# Gonna Try Low Sodium Again **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 2006, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gonna-try-low-sodium-again/383952 "2006-12-13T13:03:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gonna-try-low-sodium-again/383952/21 "2006-12-16T03:37:10Z")
Try out this site: [http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=23715](http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=23715) ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gonna-try-low-sodium-again/383952/22 "2006-12-16T18:48:22Z")
[QUOTE=Quasimodem] Well, I was kinda hoping y’all might link me to a site or a book which has a plan that might work for me. I don’t mind steaming my veggies, but I’d like to keep it as simple as I can. [/QUOTE] I am not a doctor nor a nutritionist, but I do know that some of the effect of water retention from high sodium can be actually dehydration. The sodium level in your blood goes up, your kidneys start retaining water, and you blow up like a balloon. It’s a counterintuitive thing, but for many people drinking more water will lead to less water retention. Try journaling how much fluid you’re taking in to see if you’re at a good place. Personally, I try to get 100 oz of water a day. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gonna-try-low-sodium-again/383952/23 "2006-12-16T20:10:00Z")
Thank you! I will do as you suggest. I already know I don’t drink _enough_ water, and drink too many diet colas, so this combined with a change in diet will hopefully bring about the change I need in order to avoid using the diuretics. I appreciate the advice. Q ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gonna-try-low-sodium-again/383952/24 "2006-12-18T14:08:19Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] That’s kinda the whole point of changing your eating habits; try things you never ate before. Otherwise you’re not changing anything, right? Do you ever eat anything green? [/QUOTE] Not true. All hamburgers are not the same, in terms of sodium, for instance. Cucumbers are green. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gonna-try-low-sodium-again/383952/25 "2006-12-18T14:12:02Z")
[QUOTE=CandidGamera] Not true. All hamburgers are not the same, in terms of sodium, for instance. Cucumbers are green. [/QUOTE] Cucumbers are water. Which, I mean, is great if you’re trying to eat more water, but you best not be counting it as some super-nutritious vegetable. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gonna-try-low-sodium-again/383952/26 "2006-12-18T14:51:37Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] Cucumbers are water. Which, I mean, is great if you’re trying to eat more water, but you best not be counting it as some super-nutritious vegetable. [/QUOTE] I noted earlier that they have no nutritional value, but Fear Itself’s question was simply a snide “Do you ever eat anything green?” Better answer than the question deserved. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gonna-try-low-sodium-again/383952/27 "2006-12-18T15:08:14Z")
[QUOTE=Quasimodem] I already know I don’t drink _enough_ water, and drink too many diet colas, so this combined with a change in diet will hopefully bring about the change I need in order to avoid using the diuretics. [/QUOTE] I’m of the school that says that water is water, whether it’s an ingredient in something or taken plain. So diet colas count. Even if they have caffeine in them. Caffeine is a diuretic, too, but if you get sufficient fluid intake, the diuretic effects of caffeine aren’t enough to cancel out the water. Still, if you are getting caffeinated pop, you might consider switching to a caffeine-free version. I’m kinda trying to, myself. I’m kinda not entirely successful. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gonna-try-low-sodium-again/383952.md?page=1)