“This article originally appeared on InBody USA and is reposted here with permission.”
Kidneys are only the size of your fists but don’t let their size fool you. These small organs work nonstop to filter blood and remove waste. In a single day, your kidneys pump more than 400 gallons of recycled blood through the body. If your kidneys become impaired, your body can be overwhelmed with waste. So, it’s important to keep them healthy.
You won’t know immediately that your lifestyle choices are harming your kidneys. Chronic kidney disease progresses slowly over years. It is possible for a person to lose almost 90 percent of kidney function before symptoms become serious enough to seek medical attention! Almost one in ten adults in the world suffer from some kind of kidney problem. And millions die each year from kidney complications! Chronic kidney disease is not reversible. But fear not, with some simple lifestyle changes you can lower your risk of acquiring kidney related diseases.
Here are Five Lifestyle Changes you can make to keep your kidneys healthy.
1. Hydrate adequately
Drinking plenty of water helps your kidneys clear sodium, urea and toxins from the body and helps you avoid painful kidney stones. Aim to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Remember, everyone’s body water levels are different but you can use a body composition device to determine your normal.
2. Eat fresh foods and maintain a healthy body composition
Poor diet contributes to gaining visceral fat, which has been linked to chronic kidney disease. Reduce your visceral fat by eating a restricted caloric diet of vegetables, fruit and lean protein. Cut back on salty, processed food. Body composition devices that provide BMR can help you form an individualized diet plan to reduce visceral fat.
3. Use caution when consuming supplements, antibiotics, and OTC medications
Common drugs and supplements have been shown to cause kidney damage and disease if taken regularly. Consult with your doctor before taking medications and supplements if you have impaired kidney function.
4. Staying fit and active
Make sure you include both cardio and weight-bearing exercises in your fitness regimen. High blood sugar levels stress the kidneys. It has been shown that building an adequate muscle mass level will help control blood sugar. A body composition device can make sure you have an adequate amount of muscle mass.
5. Quit smoking
If you needed another reason to quit smoking, think about your kidneys. Smoking narrows the blood vessels in the kidneys reducing blood flow and accelerates the loss of kidney function.
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Stop by our pop-up shop located in the Los Cerritos Mall, between Macy’s and Nordstrom, to have your body composition tested on the flagship InBody 770. In less than one minute, you can see your body water levels, visceral fat, and muscle mass so you can begin to understand your risk factor for kidney related diseases.
