9 Ways To Be Kind To Your Kidneys
March is Kidney Month……are you drinking enough water to keep your kidneys clean?
The kidneys are a pair of organs located on each side of the abdomen. They filter waste products and blood. The waste is then sent through the ureters (tubes) to the bladder and passed out of the body as urine. Kidneys also produce hormones that control blood pressure.
For those with kidney disorders it is important to drink 2 litres of clean filtered water daily to help flush out toxins and to keep organs hydrated. Lack of water intake promotes kidney stone formation. Anyone who has suffered with kidney stones knows this is not a pleasant experience!
Some key elements to keeping the kidneys functioning optimally are:
- Decrease consumption of animal proteins (meat/dairy). A diet containing too much animal protein puts the body into an acidic state which is why many diseases develop. The body prefers to be in an alkaline blood environment. Too much animal protein also puts stress on the kidneys. Focus more on plant based proteins like quinoa, beans/lentils, chia, seeds & nuts.
- Reduce saturated & trans fats: instead consume cold water fish, avocado, olive oil
- Eliminate coffee (encourages an acidic blood balance)
- Stay away from foods that encourage kidney stone formation such as: mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, cauliflower, sardines, anchovies, poultry, reduce animal based calcium producing foods.
- Use garlic & onions liberally due to their antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. These help keep the liver & kidneys clear.
- Reduce your use of antibiotics and medications or analgesics as much as possible. Antibiotics kill off the good bacteria (as well as the bad) in the intestinal tract. These products while necessary in some cases put added stress on the kidneys to filter out.
- Take a multi-strain probiotic to keep the bad bacteria at bay, again, to lessen stress on the kidneys.
- Reduced levels of Magnesium contribute to kidney issues so include magnesium rich foods like raw spinach, beans, fish, avocado, bananas, brown rice, nuts & seeds
- Lastly, I’ll say it again….INCREASE your water intake!
In the metaphysical realm kidney disorders indicate a need to get back in touch with your inner strength, and to learn to see people for who and what they really are. Taken from the book “Love Yourself” by Lise Bourbeau.
So the message here is to look after your body, mind and spirit and you will be rewarded with good health!
Kim is the owner of Lakeside Natural Therapies, specializing in Nutrition & Reiki. If you have questions for Kim feel free to contact her at Kim@icarehomehealth.ca