A lot of fruit added to your diet by itself will not reduce premenstrual fluid retention. A lower salt intake will help reduce that bloated feeling.
Sodium is outside the cells in your body and potassium is found inside the cells. A higher sodium intake by women can increase fluid retention outside your cells. Increasing your potassium intake will not cause that extra sodium to be excreted. If you have normally functioning kidneys, the extra potassium will be excreted.
Popular women’s magazines often have articles on losing five or ten pounds. Some of these diets just deal with water weight loss and not fat weight loss. If you limit salt, drink at least eight glasses of water and eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables as the articles advise, you may limit your sodium intake. Remember to take a look at your total nutrient intake as well. If your nutrient intake is out of balance, such as a low protein, you may have additional fluid moving into your tissues. Protein affects the pressure in your blood vessels and may cause a leaking of fluid from the blood into the surrounding tissue.
You should not look to just your diet as a cause of premenstrual fluid retention. Hormonally, your body is retaining water the last two weeks before your menses. Your body is preparing itself for pregnancy every month. Progesterone is the hormone that helps build up the uterine lining to support a pregnancy. When pregnancy does not occur, progesterone decreases, the lining sloughs off, and with it the additional fluid that your body retained. You will probably lose the water weight after your monthly menses is over.
A balanced diet including a variety of foods from the Food Guide Pyramid -meat, milk, bread, fruit, vegetables, fats – contain the nutrients you need. Also, if you limit salt intake at the table, you can lower the amount of sodium in your diet.
