Abdominal bloating, swollen fingers and other discomforts accompany water retention. Whether you retain fluid due to hormonal changes or after eating too much salty food, don’t reach for prescription diuretics.
Even over-the-counter diuretics are likely to be harder on the system than retained fluid. Instead, try the following:
1. Eat sensibly and watch your salt intake.
2. Get regular exercise.
3. Drink black tea or green tea, both are safe and natural diuretics.
4. Try an herbal diuretic such as corn-silk tea or freeze-dried dandelion leaf.
Both the latter are mild and nontoxic. You can get corn-silk tea in health food stores or make it yourself if you have access to fresh corn by steeping the silks in boiling water for ten minutes. Drink one cup two to four times a day.
The dose for freeze-dried dandelion is one or two capsules two to four times a day.
The Progesterone Effect
If you are putting on weight around the stomach, abdomen and thighs then one of the effects of progesterone that can help is to balance the water retention action of oestrogen. It is this water retention that is a factor in both weight gain and high blood pressure.
It is also linked to both oestrogen dominance and the use of synthetic progestogens found in the contraceptive Pill, Coil and HRT.
It is because progesterone is a natural diuretic that it helps rebalance the body by helping to reduce weight as any excess water is expelled. You feel lighter and your skin loses that bloated and puffy look.
Water retention is also a factor in high blood pressure so reducing this naturally will also help reduce blood pressure.
Helpful information:
Many women tend to find their stomachs bloating at menopause: whether from the oestrogen in HRT or the result of oestrogen dominance so here are a few articles that can help you get it under control.
https://www.bio-hormone-health.com/2018/01/05/the-diet-to-help-beat-oestrogen-dominance/
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