Health Benefits Of Kidney

 

February is heart health month and what better time to think about ways we can all improve our health!

Heart disease (cardiovascular) means you are having problems with your heart and the blood vessels throughout your body.  Over time, the blood vessels that bring blood to the heart and brain can become blocked from a buildup of cells, fat and cholesterol. This reduces blood flow to the heart and brain and can cause heart attacks and strokes.

It is well known that people with kidney disease are much more likely than the general population to develop heart and blood vessel disease.1   This increased risk is related to kidney disease and other health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure as well as certain lifestyle factors including being overweight and smoking. For this reason, it’s very important for kidney patients to take steps to help prevent heart and blood vessel problems. When we begin making changes to help improve our heart health, we are also helping our kidneys to stay healthy as well!

The National Kidney Foundation’s tips to improve your heart and kidney health:

• Get tested
  It turns out that heart disease is a risk factor for kidney disease and kidney disease is a known risk factor for heart disease. Hence, if you know you have one, you should have yourself tested for the other.
• Eat a balanced, kidney and heart healthy diet
  Reduce sodium in your diet. Be sure to stay away from processed foods and choose fresh fruits and vegetables.  Reduce foods that are high in saturated fats and cholesterol like eggs, whole milk, cheese and fried foods. Eat more foods that are rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. These include cold water fish like salmon, albacore tuna, lake trout and sardines, and other foods like flaxseed oil, canola oil and walnuts.
• Increase physical activity
  Physical activity offers many health benefits, including decreasing blood pressure, increasing muscle strength, lowering blood fat levels (cholesterol and triglycerides), improving sleep, increasing insulin sensitivity and helping control body weight. And it’ll make you feel good!
• Reduce high cholesterol levels
  High blood levels of fats like cholesterol increase your chance of developing heart and blood vessel problems. Simple blood tests can check for total cholesterol and other fats in your blood. If your levels are too high, you may need to follow a low-fat diet and exercise more. Some patients may also need to take pills (such as a Statin) to help lower cholesterol.
• Keep high blood pressure under control
  Follow your treatment plan carefully to control high blood pressure. The blood pressure pills usually preferred for people with kidney disease are called angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). They help to protect your heart. Be sure to follow your fluid and sodium (salt) limits to keep fluid from building up in your body and increasing your blood pressure. Ask your health care team about other steps to help prevent fluid buildup.
• If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar well controlled
  Over time, having high blood sugar can cause damage to your eyes, nerves, heart, blood vessels, and kidneys. Good control of blood sugar and other self-management actions can help slow or stop this damage from happening.
• Quit smoking
  The strongest modifiable risk factor for both kidney and heart disease is smoking. There is nothing that is more important in the prevention of both heart and kidney disease as stopping smoking. Smoking causes hardening of the arteries which causes both coronary artery disease and nephrosclerosis, or hardening of the kidney due to disease of the blood vessels in it. Smoking is also a risk factor for high blood pressure which can cause both heart and kidney disease.

Get started protecting your heart today! Set your own personal goals and begin making changes one at a time. Your healthcare provider can help you prioritize your areas of change. If you already have some degree of kidney dysfunction, you may need to alter some of the above recommendations according to your unique situation. Your kidney doctor and your dietitian can assist with these changes.

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7 Tips to Protect Your Kidney & Heart Health

• Get tested. ...
• Eat a balanced, kidney and heart healthy diet. ...
• Increase physical activity. ...
• Reduce high cholesterol levels. ...
• Keep high blood pressure under control. ...
• If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar well controlled. ...
• Quit smoking.

Health Benefits Of Lungs

 

Sometimes we take our lungs for granted. They keep us alive and well and for the most part, we don't need to think about them. That's why it is important to prioritize your lung health.

Your body has a natural defense system designed to protect the lungs, keeping dirt and germs at bay. But there are some important things you can do to reduce your risk of lung disease. Here are some ways to keep your lungs healthy.

Don't Smoke

Cigarette smoking is the major cause of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Cigarette smoke can narrow the air passages and make breathing more difficult. It causes chronic inflammation, or swelling in the lung, which can lead to chronic bronchitis. Over time cigarette smoke destroys lung tissue and may trigger changes that grow into cancer. If you smoke, it's never too late to benefit from quitting. The American Lung Association can help whenever you are ready.

Avoid Exposure to Indoor Pollutants That Can Damage Your Lungs

Secondhand smoke, chemicals in the home and workplace, and radon all can cause or worsen lung disease. Make your home and car smokefree. Test your home for radon. Avoid exercising outdoors on bad air days. And talk to your healthcare provider if you are worried that something in your home, school or work may be making you sick.

Minimize Exposure to Outdoor Air Pollution

The air quality outside can vary from day to day and sometimes is unhealthy to breathe. Knowing how outdoor air pollution affects your health and useful strategies to minimize prolonged exposure can help keep you and your family well. Climate change and natural disasters can also directly impact lung health.

Prevent Infection

A cold or other respiratory infection can sometimes become very serious. There are several things you can do to protect yourself:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water. Alcohol-based cleaners are a good substitute if you cannot wash.
• Avoids crowds during the cold and flu season.
• Good oral hygiene can protect you from the germs in your mouth leading to infections. Brush your teeth at least twice daily and see your dentist at least every six months.
• Get vaccinated every year against influenza. Talk to your healthcare provider to find out if the pneumonia vaccine is right for you.
• If you get sick, keep it to yourself! Protect the people around you, including your loved ones, by keeping your distance. Stay home from work or school until you're feeling better.

Get Regular Check-ups

Regular check-ups help prevent diseases, even when you are feeling well. This is especially true for lung disease, which sometimes goes undetected until it is serious. During a check-up, your healthcare provider will listen to your breathing and listen to your concerns. If you need health insurance, learn more about your options.

Exercise

Whether you are young or old, slender or large, able-bodied or living with a chronic illness or disability, being physically active can help keep your lungs healthy. Learn more about how exercise can strengthen your lungs.

Summary

Here are some ways to keep your lungs healthy.

1. Don't Smoke. ...
2. Avoid Exposure to Indoor Pollutants That Can Damage Your Lungs. ...
3. Minimize Exposure to Outdoor Air Pollution. ...
4. Prevent Infection. ...
5. Get Regular Check-ups. ...
6. Exercise.
7. 
   
   
   

 

Top 10 healthy heart tips

A healthy lifestyle will make your heart healthier. Here are 10 things you can do to look after your heart.

Give up smoking

If you're a smoker, quit. It's the single best thing you can do for your heart health.

Smoking is one of the main causes of coronary heart disease. A year after giving up, your risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker.

You're more likely to stop smoking for good if you use NHS stop smoking services. Visit the Smokefree website or ask your GP for help with quitting.

Get active

Getting – and staying – active can reduce your risk of developing heart disease. It can also be a great mood booster and stress buster.

Do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week. One way to achieve this target is by doing 30 minutes of activity on 5 days a week. Fit it in where you can, such as by cycling to work.

Manage your weight

Being overweight can increase your risk of heart disease. Stick to a healthy, balanced diet low in fat and sugar, with plenty of fruit and vegetables, combined with regular physical activity.

Find out if you're a healthy weight with the BMI calculator. If you're overweight, try our 12-week NHS weight loss plan.

Eat more fibre

Eat plenty of fibre to help lower your risk of heart disease – aim for at least 30g a day. 

Eat fibre from a variety of sources, such as wholemeal bread, bran, oats and wholegrain cereals, potatoes with their skins on, and plenty of fruit and veg.

Cut down on saturated fat

Eating too many foods that are high in saturated fat can raise the level of cholesterol in your blood. This increases your risk of heart disease.

Choose leaner cuts of meat and lower fat dairy products like 1% fat milk over full-fat (or whole) milk. 

Read the facts about fat.

Get your 5 A Day

Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day. They're a good source of fibre, vitamins and minerals. 

There are lots of tasty ways to get your 5 A Day, like adding chopped fruit to cereal or including vegetables in your pasta sauces and curries.

Get more 5 A Day fruit and veg tips.

Cut down on salt

To maintain healthy blood pressure, avoid using salt at the table and try adding less to your cooking.

Once you get used to the taste of food without added salt, you can cut it out completely. 

Watch out for high salt levels in ready-made foods. Most of the salt we eat is already in the foods we buy.

Check the food labels – a food is high in salt if it has more than 1.5g salt (or 0.6g sodium) per 100g.

Adults should eat less than 6g of salt a day in total – that's about 1 teaspoon.

Eat fish

Eat fish at least twice a week, including a portion of oily fish. Fish such as pilchards, sardines and salmon are a source of omega-3 fats, which may help protect against heart disease.

Pregnant or breastfeeding women should not have more than 2 portions of oily fish a week.

Drink less alcohol

Do not forget that alcohol contains calories. Regularly drinking more than the NHS recommends can have a noticeable impact on your waistline. 

Try to keep to the recommended daily alcohol limits to reduce the risk of serious problems with your health, including risks to your heart health.

Read the food label

When shopping, it's a good idea to look at the label on food and drink packaging to see how many calories and how much fat, salt and sugar the product contains.

Understanding what's in food and how it fits in with the rest of your diet will help you make healthier choices.

SUMMARY

Top 10 healthy heart tips

• Give up smoking. If you're a smoker, quit. ...
• Get active. Getting – and staying – active can reduce your risk of developing heart disease. ...
• Manage your weight. Being overweight can increase your risk of heart disease. ...
• Eat more fibre. ...
• Cut down on saturated fat. ...
• Get your 5 A Day. ...
• Cut down on salt. ...
• Eat fish.
•