How to Maintain Vital Qi for a Healthy Kidney

Like physical machines, the human body consists of different units that have to be properly maintained for proper functioning. Take the example of a car; the engine and gearbox are some of its parts that must be properly maintained if it’s to function well. For the human body, it’s the organs such as the heart, kidney, lungs, and more that are crucial for the general functioning of the body. If these organs aren’t properly taken care of, the other parts of the body won’t function either.

Although there are many several organs, this article focuses on taking care of the kidney.

Humans have a pair of kidneys that help remove waste products from blood. Kidneys are the organs that control the level of body fluids and electrolytes as well as producing red blood cells. They also regulate blood pressure and fluid levels within the large intestine. With the human body made up of approximately 75% of water, the kidney thus plays a very crucial role in ensuring that all other organs get safe fluids.

For a healthy kidney, we have to maintain the natural energy known as the Vital Qi. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the kidney contains all that natural energy, also referred to as life force. A healthy kidney therefore means having full Vital Qi.

The question that arises is: How can one take care of the Vital Qi or restore it in case it has been reduced?

Before anything, you must first ensure that you take a proper diet. It’s by getting the right nutrients that you’ll be able to replenish your Vital Qi. Eating good food should be guided by a professional diet that consists of natural foods devoid of artificial preservatives and sweeteners. It’s important to note that the kidney is very much affected when you eat foods with artificial chemicals since it’s the organ charged with cleaning the blood and ensuring that every body fluid is cleaned for consumption by other body parts. When you eat foods that have additives and extensively processed, you end up eating into your Vital Qi instead of adding to it.

Besides natural foods, it’s also important to take the right amount of fluids. Maintaining the right amount of water in the body is paramount for a healthy kidney. Water will help in clearing of wastes that have been extracted from the blood by the kidney. In a case where one doesn’t drink enough water, even the color of urine becomes darker since it’s concentrated with wastes. Most people don’t take note of their fluid intake during the cold season. It’s this season that most people don’t feel the need to drink water, ending up having low water in the body. However, the cold season is the right season to take a lot of water to ensure that water lost when the system is trying to keep the body warm is replenished. It’s also during this season that metabolism increases, resulting in use of more water. As such, you must ensure that you drink the right amount of water daily, whether you have the urge to drink it or not.

The amount of water you drink should be proportionate to your body weight and your level of activity. There are several reasons why you need to drink enough of water. By drinking too much water, you may suffer from hyponatremia, also called water intoxication. Hyponatremia is as a result of having so much water in the system that the level of sodium or salt in the body is diluted to dangerous levels. There have been several cases where hyponatremia has led to death.

Well, what’s the right amount of water then? The simplest way to go about it is by multiplying your body weight by two thirds. The answer you get is the amount of water in ounces you need to drink every day. However, for someone who’s working out, you’ll need to add some extra amount of water since you lose a lot of water during physical exercises. It’s advisable that you add 12 ounces of water for every 30 minutes of extensive exercise. Ensuring the right amount of water helps your kidney and provides a good platform for metabolism.

Many people find it a challenge drinking the right amount of water. Some only drink water when they feel the urge to drink. The problem is that drinking water only when there is an urge may mean that you don’t get enough amount of water. As such, many people have their bodies used to lower amounts of water, but this can be changed gradually by increasing the amount of water you take. Your kidney too will adjust to that right amount of water and it will function much better. Because some problems may be as a result of dehydration, tuning to more water intake will eventually result in better functioning of your kidney and subsequently improved health.

There are several symptoms associated with kidney malfunction or stress. These include joint and back pain as well as ringing sound in the ear. The muscles around the hip and those of the neck are directly associated with your kidneys and are thus likely to be affected in case you’re having issues with your Vital Qi.

If your kidney isn't functioning well, you can have a number of symptoms that include dread, general body weakness, confusion, increasing blood pressure, and more. The strongest emotional feeling that’s associated with weakening kidneys is increased fear, something that can adversely affect one’s willpower. When living in fear, the problems don’t just remain emotional, but end up affecting one’s general lifestyle and weakening the body functions, including Nervous System and Immune System.

In addition to proper nutrition and drinking of enough water, there are other things you can do to support your kidney so as to maintain a good Vital Qi. One of the available ways is the use of supplements, which help to provide your body with the right building blocks that will better its functions. There are supplements that help kidneys function properly and restore Vital Qi. Standard Process has availed Renafood, which is a supplement that helps the kidney to maintain a well rounded function. The same pharmaceutical company also has another supplement called Renatrophin PMG, which is prescribed for those whose kidneys have already been damaged. The supplement helps the kidney rebuild itself. This is because the supplement provides the right nutrients to help the kidney do just that.

One can also decide to use herbals. There are numerous companies across the globe, providing supplements specifically for the kidney. Mediherb is one of the companies that supply these herbs and is one of the companies that maintain the highest of standard in the extraction and packaging of the herbals.

If you suspect that you are having kidney problems, it’s advisable to first go for a check-up before picking any of the supplements or herbs. This is important since a physician would diagnose you and recommend the right treatment.

If you have any questions about your kidney and restoring your Qi, contact Dr. Ric Huntoon at (845) 561-2225.

How to Prevent High Blood Pressure

Whether old, young, or anywhere in between, high blood pressure is something to be wary about. It has several risks associated with it. Having high blood pressure is a recipe for possible heart conditions that may be fatal. It’s therefore important to take the requisite steps to ensure that you maintain an optimal blood pressure that will help keep heart diseases at bay.

If you aren’t an expert yourself, it’s important to get a professional program to help you control your blood pressure. You can get that from a holistic chiropractor.

Things to Do To Prevent High Blood Pressure

Understanding the risks associated with high blood pressure, there isn’t a thing as good as taking action to control your blood pressure so that it doesn’t exceed the optimal levels. It doesn’t matter what your age is, you can always do something about your blood pressure so that you avoid falling victim.

Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

1.   Watch what you eat – Many problems stem from having poor diet. High blood pressure is one of the health issues that you can develop if you don’t maintain a balanced diet. You’ll need to eat fruits, whole foods, and lots of vegetables. On the other hand, you should avoid foods that have a lot of fat and bad cholesterol. You should also avoid adding a lot of sodium to your food. When buying food, it’s important to take note the amount of sodium contained therein so that you don’t take too much of it.

2.   Whatch your weight - There are many who don’t give much thought to how much they weigh. This is even so with people who’re living sedentary lives. However, maintaining a good weight is a good step towards reducing the risk of high blood pressure. If you feel that you have too much weight, you should make a point of shedding it off.

How do you know the optimal weight for your body? What you need to know is your body mass index (BMI). You can easily visit a doctor to help you ascertain your BMI and to see whether you have any excess weight that you need to lose. The doctor may also carry out some physical measurements around your waist to determine if you have any excess fat that should be trimmed down. If you have your body weight and height, you can easily calculate your BMI using the BMI calculator on the CDC website. If you find that you’re overweight or obese, you’ll need to start a process of cutting down on your weight so as to avoid running into the risks of high blood pressure.

3.   Engage in Physical Exercise – Physical activity helps you cut down calories and cholesterol, helping your body system to work properly. This helps you reduce the risk of high blood pressure. It’s recommended that you get some physical activity every week. If you can maintain 30 minutes of physical exercise for at least 5 days of the week, you are heading on the right direction. Where possible, you can consult with a fitness expert to help you design a fitness plan that will work best for you based on your weight.

4.   Avoid smoking – Medical experts have found out that smoking has a negative effect on your body. Smoking has the potential of causing damage to your blood vessels and lead to faster hardening of your arteries. Continuing to smoke even after developing such problems may lead to heart disease or even stroke. For someone who isn’t already smoking, it’s good not to go into the habit. If you’ve been smoking, you’ll need to stop to ensure that you don’t develop high blood pressure. You can visit the CDC website for more information on how you can quit, especially for someone who’s been smoking for a while.

5.   Control your alcohol intake – Alcohol intake isn’t that bad. However, it has to be done in moderation. Taking too much alcohol is dangerous for your health. Besides other health issues associated with too much alcohol, it will also have negative impact on your blood pressure, possibly resulting in high blood pressure.

Check Your Blood Pressure Regularly

High blood pressure is also referred to as the silent killer. That’s because there aren’t any evident symptoms that one can experience. You therefore have to regularly check your blood pressure alongside the other measures such as physical activity and diet. There are devices you can use at home to monitor your blood pressure. Nevertheless, if you don’t have such a device, you can go to a health center or a pharmacy where you can get such service. In case your Adrenal glands are overworked, you’ll start having issues with your blood pressure. Adrenal glands are responsible for controlling blood pressure. To avoid having them overworked, you can have whole food supplements. These can be prescribed by a professional.

Taking Preventive Measures and Treating Conditions

There are several health conditions that may also lead to high blood pressure. If not managed, the end result may be high blood pressure, having the possibility of causing other problems. For example, those who suffer from diabetes have a higher risk of suffering from high blood pressure. In such a case, it’s important to manage the condition to avoid running into other problems.

If you already have blood pressure, you can get medication. This will help you manage your condition as you take other relevant measures. Even if you have an idea of the drugs to take for blood pressure, it’s still important to get the advice of a doctor since drugs react differently with different people.

Whether you’re getting the services of a doctor or taking the alternative approach of a holistic chiropractor, you must ensure that you follow the professional advice to the letter. This will include regularly checking on your blood pressure and ensuring that you carry out the necessary measures to have it in the optimal levels.

When it comes to issues of high blood pressure, it’s better to ensure a complete lifestyle change to better your blood pressure and cardiovascular health. It’s much better than taking prescription medicine that may react negatively with your body. For someone with good health, it’s better not to risk falling victim of blood pressure. This can be achieved by taking the requisite dietary and fitness measures.

If you have any questions on preventing high blood pressure, contact Dr. Ric Huntoon at (845) 561-2225.