Women - Salt & Water Retention - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

genuinegirly · 12-11-2008, 08:46 AM

When I married my husband, we moved in to his parents' home. His family cooks with extreme quantities of salt. Sice I enjoy eating meals with the family, I began consuming salt at these increased levels. I have also noticed that since moving into their home, I have experienced more extreme bloating and sore breasts as PMS symptoms. A few nights ago I was so bothered by the lingering taste of salt in my mouth after a meal that I decided to see if my distaste for salt was medically justifiable. I didn't think to connect salt and PMS until I read this Mayo Clinic article.

Link

Quote:

Water retention before your period: How to stop the swelling
Premenstrual water retention is that bloated, heavy, full feeling that occurs a week or two before your period begins and goes away after your period starts. For most women, water retention before menstruation is just a monthly bother, but in some cases, it can be severe enough to interfere with daily activities. Luckily, there are other options besides spending five days in your "fat pants." Lifestyle changes, medications and natural remedies can help ease your bloated belly.

Water retention: The most common premenstrual symptom
That need-to-unbutton-your-pants feeling is perfectly normal. Up to 85 percent of women who menstruate have at least one premenstrual sign or symptom. And abdominal bloating, caused by water retention, is common.

Water retention is just one of more than 200 symptoms that have been linked to a woman's monthly menstrual cycle — a condition commonly known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Other common signs and symptoms of PMS include fatigue, breast tenderness, acne, headaches, food cravings, irritability and crying spells. These signs and symptoms typically begin between the ages of 25 and 35.

Why water retention happens
The exact cause of PMS — and its unwelcome symptoms — is unclear, but cyclic changes in hormones during this time of the month seem to play a major role. Here's a refresher on how your menstrual cycle works:

The average menstrual cycle lasts about 28 days. Day one is the first day of your period.
In the first half of your cycle, estrogen levels increase, signaling the lining of your womb (uterus) to thicken and grow. During the same time, hormones from your pituitary gland stimulate your ovaries to develop and release an egg.
About day 14, the egg is released and travels into one of your fallopian tubes. Then progesterone levels increase in preparation for pregnancy.
If the egg isn't fertilized, hormones decrease again and the thickened lining of the uterus is shed during your menstrual period. This occurs about day 28, and the whole cycle starts over again.
Chemical changes in the brain seem to interact with monthly hormonal changes and contribute to PMS symptoms. Serotonin is the brain chemical (neurotransmitter) most frequently blamed for PMS, but other chemicals also may come into play. In addition, stress and emotional problems seem to make PMS worse.

How to get your belly back
Most women can minimize — or prevent — premenstrual water retention and its resulting weight gain. Lifestyle changes usually do the trick, but medications and natural remedies can help, too.

Lifestyle changes
Taking extra-good care of yourself just before your period can help banish bloating. Plus, positive lifestyle changes provide other health benefits all month long.

Exercise. When PMS strikes, fight the urge to sit around in your sweats and watch chick flicks. Women who exercise generally report fewer PMS symptoms.
Skip the salt. Restricting sodium in the last few days before your period can reduce bloating, fluid retention, and breast swelling and tenderness. So put away your saltshaker. And pay attention to less-obvious sources of sodium, including condiments, such as soy sauce, and processed and prepared foods, such as canned vegetables, soups and deli meats.
Try smaller meals. Nibble on five or six small meals, instead of three big ones. Just make sure these smaller meals include plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
For most women, these lifestyle changes are the only treatment needed for water retention.

Medications
If you can't control premenstrual water retention with lifestyle changes alone, nonprescription and prescription medications can help:

Diuretics. The most effective medicine for water retention is usually a diuretic. Sometimes called water pills, these medications help rid your body of sodium and water by making your kidneys excrete more sodium in urine. They are available in over-the-counter formulations, such as pamabrom (Aquaban), or stronger prescription pills. But long-term use of these fluid reducers can cause electrolyte abnormalities or even kidney damage.
Over-the-counter PMS treatments. These medicines (Midol, Pamprin) usually contain some combination of mild diuretics, pain relievers, antihistamines and caffeine. So they can treat a range of PMS symptoms. However, if your main symptom is water retention, you may not need all of the active ingredients in these medications.
Over-the-counter pain relievers. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and naproxen (Aleve), may alleviate physical symptoms that occur with PMS. If you experience abdominal cramps along with bloating, acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) also may help.
Birth control pill (oral contraceptive). If you have severe water retention and cramping, your doctor may recommend a low-dose oral contraceptive. These medicines prevent ovulation, which can reduce the physical symptoms of PMS.
The best medication for you depends on a range of factors, including the severity of your symptoms and your desire to become pregnant.

Natural remedies
Countless vitamins, minerals and herbs have been touted as a cure for PMS symptoms. The following remedies have proved to reduce water retention in scientific studies:

Calcium. Studies show that taking 1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium a day may reduce water retention, cramps and other physical symptoms of PMS.
Magnesium. A dose of 200 mg to 400 mg of magnesium each day has shown some benefit to alleviate bloating.
Natural diuretics. Some herbs — including dandelion, ginger and juniper — act as a natural diuretic because they make you urinate more. However, natural diuretics have only a modest effect, compared with conventional medications.
Primrose oil and gingko leaf extract also are commonly recommended for premenstrual water retention, but there is little evidence for their effectiveness.

When to talk to your doctor about water retention
Talk to your doctor if you're troubled by monthly water retention. He or she may suggest that you keep a symptom diary for a few months. This helps confirm that your symptoms are related to your menstrual cycle, rather than other causes of abdominal pain, including irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease or other gastrointestinal problems.

Your doctor can also help determine the best treatment for you. Over-the-counter PMS medications and herbal remedies can interact with other medications you're taking and some can't be taken in high doses for extended periods. Work with your doctor to find a safe, effective way to put those fat pants back in the closet — and wear your favorite jeans all month long.

So, I bring this to the Ladies' Lounge:

Does salt have this affect on you?
Do you enjoy salt, dislike it, or find yourself indifferent?
Do you have any tips for cutting salt out of my diet without insulting my mother-in-law's cooking?

raeanna74 · 12-11-2008, 12:33 PM

I've had trouble with water retention. I rarely use salt in my cooking and when I do it's in small amounts.

When I was pregnant I did have a lot of trouble with bloating and water retention. My ankles disappeared under the swelling for 3 months and so did my wrists. My Dr warned me away from salt as much as possible (which was easy for me thankfully) and told me to drink as much water as possible. At one point I was drinking a gallon of water a day. It did help some but didn't completely stop it.

Now when I do have PMS symptoms I can improve things quite quickly really by drinking a lot of water.

genuinegirly · 12-11-2008, 01:05 PM

Fascinating, Raeanna! Thank you for sharing.

Came to mind as I read your post: Potted plants tend to build up salt in their soil. If one has a container garden, you're supposed to water them an extreme amount about once a month, to leech out the salts from the soil.

Acetylene · 12-11-2008, 01:19 PM

I enjoy a moderate amount of salt and usually use about half of what a recipe calls for.

I do not find that it causes me any ill effects, except my mouth gets sore when eating salty food; I just have taste preference for less salt.

My step-mother cooks such salty food that it is often barely edible for me. I eat lunch at their place several times a week and in order to deal with this, I simply eat very little of the entree and have lots of vegetables or whatever. Then I have another meal when I get home, usually leftovers from the previous night's dinner. This is better for me both because of less salt and because I feel better if I eat smaller, more frequent meals; it avoids the "crash" in late afternoon.

As long as I tell her it was good, she just assumes I have a small appetite and doesn't get offended. It often IS good, just too extreme to make a whole meal out of it - like, candy is good but it's too sweet to eat for dinner.

snowy · 12-11-2008, 01:51 PM

I have to consume an incredible amount of sodium to start having problems with water retention. To that end, I generally avoid processed foods that contain said huge amounts of sodium. Salt added during cooking doesn't seem to bother me at all. Of course, I tend to be moderate in salting my food compared to others. I do have a half-pint jar of sea salt next to the stove (my version of a salt well) but I only use what tastes good to my palate. I generally don't go by specific measurements of salt--any good recipe should say season to taste (in my opinion). It usually runs to about a half teaspoon of sea salt, sometimes less, but in a serving of whatever dish I'm making, that turns out to be a much smaller amount. I use pinches of salt--small ones, as you can always add more but once it's in there, it's in there, and you can't take it back out or undo the oversaltedness. I only measure salt when I'm baking, as then having a precise measurement is important.

My SO's mother sounds like your MIL, genuinegirly. She likes to pile on the salt. She made a dish of macaroni and cheese last weekend for my SO that was basically inedible to him because she added so much salt when it wasn't needed--it was box macaroni and cheese, which comes with plenty of salt already, but then she added these seasoned breadcrumbs that just had waaay too much salt added to them. She adds salt to things that are already salted. To me, that's crazy.

Don't get me wrong, I like salt and from time to time, I crave it, but I don't like to dump it all over my food. Blech. Salt should enhance the flavor of the food that it's in, not be the resounding note that you taste when you eat the food. Might as well just eat a teaspoon of salt in that case.

lostgirl · 12-11-2008, 04:03 PM

I haven't noticed any negative effects, but I try not to use much.
I'm indifferent, but there are times when I crave salty things. Usually sweet and salty together.
I would just echo what others have said here to drink lots of water. It will help dilute the salinity of your blood, and flush it out of your system.

cadre · 12-11-2008, 07:42 PM

I use less salt than most people but for the most part I don't do much to avoid it. I get meats that aren't injected with salt and I use Sea Salt instead of table salt (less sodium).

My recommendation would be to try to get meats without salts in them. Look for words like "natural" and "preservative free". Sea Salt helps a little but don't count on it to solve all your problems. Keep in mind that things like sauces and condiments have lots of sodium in them. Get low sodium things where you can, most people wouldn't notice the difference in taste. Most of all, get exercise and drink lots of water.

I hope that helps. I usually don't have too much of a problem with water retention, the only time it's noticeable is the week before my period and since I've been carrying a water bottle everywhere the problem is almost gone.

Edit: Are you on a multivitamin of any kind? If not you may try that. Mineral imbalances are the main cause for water retention.

genuinegirly · 12-11-2008, 10:44 PM

Acetylene, I'm going with your method of eating less at the dinner table. I tried it tonight and my m-i-l didn't seem to notice.

Snowy, that mac & cheese experience sounds horrid! Also not unlike a typical meal around here. She adds between 1/8C and 1/4C of salt to every meal. We're talking about HUGE quantities that leave a grittiness to the food and an inescapable salty residue in my mouth.

Cadre, thank you for your advice. I don't eat meat, so I'm good there. When I cook for myself I use no salt. No matter how much I use, my husband will pour the salt shaker on it anyway, so I make it the way I like and let him do his thing. I prefer spices to salts. But I do not cook here. So between now and a month from now I just need to make sure I don't eat much of what my husband's family puts in front of me.

Going to drink plenty of water, too.

Lindy · 12-15-2008, 08:03 PM

Water retention is just one of the many manifestations of a diet high in carbohydrates. A high protein, low carb diet, even if high fat, is naturally diuretic. My experience is that this is true even with lots of salt, which I enjoy on steak.

Lindy

little_tippler · 12-16-2008, 05:13 AM

I find it interesting that people say they use little salt, moderate amounts, or extreme amounts.

Exactly how do you know what others are using? Do you see poeple putting salt in food while cooking often? How are you comparing?

I'm going to say I use and consume moderate amounts, because you do need some salt in your diet. Same as needing some fat. I put salt in my food while I'm cooking. I don't add extra salt once it's cooked. I only ever sprinkle a small amount in most things, like in soup, while boiling pasta, on a steak I'm grilling, in dough, etc.

I have never noticed that salt has a negative effect on me, in terms of bloating or water retention. But then I'm not that in tune with my body. Associating that because I put x amount of salt in my food 3 hours earlier I then seem to have slightly more water retention or bloating, is almost impossible for me. Who has time for this? I have always wanted to understand my body better but I really wouldn't know where to start.

ItWasMe · 12-16-2008, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by genuinegirly

So, I bring this to the Ladies' Lounge:

Does salt have this affect on you?
Do you enjoy salt, dislike it, or find yourself indifferent?
Do you have any tips for cutting salt out of my diet without insulting my mother-in-law's cooking?

a. Not sure.

b. I enjoy salt, but try to limit it where I can due to high blood pressure, which hit me about 2 years ago.

c. A doctor's note?

KarrB · 01-09-2009, 07:17 PM

I do not use salt. It's bad......

12-11-2008, 12:33 PM	#2 (permalink)
raeanna74 I'm not a blonde! I'm knot! I'm knot! I'm knot! Location: Upper Michigan	Water retention I've had trouble with water retention. I rarely use salt in my cooking and when I do it's in small amounts. When I was pregnant I did have a lot of trouble with bloating and water retention. My ankles disappeared under the swelling for 3 months and so did my wrists. My Dr warned me away from salt as much as possible (which was easy for me thankfully) and told me to drink as much water as possible. At one point I was drinking a gallon of water a day. It did help some but didn't completely stop it. Now when I do have PMS symptoms I can improve things quite quickly really by drinking a lot of water. __________________ "Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama My Karma just ran over your Dogma.

12-11-2008, 01:05 PM	#3 (permalink)
genuinegirly Eat your vegetables Super Moderator Location: Arabidopsis-ville	Fascinating, Raeanna! Thank you for sharing. Came to mind as I read your post: Potted plants tend to build up salt in their soil. If one has a container garden, you're supposed to water them an extreme amount about once a month, to leech out the salts from the soil. __________________ "Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq "violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

12-11-2008, 01:19 PM	#4 (permalink)
Acetylene Addict Location: under a rock	I enjoy a moderate amount of salt and usually use about half of what a recipe calls for. I do not find that it causes me any ill effects, except my mouth gets sore when eating salty food; I just have taste preference for less salt. My step-mother cooks such salty food that it is often barely edible for me. I eat lunch at their place several times a week and in order to deal with this, I simply eat very little of the entree and have lots of vegetables or whatever. Then I have another meal when I get home, usually leftovers from the previous night's dinner. This is better for me both because of less salt and because I feel better if I eat smaller, more frequent meals; it avoids the "crash" in late afternoon. As long as I tell her it was good, she just assumes I have a small appetite and doesn't get offended. It often IS good, just too extreme to make a whole meal out of it - like, candy is good but it's too sweet to eat for dinner. __________________ There's no justice. There's just us.

12-11-2008, 01:51 PM	#5 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	I have to consume an incredible amount of sodium to start having problems with water retention. To that end, I generally avoid processed foods that contain said huge amounts of sodium. Salt added during cooking doesn't seem to bother me at all. Of course, I tend to be moderate in salting my food compared to others. I do have a half-pint jar of sea salt next to the stove (my version of a salt well) but I only use what tastes good to my palate. I generally don't go by specific measurements of salt--any good recipe should say season to taste (in my opinion). It usually runs to about a half teaspoon of sea salt, sometimes less, but in a serving of whatever dish I'm making, that turns out to be a much smaller amount. I use pinches of salt--small ones, as you can always add more but once it's in there, it's in there, and you can't take it back out or undo the oversaltedness. I only measure salt when I'm baking, as then having a precise measurement is important. My SO's mother sounds like your MIL, genuinegirly. She likes to pile on the salt. She made a dish of macaroni and cheese last weekend for my SO that was basically inedible to him because she added so much salt when it wasn't needed--it was box macaroni and cheese, which comes with plenty of salt already, but then she added these seasoned breadcrumbs that just had waaay too much salt added to them. She adds salt to things that are already salted. To me, that's crazy. Don't get me wrong, I like salt and from time to time, I crave it, but I don't like to dump it all over my food. Blech. Salt should enhance the flavor of the food that it's in, not be the resounding note that you taste when you eat the food. Might as well just eat a teaspoon of salt in that case. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

12-11-2008, 07:42 PM	#7 (permalink)
cadre The Worst Influence Location: Arizona	I use less salt than most people but for the most part I don't do much to avoid it. I get meats that aren't injected with salt and I use Sea Salt instead of table salt (less sodium). My recommendation would be to try to get meats without salts in them. Look for words like "natural" and "preservative free". Sea Salt helps a little but don't count on it to solve all your problems. Keep in mind that things like sauces and condiments have lots of sodium in them. Get low sodium things where you can, most people wouldn't notice the difference in taste. Most of all, get exercise and drink lots of water. I hope that helps. I usually don't have too much of a problem with water retention, the only time it's noticeable is the week before my period and since I've been carrying a water bottle everywhere the problem is almost gone. Edit: Are you on a multivitamin of any kind? If not you may try that. Mineral imbalances are the main cause for water retention. __________________ My life is one of those 'you had to be there' jokes. Last edited by cadre; 12-11-2008 at 07:45 PM..

12-11-2008, 04:03 PM	#6 (permalink)
lostgirl lightform Location: Edge of the deep green sea	I haven't noticed any negative effects, but I try not to use much. I'm indifferent, but there are times when I crave salty things. Usually sweet and salty together. I would just echo what others have said here to drink lots of water. It will help dilute the salinity of your blood, and flush it out of your system.

12-11-2008, 10:44 PM	#8 (permalink)
genuinegirly Eat your vegetables Super Moderator Location: Arabidopsis-ville	Acetylene, I'm going with your method of eating less at the dinner table. I tried it tonight and my m-i-l didn't seem to notice. Snowy, that mac & cheese experience sounds horrid! Also not unlike a typical meal around here. She adds between 1/8C and 1/4C of salt to every meal. We're talking about HUGE quantities that leave a grittiness to the food and an inescapable salty residue in my mouth. Cadre, thank you for your advice. I don't eat meat, so I'm good there. When I cook for myself I use no salt. No matter how much I use, my husband will pour the salt shaker on it anyway, so I make it the way I like and let him do his thing. I prefer spices to salts. But I do not cook here. So between now and a month from now I just need to make sure I don't eat much of what my husband's family puts in front of me. Going to drink plenty of water, too. __________________ "Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq "violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

12-15-2008, 08:03 PM	#9 (permalink)
Lindy Junkie	Water retention is just one of the many manifestations of a diet high in carbohydrates. A high protein, low carb diet, even if high fat, is naturally diuretic. My experience is that this is true even with lots of salt, which I enjoy on steak. Lindy

12-16-2008, 05:13 AM	#10 (permalink)
little_tippler Leaning against the -Sun- Super Moderator Location: on the other side	I find it interesting that people say they use little salt, moderate amounts, or extreme amounts. Exactly how do you know what others are using? Do you see poeple putting salt in food while cooking often? How are you comparing? I'm going to say I use and consume moderate amounts, because you do need some salt in your diet. Same as needing some fat. I put salt in my food while I'm cooking. I don't add extra salt once it's cooked. I only ever sprinkle a small amount in most things, like in soup, while boiling pasta, on a steak I'm grilling, in dough, etc. I have never noticed that salt has a negative effect on me, in terms of bloating or water retention. But then I'm not that in tune with my body. Associating that because I put x amount of salt in my food 3 hours earlier I then seem to have slightly more water retention or bloating, is almost impossible for me. Who has time for this? I have always wanted to understand my body better but I really wouldn't know where to start. __________________ Whether we write or speak or do but look We are ever unapparent. What we are Cannot be transfused into word or book. Our soul from us is infinitely far. However much we give our thoughts the will To be our soul and gesture it abroad, Our hearts are incommunicable still. In what we show ourselves we are ignored. The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged By any skill of thought or trick of seeming. Unto our very selves we are abridged When we would utter to our thought our being. We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams, And each to each other dreams of others' dreams. Fernando Pessoa, 1918

01-09-2009, 07:17 PM	#12 (permalink)
KarrB Upright	I do not use salt. It's bad......