10 Things You’re Doing That Are Killing Your Kidneys

Our dietary and lifestyle changes affect our mental, heart, and digestive health, as well as our entire body. However, we often forget about the importance of our kidneys, which can become seriously damaged, and thus lead to severe side-effects and disease.

Namely, the function of the kidneys is to filter our blood and eliminate waste, dead cells, excess water, and toxins, that are excreted through the urine.

According to HealthLine:

“Kidney disease affects approximately 26 million American adults. It occurs when your kidneys become damaged and can’t perform their function. Damage may be caused by diabetes, high blood pressure, and various other chronic (long-term) conditions. Kidney disease can lead to other health problems, including weak bones, nerve damage, and malnutrition.”

The Mayo Clinic lists the following risk factors for chronic kidney disease:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease
• Smoking
• Obesity
• Being African-American, Native American or Asian-American
• Family history of kidney disease
• Abnormal kidney structure
• Older age

Additionally, make sure you know the most common early signs and symptoms of chronic kidney disease:

• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue and weakness
• Sleep issues
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Changes in how much you urinate
• Reduced mental sharpness
• Muscle twitches and cramps
• Swelling of feet and ankles
• Persistent itching
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath

In case you experience these symptoms, and in order to improve the function of the kidneys and avoid complications, you should avoid the following 10 most detrimental habits that damage your kidneys:

— Dehydration- If you are not drinking enough water, the function of the kidneys will be significantly reduced, leading to kidney stones and chronic kidney disease. According to Dr. M R Pari, consultant urologist, Fortis Malar, “Kidney stones are the result of an accumulation of dissolved minerals in the inner lining of the kidneys. According to research, people with kidney stones have a significantly higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease that can even lead to diabetes and hypertension. Drinking enough water helps to wash away the accumulated salts, which are likely to turn to stones at a later stage. ”

— Smoking – Smoking has been found to drastically reduce the function of the kidneys

— Too much protein- A diet very high in protein can lead to renal hyperfiltration, in case you already suffer from chronic kidney disease

— Too much sugar- High sugar amounts can seriously damage the kidneys

—  Soft drinks- the kidneys can suffer a lot from the consumption of soft drinks, like fructose-glucose-rich soda, and the additives in diet soda damage these organs and increase the risk of chronic kidney disease

— Painkillers- Studies have found that the long-term use of painkillers double the risk of kidney cancer

— Over the counter medications- Drugs like ibuprofen, aspirin, and acetaminophen have been shown to damage the kidneys

— Magnesium deficiency- Magnesium deficiency can lead to the formation of kidney stones and kidney damage

— Extreme exercise- Extreme exercise habits can seriously damage the kidneys, so you need to speak with a medical practitioner about the safety of your workout routine

— Poor sleep- It has been linked to renal hyperfiltration, which is an early warning sign of kidney disease

Therefore, regarding the huge importance of the function of the kidneys for our overall health, make sure you take all the needed steps to ensure their health.

source

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3-Ingredient Powerful Medicinal Tonic You Can Make To Detoxify Your Liver And Kidneys

It is very important to understand the importance of detoxification and employ it to clean the system of detrimental toxic waste.

Have you ever come across the word ‘beet kvass”?  For those who haven’t, this term refers to a potent medicinal tonic made by fermenting stale bread,  resulting in fizzy tonic with unique taste and a wide plethora of health benefits.

What makes this beverage so effective is inclusion of beetroots.  Beets are nutrient-dense veggie which is often used in different DIY natural remedies.  They support detoxification of the liver and kidneys, promoting regularity and boosting digestion.

Kvass is a traditional Russian beverage, typically made with sourdough rye bread.  It is prepared differently in different regions, but in all regions people use it in soups, vinaigrettes, and borscht.

Health Benefits of Beet Kvass

Beet kvass is made through fermentation, a process in which the beetroot is converted into kvass. Fermentation itself boosts its nutritional profile and promotes gut health thanks to the addition of healthy probiotic enzymes and bacteria. What`s more, it also increases the bioavailability of nutrients from the food you consume.

As little as 4oz shot of fermented beet juice two times daily is enough to alkalize the blood, cleanse the liver, promote regularity, improve digestion, and treat kidney stones and similar health issues.  If you are interested in preparing this medicinal tonic, read on!

Beet Kvass Recipe

The preparation of beet kvass is extremely simple, it calls for a few common ingredients, and it takes a few minutes only! However, it needs a few days to ferment.

Ingredients:

• Glass jar (half a gallon)
• Purified water
• 4 organic beetroots
• 1 tbsp of Himalayan salt
• Orange, ginger, lemon, spices ( optional)

Instructions:

• Wash the beets thoroughly, chop them into cubes, and put them in the glass jar
• Pour the filtered water in the jar, leaving an inch of space at the top.
• Add salt and spices of choice
• Covet the jar with a towel or cheesecloth, securing it with a rubber band
• Keep the jar in the kitchen for a few days, at room temperature
• Once the beet kvass turns dark, deep red, it means that it`s ready. Remove the cloth, replace it with lid, and put the jar in the fridge

To sum up, this potent drink is one of the great probiotic foods, ably improving intestinal tract and boosting immunity, promoting liver detoxification, balancing out pH levels, and purifying and alkalizing the blood.  What`s more, it works as a natural cancer treatment due to the combination of potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

source: http://besthealthyguide.com/medicinal-tonic-powerful-detox/

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This is what happens to your lungs, brain, kidneys, teeth and mood when you drink diet soda

Contrary to popular belief, diet soda doesn’t promote weight loss! As a matter of fact, a Purdue researcher advises people to stay away from diet soda just like they would do with regular soda. According to Susan Swithers, PhD, a professor of psychological sciences and a behavioral neuroscientist at Purdue, expanding warnings may help limit the intake of all sweeteners, without an exception of no-calorie sweeteners.

With the aim of answering the question “Is diet soda bad for you”,  Swithers reviewed many studies.  She found that nearly 30% of American adults and 15% of American children consume artificial sweeteners like saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose.

“There is a lot of pressure from the public health sector to find solutions to counter the rise of obesity and chronic disease, and there is a lot of money and business at stake for the food industry as it develops and promotes these products. Beverages are becoming political issues as government leaders and politicians seek regulation and taxing to limit their availability and consumption, but most of these measures exclude diet soft drinks because they are perceived as healthy. When it comes to making policy decisions, it’s more important than ever that the science is considered and that the public understands what the science says in order to help them make the best health decisions.” — Susan Swithers

Artificial sweeteners confuse body`s ability to manage calories based on eating sweet, meaning that people often overeat them even by drinking diet soda.  Those who ingest artificial sweeteners are two times as likely to develop metabolic syndrome.

Is Diet Soda Bad for You?

Mounting evidence suggests that diet soda leads to multiple health issues. Among them are:

1. Depression

Drinking more than 4 cans of soda daily is associated with a 30% higher risk of depression. On the other hand, drinking 4 cups of coffee daily offers protective effects, lowering depression risk 10%.  The risk appeared to be higher for those who drank diet soda when compared to those drinking regular soda.

2. Kidney Damage

According to Harvard researchers, long-term diet soda drinking is linked to a 30% greater reduction in kidney function.  This study involved individuals who consumed diet soda on a regular basis over the course of 20 years

3. Type 2 Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome

As reported by a 2009 study published in the journal Diabetes Car, drinking diet soda on a daily basis is associated with a 36% higher risk of metabolic syndrome and a 67% higher risk of type 2 diabetes when compared to those who aren’t drinking diet soda.

As a matter of fact, artificial sweeteners may interfere with the gut-brain connection, which in turn leads to metabolic derangements.  Researchers at Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel found that diet soda changes gut microbes in a way that increases the risk of metabolic disease.  Mice given zero-calorie sweeteners found in these drinks developed glucose intolerance.

4. Cardiovascular Disease

Researchers at University of Miami and Colombia University followed over 2,000 adults for ten years and found that diet-soda drinkers had higher chances of getting stroke or heart attack and were more likely to die from cardiovascular disease. The risk remained the same even when high cholesterol, exercise, smoking, weight, and sodium intake were adjusted.

5. Compromised Lungs

Drinking soda increases the risk of developing COPD and asthma symptoms.  As a matter of fact, the more soda a person drinks, the higher the risk.

According to an Australian study, 1.3% of the participants with asthma and 15.6% of those with COPD consumed more than 2 cups of soda daily.

6. A Less Protected Brain

Aspartame, one of the most common artificial sweeteners in diet sodas, removes brain`s antioxidant defense system, leading to imbalance in the antioxidant/pro-oxidant status in the brain.

In addition to these, aspartame is also linked to the following issues:

• Fatigue
• Migraines & headaches
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Short term memory loss
• Multiple sclerosis
• Fibromyalgia
• Hearing loss
• Weight gain
• Brain tumors
• Epilepsy
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Birth defects
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Lymphoma
• Diabetes
• Arthritis (including rheumatoid)
• Chemical sensitivities
• ADHD
• Parkinson’s

source: http://besthealthyguide.com/

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Cleanse The Liver And Kidneys, And Lose 10 lbs With This Amazing Detox

There are many reasons for this, holiday diets, deficit in vitamin D, cold weather. When life gives us lemons, make lemonade. Or even better detox lemonade.

Get this and boost the immunity.

This works well since all items are good. Boosts immunity, gives vitamin C and also includes cayenne and honey. These remove inflammation and aid digestion too. Ginger and cloves have antioxidants and more.

YOU NEED:

• 1 tsp honey
• 1 lemon
• Ground ginger a pinch
• 1 cup hot water
• Lemon slice

METHOD:

Cut the lemon in half and get the juice. Add more lemons if you want to.

Add the honey, cayenne and cloves. Add water and garnish with the lemon slice. Let this cool at room temperaure and sip it.

source: http://www.justnaturalremedies.com

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What happens to your kidneys when you ingest baking soda

Sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda, is a chemical compound typically found in the form of a fine powder. It has salty and alkaline taste and a wide range of uses, from shampoo, deodorant, cleaning agent, and toothpaste to medical practices.

This fine powder had been used by ancient Egyptians to create a pain for their hieroglyphics while the real factory developing baking soda was established in 1846 by two eminent bakers from New York.

Medical Uses

• Baking soda raises pH levels
• Paste made with baking soda and water treats allergic reactions from ivy poison
• Baking soda helps remove splinters
• Solution made with baking soda and water creates a potent antacid
• Baking soda inhibits the progression of kidney failure

Being produced by the pancreas in order to protect the kidneys, sodium bicarbonate is critical for our health.  When these organs lack bicarbonate production, acid accumulates in our bodies, requiring a treatment to remove this acid build-up.

How to Repair Your Kidneys Naturally Using Baking Soda (and why you should)

On the first day, you should dissolve half a teaspoon of baking soda under the tongue. The following day, mix half a teaspoon of baking soda and half a teaspoon of salt into 1.5 liter of water. Drink this solution daily over the course of two to three days.

According to Dr. Thomas P. Kennedy,
“Substituting a sodium bicarbonate solution for saline infusion prior to administration of radiocontrast material seems to reduce the incidence of nephropathy.”

Nearly 3 million people suffer from chronic kidney disease in U.K alone. While only an estimate, nearly 38,000 of these patients need renal replacement therapy which costs $45,165 (£30,000) annually.

The first controlled test was done at the Whitechapel hospital in Royal London, showing that baking soda can drastically slow down the effects of kidney disease.  As stated by the team leader, a Professor of Renal Medicine named Magdi Yaqoob,

‘It’s amazing.’

‘This is the first randomized controlled study of its kind.’

‘A simple remedy like sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), when used appropriately, can be very effective.’

The study involved 134 participants with advanced kidney disease and a randomly picked group was given a sodium bicarbonate tablet on a daily basis for a year.  This group noted a 2/3 slower decline of health when compared to the untreated group and they were less likely to need dialysis. Only 9 percent of the treated group had a rapid progression compared to 45 percent of the untreated group who experienced rapid progression.

According to Professor Magdi Yaqoob,

‘This study shows baking soda can be useful for people with kidney failure. That is, as long as the dose is regulated and under supervision.’

‘What happens is the inflammation of kidney is prevented by baking soda because a chemical reaction takes place limiting ammonia production in the kidney.’

‘This cheap and simple strategy also improves patients’ nutritional well-being and has the potential to improve quality of life and of course a clinical outcome that can remove the need for dialysis.’

‘Baking soda is not classed as a drug so this study has never been tried before.’

source:
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20100927/Daily-dose-of-baking-soda-affects-kidney-function-Study.aspx
http://livingtraditionally.com/how-to-repair-your-kidneys-naturally-using-baking-soda-and-why-you-should/

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5 Watermelon Facts That Will Shock You – Why Is Watermelon Good For Your Blood Pressure, Kidneys and Sexual Health?

In the US, July is National Watermelon Month, so named not only because a cool, refreshing slice of watermelon represents the epitome of summer, but also because watermelon harvests peak this month.

Watermelon is now the most-consumed melon in the US (followed by cantaloupe and honeydew). This cousin to cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash is thought to have originated in Egypt close to 5,000 years ago, where it is depicted in hieroglyphics.

Today, upwards of 300 watermelon varieties are grown in the US and Mexico (although only about 50 are popular). You may think you know everything there is to know about this summertime fruit, but allow me to surprise you… watermelon is more than just delicious… it’s a super-healthy addition to your diet (in moderation, of course).

You just need to be careful when eating any melon, including watermelon to follow the advice of Wayne Pickering in my interview. Eat melon alone or leave it alone because it will make your stomach groan. So ideally, no food 30 minutes before or after eating melons.

5 Watermelon Facts That Might Surprise You

1.Watermelon Has More Lycopene Than Raw Tomatoes

Lycopene is a powerful carotenoid antioxidant that gives fruits and vegetables a pink or red color. It’s most often associated with tomatoes, but watermelon is actually a more concentrated source.

Compared to a large fresh tomato, one cup of watermelon has 1.5 times the lycopene (6 milligrams (mg) in watermelon compared to 4 mg in a tomato).More on why lycopene is so important shortly…

2.Watermelon Juice May Relieve Muscle Soreness

If you have a juicer, try juicing about one-third of a fresh watermelon and drinking its juice prior to your next workout. This contains a little over one gram of l-citrulline, an amino acid that seems to protect against muscle pain.

One study found that men who drank natural unpasteurized watermelon juice prior to their workouts had reduced muscle soreness 24 hours later compared to those who drank a placebo.

You do need to be careful with drinking watermelon juice, though, as it contains a significant amount of fructose. It may be better to eat the entire fruit, or opt for these other tips to prevent muscle soreness.

3.Watermelon Is a Fruit and a Vegetable

Remember how watermelon is related to cucumbers, pumpkin, and squash? That’s because it’s part vegetable and part fruit (it’s a sweet, seed-producing plant, after all). The other clue that watermelon is both fruit and vegetable? The rind is entirely edible…

4.You Can Eat Watermelon Rind and Seeds

Most people throw away the watermelon rind, but try putting it in a blender with some lime for a healthy, refreshing treat. Not only does the rind contain plenty of health-promoting and blood-building chlorophyll, but the rind actually contains more of the amino acid citrulline than the pink flesh.

Citrulline is converted to arginine in your kidneys, and not only is this amino acid important for heart health and maintaining your immune system, but it has been researched to have potential therapeutic value in over 100 health conditions.

While many people prefer seedless watermelon varieties, black watermelon seeds are edible and actually quite healthy. They contain iron, zinc, protein, and fiber. (In case you were wondering, seedless watermelons aren’t genetically modified, as they’re the result of hybridization.)

5.It’s Mostly Water

This might not be surprising, but it’s still a fun fact; watermelon is more than 91 percent water. This means that eating watermelon with you on a hot summer day is a tasty way to help you stay hydrated and avoid dehydration (it’s not a substitute for drinking plenty of fresh water, however).

Watermelon Extract May Significantly Reduce Blood Pressure

New research also highlights the role of watermelon nutrients on heart attack prevention, via a significant reduction in blood pressure. Obese study participants who received citrulline and arginine supplements derived from watermelon extract had significant improvements in blood pressure and cardiac stress, both while at rest and undergoing a stressful cold-water test. According to the researchers:

“Watermelon supplementation reduced aortic BP [blood pressure] and myocardial oxygen demand during CPT [cold pressor test] and the magnitude of the cold-induced increase in wave reflection in obese adults with hypertension. Watermelon may provide cardioprotection by attenuating cold-induced aortic hemodynamic responses.”

Remember, in your body the citrulline in watermelon is converted into L-arginine, which is a precursor to nitric oxide. Adequate nitric oxide is required to enable you blood vessels to stay relaxed and open for blood flow, which is one reason why it may help lower blood pressure.

Watermelon for Inflammation, Sexual Health, and More

L-arginine may also help with erectile dysfunction by helping to relax your blood vessels, including those supplying blood to your penis – and that’s why watermelon is sometimes referred to as “Nature’s Viagra.” In fact, citrulline supplementation has been found to improve erection hardness in men with mild erectile dysfunction.

What else is watermelon good for? It’s rich in anti-inflammatory substances. For instance, watermelon contains the anti-inflammatory antioxidant lycopene as well as cucurbitacin E, or tripterpenoid, which reduces the activity of the pain and inflammation-causing enzyme cyclooxygenase – the same enzyme blocked by COX-2 inhibitors, which include most NSAIDs like aspirin and ibuprofen. While being very low in calories (about 46 calories in a cup), watermelon also contains an impressive variety of other important nutrients in which many Americans are lacking, including:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B6
• Potassium
• Vitamin A

source: http://mrhealthyplanet.com

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Save Your Heart, Kidneys, and Brain: Clean Your Arteries With These 3 ingredients

The arteries are the fundamental part of the human body and their health is more than important, as they are the blood vessels that deliver oxygen-rich blood from the heart to all body.

The cardiovascular system is significantly damaged by the consumption of processed foods, fatty foods, toxins and chemicals, which lead to numerous heart diseases, including heart attack.

We will now reveal a miraculous 3- ingredient recipe that will cleanse your arteries. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 8 cloves of garlic
• 1 piece of ginger (4-5 cm)
• 100 oz / 3 liters clean water
• 8 lemons

Method of preparation:

Wash the lemons and cut them into pieces. Then, clean the garlic cloves and the ginger, and add all the ingredients in a blender. Mix well until you get a smooth mixture. Then, transfer it in a pot, add the water and cook.

As soon as the water starts boiling, remove the pot from the heat. Store the resulting mixture in bottles.

Use:

This remedy should be consumed every day, 2 hours before meals, on an empty stomach. Apart from its consumption, it is also recommended that you do regular exercises at least three times a day during the treatment. Undoubtedly, the results will be astonishing!


source: http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/

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