You know the feeling: your rings are suddenly too tight, your ankles look puffy by the end of the day, or you step on the scale after what felt like a healthy week and somehow gained three pounds overnight. If you've ever wondered why your body seems to be holding onto water like it's preparing for a drought, you're dealing with water retention—and you're definitely not alone.

Water retention, medically known as edema, happens when your body holds onto excess fluid that it doesn't need. This surplus water typically accumulates in the spaces between your cells rather than within them, leading to that uncomfortable swelling and puffiness in your fingers, feet, legs, abdomen, or face. Up to 60% of the adult human body is water, and when the delicate balance of fluids gets disrupted, your body starts clinging to more than it should.

The good news? For most people, water retention is temporary and manageable with some simple lifestyle adjustments. Whether you're dealing with monthly hormonal fluctuations, the aftermath of a salty meal, or just the effects of sitting at a desk all day, there are real, evidence-based strategies that can help you feel lighter and more comfortable.

What Causes Water Retention?

Before we get into solutions, it helps to understand why your body might be holding onto extra fluid in the first place. Water retention can be triggered by a variety of factors, and pinpointing yours can help you address it more effectively.

Dietary factors

Consuming excessive salt (sodium) and refined carbohydrates—essentially over-processed foods—can disturb the fluid balance in your body. Low protein intake and excessive alcohol consumption also increase fluid retention. Your body needs to maintain a specific sodium-to-water ratio to function properly, so when you consume too much salt, it holds onto water to keep that balance.

Hormonal fluctuations

The hormonal shifts during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause can lead to temporary fluid retention. Estrogen and progesterone regulate fluid distribution in your body, so any imbalance—like what happens in the week before your period—can cause your body to hold onto more water than usual.

Sedentary lifestyle or prolonged standing

Physical activity helps circulate blood from your legs back to your heart. When you're sitting at a desk all day or standing for long hours, gravity causes fluid to pool in your lower extremities. This is why your ankles and feet might swell after a long flight or a day spent on your feet.

Medical conditions

Certain conditions, like heart disease, liver disease, kidney problems, and thyroid disorders, can affect your body's ability to properly eliminate fluids. If you're experiencing persistent or severe swelling, it's important to consult with a healthcare provider to rule out underlying issues.

Common Signs of Water Retention

How do you know if what you're experiencing is actually water retention? Here are the most common symptoms to look for: swelling in your ankles, feet, legs, or hands; a bloated feeling in your abdomen; skin that holds an indentation after being pressed (called pitting edema); sudden weight fluctuations that don't align with your eating or exercise habits; and a feeling of stiffness or achiness in affected areas.

If your water retention is mild and related to lifestyle factors like diet, hormones, or inactivity, the following tips can make a real difference. However, if swelling is sudden, severe, or accompanied by other symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath, seek medical attention immediately.

Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Water Retention

1. Reduce Your Sodium Intake

This is probably the most impactful change you can make. Processed foods, salty snacks, restaurant meals, and pre-prepared foods tend to be loaded with sodium. When you consume excess salt, your body retains water to maintain its sodium-to-water balance—it's a survival mechanism that becomes problematic when your diet is consistently high in sodium.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, most adults should consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day—but the average American consumes over 3,400 mg. Restaurant-prepared meals are particularly problematic; studies show they contain significantly more sodium than home-cooked food.

What to do: Choose more homemade meals where you control the salt. Incorporate fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that are naturally low in sodium. Read nutrition labels and aim to keep individual food items under 600 mg of sodium per serving. Instead of reaching for the salt shaker, experiment with herbs, spices, garlic, lemon juice, and vinegar for flavor.

2. Drink More Water (Yes, Really)

It sounds counterintuitive—drink more water to stop retaining water?—but it actually makes perfect sense. When you're dehydrated, your body goes into conservation mode and holds onto every bit of fluid it can. Staying properly hydrated signals to your body that it doesn't need to hoard water.

Proper hydration also keeps your lymphatic system functioning smoothly, helping eliminate waste and toxins. Plus, sometimes your body confuses thirst with hunger, leading you to eat when you actually just need water—which can contribute to weight fluctuations and bloating.

What to do: Aim for eight glasses of water daily as a baseline, adjusting based on your activity level, climate, and individual needs. If plain water feels boring, add slices of lemon, cucumber, or fresh mint. Herbal teas count toward your fluid intake, too.

3. Get Moving Regularly

Physical activity is one of the most effective ways to reduce water retention. Exercise promotes circulation and helps guide fluid to your lymphatic, digestive, and urinary systems where it can be properly eliminated. It also makes you sweat, which is your body's natural way of releasing excess water and sodium.

Exercise also burns through glycogen stores in your muscles. Since glycogen binds to water (for every gram of glycogen stored, your body holds about 3-4 grams of water), depleting these stores through physical activity naturally reduces water weight.

What to do: Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 3-4 days per week, such as Pilates. Even a brisk walk counts. If you work at a desk, set reminders to stand up and move every hour—even a few minutes of movement helps prevent fluid from pooling in your lower body.

4. Elevate Your Legs

Gravity is working against you when it comes to fluid accumulation in your lower body. When you're sitting or standing for extended periods, fluid naturally pools in your feet and ankles. Elevating your legs above the level of your heart helps drain this excess fluid and encourages proper circulation.

What to do: When resting at home, prop your legs up on pillows so they're above heart level. Even 15-20 minutes can make a noticeable difference, especially after a long day. If you're on a long flight or road trip, try to get up and walk periodically, and flex your feet and ankles while seated to promote circulation.

5. Cut Back on Refined Carbs and Sugar

Refined carbohydrates like white bread, pasta, pastries, and sugary treats can contribute to water retention in a couple of ways. First, when you eat carbs, your body converts them to glycogen for energy storage—and as mentioned, glycogen binds to water. Second, high sugar intake spikes insulin levels, which can cause your body to retain more sodium and, consequently, more water.

What to do: Opt for whole grains over refined carbs—they're digested more slowly and don't trigger the same insulin surge. Reduce your consumption of sweets, sodas, and processed snacks. When you do eat carbs, pair them with protein and healthy fats to slow absorption and minimize blood sugar spikes.

6. Limit Alcohol Consumption

That puffy face the morning after a night out isn't your imagination. Alcohol contributes to water retention in multiple ways: it contains sugar that increases inflammation, it disrupts your body's fluid balance, and it suppresses antidiuretic hormone (ADH), which initially makes you urinate more but then causes your body to overcompensate by holding onto water.

What to do: If you're trying to reduce water retention, cutting back on alcohol is one of the most effective steps you can take. When you do drink, alternate alcoholic beverages with water to stay hydrated and minimize the fluid-retention aftermath.

Foods That Fight Water Retention

Certain foods have natural diuretic properties that can help your body release excess fluid. Incorporating these into your diet is a safe, gentle way to combat water retention without resorting to over-the-counter diuretics.

7. Load Up on Potassium-Rich Foods

Potassium helps balance the effects of sodium in your body and promotes the elimination of excess fluids through urine. When your potassium and sodium levels are out of balance—which is common in modern diets that are high in processed foods and low in fresh produce—water retention becomes more likely.

Best sources: Bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes, spinach and other leafy greens, tomatoes, oranges, cantaloupe, and coconut water. Try to include at least one potassium-rich food at each meal.

8. Eat More Magnesium-Rich Foods

Magnesium is another mineral that plays a crucial role in fluid balance. Research suggests that magnesium supplements can be particularly helpful for reducing water retention related to PMS. Studies have shown that 200 mg of magnesium daily can significantly reduce premenstrual water retention and bloating.

Best sources: Dark chocolate (yes, really—choose 70% cacao or higher), nuts and seeds (especially almonds, cashews, and pumpkin seeds), whole grains, leafy greens, and legumes. If you struggle to get enough through food, talk to your doctor about supplementation.

9. Incorporate Natural Diuretic Foods

Several foods have natural diuretic properties, meaning they help increase urine production and flush excess fluid from your body. Unlike diuretic medications, these foods are gentle and also provide valuable nutrients.

Watermelon: With 92% water content, watermelon is incredibly hydrating. It also contains citrulline, an amino acid that relaxes blood vessels and helps reduce fluid buildup in tissues.

Cucumber and celery: Both are high in water content and contain compounds that act as natural diuretics. Celery also provides fiber that helps reduce bloating in the digestive tract.

Asparagus: Contains asparagine, an amino acid that acts as a natural diuretic. It's been used traditionally to treat swelling and PMS-related water retention.

Citrus fruits: Oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit contain minerals and enzymes that promote water release from the kidneys. They're also acidic, which helps reduce sodium load.

10. Try Herbal Teas with Diuretic Properties

Certain herbal teas have been used for centuries to help reduce fluid retention. While research is still evolving, many people find these teas helpful as part of an overall approach to managing water retention.

Dandelion tea: Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is one of the most popular herbal diuretics. It's rich in potassium, which means it helps increase urine output without depleting this important mineral. Research suggests dandelion can increase urination frequency within 5 hours of consumption.

Parsley tea: Parsley is a diuretic herb rich in vitamins A, C, and K. Fresh parsley leaves can be steeped in hot water to make a simple tea.

Green tea: Contains caffeine, which acts as a mild natural diuretic, plus antioxidants that support overall health.

A note of caution: Herbs aren't as well-regulated or researched as medications, so it can be difficult to determine proper dosages. Some herbs may interact with medications you're taking. If you're considering herbal supplements in concentrated form (capsules, extracts), consult your healthcare provider first.

Additional Strategies

11. Consider Vitamin B-6 Supplements

Vitamin B-6 has been shown to be effective for reducing water retention, particularly the kind associated with PMS. Studies indicate that B-6 works with the kidneys to help flush extra water and sodium from your system, and can reduce symptoms like bloating, breast tenderness, and swelling in the legs.

You can increase B-6 through food sources like poultry, fish, potatoes, chickpeas, and bananas. If you're considering supplements, talk to your doctor about appropriate dosing, as high doses of B-6 over long periods can cause nerve damage.

12. Try Compression Garments

Compression socks, stockings, or sleeves work by applying gentle pressure that improves blood flow to your arms and legs. This can prevent swelling from fluid buildup and is especially helpful if you're on your feet all day, taking a long flight, or prone to swelling in your lower extremities.

What to do: Compression garments come in different pressure levels. For general water retention prevention, light compression (15-20 mmHg) is usually sufficient. Put them on in the morning before swelling starts for best results.

When to See a Doctor

While occasional water retention is normal and manageable with lifestyle changes, there are times when you should seek medical attention. See your healthcare provider if:

Your swelling is sudden, severe, or doesn't improve with home remedies. You experience swelling along with chest pain, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing (call 911 for these symptoms). The swelling is only on one side of your body, which could indicate a blood clot. You're pregnant and notice sudden swelling, especially in your face or hands. Your water retention is persistent—happening most days rather than occasionally. You notice pitting edema (when you press on swollen skin and the indentation remains).

Persistent fluid retention can sometimes indicate underlying conditions like heart, kidney, or liver problems, or thyroid disorders. Your doctor can run tests to rule out these issues and recommend appropriate treatment.

Water retention is uncomfortable, but for most people, it's also very manageable. The key is addressing the root causes—whether that's too much sodium in your diet, not enough movement in your day, hormonal fluctuations, or inadequate hydration.

Start with the basics: reduce processed foods and salt, drink plenty of water, move your body regularly, and incorporate potassium and magnesium-rich foods. From there, experiment with natural diuretic foods and herbal teas to see what works best for your body.

Remember that some water retention—like the kind that happens before your period—is completely normal and temporary. Be patient with your body, focus on overall healthy habits rather than quick fixes, and don't hesitate to consult a healthcare provider if something feels off.

Your body is doing its best to maintain balance. With a few thoughtful adjustments, you can help it do that job more effectively—and feel a whole lot lighter in the process.