My father has recently had some problems with kidney stones which encouraged me to write this article for you in the hope I can pass on some of the tips I learned when helping my dear father.
He had been in pain for more than 2 months before we discovered that kidney stones were to blame. Even though he now admits he was often buckled up with stabbing pain, he hid it from the rest of us quite well.
If you have ever heard of someone that has had a kidney stone, you know how painful it is. In fact, having kidney stones can be excruciatingly painful and some equate it to giving birth. Although, my sister’s best friend just told me that it’s worse than giving birth. She said she would’ve much preferred to have another child than have the pain of kidney stones.
So in the hope I can help someone you love, here are my 5 tips that you can use to avoid getting kidney stones yourself or someone in your family.
Drink Lots More Water
One of the most important things that you want to do to avoid getting kidney stones is to drink enough water. I think it is fair to say, most of us could benefit from drinking much more fresh water than we are currently doing. Go on admit it, you know you don’t drink enough of the aqua libre.
If you don’t drink the amount of water that you need, there’s going to be more minerals in your urine which can lead to kidney stones. You should drink enough water so that you produce a minimum of two quarts full of urine in 24 hours. But if you want to know if you’re drinking enough, look at your urine’s color. It should be pale yellow. So can the color of your urine actually explain your current status of your health? Much like the consistency of your poo-poo telling a doctor all sorts of things (that’s why they test your urine for certain medical conditions), urine can tell a host of secrets about you.
So, go and grab a glass right now. Yes, right now! Then, of course you can continue reading the rest of this article.
Get Enough Magnesium
Magnesium’s responsible for over 300 bodily biochemical reactions. When you don’t have enough of this in your system, it can result in getting kidney stones. It also will affect how your body absorbs and assimilates calcium. If you take in too much calcium and don’t take in magnesium, the extra calcium can cause things like kidney stones.
A good way to get magnesium is by eating leafy green vegetables such as Swiss chard and spinach. An easy way to get what you need is through juicing vegetables. Other great sources of magnesium are nuts such as almonds, seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, beans, and sesame seeds.
Stay Away from Sugar like Soda and Fructose
I think you don’t need me to remind you of this one, but I’ll say it anyway. When you consume a lot of sugar, you may have some problems with kidney stones. Sugar will upset your body’s mineral relationships because it interferes with the absorption of magnesium and calcium. Consuming way too much soda and unhealthy sugar is a major factor as to why children are getting kidney stones.
Hit That Exercise Program You’ve Been Putting Off
Just like drinking enough water, most people know they are not taking enough regular exercise. Why is that, do you think? I know my own mother is almost 80 and she is still riding her bicycle everywhere and playing tennis two or three times a week, and even in the middle of a British winter. Yikes!
My mother isn’t keeping fit only for the benefit of her health, but because she enjoys it. This is the crucial key to being successful in the fitness game. If going to the gym does your head in, don’t quit there. You have to make sure you find an alternative form of exercise which you do enjoy.
There are literally hundreds of different types of exercise, so keep trying them out until you find one you enjoy and can keep at long until you are my mother’s age.
Because if you aren’t active enough and you’re simply sitting around the house all day, you’re going to have a greater chance of getting the dreaded kidney stones. This is partly due to the fact that limited activity often makes bones release additional calcium.
Exercise’s also going to help you with resolving elevated blood pressure, which also can cause kidney stones.
Avoid Soy That Is Non-Fermented
Soy-based foods and soybeans might cause people who are prone to kidney stones to have problems with kidney stones. The reason is that they have high oxalate levels, which bind with the calcium in kidneys so that stones are formed
This is just one of the reasons that unfermented soy, which is found in soy burgers, tofu, soy milk, and ice cream made with soy, isn’t considered healthy. If you want to consume soy, make sure that you are only consuming the fermented soy. The fermenting process reduces the levels of anti-nutrients and phytate and the beneficial properties are there for your body.
OK, there you have my 5 tips to help you avoid kidney stones. Do the things above and they will help you with reducing your risk of kidney stones and help you have a much better all-round health.