Written by: Paula Steenrod, MPH, PN1, 200 RYT | AdvantageHealth Corporation
March is National Kidney Month! Your kidneys do all kinds of wonderful tasks for you: filter toxins out of your blood, keep the right amount of fluids in the body, help make red blood cells and help keep blood pressure under control!
What can you do for them?
Keep your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol under control
Lose weight, IF needed
Eat healthy meals
Take all medicines prescribed
Get regular exercise
Don't smoke
Limit alcohol
The simplest answer to stay hydrated is .... with good old-fashioned water!
Staying hydrated helps all your bodily functions, including (but not limited to): glowing skin, bowel movement, kidney function, etc. In addition, drinking enough water can help your kidneys filter your blood more efficiently, and it also helps to eliminate or lessen urinary tract infections (UTI). I won't go through all the details on how water is the perfect teammate for the kidneys. So instead, let's talk about how much water you might need to intake, how you know it is enough, and some tricks to help you get enough!
How Much is Enough? - Eight is Great! This is a nice general rule of thumb. However, your hydration can depend on several different factors: gender, age, climate, exercise, medication, etc.
A better way to check your hydration level is to look at the color of your urine. Yep, the look AND smell of your pee! See chart below for color variant. However, your urine should be the color of straw or lighter. If it is darker than this, you need more water.
Tips and Tricks:
Keep water near you ALL the time. All those sips add up at the end of the day.
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Make your water really cold or room temperature if it helps you drink more water.
Add a lemon, lime, cucumber, etc., to give your water a little flavor boost.
Drink a glass of water before each meal.
Keep it simple, drink some water, and keep those kidneys happy!
Since 2001, Minnesota-based AdvantageHealth has been delivering award-winning employee wellbeing programs and fitness center design & management throughout the U.S.
