Water Weight: What Is It, What Causes It, How To Lose It

Transcript:

Kara: Welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition. Today's show is brought to you by Nutritional Weight & Wellness. I am curious, do you ever experience the discomfort of feeling bloated, puffy, or that your clothes feel a little bit tighter even if you haven't been eating more? Or do you ever feel like you're swelling up after you eat certain foods?

Well, today we're going to be discussing a topic that many people experience, and that topic is water retention. We'll also be referring to this as edema. And swelling can commonly happen throughout the body. You know, it's not just in the waistline. Commonly, it's going to even be more so in the arms and hands and the legs, and particularly the feet and sometimes the face. So we'll be breaking down some dietary hacks and tips that are going to help you to reduce this water retention in a natural way.

First, I want to just take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Kara Carper and I'm pleased to be here today with my co-host Brandy Buro. So good to see you again, Brandy.

Brandy: It’s always good to be here with you. I think we have a lot of fun.

Kara: We do.

What is water retention? (And roles that water plays)

Brandy: And this is kind of a new topic for us, water retention. So I just wanted to start with the basics. What is water retention? So we all have an understanding of what we're really talking about here. I just want to start by saying most of our body weight is composed of water. That might be a little bit of a trivia fact you learned way back in one of your first science classes, but about 60% or more of our body weight is made up of water. That's because water is a really important part of our body chemistry, our biochemistry. It's present inside our cells, outside of our cells.

It helps hydrate our tissues, it helps lubricate our joints. It's important for our bones and our brain health, temperature control through sweat. It helps with our digestion. So many roles water plays, but sometimes, too much water can start to build up in our tissues. And that can lead to that swelling you were just talking about.

So that's water retention, or the medical term that you may have heard is edema. So when excess fluid builds up in your body's tissues, that's called edema. And like you said, it can show up in your face, but mostly I think people notice it in their extremities, their hands, their feet, their ankles and calves. It could just make you feel puffy and bloated all over. Usually it's temporary though, but it can be really uncomfortable in those moments.

What can cause water retention?

And there's a lot of different things that can cause water retention. Everything from hormones to heat to medication, even just sitting or standing for too long can cause that buildup of water.

Kara: Right. Picture Like right now Brandy and I are standing. And you know, some fluid is going to the, the bottom portion of our body and granted it's temporary. But there's lots of factors that can create temporary swelling like that.

Brandy: Yep exactly. Even like the foods that we eat and the beverages that we drink can cause water retention. But that I think is good news because that at least is something that you have some control over. We can choose what goes in our mouth. So once we understand what's leading to water retention and what can prevent it, then we have some wiggle room. We little control over that.

Kara: We definitely want to give some of those tips and some tools today, to our listeners. But first we're going to give a little bit of background on why water retention happens. Your body is very intelligent. It works hard to make sure that you are maintaining proper water levels and fluid levels in your cells. And your body does naturally balance water intake and water loss. And it works hard to keep that total amount of water.

And also the electrolytes, which are important minerals that you've probably heard the terms potassium, sodium, magnesium, are just some of those electrolytes. However, there's a number of health conditions that can create too much fluid that collects in the tissues, and that's what starts to cause noticeable swelling.

When the capillaries in your blood vessels start to leak fluids into your tissues, that can really cause some of the puffiness and feeling of skin tightness is how people describe it. And like Brandy and I have both mentioned it's often in the lower limbs. There's more pressure in those areas. And when swelling appears in the arms and legs, this is something, we've talked about this in past shows, it's called peripheral edema.

You may have even heard us talk about peripheral neuropathy. And that's a different topic, but, you know, peripheral neuropathy is when you have some numbness or maybe nerve pain in the outer extremities. So peripheral edema happens when fluid gathers in your tissues, causes kind of a heavy, swollen, and painful area.

So picture that in kind of the outer limbs. The fingers, the hands, the toes, the feet, the ankles. That's peripheral edema. For some people it's temporary and it goes away on its own. But it is important to know that this can be a sign of a more serious underlying health issue. Sometimes even, you know, life threatening, for example, a cardiovascular condition.

We'll talk a little bit more about that later in the show, but you know, one example could be I had an aunt who unfortunately she had congestive heart failure. She was in congestive heart failure, misdiagnosed. And this was during the midst of the pandemic.

Brandy: Oh dear.

Kara: And as you listeners all recall, it was more challenging to get access to healthcare and leave the home and, you know, everybody was struggling. But she was dealing with congestive heart failure which caused very severe edema.

Brandy: Yeah.

Kara: And it was kind of misdiagnosed as being potentially asthma. So, which also can create like, you know, difficulty breathing, fluid buildup.

How would you know if you have peripheral edema?

Brandy: So whether your water retention is temporary or maybe related to an underlying chronic condition, how would you know if you're dealing with peripheral edema? Again, you're looking for that swelling in the arms, the legs, the hands, the feet. I think the calves are another commonplace to see that swelling, but here are a couple more signs and symptoms to watch for. So you may feel like a really full or heaviness in those areas.

You may actually feel pain and achiness in those areas. The swelling may be so significant that if you were to push your finger in that area, it would leave a mark and that's called pitting. Or you might see, like if you take your socks off or your pants off and you see like a line where your sock was, or a line where the seam of your pants was, you know, that could be a sign of that peripheral edema.

The skin could be so swollen that it could feel tight or maybe even hot or warm to the touch. In some cases, you know, if that swelling is occurring around the joint, it could be really difficult to move that joint because the swelling is so bad.

Kara: And peripheral edema could also show up as some pain and tension around that affected area. And again, it's kind of this feeling of pressure. And that pressure can be related to the veins in the legs, or maybe when your shoes, often people say, oh, my shoes just feel so tight and small. Like they think their feet grew. But actually it's just that swelling in the foot or the feet, creating that tightness, with shoes or other clothing as well.

Brandy: Your shoes might fit in the morning, but not at the end of the day.

Kara: Yeah. That's a great example. Or you know, sometimes if you know the peripheral edema is in the hands, people might notice that like their bracelets or watch, or especially rings aren't fitting. And that can be temporary, but it also is something just to pay close attention to.

Brandy: Right. It's a good gauge.

Kara: In a number of health conditions or situations can cause edema. Often the cause is harmless and it's just a simple case of water retention, like Brandy said, you know, you put your shoes on in the morning. You have a long day. Maybe you go into the office, you're walking around, you're dropping your kids off, you're on your feet quite a bit. You get home and you're thinking, my shoes feel so tight. And my feet are so swollen. That's typically like a harmless case of water retention.

Brandy: Mm-hmm.

More on possible edema or water retention risk factors (#1: excess sodium from ultra processed foods)

Kara: But it can also be a result of a more chronic, serious condition. And so we're just going to go through a breakdown of some possible edema or water retention causes and risk factors. So first, if you're looking at a dietary's perspective, water retention can happen from consuming too much sodium. Now, I'm, listeners have probably heard about this connection before. The sodium really holds onto water, keeps it in the body.

Brandy: Yep. Water follows sodium. Right?

Kara: Yeah. That is a really great way to remember that. And at Nutritional Weight & Wellness, we suggest limiting ultra processed foods. It's not the first time you ever say that because that is where most excess dietary sodium comes from.

Brandy: Right. If you were to eliminate processed foods from your diet, you are naturally following a low sodium diet. Easier to say than it is to do, but truly, you know, that's kind of the source of salt intake for most of us.  

Kara: It’s usually not the salt in the salt shaker that is leading to excess sodium at the end of the day. And maybe we could just give some examples of what are those sneaky high sodium foods you may not even realize unless you turn, you know, turn that can around or the box around and really look at how much sodium is in that particular food item? And look at the serving sizes though.

Brandy: Right.

Kara: I always think of canned soup. You know, canned soup often will be depending on the size, two, 2.5, maybe three, 3.5 servings. And so let's just say it has a certain amount of sodium in there and you're eating the whole can, you need to multiply that sodium content by probably two or three.

Brandy: Exactly. Yeah. Canned soups, frozen dinners, those are loaded with added salt.

Kara: Yeah. Very high.

Brandy: Even things that aren't necessarily salty will have a good amount of salt in them, like bread, you know, not really a salty food, but quite a bit of sodium added to bread. I know that there's even some sweet foods that have a little bit of added salt into them and you know, I think that's to kind of help create a flavor balance, but also I think it encourages you to eat more of it.

Kara: Sure. Manufacturers have gotten pretty wise about what foods, you know, consumers keep going back to because it essentially, they can become kind of addictive. You know, the foods that are higher in the salt and the sugar especially.

Brandy: Exactly.

Kara: The list of high sodium foods could go on and on, but at the end of the day, you know, it's really foods that are in a box, a can, a freezer package, obviously, or maybe obviously to listeners, fast food is often very high in sodium or any kind, really any kind of restaurant or takeout food will be much higher in sodium than food that you're cooking from real ingredients at your own home.

Brandy: Exactly. So real food, that's unprocessed fruits, vegetables, unprocessed meat, avocados, raw nuts, they're all naturally low in sodium, and those are the building blocks of a good tasting meal. You just have to cook it, you know?

And really there might be trace amounts of sodium in those foods, but the bulk of the salt in those meals that you make from real food will be coming from what you add to it. So, lowering your sodium intake is really easy if you are making most of your food at home. You can control the amount of salt that you add and you can add more flavor by including fresh herbs, spices, I really like to use a lot of citrus in my cooking. You know, those are flavor packed and naturally sodium free.

And then you don't need as much salt for that flavor. In fact, I just this weekend made a really good salad that used a good amount of vegetables. It had some cabbage, carrot, cucumber, and the flavor was coming mostly from fresh herbs. There was some fresh dill, mint, cilantro, lots of lime juice.

And there was really not a lot of salt added, just a little bit sprinkled on the vegetables before I added that kind of vinaigrette with the lime juice. And that was just a really tasty satisfying salad with some grilled chicken. Perfect meal.

Kara: That sounds delicious. 'Cause you had the crunch. And then there's something about, I've been eating a lot of foods lately also with squeezing fresh lime and adding fresh cilantro. That can make a world of difference in just about any meal.

Brandy: Absolutely. And so it's definitely worth it to, you know, invest in some herbs when you're shopping, or maybe start something in your garden now. So you've got some fresh herbs to use this summer. Can really transform the whole feel of the dish and you're not going to miss that extra salt.

Hormonal changes can create water retention

Kara: So what are some other conditions that can also lead to water retention? You know, we talked about sitting or standing in one position for too long. There can also be hormonal changes that can create water retention. And I think most, you know, females that are listening of an age of able to menstruate or maybe have menstruated in the past can relate to that.

Kind of that premenstrual syndrome bloating situation. I think women can relate to that leading up to, or even during the period. That occurs from the rise in progesterone and estrogen in the last days of the cycle that lead up to the menstrual cycle. So it's even more important to eat real foods that are low in sodium, like the foods Brandy and I were just talking about.

Skip the fast food and the ultra-processed foods that are packaged or canned. You know, even when you tend to have more cravings for things like salt and sugar when you have, when you're struggling with PMS, this is really a time to kind of be diligent, drink lots of water. Try to avoid, you know, sugar or caffeinated beverages and just stick to the real protein and the vegetable and fruit carbohydrates and those real healthy fats. And that's going to do a world of difference in reducing, you know, some of that bloating and water retention.

Brandy: Much more comfortable during that time.

Kara: Get your, get your pants fitting so.

Brandy: Well, it's time for a break, but when we return, we will share a few more reasons that you might experience water retention or peripheral edema. We'll be right back.

------

Kara: Welcome back. You're listening to Dishing Up Nutrition. I'm Kara Carper, a Licensed Nutritionist, and I'm here with Brandy Buro, Licensed and Registered Dietitian. Today's topic is water weight. What is it? What causes it? And how do you get rid of it or how do you lose it? So, Brandy is going to lead us into this part of the podcast and start by talking about some different medications that could create water retention or edema in the body.

Medications that could create water retention or edema

Brandy: Right. So you know, outside of certain lifestyle choices or hormones, which we don't have a lot of control over, the medications that you're taking could lead to some of that water retention and the medications I think of first would be things that can throw off your body's electrolyte balance.

Medications that can interfere with your sodium levels, which then lead to imbalances in your water levels or certain medications could also cause some dysfunction with your kidneys and your kidneys are basically responsible for balancing your fluid levels. So the medications that come to mind for me are pain medications, things like the over-the-counter ibuprofen or prescription strength methotrexate, you know, that can take a hit on the kidneys, or steroid drugs that are often prescribed for inflammation.

Things like prednisone or cortisone. So those things can throw off your body's water levels, can also interfere with kidney function, and that could lead to some of that water retention.

Venous insufficiency: another possible cause of water retention

Kara: And water retention can also stem from problems with your veins because when your veins aren't able to transport enough blood to the feet and then back to the heart, that is a condition called venous insufficiency. And your ankles and feet become swollen, blood gathers in your legs, and that forces fluid out of your vessels and into that surrounding tissue. And so really that is the most common cause of leg swelling. And people that are 50 or older, especially women, it's something called venous insufficiency.

Brandy: And I have to say, you know, this is something I personally deal with, but I was actually diagnosed when I was 24, so not necessarily something that only, you know, midlife women experience, but you know, somebody in their twenties, very active at the time, could be experiencing it too.

Kara: Yeah. In dietetic school?

Brandy: Yeah, at the time I was in dietetic school. Actually, I investigated this issue because I was starting to have really achy calves, like really kind of a dull ache in my calves every time I went on a run, and that was really bothersome 'cause I loved running. So I, you know, went in, had an appointment with my primary care and they referred me to a vein specialist who did an ultrasound on that area.

And that's what they determined was that the valves that close to prevent blood from flowing back down were not closing. So that was leading to blood, blood pooling in my calves.

Kara: Okay. And that does sound painful, especially for a distance runner. I can imagine how noticeable that was for you.

Brandy: Absolutely. So you know from ever since then, it's been compression stockings as often as I can to help keep that blood flowing back up to the heart.

Kara: Great. So there, that was the medical solution and you're following through on that and thanks for sharing that. I think it's really good for people to know, like, hey, even though I just said it's typically women that are 50 or older, it could, it could happen to someone younger.

Brandy: Mm-hmm.

Kara: And it can happen for males as well.

Brandy: Absolutely.

Kara: So it's something if you suspect, his pooling sensation or pain in the lower extremities like Brandy experienced, something definitely to talk to your doctor or provider about.

Other treatment methods for water retention (diuretic is sometimes considered)

Brandy: So I want to talk a little bit more about other treatment methods for water retention for that peripheral edema, if you have swelling in your legs or your arms. It really depends on what is the root cause of the condition. Sometimes a doctor will simply recommend that you limit your sodium intake and that can minimize fluid retention.

So we talked a little bit about that earlier. Water follows sodium. So if your sodium intake is high, you will retain more water to keep that sodium level balanced in the blood. So just by limiting sodium intake, you can sort of prevent too much of that water from being retained in your body. A medication that some doctors may recommend for this peripheral edema is something called a diuretic. So diuretics are prescribed for people with peripheral edema, but also could be prescribed for people with hypertension. And I think, Kara, you were saying your aunt with congestive heart failure was prescribed a diuretic eventually, right?

Kara: Yeah. In her situation with that congestive heart failure, you know, because her heart was starting to be in failure and it wasn't performing as a heart normally does, and it wasn't pumping like a healthy heart should or would, she had an extreme amount of fluid buildup. And it ended up to be throughout her whole body.

It wasn't just peripheral because it was a pretty severe case of this heart failure. So she had a very distended abdomen as well. And, if I remember correctly, without changing anything with activity 'cause she was not be able to be active at the time, and just eating what she had always eaten, I think she had 15 to 20 pounds of extra fluid. Or water weight.

Brandy: Oh, sure. Wow.

Kara: So it was pretty substantial. So they really had, it was serious. They had to put her on a very strong diuretic to pull some of that fluid out of her body that was building up. And in her case it was, you know, such a case that had gone for so long that she started having something called weeping. Which the diuretic was doing its job. It was pulling so much fluid out on a daily basis that she was like losing fluid out of her feet actually.

Brandy: Oh goodness. Wow.

Kara: Yeah. So, just interesting, you know, that that does happen. It's not common.

Brandy: Mm-hmm.

Kara: But that's kind of how a diuretic works. It really helps the body to excrete excess fluid in the urine, but also through sweat and through the pores and other elimination systems.

Brandy: Right. So, Right. It is encouraging your body to release water and I believe it's doing that by telling your body to get rid of some sodium, so you are going to be peeing a lot more to keep that sodium in balance. And along with that, you may also lose other electrolytes with it, like potassium. So I guess another side effect of these medications, other than just peeing a lot more, or the weeping that you just described, you could end up being dehydrated. And along with that, you know, your electrolytes are off balance.

You could experience cramping. You know, muscle cramps, headaches. You could feel really tired, maybe even really dizzy. So, you know, all medications come with some side effects. So be aware of what you might be getting into if you're talking about a diuretic with your doctor.

Kara: Yeah, it's always good to know ahead of time. I like that Brandy just really have an open discussion. Because there are different categories of diuretics. And some are stronger than others and some are more appropriate for certain situations, whether it's high blood pressure. So yeah, definitely discuss that with your provider.

More tips: Elevate legs, use compression socks & move the body

Now as far as you know what other treatments are often suggested, doctors will commonly suggest elevating legs. And as Brandy was stating, with venous insufficiency, compression stockings are often also recommended. And that's just to reduce that swelling. And so now that we're kind of on the track of treatment and you know, what is recommended to reduce this water retention and edema, first situation is move around, move your body.

You know, you want to keep the body fluids pumping back to your heart and staying active really can help this. So if you're someone that works at a desk for several hours a day, you know, I really like the, the sit to stand desk. I have one of those at home and I know many of you have those in your offices as well.

Brandy: Love it.

Kara: Brandy and I are standing right now as we speak, and some people have a walking pad. I mean, any way to kind of get your body moving if you have a more sedentary job is really important.

Brandy: Yes. I've even seen, like under the desk, like, bicycle pedals.

Kara: Oh yeah that’s another one.

Brandy: Yeah, very discreet.

Kara: Yeah. And I mean, they have like the, the treadmill where you can, you know, if you're, you're not presenting, you know, it'd be hard to do if you were doing a presentation or something, but if you're just typing, I mean, you can kind of be on one of those treadmills. Or have like that walking pad that goes under your desk as you're sitting.

Brandy: Oh, sure.

Kara: Just anything to move your limbs. Move your body, get that blood flowing so it's less likely to pool up and cause swelling. I know I have an Apple watch and I did preset it, so I can't get mad at it 'cause I'm the one that put this into place, but I do have it reminding me to stand 12 times a day.

Brandy: That's great.

Kara: And also just to get in my. I think 7,500 steps; I should increase it to 10,000. But I think it's reminding me, get your 7,500 steps and stand 12 times a day. So a lot of Smart watches will help you out with these reminders.

Brandy: Yeah. You know, if you can try to get up and move five minutes every hour, I think you're doing great.

Kara: Mm-hmm.

Brandy: Sometimes a reminder isn't enough. Some people need an accountability partner to get up and moving. It's great if you have somebody else in your office environment or your neighborhood that you can have a standing time to go on a walk every day, maybe on your lunch break or afternoon break. I know some clients I work with have, a walking group that they meet with every morning. Just to start the day.

And that can have some accountability and make sure you are consistent. Something I'm trying to get in the habit of is take a short walk after dinner instead of going straight to the couch and watching tv. Just doing a couple laps around the neighborhood just to get a little movement before bed before I'm laying down.

It doesn't really matter what you're doing. The goal is really just move your body, engage your muscles, and get that blood flowing back to the heart.

Kara: And Brandy, just to bring up, you know, at the nutritionist meeting last week, I think that was a topic that came up that will give another added benefit to people with regarding glucose or blood sugar.

Brandy: Yes. Right.

Kara: That 10-minute walk after dinner.

Brandy: Yes. Movement after any meal can really help stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent your blood sugar from spiking too high after eating.

Kara: So an extra bonus there.

Potassium’s impact on water retention

Brandy: Definitely. So, we've already talked a little bit about sodium and how sodium and salt intake can impact water retention. But now I want to shift gears and talk a little bit about potassium. I think of potassium a little bit like the opposite of sodium and how it impacts water retention.

Potassium actually helps balance out your sodium level and can encourage your kidneys to let go of some of that extra water. So when you think of potassium rich food, I think a lot of people's minds go straight to bananas. They're kind of the poster child of potassium. But actually there's a lot of other real foods that are much higher in potassium than bananas. So I'll just give you a few examples: avocados, deep leafy greens like spinach and kale, sweet potatoes, my favorite asparagus, which is coming into season right now.

Kara: Me Too. Love that.

Brandy: Coconut water is even a great natural source of potassium, and we do recommend trying to get as much of your potassium intake from food as you can. It's really, you know, easy to do because there are a lot of foods that are high in potassium if you're eating a real food diet.

There are potassium supplements out there, but we recommend checking in with your doctor before starting a supplement or maybe having a conversation with your dietitian, nutritionist about whether or not a, a potassium supplement is right for you. We just don't want you to overdo it on the potassium.

First focus on real food. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, avocados, they're naturally high in potassium. And then if you're thinking about a supplement, I would just kind of cross reference with your physician or your dietician.

Kara: Yeah. I think that's great advice. In the case of someone who has been prescribed a diuretic, that medication we just talked about that pulls water and excretes it from the urine and the sweat and different elimination systems. If someone is on a prescription diuretic, chances are they will also be told by their medical provider to take some kind of potassium, whether it's like from the pharmacy or from over the counter.

Brandy: Right.

Kara: But again, you know, they're the ones that are going to know which medication you're on and how much you should be taking. So just always good to kind of check back in.

Brandy: And those labs will be monitored pretty closely if you're starting a new medication.

Kara: So important cause yeah, they'll be tracking potassium and sodium and all of the minerals and electrolytes that maybe depleted from the diuretic. There may be other things that need to be replaced. Like sometimes sodium, magnesium.

Brandy: Exactly.

Supplement options for mild diuretic effect

Kara: Now if you are looking for additional supplement options, since we're kind of on that topic, there is a combination that works well and it's a mild diuretic effect. This is not a prescription, it's an over the counter, very safe supplement, and it's a combination of an amino acid called taurine plus vitamin B6.

So it's contains 500 milligrams of taurine and a hundred milligrams of vitamin B6. And if folks are wondering, oh, how you know, where would I be getting taurine? Well, some people do have lower levels of taurine if they're not eating very much meat. Also, some things like taurine are going to be excreted easily from the body from excess stress.

Brandy: Right. And who's not stressed?

Kara: Exactly. Or in general, as we age we tend to not produce as much taurine or, you know, keep as much taurine in our body. We tend to excrete more of it.

Brandy: Okay, sure.

Kara: So it's more possible, more likely to be low in that particular amino acid.

Brandy: So supplementing could be beneficial for those folks.

Kara: Yeah. For taurine and that vitamin B6.

Drink more water to reduce water retention

Brandy: Well, I want to share one other tip for helping reduce water retention. And this one always kind of throws people off, but it's drink more water. It sounds kind of counterintuitive that you want to drink more water to reduce water retention, but it's true when you drink enough water and you're adequately hydrated, your body is not going to scavenge water.

So basically, if you're dehydrated, your body is thinking you're in a drought and it's going to kind of latch onto any little morsel of water that you do give it. But if you're drinking enough water, you're telling your system that it, it's okay to relax.

We're good. We don't need to hold on to any extra. So most adults need at least eight, if not 10, maybe even 12 glasses of water a day to be adequately hydrated. You might need more than that if you're sweating a lot. I like to tell clients to use your urine as your guide. You know, if your urine is a nice pale yellow, that is a really good sign.

That is a clue that you are drinking enough water. But if it's trending more towards really dark yellow or amber colored, that's an indication that you need more water.

Kara: Yeah. So if someone is seeing like that really darker yellow urine, you know that that could be a sign of just being dehydrated.

Brandy: Exactly.

Reduce/eliminate processed sugar & refined carbohydrates

Kara: If you've listened to Dishing Up Nutrition before, you've probably heard us dietitians and nutritionists talk about the importance of reducing or eliminating just the processed sugars, refined carbohydrates. We discuss that a lot. It's because doing so is so beneficial for whether it's a weight loss goal or you know, a goal to prevent heart disease or cancer

Brandy: Or reducing pain.

Kara: Arthritis. Yes. And inflammation. Or for today's topic, reducing water retention. This is really, really important we want to leave you with this, is when you think about some of these concentrated carbohydrates that raise blood sugar quickly, like bread, pasta, white rice, crackers, chips, some of the pastries and muffins and bagels, and especially high sugar beverages such as soda or sports drinks and high sugary coffee drinks, all of those are really going to spike that glucose or blood sugar, which leads to a spike in the hormone called insulin.

And insulin's job is to, you know, make sure that glucose levels don't get too high in the bloodstream and that high insulin, that's going to have your body retain more sodium. And that leads to more water retention. And that's a, it's like a direct connection. High sugar, high carbohydrate, more fluid retention, and so we just want to make sure that you are leaving today kind of understanding that connection and instead, you know, focusing on those real proteins and the carbohydrates that are coming, you're picking them out of the ground or out of a tree.

Brandy: Yes.

Kara: You know, the vegetables and fruits, healthy fats. That alone is going to greatly reduce that excess fluid.

Recap

Brandy: Naturally low in sodium, higher in potassium, doesn't spike your blood sugar. Lots of benefits. So I just wanted to do a really quick recap about all of the tips we've shared with you today that can help reduce water retention, reduce that bloating and swelling in your body.

First off, cut back on processed foods. Processed foods are high in sodium, higher in carbohydrate, which lead to water retention. Focus instead on eating potassium rich foods like sweet potatoes, avocados, deeply leafy greens, asparagus, peppers, tomatoes, citrus fruits.

Then drink enough water. You know, we want to aim for about half your body weight in ounces of water every day. That might mean eight to 12 glasses of water. And move your body throughout the day, engage those muscles, get your blood flowing.

You may want to try a natural diuretic like taurine with some vitamin B6 and lastly, avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates to help keep your insulin in balance to reduce that water retention. So these are all, it can sound like small changes, but they really do add up and have a really big impact.

Kara: We want to thank you for listening to another episode of Dishing Up Nutrition, brought to you by Nutritional Weight & Wellness. If you enjoyed today's episode, please take a moment to rate and review us wherever you listen to your podcasts. That way we can continue spreading the message of real food for real health. Have a great day.