14. Water Retention and False Fat

Did you know you may be carrying up to 15 pounds of water trapped in your body tissues?Waterlogged tissue is known as "False Fat" and is usually found under the eyes, around the face, the abdomen and thigh areas. A reduction diet will not help release this fluid, instead you will need to look at your current nutrition and hydration.             

Drinking Too Little Water
Surprisingly, drinking too little fluid can make your body retain fluid! Look at post 5 "Water and Weight Loss" for advice on fluid intake. When your fluid intake is low, your kidneys start to "panic store" fluid so that it may have an adequate supply to flush your body of waste products. Also, too little fluid intake slows down your lymphatic system (system that monitors fluid levels in the body as well as filtering toxins and bacteria) fluid is not excreted and as with the "panic storing", the fluid is stored in fat cells, swelling the cells to bursting point whereupon the fat cells multiply.  It is widely believed that this is what causes cellulite.

Not Enough Protein
The protein that we eat plays a very important role in effective water balance between the cells and the blood circulating around your body.   A diet low in protein causes fluid to leak through blood vessels into cells, where it becomes trapped. Sadly we have all seen the images of  severely malnourished people, with their bloated abdomens.  This bloating is caused by an extreme lack of dietry protein.The daily Recommended Nutrient Intake of protein for adults is 45g for women and  55g for men, more if you are athletic. 

Vitamin Deficiency
Vitamin B1, B5, B6 and Potassium are known to reduce the effects of water retention. These nutrients are food in fruit and vegetables - another reason why our bodies need a balanced diet.  Please refer to post 8 "Essential Vitamins for Life"

Food Sensitivity
Some of the symptoms caused by food sensitivity are water retention around joints, abdominal bloating and facial puffiness.  If you suffer these symptoms in conjunction with the other common symptoms of sensitivity, you should seek advice from your doctor.

Hormonal Cycles
Most women experience water retention or an increase in retention, just before their period, but this usually corrects itself within days.

Massage and Lymphatic Drainage
If you have addressed nutrient and fluid intake and would like to help things along, a little massage will certainly help.  These 2 instructional videos by Vichy are certainly worth a viewing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4qbnQQLg_M   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7EVsjabKn8

Let's make our wobbly bits a thing of the past!! www.clubmotiva.com