Health Tips

Yeah, we’ve all been there. We try to take our rings off to protect them from whatever we’re about to stick our hands into, and they won’t move beyond that puff of finger flesh just before the next joint. Or we finally get our pants zipped and buttoned and then we try to sit down only to receive the biggest wedgie ever and also have our midsection just about cut in half from the waistband. The ring fit just the other day when you tried to take it off, so did the pants. So then what could the problem be to make such a radical change in our very fingers? The answer could be as simple as bloating. Bloating effects many women our age when we don’t treat our bodies ‘just right’. It can make you uncomfortable, it can sap your energy, and it can effect your entire outlook and attitude. Here are a few suggestions for lifestyle changes that just might make things a little less challenging in the future.

Every morning drink one glass of water with the juice of half a lemon squeezed in. Now, while the taste of diluted lemon juice with no sweetener may take some getting used to, you will eventually come to find this as refreshing as your morning cup of coffee. Lemons are very cleansing to many parts of your body, including your mouth. They are also very cleansing in other ways. The lemons will help induce your ‘morning constitution’ (i.e., bowel movement), called peristalsis. Keeping your bowels moving regularly will help keep constipation at bay, a notorious bloating culprit.

And while we’re on the subject of drinking water, drink at least 1.5 liters of water a day. Giving your body plenty of water will eliminate its natural instinctive ‘feast or famine’ reaction. What this means is that if your body doesn’t feel like it’s always dehydrated, it won’t hold on to every precious drop of water, thus causing water retention. So, while it may sound contradictory, intaking more pure water actually reduces water retention in the long run.

Reduce your intake of certain kinds of foods. Foods high in sodium contribute to retaining water, so these foods should be limited or eliminated altogether. Dairy products and starchy foods also tend to ‘puff’ once consumed. High carbohydrates and overeating, in general, also do the same thing so these types of foods and eating patterns should be consumed in moderation and controlled.

While reducing your intake of certain kinds of food, conversely, increase your intake of other kinds of foods. Things such as fruits and vegetables, grains, and drink as much water as you can stand.

Talk to your doctor about herbal and mineral supplements. Communication with your doctor is important as some people may have different reactions to herbal supplements for various reasons. Just because herbs come from nature doesn’t mean they are necessarily safe. Some herbs that are reported to aid in the relief of bloating are common home remedies in the relief of menopause. A good one to discuss is dandelion root. Dandelion root works to eliminate toxins in the body by stimulating the kidneys to eliminate the toxins in the urine. Dandelion root is also a natural diuretic. Your doctor can possibly give you more suggestions as well. Magnesium is effective to control water retention and, herefore, helps to reduce bloating.

And finally, the suggestion that seems to be a fix-all to many of our feminine issues, and the one suggestion we all try to avoid, exercise. If you exercise to the point of sweating, than the sweating reduces the amount of water you are retaining in your body.

A strong word of caution is important to note at this point. A number of feminine medical issues manifest themselves with symptoms such as bloating and weight gain. Your bloating may not be simply dietary or lifestyle, but a medical concern that needs to be addressed by a physician. Any number of conditions can result in bloating, such as kidney or liver infection or malfunction, fibroid tumors, or any other number of medical conditions that require appropriate treatment. Consult with your physician before implementing any of the suggestions in this article.