Question: I get very puffed up with fluid just before my period. What do you suggest?

Answer

While diuretics are necessary for some severe cases of fluid retention, simple self-help remedies should provide all the help you need.

• Eat less salt: Too much salt in the diet is a common cause of fluid retention. Choose unprocessed fresh foods and make your own bread (a bread-maker is a worthwhile investment). When you do eat processed foods, pick those labelled 'low salt' or 'low sodium'.
• Get more potassium: This mineral does not work directly as a diuretic, but the right balance of potassium and sodium is crucial for regulating your body’s fluid levels. Good sources include bananas, avocadoes, potatoes, poultry, and yoghurt.
• Drink 2 cups of dandelion tea a day. Dandelion leaf is a natural diuretic; it is also a rich source of potassium. Nettle tea is also a natural diuretic, as is cornsilk tea. All are available at health-food stores. While you're piling up your plate with fruit and vegetables for their potassium content, save some room for celery, watermelon, parsley and asparagus, which are all natural diuretics.
• Take a daily dose of 100 mg of vitamin B6 for the five days before your period. This vitamin is a mild diuretic; it also helps balance a woman's oestrogen and progesterone levels. Note that it's best not to take any of the B-group vitamins in isolation - take a B-complex as well.
• Take regular exercise to relieve swelling in the legs. If you find your lower legs and ankles become swollen, wear support tights and don't wear knee-high socks or stockings with elastic under the knees. Gentle self-massage, using a squeeze-and-release motion up and down your lower legs, will help move fluid. Swollen legs and feet can also be improved by lying down and putting your feet up so your legs are higher than the level of your heart.

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