Have you ever noticed your body is little puffy after eating a salty meal like Enchilada or Sashimi?  Or Ladies, have you ever noticed that your pants fit a little tighter before or during that time of the month? 

Consuming sodium in excess (mmm, yummy nachos) or hormones can cause the body to retain water and make you feel bigger than you really are.  Of course, everyone retains water...we are in fact 60% water. There are also some other causes of water retention: Dehydration, low calorie diets, some medicines and histamines. 

We cannot make our bodies stop retaining water BUT we can minimize the amount of water retention. 

Here are some ways to take to shed excess water from your body:

1. Lower your sodium intake. 
   
2. Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day.  Add some lemon juice for a kick.  
3. Consume Diuretic Beverages like Coffee, Green Tea and Cranberry juice.  Why?  I am not a big tea drinker, but with a little lemon and some ice, it is not so bad.  For the last 2 months, I have committed to drinking 2 glasses of green tea a day  I am happy to report that I am seeing a dramatic decrease in the amount of water I am retaining and my ankles do not look like Ms. Piggy's ankles . 
   
4. Consume High Potassium Fruits and Veggies. Some fruits are melons, bananas, lemons, oranges and grapefruits.  Some veggies are leafy greens, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber and onions. Potasium helps to keep your fluid levels in balance.
5. Caffeine...in moderation.  Consuming too much caffeine can lead to dehydration and that will cause water retention.
6. Eat small, frequent meals.

Try some of the above for a month and see if you can average out the amount of water you are retaining.   Good luck!

Disclaimer : Talk with your doctor if you feel that you are retaining more water than you think is "normal" for you.