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| Nutri- Notes: KIDNEY HEALTH |
| Nancy Berkoff, RD, |
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 Your kidneys are hard workers and you should treat them nicely. This means lots of fluids and watching the sodium. These fist-shaped organs shaped like… well, kidneys (where do you think kidney beans got their name?) are real powerhouses. They know how to keep what your body needs and gets rid of the rest of the unnecessary stuff. Without well-running kidneys, your body does not have a way to rinse away the unusable leftovers from digestion, keep fluid levels where they should be or maintain the right amount of potassium, sodium and other important minerals. Pretty important stuff! |
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Fortunately, kidneys were designed to have a lot of reserve. Even if sixty per cent of a kidney is destroyed, it can still function reasonably well. Symptoms usually don’t show until kidney function is down to 30%. Some people are borne with only one functioning kidney, some lose a kidney to disease or injury and some people chose to donate a kidney to help someone in need. Mother Nature was really thinking when she designed the kidney.
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E.coli is responsible for many urinary tract infections (estimated 8-10 million per year in the US). Urinary tract infections can eventually damage kidneys. There are natural ingredients in cranberries that stop the growth of e. coli. It’s not been established if cranberry juice or other cranberry products truly enhance kidney and bladder health. However, fluids are very important for keeping the kidneys and bladders happy and cranberry juice is definitely high in Vitamin C- a proven good thing!
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Just about any kind of fluid will make your kidneys smile EXCEPT those with excessive sugar, salt or caffeine. Sugar can encourage the growth of bacteria in the bladder. The kidneys must filter salt, so the more you take in over what you need every day, the harder your kidneys have to work. Caffeine really plays a number on your circulatory system, and encourages your body to get rid of fluid it really needs. You can drink quarts of fluid, in the form of coffee or iced tea, and wind up dehydrated, due to the caffeine. So, go easy on the coffee, tea, soft drinks and sports drinks (a little is okay, just take it easy) and think: fresh, refreshing fruit juices (blueberry ginger lemonade and iced passion fruit herbal tea come to mind) and clear, sparkling water.
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| Here are some fluid ideas: |
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- Water ( yes, water)- iced, with a twist of lemon, lime, orange or tangerine, sparkling, flavored
- Fruit juice- blended with yogurt or nonfat milk, mixed with sparkling water, frozen and served as slush. Try blending fresh watermelon and adding it to lemonade or mix orange juice, apricot nectar and mango nectar together for a refreshing beverage. Freeze white grape juice in ice cube trays and serve in a tall glass of cranberry juice.
- Herbal and decaffeinated teas: try iced green tea with a twist of ginger, hot green tea with lemon and mint, hibiscus tea with orange slices, herbal tea blends mixed with clove and nutmeg.
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| Today's Menu |
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| Quote of the Day |
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Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
~Mark Twain |
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A generous contribution
has been received honoring
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John Maxwell
with all our love
Bill, Mary, Susan
and Phil |
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