Water For Health

Posts Tagged ‘Kidneys’

The most essential element of life and for proper functioning of the body is considered water. It is said that roughly 75% of the body is made up of water while cells are actually as much as 90% water by weight.

The majority of people believe it or not, do not drink enough of this vital substance. As a rule of thumb, 6-10 glasses of pure water (filtered if possible) should be had each day or more if you engage in lots of physical activity.

Some health experts say that if you really want to drink the most beneficial amount of water, you should be drinking close to half your body weight in ounces daily. For example, if you currently weight 150 pounds, you would have to drink around 75 ounces of water each day. Considering that an average glass of water is around 8 ounces, you would need to drink between 9 and 10 glasses.

In order to avoid disrupting your electrolye balance in your body from drinking large amounts of water, you should add a quarter of a teaspoon of natural sea salt to each quart of water you drink. Try using unprocessed sea salt because it contains many beneficial minerals that regular table salt doesn’t.

There are many beverages that deplete the water supply in our bodies and they include coffee and tea, alcoholic drinks and soft drinks. A small amount of water is lost through the action of breathing.

The cells in our body’s will start to dehydrate without adequate water and it impairs their proper function. It becomes hard for cells to discard their metabolic wastes effectively and these toxins may start to accumulate which can actually causes the pores in your skin to clog up which will cause those spots called acne.

Other parts of your body that require lots of water are your kidneys and liver. They need water for the proper elimination of waste. If you drink enough water daily, most toxins will get flushed from these organs rather than through your skin and that is what you want if you suffer from acne.

Another important function of the liver is the removal of hormones. If the kidneys become overloaded, the liver has to help deal with any excess of toxins. If the liver is overworked and cannot deal with hormones properly, they can circulate through the body and cause too much oil to be released from the skins sebaceous glands.

Another side-effect from being dehydrated is that your body will try to preserve as much water as it can, which is medically known as water retention. This action put extra pressure on our cells which can also cause the pores to become blocked up. Too much processed salt is one of the biggest causes of water retention. To get rid of an excess of salt, you simply need to start drinking more water.

When you start drinking more water, other than noticing a clearer complexion, you may start seeing other benefits such as losing weight and less headaches and pains and many many more.

The common home remedies for water retention are:

• Go into deep water: Exercising in the swimming pool will be an excellent remedy for curing this problem. This is due to the water pressure forcing out the excess water out of the tissues and into the bladder. It is advised to exercise gently in the pool at the temperature of 80 to 90 degrees F. if you are pregnant, avoid water above 100 degrees.

• Avoid diuretics: Though diuretics are effective for the flushing out of excess water in people with heart, kidney or liver disease, they can also cause rebound edema. Continuous usage will activate the salt and water retaining hormones and when stopped, these hormones are activated and cause water retention.

• Minimize salt intake: Avoid foods high in salt like hotdogs, burgers, pizzas etc. They contain very high salt content and the fluid released will remain in the body till kidneys have a chance to excrete them which is about 24 hours.

• Exercise continuously: Exercise has been shown to reduce water retention by flushing out water and salt through sweating, higher respiration and increased urine flow. If you have been sitting for a long time, walk up and down or climb stairs every hour. You can also try the following exercise: point the toes downward, then raise them up as high as possible which pumps up the calf and foot muscles. You can also raise your hands up overhead.

• Increase fluid intake: Water moves through the kidneys and bladder thus diluting the urine. It becomes easier for the kidneys to flush diluted urine out along with the salt contained in it. Plain water is the best option, since juices, sodas and colas have salt content.

• Sip on the herbal tea: Many herbs are slightly diuretic. Parsley is the best known one. Take two teaspoons of dried leaves for each cup of boiling water and seep for ten minutes. Drink three cups a day.

• Lie down with feet up: Recline with feet up in the raised position. This will allow the fluid collected in the legs to go to the circulatory systems and from there to the kidneys for excretion.

If these tips do not work or if you have heart and kidney problems consult a doctor. You can also consult a doctor if you have a pitting edema where an indentation remains when you press the skin.

There are times when women feel bloated and swollen all over. One of the main reasons why people suffer from water retention is due to foods that are high in sodium. Junk foods, salty dishes and fastfood diet are usually high in sodium and can make your body retain water and feel a little bloated, especially on the tummy area and the extremities.

The other reasons why people experience water retention include standing for extended periods, hot weather, adverse effects of some drugs and medications, serious illnesses and hormonal imbalance for women. It is important to note that if you are suffering from edema (or fluid retention) for a long time already and you are also experiencing other symptoms, you need to visit your doctor immediately. The swelling of your arms, legs or feet can be signs that you may be suffering from serious health conditions, which may involve major internal organs such as the heart, kidneys, lymphatic system and even the liver.

Whatever the reason behind your water retention problems is, it is best to put in some changes in your diet to help minimize your bloating or to completely eradicate the problem. Below are some tips that will help you in determining what to eat and not eat when you feel bloated.

Avoid Processed Foods

As mentioned earlier, sodium is the number one culprit of water retention. If you want to get rid of bloating, you better reduce your salt intake. Since processed foods are full of sodium, as stated in their labels, you need to stay away from them as much as possible. If you really have to consume processed stuff, just make sure that you choose the ones that explicitly say they are low in sodium.

Guzzle Up

Ironically, people who are dehydrated can also suffer from fluid retention. If you are the type of person who does not drink enough water, you better start gobbling up more H2O. At least 8 glasses of water a day is ideal for most of us. However, if you are in a place that is warm or if you work out everyday, you should drink up a little bit more. Aside from water, good fluid choices are grapefruit juice, herbal teas and other fresh fruit and vegetable juices.

Use Other Spices

Salt is not the only thing you can put on your food to make it taste better. In fact, there are many other spices that can not only improve the flavor of your food, but also provide nutritional benefits. Some of the alternative food enhancers you may want to try out are lemon, low-sodium chili sauce, onion, garlic, thyme, tarragon, rosemary, peppers, and many more. By the way, one herb that is known to contain diuretic properties is parsley.

Eat Fruits And Veggies

There are many fresh produce that have diuretic properties which can help eliminate excess water without disturbing the balance of electrolytes inside your body. Citrus fruits and melons are the best types of fruits that can help you with your water retention problems. What’s more, these fruits also contain potassium, an important mineral your body needs.

You can actually never go wrong with vegetables because they are packed with minerals, vitamins and antioxidants that help make you stronger and healthier. However, there are some veggies that you may want to consume more because they are good diuretics. Leafy greens, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, celery, onions, watercress and carrots are the best vegetables to eat for your water retention problem.

If you are suffering from water retention because of hormonal imbalance, you need to follow the diet plan above and also find supplements that can help remedy your hormonal problems. One supplement that will help ease water retention as well as assist in maintaining your hormones at normal levels is Expelis. For more information on how Expelis can help you, just visit http://www.expelis.com/.