Understand a Kidney Cleansing Fast
Kidney cleansing fasts, otherwise known as kidney detoxification, are used to improve kidney function and avoid kidney stones. In order to decide if kidney detoxification is personally beneficial, you must first understand its effects on the body. This article will show you how to understand a kidney cleansing fast.
Steps
- Understand the function of the kidneys and urinary system. The average person is born with 2 kidneys. They are a component of your body's urinary system, along with the ureters and the bladder. The kidneys have a number of functions, including balancing body fluids, balancing body chemicals, removing waste products and releasing essential hormones. They are essential to your other organs because they process and rid the body of waste products, including chemicals, salt and excess water. The following steps will analyze how the elements of a kidney cleansing fast affect the body.
- Consult your doctor before starting a kidney cleansing fast.
- Some people are at risk for kidney disease. If anyone in your family has had kidney disease, it is a good idea to get blood pressure, blood and urine tests to determine your overall kidney health.
- A kidney cleansing fast may also inhibit medication absorption.
- Reduce the amount of food you eat during the days leading up to your fast.
- Fasting often increases feelings of hunger. This early reduction in diet can help to curb your hunger.
- For some people this may be the only step required; eating a healthy diet and increasing your fluid intake may be enough to cleanse the kidneys.
- Many kidney disease patients are asked to limit their intake of food that is high in protein, cholesterol and sodium. The kidneys are responsible for processing these substances, and this change in diet can allow the kidneys to rest before, during or after the cleanse.
- Determine what your fluid intake should be. Most kidney cleansing fasts last about 3 days and they recommend that you consume half of your body weight in ounces. For example if you weigh 180 lbs. (81.6 kg), you should drink 90 oz. (2.66 l) of water each day.
- Fluids are essential to a kidney cleansing fast because your kidneys filter and clean around 200 qt. (189.27 l) of fluid from your blood every day. About 198 qt. (187.377 l) are absorbed and 2 qt. (1.89 l) continue on to the bladder to form urine.
- Many cleansing fasts recommend using distilled water because it does not have the mineral content of tap water. This also allows your kidneys to rest by limiting the number of minerals your kidneys will have to process.
- Adopt a liquid diet for 3 days that includes water, juice, herbal teas and vegetable broth. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and dairy products.
- Liquids help to rehydrate the body, which is essential to preventing kidney stones, which are crystalline deposits that form when a person is dehydrated and too much of a substance, like calcium, is in the urine.
- Teas made from celery seeds or nettles act as natural diuretics. Parsley and bearberry are commonly used in teas as they aid the digestive and urinary systems.
- Alcohol, caffeine and milk products act as diuretics, which cause you to urinate more frequently and get rid of fluids very quickly, thus dehydrating the body before essential fluids are absorbed.
- Vegetable broth is made by boiling vegetables or vegetable peels, including carrots, celery and beets for an hour, and then straining and drinking the nutrient-rich fluid. Drink this broth 2 to 3 times a day to combat electrolyte and potassium loss.
- Eat watermelon to cleanse kidneys after your 3 day fast.
- Watermelon is a natural diuretic, but unlike alcohol and caffeine, it does not seem to strain the kidneys. A watermelon cleanse helps the liver to process ammonia, a waste from protein digestion, and deliver it to the urea. This also eases strain on the kidneys, while ridding the body of excess fluids.
- There are many ways to derive this benefit from watermelon. It can be cut up and eaten whole (with seeds) or juiced. The seeds can be made into tea, and the flesh can be made into soup.
- Ease yourself slowly out of the fast by eating raw vegetables.
- Any change in diet should be slowly adopted to avoid lightheadedness, nausea or hunger. After eating vegetables for a few days, incorporate small amounts of protein, and then move back into a normal, healthy diet.
