We can’t stop sharing all the great moments we had this past weekend at the Kidney Walk for the National Kidney Foundation!
We are very grateful to everyone that came out to support this awesome event 🧡
This coming weekend, we have the PKD walk, so please bear with us, and help us support everyone that is going through Polycystic Kidney Disease.
We are very grateful to everyone that came to the Pig Jig event this past weekend 🐖. Florida Kidney Physicians was proud to be one of the sponsors supporting this event that raises money for Nephcure, a non-profit organization committed to supporting research, improving treatment and finding a cure for the debilitating kidney disease, FSGS.
We would like to thank you all for helping FKP support Tampa Pig Jig 2018. 🐽 ❤️
About 60-70% of your body weight is made up of water, and every part of your body needs it to function properly. Water helps the kidneys remove wastes from your blood in the form of urine. Be “water wise” and make sure you’re drinking the right amount of water.
Here are 6 tips to make sure you’re drinking enough water and to keep your kidneys healthy:
1 Eight is great, but not set in stone. There is no hard and fast rule that everyone needs 8 glasses of water a day. This is just a general recommendation based on the fact that we continually lose water from our bodies, and that we need adequate water intake to survive and optimal amounts to thrive. The Institute of Medicine has estimated that men need approximately 13 cups (3 liters) of fluid daily, and that women need approximately 9 cups (2.2 liters) of fluid daily.
2 Less is more if you have kidney failure (a.k.a. end stage kidney disease). When the kidneys fail, people don’t excrete enough water, if any at all. For those who are receiving dialysis treatment, water must actually be greatly restricted.
3 It’s possible to drink too much water. Though it is not very common for this to happen in the average person, endurance athletes like marathoners may drink large amounts of water and thereby dilute the sodium level in their blood, resulting in a dangerous condition called hyponatremia.
4 Your urine can reveal a lot. For the average person, “water wise” means drinking enough water or other healthy fluids, such as unsweetened juice or low fat milk to quench thirst and to keep your urine light yellow or colorless. When your urine is dark yellow, this indicates that you are dehydrated. You should be making about 1.5 liters of urine daily (about 6 cups).
5 H2O helps prevent kidney stones and UTIs. Kidney stones and urinary tract infections (UTIs) are two common medical conditions that can hurt the kidneys, and for which good hydration is essential. Kidney stones form less easily when there is sufficient water available to prevent stone-forming crystals from sticking together. Water helps dissolve the antibiotics used to treat urinary tract infections, making them more effective. Drinking enough water also helps produce more urine, which helps to flush out infection-causing bacteria.
6 Beware of pills and procedures. Drinking extra water with certain medications or before and after procedures with contrast dye may help prevent kidney damage. Read medication labels and ask questions before undergoing medical procedures involving contrast dyes. Always consult with your healthcare provider first though, especially if you are on a fluid restriction.
Remember….when “water wise,” healthy kidneys are the prize!
How do you stock your kitchen for the kidney diet? Learn what to have in your kitchen to make it kidney friendly.
A well-stocked kitchen can help ensure you have everything you need to cook kidney-friendly meals. Use these 14 tips to get started.
1. Compare brands. Sodium and potassium levels can vary significantly from one brand to another.
2. Look for low-sodium labels on packaging. Stock up on the lowest sodium broths, stocks and condiments.
3. Choose fresh vegetables, or frozen or canned veggies with no added salt or sodium. If they’re not available or unaffordable, drain canned vegetables and rinse to remove some of the sodium.
4. Use only 1/4 as much of the tomato sauce and canned tomatoes that a recipe calls for to limit potassium and sodium.
5. When using canned fish or chicken with added salt, rinse to reduce the sodium. Try to limit use of canned goods in general.
6. Avoid baking and pancake mixes that have salt and baking powder added. Instead, make a kidney-friendly recipe from scratch.
7. Use sweet pickles instead of dill pickles and check for added salt.
8. Check cold and instant hot cereals for sodium amounts. Although oatmeal contains more phosphorus than some cereals, it may be okay one to two times a week if phosphorus is well-controlled.
9. Check the ingredients in vinegar. Some vinegars, such as seasoned rice vinegar, contain added salt and sugar.
10. Avoid store-bought sauces and gravies that have mystery ingredients in them. Make your own instead from real-food ingredients. C
11. Try homemade soup recipes, instead of premade or canned soups. Some soups contain more than 800 mg sodium per serving.
12. Low- and reduced-sodium broth is great for use in cooking. Save the homemade broth from stewed or boiled chicken or beef.
13. Don’t trade sodium for potassium. Some products replace salt with potassium chloride.
14. Limit nuts, seeds and chocolate as they are high in potassium and phosphorus.
Watch this awesome Davita video:
If you join this challenge you have to drink 64 oz of water every day for 30 days.
Share the event! You will have a surprise award if you make the challenge and you get 10 people to do the challenge with you.
Invite your friends on Facebook and get them into a healthier life, share your photos and videos to let us know how the challenge is doing and learn from all the healthy tips that our FKP Nephrologist will give you to keep a healthier life. Don’t miss this opportunity, in this fall don’t stop drinking water, join our #64OZCHALLENGE 2016.
THE PATIENTS IN DIALYSIS TREATMENT ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THIS CHALLENGE.
30 DAY WATER CHALLENGE.
IF SOMEBODY INVITES YOU, YOU ARE ON!
LET’S START WITH THE 30 DAY WATER CHALLENGE!!
PATIENTS IN DIALYSIS TREATMENT ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THIS CHALLENGE.
The purpose of the 30 Day Water Challenge is to encourage those who don’t drink water, to learn about it’s health benefits to prevent Kidney Disease and Hypertension, we need to understand that it is vitally important in sustaining life.
How does not drinking enough water affect the kidneys?
Every day, the kidneys filter around 120-150 quarts of fluid. Of these, approximately 1-2 quarts are removed from the body in the form of urine, and 198 are recovered by the bloodstream. Water is essential for the kidneys to function.
If the kidneys do not function properly, waste products and excess fluid can build up inside the body.
Untreated, chronic kidney disease can lead to kidney failure, whereby the organs stop working, and either dialysis or kidney transplantation is required.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the second most common type of infection in the body and account for around 8.1 million visits to health care providers in the U.S. every year.
If infections spread to the upper urinary tract, including the kidneys, permanent damage can be caused. Sudden kidney infections (acute) can be life-threatening, particularly if septicemia occurs.
Drinking plenty of water is one of the simplest ways to reduce the risk of developing a UTI and is also recommended to those who have already developed a UTI.
Kidney stones interfere with how the kidneys work and, when present, can complicate UTIs. These complicated UTIs tend to require longer periods of antibiotics to treat them, typically lasting 7-14 days.
The leading cause of kidney stones is a lack of water; they are commonly reported in people who do not drink the recommended daily amount of water. As well as complicating UTIs, research has suggested that kidney stones also increase the risk of chronic kidney disease.
In November 2014, the American College of Physicians issued new guidelines for people who have previously developed kidney stones, stating that increasing fluid intake to enable 2 liters of urination a day could decrease the risk of stone recurrence by at least half with no side effects.
Dehydration – using and losing more water than the body takes in – can also lead to an imbalance in the body’s electrolytes. Electrolytes, such as potassium, phosphate, and sodium, help carry electrical signals between cells. The levels of electrolytes in the body are kept stable by properly functioning kidneys.
When the kidneys are unable to maintain a balance in the levels of electrolytes, these electrical signals become mixed up, which can lead to seizures, involving involuntary muscle movements and loss of consciousness.
In severe cases, dehydration can also result in kidney failure, a potentially life-threatening outcome. Possible complications of chronic kidney failure include anemia, damage to the central nervous system, heart failure, and a compromised immune system.
When you drink your daily recommended dose of water according to your body weight, you will begin to see a difference somewhere in your health picture. Stay tuned, you will not regret being a part of this group. We will share information, recipes, and experiences..
Let the Challenge begin, let’s do it!! If you have just joined us and we are in the middle of the challenge, don’t worry, just join us where you are; in between challenges, you will get lots of health information, so stay tuned and join us for “Keeping Kidneys Healthy”.
PLEASE REMEMBER: PATIENTS IN DIALYSIS TREATMENT ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THIS CHALLENGE.
