Search Results for: kidney

October 8, 2015 By Rimjhim Chaturvedi 13 Comments

Yoga to reduce Uric acid levels and manage Gout

Uric Acid is a chemical (waste product) produced by final oxidation (breakdown) of purines in the body, carried in the blood and excreted by the kidneys through urine. Formation of uric acid in the body is quite normal as it is a necessary substance in food metabolism. Uric acid is known to acts as an anti-oxidant and helps prevent damage to our blood vessels lining. But, higher levels of uric acid in the blood are harmful.

The level of uric acid in the blood rises mainly because either the kidneys are not working efficiently to excrete the excessive uric acid from the body or the uric acid level is too high for the normal kidneys to excrete the excess or due to both the conditions. Whatever the condition, the result is high level of uric acid in the blood.

High uric acid level may result in attacks of gout but it’s important to note that not everyone who has high uric acid gets gout and not everyone with gout has high uric acid. Uric acid levels can be reduced with the help of correct diet and exercise like walking, swimming and yoga.

Yoga can help in reducing uric acid levels in three ways:

Helps in managing weight – Extra pounds add to the joint pain and you might suffer from a flare-up. Gradual weight loss is recommended because if you drop weight too quickly, purines can attack your joints. Yoga aids gradual weight loss. It also helps to maintain weight and prevent weight gain in people who are at their ideal weight.

Yoga movements are gentle- on the joints, improves flexibility and circulation thus preventing uric acid crystals from depositing in the joints, removing crystals that are already deposited in the joints by mobilising and excreting them.

Making you more aware of your body – This awareness can help you follow the recommended diet to prevent another painful attack.

There are quite a few Yoga Asanas which when practiced regularly can not only help in reducing uric acid but prevent uric acid crystals from depositing in the joints, removing it and help prevent a flare up. These asanas are:

Ardha Matsyendrasana (The Spinal Twist Pose)
Bhujangasana (The Cobra Pose)
Dhanurasana (The Bow Pose)
Halasana (The Plow Pose)
Hastashirasana (The Hand to Head Pose)
Januhastasana (The Hand to Knee Pose)
Makarasana (The Crocodile Pose)
Pavan mukhtasana (The Wind Relieving Pose)
Pranayama (Breathing technique)
Tadasana (The Mountain Pose)
Trikonasana (The Triangle Pose)
Uttana Padasana (The Extended leg Pose)
Veerasana (The Hero Pose)
Vriskshasana (The Tree Pose)

So, awaken the yogi in you and practice these asanas everyday and lead a pain free life by keeping your uric acid levels well within the normal range. Normal range varies from lab to lab based on the testing method used. Usually, the normal range is 3.5-7.2 mg% but some labs have up to 5.7 mg% as the upper limit.

September 4, 2015 By Aqsa Shaikh 16 Comments

Cold water vs Hot Water: Which is better?

After a tiring day, I always opt to drink water with no ice and more often than not people think I am crazy because largely when one tends to have cold water. But, honestly I am not crazy I have a strong reason for doing what I do.

Let us take a minute and close our eyes and picture the following situation: It is spring and you are standing on a wooden dock that extends into a high mountain lake. While the temperature in the air is fairly warm, the top layer of the lake has only recently melted and you can tell by the color of the crystal clear blue water that it is anything but warm. You close your eyes and dive in to in the lake.

What does your body do? What happens to your skin? Are you relaxed and open, or tight and constricted?

I am not sure how many actually know this fact that warm water opens your pores and makes your skin feel looser, while cold water closes your pores and constricts your skin. Guess what? Drinking cold water does the same thing to your digestive tract!

What Happens When You Drink Cold Water

– When you drink cold beverages your blood vessels shrink, your digestion becomes restricted and hydration is hindered.

– Instead of working to digest the food and absorb the nutrients to create energy, your body is expending energy to regulate your temperature. This can lead to water loss.

– Drinking cold water after a meal creates excess mucus in your body, which can lead to a decrease in immune system function, making it easier to catch colds and illnesses.

– If you eat food while drinking cold beverages or immediately after, the water temperature solidifies fats from the foods we’ve just eaten and the body in turn finds it hard to digest the unwanted fats from our bodies.

Some people say that drinking ice cold water is beneficial because it burns more calories. I argue that we do not want to make our digestive system work harder; we want to make things as easy on it as we can. There are many other ways to burn calories. And one of the best ways to burn calories is exercising.

Benefits to Drinking Warm Water

Here are some benefits to drinking water that is room temperature or warmer

– Faster + increased hydration

– Natural digestive enzymes are stimulated and therefore your digestion is enhanced

– Food breaks down more easily

– Your bowels move better (warm water with lemon in the morning is great for this)

– It purifies your blood and increases your bodies natural detoxification processes via your skin, kidneys and lymphatic system

Once you get into the habit of drinking water at room temperature or warm, you will notice a dramatic improvement in your digestion and the way your body feels while eating and after the meal. Some people have also reported reduction in sugar cravings.

So, the next time you eat out ask your server to “Hold the Ice!”

August 27, 2015 By Ami Shah 1 Comment

Simple Ways to reduce water retention

Water retention is one of the common problems faced by woman. There can be various reasons for it such as PMS (premenstrual syndrome), menopause, erratic eating habits, diet high in sodium and protein deficit. However, this problem of water retention can be knocked off by certain ways. Let’s have a look at few ways in which we can get rid of the same.

Reduction in sodium intake– Kidneys are responsible for maintaining the balance between sodium and water. When the sodium level rises in the system, kidneys hold back the water in order to dilute the sodium and this also leads to high blood pressure. Hence, sodium rich foods such as packaged foods, cold cuts and table salt needs to be avoided. Healthy alternative is to choose rock salt, lemon, tamrind, spices to make the food more palatable.

Stay Hydrated: It might sound strange to drink more water when your body already has water. However, the more water you drink, the more will be flushed out. Hence, it is recommended to drink at least 3-3.5liters of water. You can choose plain water, green tea, coconut water, lemon water, barley water, coriander seeds water. Avoid caffeinated beverages like coffee, sugary drink, colas which will dehydrate your body. Here are few home remedies:

1) Have barley water:

Take, Barley- 3 tbsp and Water- 1 glass

How to make:

Add barley to water.

Leave it to soak overnight

Strain and drink the water in morning.

Again soak barley in water and have it in the evening.

Drink 2 glasses of soaked barley water everyday.

2) Take, Coriander seeds- 3 tbsp, Water- 1 glass

How to make:

Add coriander seeds to water.

Boil it till the time it remains half of its original quantity.

Strain and let it cool down before drinking

Repeat it once more. Drink this coriander seeds water twice a day.

Include high potassium foods– Lack of potassium is also one of the causes for water retention in body. It is an important mineral which is needed for proper functioning of body cells, tissues and organs. Potassium along with sodium maintains normal water balance in body. Potassium also helps stimulate the kidneys so that they may flush out waste along with excessive salt out of the body. So have foods rich in potassium too. Most of the fruits are rich in potassium as also certain vegetables. Potassium rich foods are: banana., coconut water, dry fruits etc.

Include natural diuretics: Diuretics helps in release of more urine. When urine is released, it not only flushes out toxins but also flushes out sodium, thereby reducing water retention. Few natural diuretics are cranberries, cranberry juice, lemon, cucumber, pineapple, cabbage.

July 14, 2015 By Hardika Vira 1 Comment

Rickets: Types, symptoms and treatments

It’s natural that most mothers want their child to grow and be normal and in this process keenly observe every little change that occurs in their child. I am a mother too and therefore I felt the need to write a blog on the issue commonly faced by children –Rickets

It is a deficiency of Vit D, calcium or phosphorus also known as Osteomalacia. It involves softening and weakening of bones in children due to deficiency of Vit D. The softening occurs due to loss of Calcium in the skeleton as a result of which bones become flexible and gradually are moulded by forces such as bearing weight, that are exerted on them thus leading to deformities of the body structure.

There are various types of rickets:

Nutritional Rickets- Due to dietary deficiency of calcium, Vit D. You can correct it with including good sources of Calcium, Vit D, phosphorus.

Sources of Vit D include sunlight, fatty fish, milk, mushrooms

Sources of Calcium include Milk and products, gingelly seeds, Ragi, tofu, soy milk, figs, rajgeera (Amaranth seeds), Almonds, figs etc.

Sources of phosphorus include milk and products, ricebran, pulses and legumes, rajgeera(amaranth seeds), pumpkin seeds, colocasia leaves, gingelly seeds, carrot , bajra, maize etc.

Hypophosphatemic Rickets- As the name suggests this particular form of Rickets is caused due to low levels of phosphate. Bones become painfully soft and pliable. It is caused by a genetic dominant X-linked defect in the ability for the kidneys to control the amount of phosphate excreted in urine. It is not caused by Vit D Deficiency. Children suffering from this type of Ricket show obvious symptoms by the time they are 1 year of age. Treatment is generally through nutritional supplementation of phosphate and active form of Vit D.
Renal Rickets- Caused by a number of kidney disorders. Persons suffering from kidney disorder have decreased ability to regulate amounts of electrolytes lost in urine which includes electrolytes like calcium and phosphate. Thus, these individuals develop symptoms similar to those of rickets

Treatment includes correcting the leading cause of renal disorder

Symptoms include

Bone pain/tenderness
Dental deformity
Delayed formation of teeth
Decreased muscle strength
Impaired growth
Short stature
Skeletal deformities- bow legs
rachitic rosary(rib cage abnormalities)
Tetany i.e. involuntary muscle contraction) or seizures in severe cases

Treatment/ Prevention:

For Nutritional Deficiency Rickets

Correcting nutritional deficiencies by incorporating more of Calcium, phosphorus and Vit D 3 sources
New mothers have to be advised Vit D supplementation to their new borns as breast milk is low in Vit D especially with regards to low birth weight infants
Gradual administration of oral doses of Vit D after consulting a doctor

For hypophosphatemic rickets and kidney/renal Rickets

Need to consult doctors and get the underlying cause corrected.

1) Skeletal deformities- bow legs