Watch your blood pressure, treat your diabetes, avoid salt, and follow the other advices of
today's video to take good care of your kidneys.
If you want to keep your kidneys healthy, I have a lot of useful tips for you today.
Because your kidneys work hard for you, day in and day out.
To take good care of them, you'll want to focus on the things that make a big difference.
Hello, this is Katherine, welcome to 00kidney.
Let's start immediately with our first tip.
Tip number 1, be water wise "Keep your kidneys healthy
by drinking water the wise way"
A lot of people don't drink enough water, and this can cause problems with the kidneys
over time.
Others drink too much water and this too, as incredible as it may seems, can cause trouble
with the kidneys.
What to do then?
Be wise about water.
Drink before you feel the thirst.
It's really good for your kidneys, and your health, to stay hydrated.
How much to drink?
Follow the 8 by 8 rule.
It's very easy to remember.
Drink eight 8-ounce glasses per day, that's about 2 liters or half gallon.
Ok, this only applies if you don't have a water restriction, obviously.
Also, notice the color of your urine.
If it's pale yellow or clear, it's fine.
If it's dark yellow, you might need more water.
Your kidneys will thank you!
Yes, today's video is going to be full of advices to keep the kidneys healthy, so if
you know anyone who may benefit from healthier kidneys, send them this video now.
Tip number 2 know your kidneys better The kidneys are one of those organs in your
body you cannot live without.
Literally.
Still, very few people care about theirs when they are still working.
We only start to notice our kidneys when they give us trouble.
This is not a criticism, just a fact.
So, either if your kidneys are still good or if they need to be taken care of, learning
more about how they work and what they do will really help you improving your kidney
health.
A little more than 1 in 7 Americans over the age of 20 show evidence of kidney disease.
Chronic kidney disease is one of the most dangerous health conditions of our times and
it affects 1 in 4 Americans over the age of 65.
There's a big 4% here, which means that only 4% of those with early kidney disease are
aware they have a problem.
And this is a huge issue so, even if your kidneys are still good, it's never too early
to take better care of them.
Tip number 3 increase your dietary fiber intake Foods rich in fiber can help repair the kidneys
Ok, here's a very nice tip that can help basically everyone.
This works for healthy people but it even works for people in stage 4 or 5 of kidney
disease.
Everyone can benefit from more dietary fiber.
So, when people ask me Katherine, what fruit is good for the kidneys?
Or...
What foods help repair kidney damage?
I always tell them to eat more fiber.
Because that's what works best.
So, foods that can help repair the kidneys include
Fruits like apples, red grapes and pears.
berries like blueberries and cranberries, cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, kale,
cabbage.
Whole grains like bulgur and buckwheat.
Eating more sources of fiber will help your kidneys and your overall health.
So start adding more of these plant food to your diet.
Now, if you are diagnosed with kidney disease, you should follow a renal diet made specifically
for you by a registered dietitian.
And, for sure you can make some helpful improvements to your diet with the info you find here in
my videos, but remember that the renal diet is a tricky topic and you should discuss with
your doctor any significant change you may make.
Especially because some of the foods you may think are healthy, are actually dangerous.
How to understand what foods are healthy and what foods are dangerous?
Kidney health tip number 4 Avoid hidden salt and other toxins
Experts say most people should consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium each day.
That's one teaspoon.
Just one.
But people with kidney disease or other diseases like diabetes or hypertension, should limit
their intake to no more than 1500mg per day.
Eating too much salt can make it harder for your kidneys to remove fluid, which builds
up in your system and increases your blood pressure.
So people with kidney disease are often recommended to avoid table salt.
Everyone knows this, so I'm not going to repeat it once again.
What not everyone know is how to avoid hidden salt.
Because, if you want to keep your kidneys healthy, avoiding adding table salt to what
you're eating may not be enough.
Some unlikely sodium-rich foods may even taste sweet, making it harder for people to notice
how much sodium these foods pack.
So is just stopping using the salt shaker enough?
It does help to avoid adding salt to your food at the table, but unfortunately, a major
part of the sodium in American diets - almost 80 percent - comes from processed and packaged
foods.
These foods can be high in sodium even if they don't taste salty.
Processed foods that may be dangerous include: Frozen meals.
Snack foods.
Cheese.
Condiments, sauces and dressings.
Breads.
Cereals.
Canned or pickled foods.
Deli meat.
Sodas (including diet sodas).
So, while avoiding packaged foods may be a good strategy, if you can't do that, always
check the labels of what you're buying.
Checking labels is the only way to know how much sodium there is in your food.
If you buy packaged or processed foods, choose foods that are labeled "sodium-free" or "very
low sodium."
Kidney health tip number 5 keep being brave AND never stop fighting for your health
This tip is maybe the most important one, especially for those who have been diagnosed
with kidney disease.
CKD is a terrifying illness that's taking a huge toll on the population, and if you
have it and you are fighting it, it means that you're incredibly brave and strong.
Because that's the only way to survive kidney disease.
I want to read you a message from a user here on 00kidney.
As many of you, when I was diagnosed with CKD I was scared.
I asked my doctor how much this was going to limit my life span.
He smiled and replied Put it this way, I have patients in their 80s who still have useful
kidney function.
I did not expect that.
I could not have imagined that he had just given me the best medicine possible.
Hope.
He planted a seed.
He also gave me the belief that anything is possible.
So I started to do researches online, I improved my renal diet and I started to work with my
doctor and dietitian to improve my treatment.
And now I'm not just more confident that I will live a long life, I've also seen the
first improvement in my blood tests in years.
Although my body has CKD, I am still me.
I choose to be the best version of me.
I make the time to be conscious of my health and wellbeing.
This is one of my favorite comments here.
A lot of you have shared your story with us here on 00Kidney and I always try to find
the time to read your comments and to answer them whenever I can.
This is because finding hope in a world where hope is so hard to find is the greatest thing
you can do in your life.
So don't let the fear stop you from fighting for a better health.
It is normal to be scared when you have to face a life threatening illness.
But if you are strong and you fight for your health you can beat it.
Now, There's a question, that people always ask me and I want to give an answer now.
Can kidneys be repaired?
It was thought that kidney cells didn't reproduce much once the organ was fully formed, but
there are now studies showing that the kidneys can actually regenerate themselves.
A new research shows that the kidneys are regenerating and repairing themselves throughout
life.
Contrary to long-held beliefs, a study from the Researchers at the Stanford Institute
for Stem Cell Biology shows that kidneys have the capacity to regenerate themselves
Now, this doesn't mean that the kidneys of people in the advanced stages of kidney disease
can be easily repaired, but there is always hope.
Tip number 6 Know your symptoms What are the symptoms of kidney damage?
They include . Fatigue
. Back pain . Foam in the urine
. Swelling in the hands and feet . Urinating more or less than normal
. Trouble breathing . Itching
. Muscle cramps . Nausea and vomiting
Now, most of the times, what people ask is What is the first sign of kidney failure?
As you can see from my slide here, The short answer is foam in the urine.
This is the only symptom that you may be able to see in stage 2, before your kidneys are
seriously in trouble.
Because if you see foam in your urine it could be a sign that your kidneys are leaking a
protein, called albumin, and this may indicate that they are not working properly.
But do you want a longer, better answer?
If you look at my slide here, most of the symptoms of kidney problems only show up in
the advanced stages.
What does this mean?
That you shouldn't give symptoms too much importance.
Kidney disease is really different from many other diseases.
It's a silent disease.
So symptoms aren't a good indicator of your health here.
A lot of people only start to take care of a problem or an illness when they see the
symptoms.
This mindset is going to give you a lot of troubles when it comes to kidney disease.
Because the only sign you can actually use to prevent this disease is the foam in the
urine.
And it's very hard to spot it.
I've made a video explaining very thoroughly how to understand if the foam you see in the
urine is a symptom of kidney disease or not.
I'll put a link in description if you want to know more.
Bottomline?
Foam in the urine can depend on a lot of factors.
Dehydration, speed of urine flow or other conditions.
So, if you ask me, would you risk someone's health on the foam in the urine?
Nope, not at all.
So if you are worried and you want to know if you have a kidney damage, talk to your
doctor and get checked... now.
This bring us to the next kidney health tip:
Number 7 Have your kidney function tested if you're at high risk
If you're at high risk of kidney damage or kidney disease, it's a good idea to have regular
kidney function tests.
The following people may benefit from regular screening:
People with diabetes People with high blood pressure
people who are over 60 years old people with a familiar history of kidney disease
people who have cardiovascular disease or have family with it
people who are obese people who believe they may have kidney damage
A regular kidney function test is a great way to know your kidney's health status and
to check for possible changes.
Getting ahead of any damage can help slow or prevent future damage.
Number 8 Control your blood sugar People with diabetes, or a condition that
causes high blood sugar, may develop kidney damage.
When your body's cells can't use the glucose (sugar) in your blood, your kidneys are forced
to work extra hard to filter your blood.
Over years of exertion, this can lead to life-threatening damage.
However, if you can control your blood sugar, you reduce the risk of damage.
Also, if the damage is caught early, your doctor can take steps to reduce or prevent
additional damage.
So, take action immediately if you have diabetes or prediabetes.
Tip number 9, Monitor blood pressure High blood pressure can cause kidney damage.
If high blood pressure occurs with other health issues like diabetes, heart disease, or high
cholesterol, the impact on your body can be significant.
A healthy blood pressure reading is 120 over 80.
Elevated blood pressure is between that point and 129 over 80.
Lifestyle and dietary changes may help lower your blood pressure at this point.
If your blood pressure readings are consistently above 140 over 90, you may have high blood
pressure.
You should talk with your doctor about monitoring your blood pressure regularly, making changes
to your lifestyle, and possibly taking medication.
Tip NUMBER 10 KEEP BEING INFORMED Ok, this isn't easy as it seems, but it's
maybe the most important thing you can do to improve your kidney health and to take
good care of your kidneys.
Now, if you here watching me right now it means that you really care about your health.
This is really something you should be proud of, because it's a lot harder than it seems
to fight a health problem as severe as kidney disease.
Good for you.
So, keep getting informed, keep watching me here on 00kidney.
I'm uploading a new video every Tuesday and Friday so don't forget to subscribe.
Also, some people asked me in comment about the program that people are using to reverse
their kidneys disease.
Here it is, I have it on my phone.
I often talk about this program because it's something that really works and people are
getting incredible results from it.
A lot of people here are writing in comment section how much this helped them reversing
kidney disease.
And this is really great.
So, if you're interested, watch this video now for more info.
This is all for today, thank you for watching.