Fluid retention is a common problem, causing swelling of the feet and ankles in particular.

Puffiness of the hands, fingers and face is also common. In women, premenstrual fluid retention can cause breast tenderness and abdominal bloating.

Carrying excess fluid on your body can make you look more overweight than you are. Eliminating some of this fluid can give you a much leaner appearance.

Fluid retention is far more common in summer than winter. Sometimes it is simply annoying, while in other cases it may signal a significant health problem.

Here are 7 ways to beat the bloat and eliminate excess fluid from your body

1. Avoid sugar

Most people think of salt in relation to fluid retention. It is true that excess salt in the diet can aggravate fluid retention, but sugar is more likely to cause the fluid retention in the first place. Sugar is a carbohydrate, and all carbohydrates, if consumed in excess can promote fluid retention. This is because sugar promotes your pancreas to release insulin. A consistently high blood level of insulin stimulates your kidneys to retain fluid and sodium. Consuming excess sodium in your diet can aggravate this. If you want to strip your body of excess fluid, base your diet on vegetables, salads, seafood, poultry, eggs and meat (ideally grass fed), along with healthy fats such as olive oil, avocados and coconut oil. Glicemic Balance makes it so much easier to say no to sugars and carbohydrate rich foods.

2. Avoid dairy products

Dairy products cause a lot of lymphatic congestion for many people. This is especially so if you have the lymphatic body type. People with this body type are prone to poor circulation and fluid retention, and dairy products aggravate this. It is the protein in dairy products (called casein) that is the culprit. Serrapeptase is potent mucus disruptor, breaking it down into more simple compounds that can pass through the lymphatic system more easily.

3. Find out if you have any allergies, and then avoid those foods

Food allergies are an extremely common cause of fluid retention. This makes sense because if you ingest a food you are allergic to; your body will consider it toxic and aim to dilute it. Hence your body will hold on to a whole lot of extra fluid. The congestion in your lymphatic system caused by allergies can also make you feel fatigued, depressed and give you a foggy head. It can be difficult to determine food allergies and it’s best to get the help of a healthcare practitioner. However the most common foods to cause allergy or intolerance are wheat, gluten, dairy products, corn, soy, nuts, eggs and artificial additives such as food colors. When allergies are present, it is important to soothe the digestive tract with Dr Cabot's Ultimate Gut Health.

4. Assist your lymphatic system to clear toxins and remove excess fluid

You can achieve this by avoiding the foods already mentioned, and by increasing your vegetable intake. All vegetables help to improve lymphatic flow and waste elimination, but some are more effective than others. Fresh herbs such as parsley and cilantro, asparagus and celery are well known for their ability to help clear excess fluid from your body. Some herbs are particularly helpful also; they include Uva ursi, juniper berry and buchu leaf. These ingredients are combined in Fluid Relief tablets and can provide relief from edema.

5. Have your thyroid checked

An underactive thyroid gland is a common cause of fluid retention. It can also cause dry skin, fatigue, low mood, scalp hair loss and weight gain. All extremely common symptoms. The most common cause of an underactive thyroid gland is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. This is an autoimmune disease and is actually the most common autoimmune disease in the world. Mild cases of hypothyroidism often go undiagnosed for some time. If you suffer with the symptoms I’ve mentioned, please see your doctor for a thyroid blood test. You can also learn much more in our book Your Thyroid Problems Solved and you can learn about autoimmune problems here. Thyroid Health capsules are an ideal way to support your thyroid gland.

6. Strengthen your veins

You need good, strong veins in order to carry blood throughout your body. Veins and lymphatic vessels in the legs are particularly prone to weakness, and that can leave them unable to carry blood up towards the heart. The result is fluid pooling in the ankles and legs. Vitamin C and bioflavonoids are the most important nutrients to strengthen vessels walls. It is very difficult to obtain enough of these nutrients in fresh produce because a lot of fresh produce isn’t actually that fresh – unless you grow it yourself in a vegetable patch at home. If you suffer with fluid on your legs, a vitamin C with rosehips supplement may help.

7. Rule out a liver, kidney or heart problem

In rare instances, congestive heart failure, or portal hypertension can cause an excess of fluid to accumulate in the lower body. If you have significant fluid problems, please see your doctor. The earlier these conditions are diagnosed, usually the better the outcome.
If these suggestions do not help you, please consult your doctor for a thorough evaluation.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.