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New Choices in Natural Healing: Water Retention

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Water Retention

Sure, your body needs water to live. But there’s no need to hoard it. You can do just fine without the swollen fingers, plumped-up legs and bloated belly that go along with a case of water retention.

Lots of things can cause your body to keep excess water, including too much salt in your diet, hormone changes, steroid medications, the menstrual cycle and even pregnancy. Most of the time, the condition is temporary and harmless, if somewhat uncomfortable. But if the swelling doesn’t subside, or if you can leave an indentation in your skin by poking it with a finger, it could signal trouble with your liver, kidneys, heart or thyroid. The natural remedies in this chapter—in conjunction with medical care and used with your doctor’s approval—may help ease water retention, according to some health professionals.

See Your Medical Doctor When...

You have swelling in your abdomen or your extremities that lasts for more than a week and your skin “dents” when you poke it with a finger.
You’re pregnant and you notice sudden swelling, especially in your legs.

Acupressure

To improve the body’s fluid balance, press the Sp 4 points, situated on the upper arch of each foot, one thumb-width from the ball of the foot, suggests Michael Reed Gach, Ph.D., director of the Acupressure Institute in Berkeley, California, and author of Acupressure’s Potent Points. (For help in locating these points, refer to the illustration on page 566.) You can work both Sp 4 points simultaneously, says Dr. Gach, by placing the soles of your feet together, then pressing the point on your right foot with your right thumb and the point on your left foot with your left thumb. One minute of pressure on these points, three times daily, can help your body rid itself of excess fluids over the course of a couple of weeks, says Dr. Gach.

Aromatherapy

The essential oils geranium, cypress and juniper help alleviate water retention when added to your bath, according to Judith Jackson, an aromatherapist in Greenwich, Connecticut, and author of Scentual Touch: A Personal Guide to Aromatherapy. She suggests adding 20 drops each to a warm bath and soaking for ten minutes.

For information on preparing and administering essential oils, including cautions about their use, see page 19. For information on purchasing essential oils, refer to the resource list on page 633.

Food Therapy

“Water retention often means that there’s too much sodium in the diet,” says Michael A. Klaper, M.D., a nutritional medicine specialist in Pompano Beach, Florida, and director of the Institute of Nutritional Education and Research, an organization based in Manhattan Beach, California, that teaches doctors about nutrition and its relationship to disease. His answer: Try to limit your sodium intake to 2,000 milligrams (less than one teaspoon) per day by eliminating condiments and other salt- and sodium-rich foods. He also suggests eating more foods high in potassium, which can offset sodium overload. (See “Getting What You Need” on page 142 for a list of potassium-rich foods.)

Herbal Therapy

Try a tea of dandelion greens and burdock root, says Barre, Vermont, herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, author of Herbal Healing for Women and other books about herbs. Dandelion greens are high in potassium and help create the proper water balance that the body needs, she explains, while burdock root is a mild, natural diuretic.

Here’s Gladstar’s recipe: Mix two parts dandelion greens, two parts burdock root and one part marshmallow root. (You can find these dried herbs in most health food stores or through mail order; for mail-order information, refer to the resource list on page 635.) Add three to four tablespoons of this herb mixture to a quart of cold water and bring to a low boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, strain to remove the dried herbs and cool. Gladstar says to drink three to four cups of this tea throughout the day.

Juice Therapy

The Diuretic Formula juice blend was developed by naturopathic physician Michael Murray, N.D., author of The Complete Book of Juicing, to ease water retention. His recipe: Juice a handful of dandelion greens, followed by two celery stalks and four carrots. He suggests drinking this blend twice a day, in conjunction with proper medical treatment.

For information on juicing techniques, see page 93.

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