Your kidneys work hard every day to remove waste products from your body. They also help keep your body's chemicals in balance and help keep the amount of water in your body balanced. Sometimes, certain risk factors can put the kidneys in danger. Your kidneys can be damaged by exposure to certain drugs or toxins, for example. These toxins may be in the form of any number of harmful chemicals that include heavy metals, solvents, pharmaceutical drugs and pesticides. There are also a number of conditions that can affect the kidneys and their ability to function: heart failure, diabetes, hypertension, liver disease, lupus and sickle-cell anemia are some examples.
If you have another underlying condition, especially diabetes, there are steps that you can take to help protect your liver from damage. According to researchers, about half of those who have diabetes will develop early signs of kidney damage. Unfortunately, though, early kidney damage doesn't' really have any symptoms.
It's important, if you have diabetes, to get regular tests to check your kidney function. It also makes sense to be aware of the risk of kidney damage so that you can do as much as you can to stop it from happening.
Diabetes and high blood pressure are two of the leading causes of kidney disease. If you have diabetes, you can reduce your risk of kidney damage by managing your blood-sugar levels. If you have high blood pressure, you can help protect your kidneys by getting your blood pressure to a healthy level.
There is much that you can do to help manage these two conditions, or in some cases, to prevent them. By doing so, you'll benefit your overall health, not just your kidney function.
Control Your Blood Sugar
With the help of your doctor, make sure that you have the medication and/or resources that you need to keep your blood-sugar levels stable. Remember that there are some relatively simple things that you can do to help keep your blood-sugar levels normal and help prevent diabetes from becoming a threat to your well-being.
Here is a list to help you out.
Eat a Low-fat, High-fiber Diet
Add to that plenty of raw vegetables and fruits, including vegetable juices. This will reduce your body's need for insulin. It will also lower the level of fats in your blood, helping you maintain a healthy weight. Fiber helps prevent blood-sugar spikes, as it is more slowly digested than simple sugars are.
Get Protein from Vegetables
Eat lots of legumes like kidney, lima and navy beans. Some grains are also high in protein. Try "quinoa," which has the most protein of all the grains and has a pleasing texture and taste. Soy protein is also a good source — it can help keep the levels of good cholesterol high in Type 2 diabetics.
Avoid Saturated Fats
That goes for trans-fats and hydrogenated oils, too. These oils, which are usually found in fast foods, can increase your risk for getting diabetes. Instead, use healthy oils like olive, sesame, flax, pumpkin, walnut and sunflower oils. Take a walk down the oil isle in your local health-food store. You'll be surprised at the number of varieties that are available. Give some of them a try — you might discover a new taste that you like. Just take note that some oils are better at retaining nutrients than others when heated. Other oils may be best used only for salad dressings and in baking.
Avoid Smoking
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