Fight Off Kidney Diseases With A Healthy Lifestyle!

Your kidneys are susceptible to a host of diseases – kidney stones, chronic kidney disease, renal failure etc. While they affect the same organ, their causes usually differ.

The best way to fight off kidney ailments is to make healthy changes in your lifestyle – certain changes can help you manage or prevent health conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, which put you at risk of renal diseases.

Here is how you can prevent kidney disorders with a healthy lifestyle –

• Make healthy food choices

Choose healthy food options that are good for your overall health – green vegetables, fresh fruits, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, whole grains, and lean protein. Cut back on sugar and sodium intake. Make sure you limit your daily salt intake to 2300 mg.

• Make exercise a part of your routine

A little bit of exercise can work wonders for your kidney health. Be active for at least 30 minutes, 4-5 days a week. If you are not someone who would like to work out at the gym or lift heavy weights, you can simply stick to a cardio workout routine – this includes cycling, swimming, running or jogging, and brisk walking.

• Aim for a healthy weight

Research suggests that people who are obese or overweight have a higher chance of developing high blood pressure and high blood glucose levels - major risk factors of kidney diseases. Therefore, you should aim to keep your body weight under control. Healthy eating and physical activity will help you maintain a healthy weight.

• Get enough sleep

A connection between diminished kidney function and reduced sleep might be the outcome of medical conditions that influence kidney functioning, such as hypertension and diabetes. So pay heed to how many hours of sleep you are getting every night. Ideally, it should be 7-8 hours of sound sleep. If you are not getting enough sleep, you should consult a healthcare provider and seek help.

• Limit alcohol intake and quit smoking

Overconsumption of alcohol not only increase calorie intake but also elevates your blood pressure considerably, resulting in rapid weight gain. Therefore, it is important to limit alcohol consumption to 1-2 glasses per day. Also, you should not indulge in alcohol more than 2-3 days a week. Smoking, on the other hand, slows the process of blood flow to your kidneys, thus making it worse. If you are in the habit of using tobacco or smoking cigar/cigarettes, stop right away.

Chronic kidney disorders account for a high percentage of deaths worldwide. It is wiser to take precautionary measures to fight off the disease rather than be affected by it. Besides following these healthy lifestyle changes, you should also consider booking an appointment with your healthcare provider to monitor your kidney functioning.