Detoxification of the kidneys is one of the most important health maintenance exercises that we should all consider undertaking. Why, you ask? Let's start from the beginning....
Kidneys are the pair of fist sized, bean shaped organs that are located at the lower back, just below the rib cage. They may not be the largest organs in our bodies but they sure have some very important functions. Blood from the entire body flows into the kidneys and is filtered, removing waste products, coupled with excess water.
These unwanted substances (which form urine) are then taken to the bladder awaiting excretion from the body. These wastes come from various places, ranging from broken down proteins from our cells to the food we ingest; hence, what we eat highly determines the workload we give to our kidneys.
Apart from excretion of wastes, the kidneys also release three essential hormones; Renin (that regulates blood pressure), Erythropoietin (which stimulates formation or red corpuscles) and Calcitriol (assists in the maintenance of calcium within the body). So in a nutshell, kidneys act as our body filters that also assist in the maintenance of other key physiological processes.
The fact that kidneys handle a great deal of wastes, especially with the types of processed and synthetic foods we eat often, they tend to wear out or block, hence, leading to serious diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetic kidney disease and glomerular disease. For instance, ingesting a lot of meat, poultry products and protein rich foods could overload the protein metabolism by causing the formation of excess purines accumulating as uric acid within your body.
This leads to a domino effect on your kidneys, which cannot excrete uric acid, leading to the development of gout and kidney stones. Too much sugar on the other hand leads to diabetic kidney disease as glucose accumulates in the body to levels where it is excreted in the urine (which is not a good health sign). Hence, just like your car filter, kidneys also require regular cleaning, commonly referred to as kidney detox.
Kidney detox can be achieved very simply by combining juice fasting with a diet rich in fresh fruits and raw vegetables. Fresh fruits and vegetables are very important in that they contain biologically active compounds known as phytochemicals which act as detoxifiers in our bodies; by binding to toxic substances in our blood and facilitating their excretion.
Detoxification of the kidneys is highly achieved through vegetables in that since time immemorial, they have been known to be supply the body with enzymes, minerals, vitamins and fats. Minerals stimulate and maintain the optimal function of enzymes within the body hence keeping the normal metabolic processes running as required.
Kidney detox through juice fasting is highly recommended. For starters, fresh juices contain all the nutrients in the fruit or vegetable, including those usually damaged by cooking or manufacturing processes. They have a refreshing effect to the body and concurrently heal various diseases such as arthritis, leukaemia, kidney disorders, liver disorders, skin infections and high blood pressure.
Detox drinks are preferred in kidney detox as this supplies the body with easily absorbed nutrients as the body cleanses itself during the fasting state, compared to water fasting which leaves the body drained. It is also important to note that tea, coffee and alcohol are not to be considered during the kidney detox process, as they contain oxalic acid and can lead to its accumulation in the body.
In conclusion, it is quite evident that our kidneys play a very crucial part in the maintenance of out well being and a simple change of lifestyle, which detoxifies your kidneys from the toxins it has to face daily, is all it takes to prolong your life.
