Hi, Liza,

>I am OK for three days, (when
>I am eating only small amounts of fruit) and then sometime around the fourth
>day after a fast, when my hunger comes back ful force and I begin eating
>lettuce, celery, sprouts, etc. the edema begins, and just keeps going with
>the addition of every new food.

>at this point I have really become wary of seaweeds, since like I say,
>I can definately see a connection with the swelling and also itchiness around
>my eyes and neck.

I have a book entitled "Eco-eating: A Guide to Balanced Eating for Health &
Vitality", by Sapoty Brook (Lothian Books, 1996).

Brook suggests that there are two main mineral pairs that need to be
balanced in the body - calcium/phosphorus (Ca/P) and sodium/potassium
(Na/K). We need to take in each of these pairs in certain proportions,
otherwise imbalance results. Each food has two values associated with it,
and these depend on the Ca/P residue and the Na/K residue the food leaves
in the body after ingesting it. Each food thus occupies a certain position
in 2-dimensional space and can be represented on what Brook has called the
CaPNaK chart.

Now, according to this chart, celery and most seaweeds are high Na-residue
foods, so even if you are not specifically eating salt, your foods may
still give you a sodium overdose (and water retention is one of the
symptoms of this) unless they are being balanced by potassium-residue
foods. Fruits are all moderate to high K-residue, and bananas and dates are
particularly high.

So, according to this theory, there are two ways of overcoming the problem
- reducing the amount of high Na-residue food, as you appear to have done
(but at the same time, you still need to get enough sodium), or balancing
these foods with high K-residue foods.

I hope that all makes sense.

Regards,
Barbara