Many things can cause water retention. Most commonly it is caused by:

- Time of the month (for women)
- Big meals
- Food intolerances

What happens with water retention is your body draws water to its cells (almost like a defence mechanism), the water is initially drawn in from foods that we digest. This means when you step on the scales it will show that you've "Put on weight" when in actual fact its the extra water in your system.

The best way to help diminish water retention is by actually drinking more water, stick to single ingredient whole foods and be active i.e. walking/gym/cardio etc.

Its nothing to be afraid of however if you know certain foods that cause you to bloat out, feel crap or run to the toilet its worth avoiding these foods. This is mainly down to the bacteria in your gut.