Obesity and your kidneys: Is there any link?
“Obesity is lot more than body shaming”
If you have put on extra pounds, now is the time to slim it down. Your kidneys are largely affected by your extra calories. It is crucial to get into a healthy body so that all organs are functionally viable. Being overweight or obese may increase the risk of chronic kidney disease in some unheard ways.
Being overweight can directly or indirectly affect your kidneys. Too much weight increases the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. In turn, diabetes and hypertension further put your kidneys at risk. High blood pressure and blood sugar force the kidneys to work extra hard, or perhaps they damage the blood vessels that flow within the kidneys. Too many calories mean the kidneys have to work extra time to make sure you are healthy, and over time, this declines kidney function. Just remember, when there is more of you outside, the functioning of the internal organ is hampered. So, how do you manage your weight and take care of your overall health?
What are the causes?
Obesity is generally caused by more calorie intake from food and drink that the amount of calories you are burning through your physical activity. Obesity is an increasingly common problem in people of all age group. It mostly develops when you consume a diet high in processed and fast-food. Taking snacks in between, not controlling portion size, no physical activity, also results in extra calories within the body.
Here are some ways to knock off the risk of chronic kidney disease due to obesity.
Know your Body Mass Index:
Body Mass Index helps to give a rough idea of your total percent of body fat. Normal body mass index stays between 18 and 25. A body mass index that stays more than this (somewhere in between 25 to 30) is considered obese. This means your weight is a bit higher compared to other people. In some cases, a person has an increased body weight, but you may also have a normal BMI at the same time. This only happens when the body weight comes from the muscles than fat itself. Ideally, it is good to have more weight from muscles than fat. Eat a diet rich in vegetables and fruits to work on your weight and cut down fats from your diet or food that can raise your calories.
Lifestyle changes
An unhealthy lifestyle also puts you at the risk of obesity. Not sleeping on time, constant stress, alcohol, eating out at restaurants frequently are some of the factors that can put you at the risk of obesity. So, it is essential to make certain changes in lifestyle to prevent the culprits of kidney disease from growing. One of the simplest things you can do is start practicing yoga. Yoga is a healthy way to release accumulated energy from within and lose weight. Some of the yoga asanas are powerful enough to bring positive reforms in your life.
Here are 6 yoga asanas to optimize kidney function:
1. Salamba Bhujangasana (Sphinx Pose)
2. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
3. Ardha Matsyendrasana (Sitting Half Spinal Twist)
4. Paschimottanasana (Two-Legged Forward Bend)
5. Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
6. Naukasana (Boat Pose)
Diet
Dietary changes are also necessary to ensure your kidney is functioning normal. The nutrients (excess) you consume during your meals are flushed down by the kidneys during the blood filtration process. Ensure you do not consume high amount of salt and sugar in your diet as this is increases blood pressure and blood sugar all by the same time. Also, ensure you do not consume potassium, phosphorus, protein, etc. in excess. This will also help keep an eye on your weight. Reducing excess weight also helps in keeping the body healthy.
Get yourself annual checkup
Your kidney function should be diagnosed once in every year, if you are at the risk of chronic kdiney disease. It just takes two simple tests- primarily blood and urine to diagnose any signs of chronic kidney disease.
Control blood sugar
Like told before, high blood glucose puts your kidneys at the risk. Over the time, they damage the blood vessels that are a part of the blood filtration process or the one that supplies the blood to the kidneys.
Control blood pressure
After an interval, obesity likely increases the risk of hypertension as bad cholesterol starts to buildup in the blood vessels. Consequenrtly, the risk of blood pressure increases with changes in weight.
So, it is great if you want to lose weight, but do not put a slab on your mind. Slowly and gradually work on your goals, ask for advice from your healthcare team. Of chance, your kidneys have already failed, you shall consult Karma Ayurveda, an ayurvedic hospital for kidney disease.