Kidney Care, with a little help from Nature
Your Kidneys need Love and Care – Take Care of Them
The role of kidneys is often underrated.
In fact, most people fail to take care of their kidneys until it’s too late.
Before, we take a look at the ways to keep our kidneys in perfect shape, let’s take a quick look at the basics.
Kidneys and what they do:
The kidneys are twin organs in the shape of beans that are located right below the rib cage, near the middle of a person’s back. Each kidney is the size of an adult fist. The kidneys act as sophisticated trash collectors of your body to keep your system going.
On a daily basis, the kidney process nearly 200 quarts of impure blood to purify it. It removes about two quarts of waste products and water from the blood. This extra water and waste products make up your urine and flow from the kidney to your bladder via tubes called as ureters. Your urinary bladder stores urine till you use the bathroom.
The Main Functions of the Kidney are:
- Extracting waste from your blood
- Regulating the concentration of potassium, salt, and acids in the body
- Excreting drugs from the body
- Maintaining the balance of fluids in the body and releasing hormones to control blood pressure
- Regulating the production of RBC (Red Blood Corpuscles)
- Producing Vitamin D, that is essential for strong, healthy bones
Why do the Kidneys Matter?
Kidneys play a vital role in the daily physiological functioning of our body. In fact, they are so critical that nature has given us two kidneys, to help our body in the case of failure or loss of one.
Humans can very well live with one kidney. In fact, a small percentage of babies born with one kidney and experience no other difficulties. This is why healthy people sign up for kidney donations. While it’s true that one kidney is sufficient to carry out all the functions, if kidneys fail, then death occurs within a few days.
Kidney diseases are often silent killers and can severely dampen the quality of your life.
Hence, it’s highly crucial that you keep your kidneys in perfect shape. And, here’s what to do.
Eight Golden Rules to Keep Your Kidneys Healthy Naturally
1. Stay Hydrated
Consuming plenty of water throughout the day makes it easy for the kidneys to flush out urea, sodium and other toxins from the body. This reduces the chances of developing kidney stones and other chronic diseases.
While there is no scientific consensus on the amount of water you should intake daily, aim for two liters per day. This aids in digestion regulates body temperature and helps to maintain the blood concentration and volume.
Pro Tip
If you feel it boring to sip on plain water, you can spruce things up a bit by adding a few slices of lemon, or mint leaves to give it flavor and to feel refreshed. You can also use natural remedies like Khus, Cumin seeds, Fenugreek or Cinnamon to add flavor and to keep your body cool. Check out this post on infused water for more ideas.
2. Keep your Blood Sugar Levels in Check
Kidney diseases are often contracted as a result of other chronic conditions. In fact, studies state that nearly 50% of people, who have diabetes, develop kidney problems. If you have diabetes, then it pays to keep an eye on your kidney functions periodically with regular tests.
Early detection is the key to reverse or prevent kidney damage due to diabetes. Keep your sugar levels in check by opting for naturopathic ways to control diabetes without any side effects.
3. Regulate your Blood Pressure
While many are aware of the links between high BP and heart attacks and strokes, not many know that high BP is the major culprit for kidney damage.
If you have high BP, then make it a point to receive adequate treatments to keep it in check. Apart from pills and drugs, you can try meditation and yoga to calm your mind, soothe your nerves and to reduce tension and stress.
4. Don’t Hold the urge to Urinate
When the kidneys purify the blood, they send the waste to the urinary bladder. While it’s true that your bladder can hold plenty of urine, the urge to urinate occurs when the bladder is partly full (around 120 to 150 ml of urine).
When you resist the urge to urinate, the bladder gets stretched more than normal. This reduces the filtration process and increases the chances of kidney stones.
Pro Tip
Most adults get so engrossed in their work that they forget to urinate during the work day. Set up alarms on your phone reminding you to go to the restroom periodically.
5. Eat Fresh and Stay Away from Processed Foods
Processed and packaged foods are loaded with extra salt, sugar, oil, and preservatives all of which take a toll on your kidneys. When you eat these foods, your kidneys have to work doubly hard to remove the wastes from your blood. This impacts the functioning of your kidneys in the long run.
So, get back to the basics. Eat plenty of kidney-friendly foods like parsley, garlic, fish, asparagus, watermelons, lemons, oranges and coconut water.
You can also take fresh juices to keep your kidneys in good shape. However, avoid sweetening juices with sugar and other artificial sweeteners.
6. Curb Smoking and Alcohol Consumption
Excessive alcohol disturbs the electrolyte balance of the body and impacts kidney function. While smoking doesn’t trigger any kidney diseases directly, it reduces kidney functioning significantly. So, kick out the butt and restrict your alcohol intake.
7. Shed the Extra Kilos with Naturopathic Treatments
Studies prove that obesity is a leading cause of kidney diseases. When you’re overweight, the chances of contracting kidney diseases doubles. So, it’s time to shed off those extra pounds.
Naturopathy has several techniques like Yoga, Mud Therapy, and Hydrotherapy along with a natural diet regime to keep your weight in control.
8. Say NO to Over-the-Counter Medicines
All the pills like aspirin, Ibuprofen enter your blood stream and reach the kidneys. Frequent and over dosage increases the toxins in your blood, thereby burdening your kidneys. And avoid self-medication at all costs to avoid causing damage to your kidneys.
Instead of opting for pills and drugs, you can choose Naturopathy Treatment for Ckd that are free of side-effects and don’t introduce any harmful toxins into your body.
The Last Word – You Can Prevent & Reverse Kidney Damage
Yes, it’s true! With the right diet and a proper lifestyle, you can keep kidney diseases at bay and even reverse the damage. Act before it’s too late and start appreciating the role of your kidneys and show them some TLC!
Reference Links:
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2015/04/7-secrets-to-keeping-your-kidneys-healthy/
- https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-8137/3-tips-to-take-care-of-your-kidneys.html
- http://www.worldkidneyday.org/faqs/take-care-of-your-kidneys/8-golden-rules/
- http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Kidneyhealth/Pages/Loveyourkidneys.aspx
- https://steptohealth.com/keep-liver-and-kidneys-healthy-naturally/
- http://www.planetayurveda.com/how-to-avoid-dialysis.htm