Take care of your Kidneys

KIDNEYS

Taking care of your kidneys is essential as kidneys are vital organs of our excretory system. Their major function is to filter waste products from our blood. Structurally, kidneys are identical to the beans which rest on each side of the spine just below the rib cage (As shown in the figure below).

The physiology of our kidneys includes the following : –

Self-care : –

There have been three (FLY) ⁴ well-documented protocols for the self-care of the kidneys : –

1. Eating right,
2. Healthy lifestyle, and
3. Regular practice of yoga and pranayama.

⁴Food/Lifestyle/Yoga

Kidney-friendly diet : –

•  A balanced diet chart is provided to our patients to facilitate rapid healing of the kidneys.
• A balanced diet is a must for the healthy functioning of the kidneys. Tailoring your diet to reduce the salt and fat contents are the keys to a kidney-friendly diet. In addition to that, easily digestible fluids, less complex proteins/fats, and minimized sodium/ phosphorus/potassium salts are recommended.
• One needs to be careful about consuming simple (natural sugars) and complex carbohydrates (manmade sugars). For instance, in a kidney-friendly diet, natural sugars (like fruit sugars, honey etc.) should be added along with the other sources of carbohydrates which could be fibrous diets, grains, fruits, and vegetables. However, the complex carbohydrates such as processed sugars (hard candies, soft drinks etc.) must be avoided due to their tough digestion.
• Only good unsaturated vegetarian fat should be added in the diets, for example, Olive Oil, Canola Oil, Sunflower Oil, Peanut Oil, Corn Oil, Coconut Oil, and Palm Oil etc.
• The quality and the quantity of dietary protein are also vital. We recommend that one should maintain a normal protein intake level preferably vegetarian protein obtained from wholegrain bread, cottage cheese, and pulses.
• The excess of micronutrients such as minerals like sodium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus are also undesirable for the optimal kidney function. To achieve the lower-potassium level, the fruits (in regular amounts) such as Peaches, Cranberries, Grapes, Strawberries, Pears, Cherries, Apples, Berries, Pineapple, Plums, Tangerines, Watermelon, Oranges, Orange Juice, Avocados, Nectarines, Kiwis, Raisins, Bananas, Melons, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Prunes, and Nectarines should be taken.
• Additionally, a kidney-friendly diet may include Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumber, Eggplant, Green, Wax Beans, Lettuce, Radishes, Summer Squash, Onion, Peppers, Watercress, Zucchini, and Yellow Squash.
• We recommend avoiding Asparagus, Avocado, Potatoes, Tomatoes/Tomato Sauce, Winter Squash, Pumpkin, Avocado, and Cooked Spinach to avoid kidney problems.
• Stale food is to be strictly avoided as it causes the generation of toxins and microbes that are harmful to the kidneys.
• Artificial edible colors/flavors are synthetic chemicals which are hard to be filtered hence, are strictly prohibited.
• Right proportion size, by tailoring the size of our meal, we can reduce the overburden on excretory system.
• Avoid eating directly from the food container/food-packet. It is recommended to take out one serving of food as per one’s requirement and put the container/food-packet away in order to consume the right proportion of food.
• Eat slowly, and stop eating when you are not hungry. It has been observed that it takes about 20 minutes for our stomach to tell our brain that you are full. If you eat too quickly, you may eat more than you actually need.