hold onto the extra fat that would have been burned off if you simply had enough water.
What's worse is that instead of excreting water and waste products, your body retains existing water to reuse. which is the main reason causing water retention and bloating. You are in a famine when you don't get enough water, that your body panics and holds on to any existing water selfishly. Dehydration thus can make you look bloated and fat instead of thin and taut. Not to mention the headache, rapid heartbeat, etc. that comes with dehydration. The best way to get rid of this water retention is to drink enough of it to return your body and its processes back to a normal equilibrium.
By drinking properly, you'll also feel thirsty more often, and this will start a healthy cycle of thirst leading to hydration. But you have to keep it up because if you stop drinking enough water, all the good things you've gained from drinking water (balanced body fluids, weight loss, decreased hunger, and thirst) will reverse back to the way they were. In the human body, water affects every aspect of our health. . Water lubricates joints and organs. It maintains muscle tone and keeps skin elastic and soft. Water regulates body temperature, filters out impurities, and keeps the brain working properly while transporting nutrients to and from cells.
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While the human body can store energy as glycogen, fat, and tissue, it cannot "store" water - the body uses its own water but expects us to provide a continuous supply of fresh new water regularly to function. Water is critical in moving nutrients into and out of a cell, an action known as the "ion pump". When you take in the improper balance of sodium and potassium or do not drink adequate water, your body will increase a hormone and try to "retain" water by keeping your kidneys from filtering it. Ironically, one of the best ways to stop retaining water is to drink more water!
How Much Water Should You Drink?
While humans can survive without food for several weeks (documented cases have shown lengths of up to two months), we can only survive a few days without water. Thirst is a signal that your body needs to be re-hydrated, but by the time you are thirsty, it's already too late. Just a fraction of a percentage drop of your body's water supply can result in huge performance decreases, such as frequent tiredness, muscle weakness, headache, or dizziness. Even slight dehydration can be critical. In the recent sports season, a few deaths resulted from dehydration.
Contrary to popular belief, "chugging" a gallon of water is not going to provide your body with the water it needs. When too much water floods your system at once, your body will pass most of it onto your bladder, and only absorb a slight amount. Weight in the stomach is a signal for digestive processes to begin, and a number of biological chemicals enter your stomach and change the pH balance. This can result in indigestion and stomach pain.
The best way to take water is to steadily sip it throughout the day. You should also eat plenty of fruits and vegetables - most of the produce you eat is filled with water, and the body can process this water very efficiently. So - how much water? We've been told to drink "eight cups a day," which is a good starting point, but does every adult require this same amount of water when people come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and have different metabolisms, exercise habits and lifestyles?
Actually there is a simple way to compute water intake and it works incredibly well. Recommended by nutritionist Will Brink, the method simply asks a person to drink enough water to have two or three very light-colored to clear urinations per day. If you have dark yellow urinations, then either you are not drinking enough water, are not eating healthily, or have some type of infection or other illness. For a normal, healthy adult, two or three light to clear urinations are a great "ruler" for proper body hydration. If you do not have these, then increase your water intake until it happens.
The type of water to drink is also the subject of much debate. Filtered tap water is better because of the prevalence of harmful agents often found in today's "raw" tap water. Keep in mind that if you drink too much non-filtered water, you may put your health at risk from exposure to chemicals and toxins found in tap or bottled water because these foreign contaminants then require your body to filter them out. Before you toss away your water filter, rethink-- that is exactly what your body's filter - the kidneys - would have had to process the unfiltered contaminants eventually. There are many ways to filter water but reverse osmosis water filtration is one of the best methods on the market.
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