National Kidney Month Tips: How to Keep Kidneys Healthy
Your kidneys are a pair of organs located on both sides of your spine and are responsible for eliminating toxins from your body, creating red blood cells, keeping bones healthy, and more. With all they do to keep you in optimal condition, learning how to keep your kidneys healthy should be a priority for total wellness.
As March is National Kidney Month, we’re taking a look at tips on how to keep kidneys healthy with simple lifestyle changes. Read on, and learn how these small changes make a huge difference.
How to Keep Kidneys Healthy and Prevent Disease
Your kidneys play very important roles in keeping your body healthy. While their main function is to remove toxins from the body, they also control the production of red blood cells which carry oxygen from our lungs throughout the body and produce natural hormones for regulating blood pressure. Needless to say, knowing how to keep healthy kidneys is vital for your overall health and wellness.
This year for National Kidney Month, we’ve put together this list of tips for how to keep kidneys healthy:
- Monitor blood pressure
- Make healthy food choices
- Keep active and exercise
- Drink enough water
- Manage blood sugar levels
- Find ways to lower stress levels
- Get enough sleep
Monitor Blood Pressure
Kicking off our list of tips on how to keep kidneys healthy is monitoring blood pressure. Left unchecked, high blood pressure can cause damage to kidneys and impede their function. High blood pressure constricts blood vessels throughout the body, including the kidneys. The damaged blood vessels (or arteries) prevent your kidneys from filtering blood as efficiently, which can lead to a buildup of toxins and reduced creation of red blood cells.
To combat this and help with how to keep your kidneys healthy, it’s important to find methods for lowering blood pressure and keeping it regulated. Simple lifestyle changes such as exercise, reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption, and taking advantage of the potential health benefits of zero gravity chairs are all natural ways to reduce blood pressure to acceptable levels.
Make Healthy Food Choices
It comes as no surprise that what you eat has a profound impact on your overall health. The principle applies for how to keep kidneys healthy. Foods like fresh fruit, whole grains, vegetables, and baked chicken are all ideal for a healthy kidney diet. One of the most important aspects of a healthy kidney diet is to be low in sodium.
As people with kidney disease are more likely susceptible to heart disease, you’ll find many similarities between a heart healthy diet and one meant for how to keep your kidneys healthy.
Keep Active and Exercise
Staying active with regular exercises is beneficial for more than just your weight and waistline. It also helps with how to keep kidneys healthy and lowers your risk of chronic kidney disease. Exercising regularly keeps your heart healthy and your blood circulation optimal. This, in turn, helps prevent kidney damage and boosts your overall wellness.
You don’t have to do intense gym exercises to stay active. Activities as easy as taking a brisk walk or doing chair exercises with your zero gravity chair are equally beneficial. This year for National Kidney Month, consider taking on Spring wellness challenges aimed at being active for at least 30 minutes each day and experience the difference it makes.
Drink Enough Water
You may think that drinking enough water would go along with healthy food choices, but its importance for how to keep kidneys healthy is so vital that it warrants its own entry on our list. Simply put, drinking enough water every day is crucial to maintaining kidney function and reducing the risk of chronic kidney disease. Water aids in removing toxins from the body and clearing out sodium.
It can help you drink more water each day if you get creative. If plain water isn’t your preferred beverage, tea and coffee are also water-based drinks to keep yourself hydrated. Be sure to limit your caffeine intake, however, by sticking to herbal teas or decaf coffee.
Manage Blood Sugar Levels
Just like with blood pressure, your blood sugar levels also play a role in how to keep your kidneys healthy. When the cells in your body are unable to properly use the sugar (glucose) in your blood, it forces the kidneys to work harder to filter it for circulation throughout your body. This can lead to extreme damage and an elevated risk of kidney disease, making managing blood sugar levels especially important for those learning how to control diabetes.
Bonus: Check out our guide for tips on how to lower blood sugar naturally next.
Find Ways to Lower Stress Levels
Managing your stress levels also comes into account when learning how to keep healthy kidneys. Elevated stress levels raise blood pressure, putting strain on our kidneys and putting you at risk over time of developing chronic kidney disease.
There are many stress-reducing activities you can explore such as meditation, calming breathing exercises, or relaxing in a zero gravity chair as part of your self care routine. Some folks have combined methods for improved overall wellness with activities like zero gravity meditation. Whatever method works best for you, take time each day to acknowledge your stress levels and participate in activities to lower them. As little as five minutes each day can make a huge difference.
Get Enough Sleep
Last, but not least, getting enough sleep is important for how to keep kidneys healthy. Your kidney function is actually regulated by your sleep cycle. Sleep deprivation can lead to a decrease in kidney function that damages blood vessels and impedes circulation. In fact, studies have found that those who experience sleeping disorders or have a more difficult time falling asleep are at a notably increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease.
Improve your sleep quality by ensuring you get a full 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. If you struggle sleeping in bed, you can consider alternatives like using a zero gravity chair to improve sleep quality. Partnering your zero gravity chair with other activities for how to keep your kidneys healthy will contribute to your overall wellness in a positive manner.
As we observe National Kidney Month, keep in mind these tips for how to keep kidneys healthy. Small lifestyle changes may prevent or reverse your risk for developing chronic kidney disease. As always, talk to your doctor before making any changes to your healthcare routine.
Want to learn more about how to keep kidneys healthy and promote a holistic approach to wellness? Check out our guide on which zero gravity chair is best for you then compare zero gravity chairs that meet your needs.
