The Role of Water in Water Retention
There is nothing quiet as unsettling as exercising regularly, eating properly, watching your weight and then stepping on the scale only to find that you are five pounds heavier than you were yesterday. While this might cause you to start having visions of crash diets and two-a-day exercise programs dancing in your head, take a minute to relax: your excess pounds are most likely a result of water retention and less likely a result of a sudden fat invasion.
The symptoms of water retention, in addition to weight gain, can be a sense of puffiness, swollen legs, fingers, or ankles, and inflammation. Called edema by those with a scientific flair, water retention can be caused from too much sodium, medications, and hormones, and can also be a sign of not having an alkaline body. It is also often caused by drinking too little of water.
Our bodies are nothing if not survivors. Whenever they feel threatened with demise they go into a "life preserving mode." Sometimes this involves decreasing metabolism and sometimes it involves retaining water. Where the later is concerned, our bodies - plagued with a fear that we aren't consuming an adequate amount of water - hang on to every drop we give them.
Water retention also plays a role in how much water we excrete during a workout, which plays a role in weight maintenance. If we don’t have what our bodies perceive as "extra water" we won't sweat as much, and we won't burn as many calories. If we do this on a regular basis, the excess pounds we find on the bathroom scale could eventually be more than just water.
When it comes down to it, the best way to beat water retention is to give your body exactly what it wants: water. For many of us - depending on our level of activity and the climate in which we live - eight glasses a day may not even be close to enough water. Some of us must consume much more.
If consuming ample amounts of water is not the answer to your bloating problems, you may need to drastically cut back on your salt intake. When your body takes in too much sodium, your kidneys hold onto the water in your body. Cutting back on sodium, however, and drinking a lot of water can help your body get water - and water weight - out of your system.
Following an acid alkaline diet will also aid in getting your body balanced. A Kangen water machine produces alkaline water, which will help get you body back on track.
It is important, however, to keep in mind that prolonged bloating, bloating that is not cured by drinking ample amounts of water and bidding salt a tearful goodbye, could be a sign of a medical condition. If you continue to retain water, seeking the advice of a health care professional is advised.
