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*Kidneys
Are you worried about
your kidneys? Your kidneys are a very important way of eliminating toxins from your body. They are also the check-in point
for your acid-base balance.
There are many self-care and wellness actions you can take to protect your
kidneys even if you have chronic kidney disease, or if you just want to keep them healthy and stay well.
Find some ways to keep your kidneys healthy below. Consult the source
listed below for more information.
1. Eat polyunsaturated fatty acid
foods.
Some foods to eat include fatty fish (tuna, salmon, mackerel, herring, whitefish),
green leafy vegetables, flaxseed (add to salads, soups, yogurt, cereals, baked goods or fresh juices), olive oil, seeds and
nuts.
2. According to several studies,
fish oil may reduce high blood pressure, prevent the development of proteinuria (protein in the urine) and minimize lesions.
To insure these effects, take fish oil capsules daily.
3. Eat a high soy and vegetarian
diet and include flaxseeds. A report in the American Journal of Kidney Disease reviewed the recent findings from dietary intervention
studies and found that soy and flaxseed both protect against kidney disease.
4. Increase your intake of garlic.
It can protect the kidney cortex (Free Radicals in Biological Medicine) and stop kidney damage in chronic kidney syndrome
(Molecular and Cell Biochemistry).
5. Vitamin B6 supplementation
can improve tingling, numbness, and burning pain in fingers and toes that sometimes accompanies chronic kidney failure, according
to a study in Nephrology Dialysis and Transplants.
6. A Chinese herbal recipe called
Yishen Huanshuai can markedly retard the rate of progression of chronic kidney disease when combined with a low protein diet
and controlled blood pressure, according to one study.
7. Drink a pint of raw carrot
juice mixed with one pint of raw spinach juice daily. It would be best to purchase a juicer because the juice must be made
fresh daily and drunk immediately.
8. Try to eat the following foods
more often. They are considered kidney tonics in Chinese Medicine: beef kidney, chestnuts, cinnamon, cloves, dill, fennel,
fenugreek, lobster, pistachios,raspberries and strawberries.
9. To balance negative thoughts,
say or write one of the following affirmations 20 times every day:
* It is safe to grow and be joyful
* The right action is always taking place in my
life.
* All things good come into my life
10. Hold your hands just above your waist on your back and say, "Phew!" 25
times. This will bring cleansing circulation to your kidneys.
11. Avoid concentrated sugars, dates, raisins, lots of protein, beet greens,
cooked spinach, rhubarb, chocolate, coffee, tea, sugar and alcohol.
This article is excerpted from The American Holistic Nurses' Association Guide
to Common Chronic Conditions: Self-Care Options to Complement Your Doctor's Advice, Wiley, 2003. For more information, consult
this source.
This article is for information only. For treatment, consult your health care
provider.Copyright www.carolynchambersclark.com
For more information about kidneys, click on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidney
*Kidney Stones
If you don't know the composition of your stones, when you urinate, use a strainer so you can catch your stones for later
analysis.
Stones can take up to 6 weeks to pass. In the meantime (and as a preventive in the future):
If stones are calcium-based, limit the amount of calcium and oxalate-based foods eaten. These include apples, black pepper,
spinach, crackers, chard, celery, green pepper, strawberries, raspberries, marmalade, grits, liver, chocolate, beets,
wheatgerm, okra, peanuts, coffee, cheese, grapes, ice cream, vitamin C, yogurt, asparagus, beet greens, eggs, fish, vegetables
of the cabbage family, dried figs, nuts, poppy seeds, black tea, tomatoes and oranges, to name a few.
Drink 3 quarts of distilled water a day; and only used distilled water for cooking; dehydration is a common source
of kidney stones and drinking water will help pass stones.
Eat foods high in vitamin A: apricots, cantaloupes, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and squash; see acidosis/alkalosis
Eliminate animal fats: yogurt, milk, butter, meat, cheese etc; a vegan diet that contains no animal products prevents
kidney stone production; see acidosis/alkalosis
Limit salt intake and salt substitutes
Avoid carbonated soft drinks
Avoid taking L-cystine, which can crystallize in the kidneys and form large stones; see acidosis/alkalosis below
Sodium phosphate is effective on calcium-based stones; potassium citrate is effects oon stones not of calcium origin
Raise the pH of the body to control calcium stones, and lower it to control uric acid stones. Get pH paper at your pharmacy
and test your urine every day.
Acid forming foods: asparagus, beans, brussels sprouts, catsup, chickpase, cocoa, cranberries,
eggs, fish, flour, legumes, lentils, meat, milk, mustard, noodles, oatmeal, olives, organ meats, pasta, pepper,
plums,
poultry, prunes, sauerkraut, shellfish, soft drinks, sugar, tea, vinega, aspirin, tobacco, and most drugs, butter, canned
fruit, cheese, dried coconut, grains, ice cream, ice milk, seeds and nuts.
Alkaline forming foods: avocados, corn, dates, fresh coconut, most fresh fruits, most fresh
vegetables, honey, maple syrup, molasses, raisins, soy products, crackers, potato broth, citrus fruits.
For acidosis: Excess vitamin C can lead to acidosis; reduce your intake for a few weeks
and only take a non-acid forming buffered variety.
Practice deep breathing to reduce acidosis. Apply ginger compresses to the kidney area for acidosis.
Kelp, almonds, blackstrap molases, Brazil nuts, buckwheat, chestnuts, lima beans, millet and soured dairy products (buttermilk,
kefir, unsweetened yogurt) are low level alkaline-forming foods.
For alkalosis: pH above 6.8: Eat more acid-forming foods, take betaine hydrochlorid a digestive dnzes
that releases acid in the digestive tract, L-Cysteine (500 mg twice daily on empty stomach with water
or juice only,
and for better absorption, take with 50 mg vitamin B6 and and 100 mg vitamin C; 200 micrograms of selenium, and sulfur 500
mg daily or eat cabbage, Brussels sprouts, dried beans, eggs,
fish, garlic, kale, onions, soybeans, turnips,
and wheatgerm.
*Taking probiotics can help to neutralize toxic metabolites and indirectly adjust your body's acid/alkaline balance.
Follow the directions on the product label, and use a dairy-free formulat if you're allergic to milk.
*Drinking peppermint tea with meals can reduce acidity
Take up to 100 mg a day of zinc to inhibit formation of stones; anything over 100 mg depresses immunity
Drink Kombucha
Tea http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14631833?ordinalpos=12&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Limit
supplemental intake of vitamin D; take a tablespoon of cod liver oil or take 15 minutes in the sun (light-skinned) or 45 minutes
(dark-skinned) 3 times a week, exposing face, arms and legs.
Drink lots of lemonade. It’s no wonder drink, but it can do one thing other drinks can’t---increase
citrate levels in your urine. Make your own or use frozen form; more processed varieties may contain other products you
may not want to ingest; always check lagels. Citrate prevents the formation of some kidney stones; see acidosis/alkalosis
take vitamin B complex 50 mg 3 times daily with meals and an additional 50 mg of vitamin B6 twice a day to reduce oxalates
take magnesium 500 mg a day to reduce calcium absorption and ower urinary oxalate; use oxide, hydroxide or chloride form
of mg
aloe vera juice can reduce the size of a stone during an acute attack; drink at least 8 ounces a day
or so (avoid a laxative effect) over 24 hours
lobelia tincture (3-4 drops) and wild yam tincture (15 drops) in a glass of warm water helps relax the ureters, relieve
pain, and hasten the passing of stones; sip this mixture through the day
Uva ursi helps to relieve pain and bloating
Other Sources/Resources:
Balch and Balch, Prescription for Nutriitonal Healing.
Zand, Spreen and LaValle, Smart Medicine for Healthier Living.
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