Feeling puffy? What to watch on swelling days

A puffy morning is the body holding water — not fat gained overnight. Instead of punishing yourself, read the signal:

• Yesterday's plate: salty, processed or very carb-heavy dinners hold water into the next day.
• Sleep: one short night measurably increases fluid retention and face puffiness.
• The calendar: in the second half of the cycle, fluid retention is hormonal and normal — plan for it instead of fighting it.
• Movement: a day spent sitting leaves fluid in the legs; even a 20-minute evening walk drains noticeably.
• Water itself: drinking too little makes the body hold what it has. Steady sips through the day tell it the supply is safe.

If heavy swelling is constant rather than situational, that's a conversation for a doctor first — and afterwards, lymphatic-drainage work is exactly what these days were made for.