It’s National Kidney Month, the perfect time to think about kidney health. Your kidneys are powerhouse organs, helping your body remove waste and toxins, produce red blood cells, manage blood pressure, and keep your bones healthy. When kidney function diminishes to a certain level, regular dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant are needed to do the job your kidneys would normally do.
Unfortunately, kidney disease is often called the “silent killer” because it may not cause symptoms until it is quite advanced. The good news is that there are many lifestyle changes you can make right now to help keep your kidneys healthy and reduce the likelihood of needing dialysis or a transplant in the future. Here are our top seven everyday habits to keep your kidneys healthy:
1. Watch your blood sugar.
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease. When your blood sugar is too high, it damages the tiny blood vessels and filters of the kidney, affecting it’s ability to clear toxins and perform other key functions. If you don’t have diabetes, ask your doctor to check your blood sugar to make sure it’s OK. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, manage your blood sugar according to your doctor’s plan to help prevent damage to the kidneys.
2. Manage your blood pressure.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the second leading cause of kidney disease. When blood pressure is high, it can damage the blood vessels that supply the kidneys and reduce the flow of oxygen to them. This can damage kidney tissue and nephrons, making it more difficult for the kidneys to remove waste and excess fluid. Get your blood pressure checked regularly, and if it is high, follow your doctor’s plan to manage it.
3. Quit smoking.
Smoking damages your heart and blood vessels, which leads to poor blood flow to the kidneys. It also causes high blood pressure, which (as noted above) causes your kidneys to work harder, damaging them further as time goes on. If you already have hypertension or diabetes, smoking usually accelerates your path to kidney disease. By quitting smoking, you can help preserve your kidney function for much longer.
4. Follow a low-sodium diet.
The kidneys help filter excess sodium and fluid from the body, so they must work harder when sodium levels are high. A high-sodium diet can also lead to high blood pressure, which damages the blood vessels that supply the kidneys. To lower the sodium in your diet, avoid restaurant meals, which are often high in sodium, and cook at home with fresh foods whenever possible.
5. Drink water.
Drinking water helps your kidneys clear sodium, excess fluid, and other waste from your body. Water also helps keep blood vessels open, allowing them to carry much-needed nutrients to the kidneys. Aim for about eight glasses a day, spread throughout the day, to help keep your kidneys functioning well.
6. Avoid non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, can restrict blood flow to the kidneys. Over time, this can damage the kidneys’ filters and contribute to chronic kidney disease. NSAIDs can also cause the body to retain salt, which may raise blood pressure and further harm the kidneys. To help keep your kidneys healthy, avoid frequent NSAID use or talk to your doctor about taking the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time.
7. Exercise regularly.
Exercise is beneficial for many reasons, including kidney health. It helps reduce high blood pressure and regulate blood sugar—two important factors, as hypertension and diabetes are the leading causes of chronic kidney disease. Exercise also improves blood flow, helping the body deliver oxygen and nutrients to the kidneys. Talk to your doctor about an exercise plan that works for you.
We hope this blog has helped your discover simple habits that can help protect your kidneys and support your overall health. Small daily changes—like staying hydrated, eating smart, staying active, and watching your blood pressure and blood sugar—can truly make a big difference over time.
March is National Kidney Month, a time to remind ourselves just how important our kidneys are, and what simple lifestyle changes we can make to ensure they function for a long time.
2. Explore treatment options. Dialysis comes in different forms, including home dialysis and in-center dialysis. 
6. Find your community. Don’t think you need to go at this alone! With over half a million people on dialysis in the U.S. alone, there’s a vast community out there with valuable insights on treatment and kidney disease. Explore blogs, join online forums, or ask your center about local support groups. Connecting with others—whether online or in person—can make your transition to dialysis much easier.
For most people on dialysis at a clinic, treatment time is four to five hours—which can seem long and daunting. It’s natural to feel bored, tired, antsy, and irritable during dialysis. One of the best ways to combat these negative feelings is to make a plan before each treatment on how to use your time. Yes, you are in that chair for a long time. But there are plenty of activities you can do to keep yourself entertained, to feel productive, and to walk away after each treatment feeling like you used that time in the best way.
An incredible 33% of adult Americans are at risk of developing kidney disease which, when it reaches stage five (also called end-stage renal disease), requires regular dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant for survival.
1. Cook at home. Eating at home is one of the best ways to ensure you’re eating kidney-healthy food. While restaurant and some fast food establishments may seem healthy, most meals out are packed with salt—not good for the kidneys. If you cook at home, you can control the amount of sodium you consume (aim for 2,000mg or less a day) and thus keep your kidneys healthy. Remember, it’s not the salt shaker that’s usually the problem—it’s pre-packaged, processed, and restaurant foods that are loaded with salt, with many meals exceeding the entire daily sodium limit. Cook at home and flavor foods with spices and herbs instead of salt.
2. Exercise every day. Exercise is so important for kidney health. Even a little bit every day will make a big difference in your health and how you feel. If you haven’t exercised regularly, make sure to build up slowly. Start by walking, stretching or lifting light weights. Gardening or taking an online yoga class are also great ways to work exercise into your daily routine. Make it a social outing as well by inviting friends over to walk around your neighborhood, or join a tennis or pickleball club. It’s never too late to learn a new sport! Working exercise into your day helps boost your mood and keep your kidneys healthy.
3. Stop smoking. Smoking can lead to many health problems, including chronic kidney disease. Smoking causes damage to your heart and blood vessels, which in turn leads to decreased blood flow to the kidneys. If this happens over time, it could cause irreversible damage to your kidneys. Quitting can be challenging but there are a number of resources available that can help. Help keep your kidneys healthy—talk to your doctor to help create a plan to stop smoking.
4. Manage blood pressure and diabetes. High blood pressure and diabetes are the two leading causes of chronic kidney disease. Controlling your blood pressure and managing your blood sugar are key to keeping your kidneys healthy. Keeping your blood pressure in the range set by your doctor, and keeping your blood sugar levels in your target range as much as possible, can help prevent damage to the kidneys.Talk to your doctor to make sure your diet and lifestyle choices and/or medication is helping you do this.
5. Reduce stress. Stress has a huge impact on our lives and our health. Research shows that spending time with people in the community helps lower stress, as does exercising, getting enough sleep, practicing breathing and meditation, and laughing. Lower your stress levels by spending time outside, joining a community group, spending time with family and friends, and focusing on living life in the moment.
March is National Kidney Month and World Kidney Day is March 10, making this the perfect time to raise awareness about the role your kidneys play. Kidneys are such vital organs — they help rid your body of waste, control your blood pressure, balance electrolytes, and produce red blood cells, among many other things. When your kidneys fail, they can’t perform these essential functions, and you must undergo regular dialysis treatments or have a kidney transplant. The good news is, making simple lifestyle changes can help you avoid kidney problems and keep your kidneys healthy.
Our web-based virtual program went live in June 2020 and became an immediate success. From June to December 2020, we offered 23 classes (two six-week sessions, five check-in classes and six community classes), attended by 214 people from throughout the Puget Sound region. In the classes, we provided extra learning materials—handouts, recipes and giveaways—to foster a sense of connection between instructors, the virtual classroom and participants at home. Class surveys show that attendees are increasing their knowledge of CKD, learning new lifestyle behaviors to protect their kidneys and working to stay as healthy as possible. An incredible 100% of those attending said they would recommend the program to others!