Swelly Legs, Jelly Legs

Let me tell you about my relationship with salt...

As a teenager, I wouldn't think twice about adding salt to my food or eating salty foods like chips, and cheese. Fast forward to 24 years of age, and I can't even have a 1/4 tsp of salt without feeling the repercussions.

As soon as I so much of have a grain of salt touch my lips (seriously not exaggerating here), my calves immediately start to swell. I can deal with a little edema here and there, but I'm talking full-on, extremely uncomfortable, hard, swollen calves and ankles. Like, it's as if my calves are being held hostage in my skinny jeans. It's a battle trying to pry my jeans off my legs at the end of the night because my calves are THAT swollen.

WHT?! I thought I had at least until late 20s/pregnancy age before I'd start complaining about swollen legs! I talked to my mom about it over the weekend, and she said she is extremely salt sensitive, too. And now it's all making sense. The times I experience peak-swollen level are 1) after sushi (Hello, soy sauce? Clocking in at ~2000 mg of sodium per meal - that's roughly 2 tbsp of soy sauce), and 2) after a chip-out (duh), and 3) after pizza (chEEEEEEEEEse!).

I looked up swelly legs online, and found the following causes:

• Excess sodium consumption
• Prolonged standing/sitting
• Menstrual periods
• Pregnancy
• Being overweight
• Carb overloads
• Increased age
• Injury/trauma

Let me tell you, not only is it not pretty, it's extremely uncomfortable. And I feel like everyone is looking at my huge cankles...

I had to switch up my sushi order to accommodate my new little situation. Now I order sashimi with a side order of brown rice, hold the miso (sad day), extra wasabi. Still need that rice! I find mixing in the wasabi to the rice helps give it a bit more flavour. Plus, I find that brown rice has more flavour that white rice. 

One thing I would like to invest in is a rice cooker. How annoying is brown rice to cook in a pot? I don't have the patience. I am going to try and use my conventional pot and steamer to make steamed brown rice. Not sure if it's going to work...might have to hold out for a rice cooker!

Hope everyone's having a nice Sunday!

Britt

PS - Those aren't my legs in the picture above, but that's what they feel like at the end of a Na-filled evening!