Water retention and natural diuretics

It's fluid building up in tissue, outside of the blood vessels. It shows up as swelling in the legs, ankles, hands, fingers or face, a heavy feeling, and sometimes a one- or two-kilo weight swing over a few days that has nothing to do with fat.

• Too much sodium, not enough potassium: processed food, deli meats, salty snacks and sauces, without enough fruit and vegetables to balance it out.
• Long stretches standing or sitting: flights, office days, long shifts.
• Heat and humidity: tropical, island weather dilates blood vessels and makes swelling more likely — a long day in the Cayman sun will do it.
• The hormonal cycle: the days before your period are a classic trigger for bloating.
• Not drinking enough water: counterintuitively, drinking too little makes your body hold onto more.
• Alcohol and short nights: both throw off fluid balance and the hormones that regulate it.
• Medical causes: kidney, heart, liver or thyroid issues, or certain medications. These need a proper diagnosis.

A natural diuretic gently supports the elimination of fluid through urine. It's not medication and it won't fix an underlying medical cause. The most commonly used ones:

• Hibiscus flower (flor de jamaica): a traditional, tart, refreshing tea widely used as gentle support for shedding excess fluid.
• Pineapple: water, potassium and bromelain, and it helps meals feel lighter.
• Fibre: not a diuretic, but it improves digestion, which resolves a lot of the "bloating" people mistake for water retention.
• Dandelion, parsley, horsetail, green tea: traditional herbs with a mild effect.

Be wary of "fat burners" and over-the-counter water pills: forcing fluid out too hard can throw off your electrolytes and leave you feeling worse.

1. Cut sodium from processed food before you cut the salt shaker: that's where most of it hides.
2. Raise your potassium with banana, avocado, potato, spinach, coconut water and citrus.
3. Drink water steadily through the day, not all at once at night.
4. Move every hour: even two minutes of walking activates the leg muscle pump.
5. Elevate your legs for 10–15 minutes at the end of the day.
6. Get enough sleep and go easy on alcohol.
7. Add fibre to every meal so your digestive system doesn't feel loaded.

Get checked if swelling appears suddenly, is severe, affects only one leg, or comes with shortness of breath, chest pain, changes in urination, or if you're pregnant. Also flag it if you're on long-term medication — several common drugs can cause fluid retention as a side effect.