Swollen legs, ankles and feet: what it depends on and what are the remedies

By now our life is like a pendulum that swings between chair and sofa, on which we recline just detached from the smartworking and we have a moment to relax based on the TV series. The fact is, however, that more and more, especially with the advancement of the beautiful season, we warn an uncomfortable sensation in the lower limbs: our legs, including ankles and feet, far from being made of marble like those of Jennifer Lopez, they are also made of stone, but there is no fitness sense of the term. F.we find it hard to walk, we feel them as heavier than usual, sometimes enough to have to wear loose clothes and not be able to put on certain shoes that are too tight.

Almost always this swelling occurs in the evening or occurs with the arrival of heat, e the fault is very often of water retention.

WATER RETENTION, ENEMY NUMBER 1

«Spring has arrived and with it all the important seasonal changes. Nature accompanies us in its cyclical nature and together with it we must set our lifestyle. The water retention that manifests itself externally with swelling in the extremities, such as legs, ankles, feet, hands, is only a signal of an organism decompensation which alarms us: this is due to stagnation and malfunctioning of the lymphatic, which I remember does not have its own pump, unlike the microcirculation which instead has it for venous return. The causes of retention can be different: pathological, pharmacological, hormonal and linked to lifestyle. On a hormonal level, especially in women, estrogen comes into play in water retention: the more it is decompensated with respect to progesterone, with high levels in the blood, the more it expresses a strong water retention (in fact, for example, those who take the contraceptive pill typically experience strong retention) “, explains Dr. Andrea Righetti, pharmacist and cosmetologist, naturopath expert in chrononutrition and chronocosmetics.

WHAT TO DO: CORRECT HYDRATION

What to do then to remedy this annoyance? “Certainly it is beneficial to respect the body, nourish it properly and quench its thirst with large quantities of water at the right time, because adding water in the right quantities is very important (1 liter is needed for every 25 kg of weight), but up to a certain time of the day. In the first phase, from 6:00 to 18:00, we need energy from carbohydrates (fruit, whole grains, pasta, bread) and plenty of water, since the system is open and we can eliminate and purify the body; in the evening and at night instead, from 18:00 to 6:00, our body goes into a tissue regeneration phase – with a need for proteins (meat, fish, legumes) and basifying minerals contained in white and green vegetables, – and ‘water must be ingested in normal quantities because the hormone vasopressin blocks its elimination and can worsen peripheral edema ».

WHAT TO DO: THE RIGHT HABITS

To improve the lifestyle within our daily chronometer, here is the program of Dr. Andrea Righetti: “As soon as you wake up: shower, using a bubble bath that activates circulation based on sea salts, algae, ginger, red vine, menthol and, twice a week, a salt scrub; apply a body cream with marine collagen, caffeine, creatine, green tea extract; to do breakfast with carbohydrates and proteins, twice a week do cardio physical activity in the morning to stimulate the microcirculation. Mid morning: drink a liter of water between meals (if retention is already present, add a drain with a herbal tea made from pilosella, birch, dandelion, centella, pineapple) and take a snack as a snack. centrifuged fruit and vegetables, or eat a fruit ».

«At lunch, take the right nutrients rich in fiber, such as whole grains, meat or fish (avoid salt, sausages and pork), lots of raw or cooked colored and green vegetables. After the meal 2 tablets of 300 mg bromelain to improve digestive functions, microcirculation and drainage of liquids. Mid-afternoon: snack with a fruit or centrifuged. Eat protein in the evening for dinner (white meat, blue fish), carbohydrates (a small part contained in legumes) and a lot of fiber with green and white vegetables (colored NO). Before going to bed, treat yourself to a hot bath with Epsom salts and eucalyptus leaves that drain liquids and relax at the same time; take magnesium, to improve sleep and fight water retention. By remembering these simple rules and eliminating all iatrogenic waste, such as alcohol, smoke, salt, white flour, we will surely live healthy and deflated, in our natural chronometer ».

Finally, a massage before bed with a draining cream or oil is also useful. You need to sit comfortably and rest your feet on a stool or table that is not too high. Start the massage starting from the ankles and reaching the thighs, applying a little pressure with the fingertips. To obtain a good result, try to prolong the massage for at least a quarter of an hour. When it’s time to go to sleep, it doesn’t hurt, indeed, to practice the old grandmother’s advice that suggests sleeping with your legs slightly raised: a small pillow is enough to feel the benefits when you wake up.

In the gallery, cosmetics and herbal teas to immediately start deflating legs, ankles and feet. Even immediately!