World Kidney Day is a time to reflect on the importance of kidney health. Every year, World Kidney Day is observed on the second Thursday in March.
Our kidneys are located against the back muscles in our upper abdominal cavity. Your kidneys remove waste from blood, regulate fluids, create urine, and help with other important functions of the body. Many people tend to forget about this bean-shaped organ. However, according to the Huffington Post, more people in America die of Kidney disease than breast and prostate cancer put together.
Review the following tips and keep in mind that you should be caring for your kidneys everyday. Not just on World Kidney Day.
6 Tips for Kidney Health:
- Exercise daily. This can not be stressed enough. Exercise promotes health and wellness for your entire body and is one of the best ways to keep yourself well.
- It’s time to stop smoking. We know if you are a smoker you have probably heard this several times– but quitting will be beneficial for both your lungs and your kidneys.
- Watch for foods with oxalate in them and add them to your diet. Having a moderate amount of oxalate in your diet is important to reduce the chance of kidney stones.
- Stop eating so much sodium. An excess amount of salt intake can increase your blood pressure which affects your kidney health.
- Regularly check your blood pressure. If your blood pressure is higher then it should be, you could be at risk for serious kidney problems if you don’t make any lifestyle changes.
- Try to keep yourself at a healthy weight by using the body mass index (BMI).