FEBRUARY - THE KIDNEYS

Winter can be really cold and harsh. During your walks outside, pay attention to trees, and notice how they survive during the winter season. In order to survive, a tree must have strong healthy roots that can extract nutrients and water from the surroundings to provide the tree with the power to life.

Your body is like a tree and your Kidneys are the roots. They are very important organs for our health and longevity. I always check my clients Kidneys. If I notice that they have puffy eyes, swollen ankles or hands, if they complain about their ears (tinnitus for example), pain in the knee area, or back pain complaints. During the massage I usually finish gently massaging the feet with attention to the Kidney point in the middle of the sole, it is very pleasant to gently massage that area.

The Kidney is a superhero of the month of February. It is a very good friend of the Urinary Bladder. They work together - but it is the Kidneys which work nonstop, 24/7. They cleanse the body of toxins, removing wastes and extra fluid from the blood to form urine. Urine is composed of water, urea, creatinine, uric acid, chlorine, chloride, sodium, potassium, sulphate, ammonium, phosphate and more fluid waste. The Kidneys regulate the body's salt and potassium levels, and they produce hormones which affect the function of other organs. They balance the body's fluids, produce an active form of vitamin D (for our healthy bones and teeth), control the production of red blood cells, and they absorb amino acids and glucose. The Kidneys help regulate the pH in all our organs by selectively filtering out various minerals, and they detoxify and remove impurities from our body. The food we eat can increase or lower an amount of acid in your body and the Kidneys balance the pH by adjusting or removing the right amount of acid (if we are too acidic our Kidneys are unhappy and we have more fear in the body). And that's not all they do! Wow! What hardworking organs! Do we treat them with love and respect ? Or do we not pay attention to them, and later in life develop Kidney stones?

The Kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located in the upper abdominal area against the back muscles on both the left and right side of the body (below the rib cage). The left Kidney is located more superior than the right Kidney due to the larger size of the Liver on the right side of the body. The Kidney stores reserved energy inherited from your parents. When another organ is low on energy, the Kidney sends it an extra energy to boost from this inheritance. They are our energy storage for the winter. It is said that the Kidney is the seat of courage and willpower. The Kidneys also govern a person's growth and reproduction.

Their main function of our Kidneys is to remove wastes and extra fluid, control blood pressure, make red blood cells, control pH levels and more.

Causes of Kidney Diseases:

Because the Kidneys detoxify and remove impurities, they also remove drugs from the body. This means that they are harmed by heavy usage of pain killers, excessive use of non quality salts, insufficient water intake - they cry for help when people have very unhealthy diets, are obese, have diabetes (usually type 2) , have high blood pressure or are full of fear.

Symptoms of Kidney Diseases:

pain in the lower back - for women during PMS - the Kidneys have to filter more blood and hormones during PMS time and they can become full, tired and stressed.

pain in the stomach

feeling cold - (which can lead to anemia)

anemia - the Kidney makes fewer red blood cells to carry oxygen to the brain

fatigue, weakness - your brain doesn't have enough oxygen, and becomes tired

itchy skin - build-up of wastes in your blood when the Kidney fails

chronic stress

fear

trouble sleeping

shortness of breath

dark-colored urine or difficulty urinating

swelling of your legs, ankles, feet - it is a failure of the Kidneys to eliminate water waste from your body

puffy face - again failing Kidneys, they are not able to remove extra fluid, which builds up in your body

If you have more questions or feel you may have a Kidney that doesn't function well, always contact your doctor! I recommend a blood and urine test at least once a year during your regular check-ups as a prevention!!

What are Kidney Stones?

Kidney stones are solid lumps that are formed in the Kidneys, they are small hard deposits made of minerals and salts developed in the Kidneys, they are one of the most common disorders of the urinary track. They form when your urine contains more calcium (uric acid) than the fluid in your urine can dilute. The urine becomes concentrated, allowing minerals to crystallize and stick together.

The most common stones are calcium stones. Larger stones often lead to pain, urinary blockage, bleeding and require emergency intervention. Always visit your doctor if you are experiencing pain below your ribs or pain that comes in waves, nausea, vomiting, unusual urination or if you notice that your urine is of a different color than the normal clear/yellow.

How to clean and heal the Kidneys?

First of all it is very important to have a healthy diet and eat what your Kidneys love. They love leafy green vegetables, raw veggies, potassium rich foods such as avocados, melons, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, beans (attention! high potassium foods are not suitable for people who already have kidney stones!!)

Cauliflower = number 1 vegetable to heal the Kidneys

Cabbage

Red bell peppers

Cranberries (fresh not dried)

Cranberry juice - (organic water based 100% cranberry juice, not the sugary one from the local supermarket)

Blueberries, black cherries (high in antioxidants)

lemon; water with squeezed lemon and a drop of apple cider vinegar (my morning ritual)

bone broth

herbs and spices like turmeric, oregano, ginger, cinnamon, rosemary and my favorite one for the Kidneys is parsley (attention! parsley is not recommended for patients with Kidney disease such as Kidney stones)!

The best preventative method for healthy Kidneys is to clean them. Drink lots of quality water, use lemons often, eat apples, mushrooms (for the vitamin D intake), non sugary oatmeal, kale, parsley, basil, cauliflower, eat foods rich in vitamin E, cranberry or celery juice (no juices loaded with sugar) Be sure you take vitamins B daily; include olive oil in your kitchen.

Dandelion root and its tea helps dissolve Kidney stones, stinging nettles tea cleans the Kidneys, and also helps with Kidney stones, but must be consumed in moderation - consult your doctor/dietitian to be safe. For example, it is believed that dandelion tea can be detrimental to those with gallbladder issues.

Start the new year on the right foot! Make an appointment with your doctor and go for your blood and urine test! Have strong healthy Kidneys all year round!

Make an appointment at the Wellness Studio in Uzès to clean the Kidney Meridian and have a nice Kidney massage and reflexology as a prevention. There are wonderful Kidney energy and Yoga exercises to keep you healthy as well. I will show you how to do them.