Remove Excess Sodium to Stop Water Weight Gain

If you are a woman, you know all too well that bloated feeling every month during your menstrual cycle. It’s unfathomable how a pair of jeans that fit yesterday won’t fit today. It’s a curse, but water weight gain affects everyone. The main culprit is sodium.

We are talking about salt. The chemical name of the salt compound is sodium chloride. It is used as a preservative in many foods. Salt increases shelf life. Derivatives like monosodium glutamate (MSG) are used to tenderize meat and add flavor to our food, but it is also ruining our health.

Even when you opt for low-fat chips, fat free cookies, light soups and low fat cheeses there is still that sneaky ingredient that keeps you feeling bloated. It is caused by the sodium and it is everywhere. Learning to avoid sodium in excess can save your life.

Your body only needs about 2,400 milligrams of salt per day. That is about the equivalent of two teaspoons. A bowl of canned soup can provide that much and more. You don’t think about the foods that contain sodium because you have been programmed to be worried about and concentrate on things like fat and calorie counting when it comes to weight loss or healthier eating habits. These are not the only things you should be cautious about. Beware of the amount of sodium in your foods as well.

Even some dishes you normally wouldn’t think contain salt have a measure of sodium in it. Pasta mixes, hot dogs, deli meat, and pizza all contain sodium, even the diet varieties.

Your body needs sodium to help it maintain water balance, but not in the amounts that are typically consumed. Our bodies are 90 percent water so the amount of sodium we take in is very important. Sodium also assists in absorption of nutrients within the body and the function of muscle fibers and nerves. While you lose weight you are also working to build muscle and get stronger and leaner. As your body reaches age 40 and beyond, you begin to actually lose muscle.