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How To Keep Your Kidneys Healthy As You Age

Keep Slim To Help Your Kidneys

3 Tips on How to Keep Your Kidneys Health [VLOG #42]

Being too heavy raises your blood pressure, which is;bad for your kidneys. Try to keep yourself at a healthy weight by;keeping active and not overeating.

Your;body mass index is a helpful way of checking whether you’re a healthy weight. You can;use the healthy weight calculator;to work out your BMI.

Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise,;such as;walking,;cycling or swimming, every week.

Certain Foods Can Slow Kidney Failure

Since your kidneys filter waste in your body, what you eat has a big impact on them. There are certain foods that can help your kidneys perform better and others that can cause them damage, especially if your kidneys are already damaged.

Foods you should seek out include apples, blueberries, fatty fish, olive oil, radishes, macadamia nuts and skinless chicken.

On the other side of the coin, those with kidney disease need to avoid foods with high levels of phosphorus, sodium and potassium. This means staying away from any pre-packaged or canned foods that are loaded with salt, dark sodas, dairy, and whole wheat bread.

Healthy kidneys can handle almost anything in moderation, which makes it that much more important to keep them healthy in the first place.

Blueberry How To Keep Your Kidneys Healthy

Blueberries are delicious, tangy tasty berries. Which are not only good for your kidneys but work like a charm for the rest of your body as well. Loaded with antioxidants and nutrients just one cup contains a good amount of sodium, potassium, and phosphorus. This is perfect for a kidney-friendly diet and also reduces the risk of developing heart problems.

Fresh berries from your local farmers market also protect brain health and even fight off diabetes. Putting them in a smoothie or having it as a part of a healthy breakfast meal also protects the body from cell damage.

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Know Your Risk For Kidney Disease

Approximately 33% of Americans are at risk for kidney disease. Understanding your overall risk is the first step in prevention. Learn how to protect your kidneys below.

Although anyone can develop CKD, the most common risk factors are:

  • Diabetes:;More than 34 million Americans have diabetes, one of the most significant risk factors for kidney disease. Diabetes is responsible for almost half of all kidney failure cases. Maintaining a healthy diet, being physically active, and medicine can help manage diabetes and prevent health problems like kidney damage.
  • High Blood Pressure:;About a third of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, increasing your risk for developing kidney disease. Taking steps to lower your blood pressure may help prevent kidney disease.
  • Family History:;Your risk of developing kidney disease increases if someone else in your family has it. Knowing your family health history is an essential step in understanding your risk for kidney disease.
  • Age:;Being over 60 years of age puts you at an increased risk for kidney disease. As you age, your kidneys naturally do not work as well as they did when you were younger. Additionally, people age 60 or older are more likely to have diabetes or high blood pressure, the two leading causes of kidney failure.
  • Race/Ethnicity:;African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asian Americans are at an increased risk for developing kidney disease.

Kidneys Have Lots Of Reserve But Getting Ahead Of Small Decreases In Function Prevents Later Damage

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You often hear older people say I have weak kidneys. That doesn’t mean they can’t do their job or are destined to fail. But it does indicate you have some form of chronic kidney disease. The kidneysthe body’s blood-filtering urine factoryhave less capacity to filter toxins from the blood and excrete them in the urine.

Half of U.S. adults over 75 may have below-normal kidney function. Most of them will never get sick from it, unless they have other conditions such as diabetes or uncontrolled hypertension, or take medications that can injure the kidney.

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Control The Blood Sugar Levels

High blood sugar levels can affect the kidneys badly and result in the kidney failure. Diabetes is a disorder where there is the increase in the blood sugar levels, the complications of the diabetes affects the eyes, nerves and kidney. Most of the kidney failures in India is due to the poor maintenance of the blood sugar levels. So maintain your blood sugar levels by following a balanced diet and less carbohydrate food chart.

Smoking Causes Kidney Damage

Smoking has many harmful side effects, one of which is that the chemicals in cigarettes restrict and harden blood vessels. This makes it more difficult for blood to pass through, increasing blood pressure, risk of heart disease, and damage to your kidneys.

Smoking is most known for causing lung cancer in those who do it. However, there is also research that links it to kidney cancer. The harmful chemicals from cigarettes get into the bloodstream and can accumulate almost anywhere in the body.

If you are a smoker, the sooner you quit the better. Much of the damage smoking causes is reversible, but it takes many smoke-free years to get there.

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Aim For A Healthy Weight

The NIH Body Weight Planner is an online tool to help you tailor your calorie and physical activity plans to achieve and stay at a healthy weight.

If you are overweight or have obesity, work with your health care provider or dietitian to create a realistic weight-loss plan. View more weight control and physical activity resources to help you get and stay motivated.

Control Your Blood Sugar

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People with diabetes, or a condition that causes high blood sugar, may develop kidney damage. When your bodys cells cant use the glucose in your blood, your kidneys are forced to work extra hard to filter your blood. Over years of exertion, this can lead to life-threatening damage.

However, if you can control your blood sugar, you reduce the risk of damage. Also, if the damage is caught early, your doctor can take steps to reduce or prevent additional damage.

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How To Keep Your Kidneys Healthy As You Age

Although it’s been close to eighteen years since I dissected my first cadaver in anatomy class, I still remember being surprised when I got my first glance at a pair of kidneys – they were much smaller than I had expected. Up until that point, I had imagined the kidneys to be quite large, given the amount of work that they are responsible for.

Each of your kidneys is about 4 to 5 inches long and about 1 inch thick, weighing in at about 4.5 to 5 ounces. To put it into easy-to-visualize terms, each of your kidneys is a bit larger than a deck of cards.

Although your kidneys make up less than 0.5 percent of your total body weight, they receive close to 25 percent of the total amount of blood that your heart pumps while you’re resting. Also, your kidneys use up about 20 to 25 percent of your bodys supply of oxygen.

Please note: To listen to an audio recording of this article, please download and play the following file: How to Keep Your Kidneys Healthy as You Age – Audio File

Why do your kidneys such small organs receive so much of your blood and oxygen? Because they are responsible for five critical functions:

  • Your kidneys keep your blood clean by filtering it of waste products and eliminating these waste products from your body as urine.

  • Your kidneys help maintain a proper balance of fluids throughout your body.

  • Your kidneys produce an enzyme called renin, which is needed to help maintain your blood pressure.

  • Improving Your Kidney Function Can Be Simple

    So you see for many, improving kidney function doesnt need to be difficult. In most cases, simply by stepping to the side and getting out of your own way, checking your thoughts, fears, and excuses at the door, you can catalyse massive changes in your health, by simply allowing the healing to take place.

    Rubbing Lanterns Wont Help Improve Your Kidney Function, But Heres What Can

    Now stay with me I am not saying that that you can cure all by thinking just happy thoughts, wishing, and getting out of the way, no definitely not. There are many practical things you can do every day, with little to no fuss that are very effective in helping increase kidney function. Very helpful indeed.

    Note: thinking positive however sure wont hurt, in fact it will go a long way; your mindset is the single biggest determining factor on how quickly you heal.

    So in tune with todays theme of simplicity, I would like to share with you 10 effortless tips that can be applied immediately to help your kidney function, no need to leave home, and no need to spend a dime.

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    Monitor Your Diabetes Blood Pressure And Cholesterol Levels

    In the United States, diabetes and high blood pressure are the leading causes of kidney failure.

    Diabetes is vastly driven by obesity, which can cause high blood pressure and cholesterol, Peev says. And diabetic kidney disease is the No. 1 reason for developing end-stage CKD, so its important that you have it under control.

    Further, a study by the National Kidney Foundation found that people with high cholesterol are twice as likely to develop CKD.

    If you are overweight and can lose weight through changes in your diet and activity level, Peev says you can significantly reduce your risk of CKD.

    Drinking Water Helps Prevent Kidney Damage

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    The best thing you can do to keep your kidneys healthy is also one of the simplest: drink water.

    Water is one of the main things your kidneys use to filter wastes and toxins out of your body. It’s commonly believed that everyone should drink eight glasses of water a day. While this is a good baseline, it isn’t a universal rule. How much water your drink depends on a lot of factors like your age, weight, activity level, and any medical conditions you may have.

    Drinking water is great for you in and of itself, but it’s even better when it is replacing other less healthy options in your diet. Every time you drink a glass of water instead of a sugary drink or dark soda , you are giving yourself something beneficial instead of something harmful.

    Drinking water has also been shown to prevent the development of kidney stones, which can be extremely painful to pass or require surgery to remove.

    A good way to tell if you are drinking enough water is to monitor the color of your urine. Clear or light yellow urine is a good indicator that you’re maintaining a good water intake. Dark yellow urine, however, means that you are dehydrated.

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    High Fatty Fish How To Keep Your Kidneys Healthy

    Omega 3 fatty acids are one essential nutrient the body cannot naturally produce. Fish is one of the best sources for this essential compound. They have several functions including protecting the kidney, controlling blood clotting, and building cell membranes in the brain.

    Some good options for fish to choose from include sardines, salmon, mackerel, tuna, and herring. Out of all this, salmon is the go-to source for the most abundant omega 3 fatty acid content.

    Other than kidneys, eating fish regularly protects the body against the possible development of certain autoimmune diseases. And even depression and anxiety.

    Diet Tips For Kidney Health

    A kidney-friendly diet should limit sodium, cholesterol, and fat and instead focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean meats , says Maruschak. People who have already been diagnosed with CKD may also need to limit certain other nutrients, she adds.

    Here are a few ways to tweak your diet to maintain kidney health.

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    Know How To Live Well

    Diagnosed with CKD? The most important steps are controlling your blood sugar, blood pressure, and diabetes , says Staci Leisman, M.D., a kidney specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Keep daily dietary sodium to no more than 2,300 mg and cut back on proteinyour kidneys have to work hard to process it.

    Some people with CKD also develop high blood potassium and phosphate levels. They need a low-potassium diet and may take medicine to curb the absorption of phosphate from food.

    People who need medication for high blood pressure or diabetes should talk with their doctor about whats most appropriate for them. Certain types of blood pressure drugs, for instance, can lower both blood pressure and urine protein levels. For pain, stick with acetaminophen .

    And exercise regularly. People with CKD who did aerobic or strength training three times a week for 12 weeks reported improvements in symptoms, in a 2019 study in the Clinical Kidney Journal.

    If you follow the steps above and have your kidney specialist check your kidney function at regular intervals, you may very well be able to stay healthy and prevent CKD from progressing. Patients can remain stable for decades, and most will never need dialysis, Glassock says.

    Editors Note:;This article also appeared in the September 2019 issue of;Consumer Reports On Health.;

    Dont Overdo Certain Medications

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    NSAIDs are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen and naproxen. They can damage your kidneys if you take too many at once or take them too often. And using proton pump inhibitors for an ulcer or GERD for a long time can raise your chances of chronic kidney disease. You should only take them if your doctor says you need them.

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    What Do Kidneys Do

    The kidneys are two, bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist, located just below the rib cage, one on each side of the spine.

    In terms of your urinary system, the kidneys are a 24-hour powerhouse of activity. Every day, your two kidneys filter about 120 to 150 quarts of blood to produce about one to two quarts of urine, composed of wastes and extra fluid.

    To help keep your kidneys functioning at their optimal level, Dr. Gnessin offers these seven rules:

  • Drink up.To dilute urine and keep kidneys clear of toxins in the body, drink two liters of fluid a day about 32 ounces, he says. If someone has a history of kidney stones, we recommend drinking 2.5 liters about 40 ounces of water daily to reduce the risk of forming new stones. Thats because kidney stones are made of crystals that form together when their concentration is high. Drinking enough liquids dilutes the urine and prevents the aggregation of those crystals.
  • Shake the salt habit. Too much salt in your body makes your kidneys work extra hard to restore a balance of electrolytes and fluids. Consistently high salt levels damage your kidneys and impair long-term kidney function. The recommended daily salt intake is 1,500 to 2,000 mg of sodium about one teaspoon per day. So stay away from hidden salt mines found in deli meats, movie popcorn, frozen meals, fast foods and processed foods.
  • Exercise regularly. Staying physically fit helps keep your weight low and your blood pressure normal.
  • Guided Imagery & Bilateral Stimulation

    Both tools are essential for the trauma therapy toolbox. They are noninvasive and helpful for overcoming the effects of trauma. Guided imagery can help us alter the negative or stressful pictures and thoughts in our minds and help us create new, more peaceful onesa form of instilling positive affirmations. Before you read on, I thought you might like to download my 10-minute exercise. This science-based, comprehensive video will help you to cultivate a sense of inner peace and give you a way to help overcome the effects of this pandemic GET IT HERE

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    Reduce Your Sodium Intake

    As previously mentioned, its important to watch your sodium intake when it comes to kidney health, especially if your kidneys are already damaged. If your kidneys are having trouble eliminating excess sodium and fluid from the body, then this can result in high blood pressure, which could further damage your kidneys.

    Although the USDA recommends, at the very most,;2,500 mg of sodium per day, a healthy intake of sodium for your body is completely dependent on your overall health. If you have any health issues, particularly kidney damage or heart problems, your recommended intake would be much lower.

    Keep in mind that some sodium is perfectly fine, it just depends on the source. Natural salt found in vegetables like celery is great, and so is consuming a little bit of Himalayan salt. Its processed table salt and added salt to processed and other prepared foods that can harm the kidneys and your health;in general. A single teaspoon of Himalayan salt;contains;around 478mg of unprocessed, natural sodium, which is a great alternative to iodized table salt.

    Lose Weight Or Maintain A Normal Weight

    Kidneys: 6 Ways to Keep Yours Healthy

    There are many health risks associated with being overweight or obese because it puts a lot of stress on the body, mainly the major organs like the heart and kidneys. NHS advises people to maintain a healthy weight, or for those who are overweight, they should work toward losing the extra weight. The best ways to lose weight are through exercise and eating healthy, both of which are already on this list.

    NHS advises exercising for about 150 minutes every week. It doesnt have to be intense cardio sessions, they should be about medium intense through activities like walking, cycling, or swimming.

    How can a person tell if they are overweight? Anyone can calculate whether or not they are at a healthy weight by using the body mass index calculator.

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    How Low Is Low

    A healthy kidney filters wastes from the blood at a rate of 90 milliliters per minute or more. This is known as the glomerular filtration rate, or GFR. With time, many men’s kidneys start to slip, but function must decline quite a lot before you start to really feel the impact. You feel fine up to the point that kidney function is almost gone, which means you can lead a normal life with reduced kidney function.

    On the other hand, lack of early warning from symptoms can deny you the chance to slow the slide. Most people don’t start feeling really ill until kidney function is under 10%.

    Maintain Your Blood Sugar Level

    If you have a family history of high blood sugar, you need to be extra cautious. Almost half the people who have diabetes have a risk of developing kidney diseases. This is the reason why it is essential to ensure that you keep a check on your blood sugar level. If you already have diabetes, make sure you go for regular tests to keep a check on your kidney function. Kidney damage caused by high blood sugar can be prevented if you detect it early.

    Tips For Maintaining Healthy Kidneys

    Health Check Certified By: Patty Weasler, RN

    You probably dont think too much about your kidneys, and thats a good thing: it means theyre working, and youll want to keep it that way. Having kidney problems can result in a variety of health problems, and can also lead to fatal kidney disease.

    The purpose of your kidneys is to remove waste from your bloodstream , so you can imagine what might happen if that mechanism failed. Here are 12 ways you can help your kidneys remain healthy and efficient

    Think you may have a kidney problem? Try Stone Breaker Natural Kidney Cleanse & Gallbladder Formula an Amazon 4.5+ star best-seller with over 1,700 consumer ratings. .

    When Kidneys Require An Er Visit

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    Most chronic kidney ailments or congenital disabilities are detected in children by a Pediatrician. For adults, the protocol isnt as clear cut. Most symptoms of kidney distress signal our bodies as a symptom of another problem.

    The most common reason we see patients in the ER for kidney distress is for kidney stones. Kidney stones are hard collections of salt and minerals often made up of calcium or uric acid. They form inside the kidney and can travel to other parts of the urinary tract.

    Kidney stones cause severe pain of the abdomen, groin, or genitals, or side. You may also experience:

  • Blood in the urine.
  • Fever and chills.
  • Severe nausea or vomiting.
  • About 1 out of every 11 people in the United States will get a kidney stone. Stones are more common in men, people who are obese, and those who have diabetes .

    Works Cited

    Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States, 2019. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 Mar. 2019, www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/publications-resources/2019-national-facts.html.

    37 Million American Adults Now Estimated to Have Chronic Kidney Disease. National Kidney Foundation, 27 Sept. 2019, www.kidney.org/news/37-million-american-adults-now-estimated-to-have-chronic-kidney-disease

    Choi, Justin. 8 Ways to Keep Your Kidneys Healthy. Healthline, 1 Feb. 2019, www.healthline.com/health/kidney-health.

    How Diet Can Impact Kidney Health

    The kidneys are filled with tiny blood vessels that help filter waste and extra water from your blood and remove them from your body. If you have CKD, your kidneys cant filter blood as well as they should, causing excess waste to build up in your body.

    Diabetes and hypertension are the two leading causes of kidney disease. High blood sugar levels in uncontrolled diabetes and high blood pressure can damage the kidneys blood vessels, leaving them unable do their job properly, says Krista Maruschak, RD, a registered dietitian with Cleveland Clinics Center for Human Nutrition.

    Untreated or uncontrolled diabetes and high blood pressure can have a significant effect on the development of CKD over time, says Maruschak.

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 10 percent of the U.S. population has diabetes and over a third of adults have prediabetes, while about half of American adults age 20 and over have hypertension. These individuals are also at an increased risk of developing CKD.

    A healthy diet can help you prevent or manage conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, in part by helping you to maintain a healthy weight, says Maruschak. In turn, this supports your kidney health.

    As part of a kidney-friendly diet, you may also need to limit certain foods to help prevent further kidney damage.

    Eat Lots Of Antioxidants

    Weve already touched on how important it is to eat healthy, not only because some foods improve kidney function, but also because it keeps our weight down which also inadvertently helps put less pressure on these vital organs. Health24 talked to Cecile Verseput, dietitian and ADSA spokesperson who emphasized the importance of eating antioxidants because there has been research that found links between antioxidants and chronic diseases like chronic kidney disease . Antioxidants work to form free radicals that protect against chronic inflammation.

    Chronic inflammation results in permanent damage, for instance in blood vessels in the heart and kidneys, that causes damage, says Verseput. Antioxidants found in fresh fruit and vegetables can be seen as the firemen putting out the harmful flames of inflammation caused by these free radicals. So what contains antioxidants? The same source says the best sources are fruit and vegetables who woulda thought?!

    No Risk Of Infection Kidney Healthy

    When you drink enough water, it also produces more urine, which flushes out the infecting bacteria. Along with this, your digestive power is also right. After reading all these things, you must have come to know that how much water should be drunk to keep the kidney healthy.

    If you have kidney failure, it can be measured by a number of factors, including eGFR , plasma copeptin, creatinine clearance, and urine albumin, followed by kidney function. It is seen that how well the kidneys are working.

    You should not compromise or indulge in drinking water at any cost. If you do not drink much water, then you should consume fruit juice or lemon juice or other liquids. Apart from this, you can drink water giving different tastes and keep the kidney healthy.

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