Kidney Beans and Lotus seed soup

I had been having really bad water retention for 3 days. My legs literally look swollen and puffy. My body weight also increased by 2 kg.

I did some research and I realised that the culprit of my water retention is sodium and dehydration! Firstly, I'm prone to eating veg and dishes and not much rice, thus sodium intake tend to be higher because I overlooked the cumulative amount of sodium that I ate. Second, I developed the bad habit of not drinking sufficient water (because of not wanting to use the bathroom too often) thus, my yo-yo weight gain and loss are due to water retention. (it finally dawned on me after like years...)

So recently in my post fast, the water retention became very severe. My ankle and thighs were swollen and easily dimpled. Which spells trouble for the kidneys. I had to take some serious action. For 3 days, I ate with minimum salt (or otherwise non at all) and in addition, I made a huge pot of kidney bean and lotus seed soup during the 2nd and 3rd day.

Brought to the boil and cooled repetitively over 5 hour period cos I didn't want to refrigerate and I love how the lotus seeds dissolve into the soup. No sugar added.

I drank alot of soup and water, and I started peeing alot. I actually woke up 3 times at night just for the bathroom. By the 3rd day, my bloated legs became skinny pins again (thank God).  And I lost 5 kg. So my body puffed up with that much water!

It was a huge relief knowing that there are ways to help my kidneys function better and become healthier. I found a new love for my veggies cooked without salt and I actually feel emotionally calmer after 3 days.

My lunch during my 3 day of no-salt cooking. What's in the pan? Cucumber, carrot, broccoli, soy sprouts, tomatoes, spinach, french beans, fungi, shitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms , non salted seaweed and brown rice.

I love food, so even if it's saltless, it gotta taste nice. So with the help of some tomatoes (stir fried with onions, garlic and chilli; it adds a delicious sourish, juicy flavour), seaweed and sesame oil in my cooking to increase the aroma and enjoyment of my meal. Oh there's half a bowl of brown rice underneath the tomatoes.

The best part, I might be happy to cook saltlessly for a long time.