Circulation problems, water retention, but also an excessively sedentary lifestyle, and an incorrect diet are all causes that can contribute to creating that annoying (and dangerous) feeling of heavy and swollen legs, which becomes oppressive especially with the arrival of heat and ‘summer. However, there are some remedies that can help us to limit the problem. And nutrition is an important ally for having light legs and reducing the risk of venous stasis.
How to fight heavy legs
In the hot season, water retention and swollen legs are often women’s daily problems: in fact, vasodilation tends to increase when temperatures rise, causing greater stagnation of fluids, which is one of the main causes of heavy legs and the appearance of cellulite and orange peel skin.
The sensation of having sore and tired legs is also a symptom of poor circulation, and more precisely it can be the effect of an alteration of the microcirculation of the lower limbs, which complicates the return of blood to the heart and causes it to stagnate in the legs. This causes swelling, poor oxygenation of the tissues, fragility, and dilation of veins and capillaries, water retention, and cellulite.
If there are no particular pathologies (such as an imbalance between the venous and lymphatic systems or problems in the blood circulation), the problem of heavy legs due to venous stasis can be caused by an unbalanced lifestyle, and in particular by an excessively sedentary lifestyle and “wrong” personal habits, such as spending many hours sitting and with legs crossed, wearing too tight clothes or too high heels, abuse of smoking and alcohol.
Nutrition to improve circulation
Another critical aspect in this sense is an incorrect diet, while on the contrary a healthy, varied. And draining diet is the first remedy to deflate the legs and fight water retention, cellulite, and orange peel skin.
The allied foods for having light legs are vegetables, fruit, white meats, eggs, fish or legumes, but also complex carbohydrates in integral version, while one of the “enemies” is salt, which in excessive doses can push the kidneys to eliminate calcium (increasing the risk of osteoporosis) and draws water from the cells to the vessels, favoring swelling and cellulite. A good practice is not to add salt to foods, replacing it with spices or aromatic herbs when we cook and avoiding foods that contain excessive quantities (for example ham, pizza, anchovies, canned meats).
Before going to see the list of perfect foods for an anti-bloating menu, let’s try to understand in general what are the positive characteristics that should not be missing in our diets. Vegetables and fruit are excellent sources of vitamins, fibers, and minerals, but you have to pay attention to the sugar intake (especially for fresh fruit), favoring products rich in potassium, a mineral that balances sodium. The suggestion is to consume at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, to build up a load of positive nutrients for a diuretic, purifying, and draining action.
Even the oil extra virgin olive oil is a health ally because the content of vitamin E makes it a perfect antioxidant and anti-aging, able to strengthen the walls of blood vessels and protect all the vitamins from oxidation. For this reason, it is advisable to add a drizzle of oil to dishes based on white meat, eggs, fish, or legumes, thus strengthening the protein intake of these products.
As mentioned, then, complex carbohydrates, such as those made from pasta, bread, rice, must not be missing. But to limit the calorie intake we can choose the wholemeal versions, which are also richer in fiber. The fibers are fundamental against heavy legs because they ward off constipation and ensure the right intestinal mobility.
Which foods promote circulation and light legs
In short, nutrition plays an important part in preventing the problem of venous stasis and attenuating its symptoms, and some foods, in particular, can help us have light legs because they have a draining and protective effect on the microcirculation that improves circulation and counteracts the appearance. of swelling and retention.
So here are 5 foods that can help us have light legs in the summer
Pineapple
Pineapple is an important ally against water retention because it has a strong diuretic power deriving from the content of minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and iron, in addition to fiber and bromelain. In particular, the latter is an enzyme present in the stem that carries out an anti-inflammatory action, which therefore helps to relieve swollen tissues from the stagnation of liquids and to remove swelling and heaviness in the legs.
Also known as a fat-burning food, pineapple can be eaten fresh as a natural snack. In addition to yogurt or in a smoothie. But it can also be added to salads or lightly grilled to make it tastier.
Onion
The onion is also a food capable of carrying out a diuretic and purifying action, particularly useful for avoiding swelling and the accumulation of liquids in the lower limbs. In fact, this vegetable is rich in water (which represents 92% of its composition), glycolic acid, and mineral salts such as potassium. We can add onion to a raw salad, or prepare it steamed, baked, or sautéed with other vegetables to obtain a delicious and healthy side dish.
Green beans
Green beans promote diuresis because they have a high content of water and potassium and, on the other hand, a very low presence of sodium: when we consume them, therefore, we favor the elimination of liquids, avoiding their accumulation in the tissues. There are many recipes with green beans, and the important thing is not to overdo it with seasonings, in particular with salt, on the contrary trying to flavor these legumes only with spices or aromas and with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Fennel
Even the fennel is food from a useful diuretic and can help us to have light legs; moreover, it has very few calories and provides a lot of fiber, and it also has high satiating power. To consume it, we can simply munch it on its own and add it to salads (where it will represent a delicious crunchy element to find). Or steam it for a healthy side dish or, again, prepare an infusion to drink at the end of a meal.
Red fruits
In principle, all red fruits – blueberries, blackberries, currants, but also strawberries and cherries – are useful foods to beat water retention and heavy legs: they are in fact naturally rich in mineral salts such as magnesium and potassium, but also in polyphenols and of anthocyanins, antioxidants that keep blood capillaries healthy and improve microcirculation. In addition, strawberries are also rich in vitamin C, a known cure-all for strengthening the immune system and also for improving circulation, avoiding edema, and accumulation of toxins in the tissues.
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