5 Healthy Steps to Take During National Kidney Month

1. Regulate fluid levels

2. Activate Vitamin D

3. Filter wastes from the body

4. Directs production of red blood cells

5. Regulates blood pressure

6. Keep blood minerals in balance

5 Healthy Steps to Take During National Kidney Month

1. Get Tested! You can get screened for free through the www.kidney.org/KEEPHealthy or ask your doctor for an ACR urine test or a GFR blood test at your annual visit especially if you have a family history of kidney failure or you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or over age 60.

2. Reduce NSAIDs. Over-the-counter pain medicines, such as NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can cause harm your kidneys, especially if you already have kidney disease. Reduce your regular use of NSAIDs and never go over the recommended dosage without your doctor’s instructions.

3. Cut the Processed Foods.  Cut processed food and lean more toward a DASH diet for healthier eating. You should cut processed foods because they have a lot of sodium, nitrates and phosphates that hare known to lead to kidney disease as well as cancer and heart disease. It’s overall healthier to ditch the processed foods for all age groups.

4. Exercise Regularly. Your kidneys need you to be active for at least 30 minutes a day – this will also help you control your blood pressure and blood sugar which are both vital to kidney health. Regular exercise will also keep your bones, muscles, blood vessels, and heart healthy

5. Control Blood Pressure and Diabetes.  High blood pressure and diabetes are the leading causes of kidney disease and kidney failure. It’s good to note that #1-4 above will help control both too! If you have good blood pressure and strict control of blood sugar levels, it can slow the progression of kidney disease.

We all could use a little reminder on keeping healthy. Febo knows how important it is to focus on your health, which is why they created the Febo app. Febo is the first mobile application to offer several condition-management tools, including health tools such as Medicine Reminder, Symptoms log, Food Diary, Sleep Tracker, Water log, and a new feature, Connect.