1. Don’t Smoke. You already know that smoking can harm your heart and lungs and cause cancer. The kidneys don’t like it either. Smoking can raise your blood pressure and slow down blood flow to your kidneys. If you’re trying to quit smoking, counseling may be able to help. Nicotine replacement therapies, which help you deal with withdrawal by giving you small amounts of nicotine in controlled doses, have been found to be effective – they can even double your chances of quitting the cancer stick for good.
2. Limit Alcohol Consumption. Excess alcohol can harm your kidneys. After all, it is a toxin which needs to be filtered out from the blood. Alcohol also dehydrates you, affecting the normal functioning of kidneys. Excessive drinking can also increase your risk for high blood pressure and liver disease, both of which negatively impact your kidneys.
3. Cut Down On Sodium. Our food is loaded with salt or sodium. Some estimates suggest that our consumption exceeds recommended amounts by about 50%. If that’s the case, here’s why you should be cutting down. Excess sodium can increase your blood pressure, which hampers blood flow to your kidneys and damages them. In fact, high blood pressure is the second highest cause of kidney damage.
4. Stay Hydrated. Water dilutes the concentration of waste material in urine and helps your kidneys work properly. So you need to make sure that you get enough. On an average, adult women need around 2.1 liters of water a day while adult men need around 2.6 liters. But sometimes you may need more when factors like hot weather or vigorous exercise cause you to lose extra fluid as sweat. The color of your urine can work as an indicator of dehydration – if it’s darker than a straw color, you may not be getting enough water.
5. Manage Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, And Blood Sugar. High blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar levels can damage your kidneys. High blood pressure is particularly harmful. And since an increase in blood pressure doesn’t have obvious symptoms, it makes sense to check your blood pressure levels routinely. Don’t worry, it’s an easy and painless test that’s widely available at pharmacies and can even be carried out at home. If you do have problems with your blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar levels lifestyle, measures like a healthy diet and regular exercise can help you. Also make sure you follow your doctor’s orders and take your medications according to prescription.
6. Don’t Overdo Protein. High protein diets are all the rage nowadays. But did you know that excess protein can harm your kidneys? Ammonia, a byproduct of protein metabolism that can be dangerous in high amounts, is converted to urea and excreted as urine by your kidneys. If you partake of excess protein, your kidneys need to work harder.
7. Skip Processed Foods. Crackers, deli meats, potato chips, and cheese spreads – what do all of these have in common? Sure, they taste good. But they’re likely to be high in sodium and phosphorus as well. Both of these may harm your kidneys. Colas are another common food that may be high in phosphorus. Skip these in favor of fresh healthy foods and your kidneys will thank you for it.
8. Keep To A Healthy Weight. Being too heavy, that is, having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more can be bad for your kidneys. It is a risk factor for high blood pressure, which can then lead to kidney disease. A healthy weight loss plan that combines a balanced diet and exercise can help you achieve your weight goals. Have whole grains, fruits and vegetables, fat-free or low-fat dairy products and pick foods that are not high in added sugars, saturated fat, or trans fats. Also, each week, try to get in about 150 minutes of exercise that is moderately intense like cycling, swimming, or walking.
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