The Urinary System

Introduction:

The kidneys constantly regulate, distribute, sort and filter matter. Without this ability, the body cannot survive for long - it will become poisoned. To do this job properly, large amounts of water are required in a body that is itself composed of 70% water. The kidneys also maintain the acid and alkali balance within the bloodstream. With an adequate intake of fluids a more alkaline state will prevail, which is the base of all good health. The kidneys also have quite a few hormonal functions. They help to process calcium and magnesium. In women this is done in connection with oestrogen. The kidneys also help produce a hormone called renin that is vital for regulating blood pressure. Weak kidneys can sometimes be the root cause of blood pressure imbalances.

Back to top

Remember that, if you use undistilled water, you will be utilising only very few of the minerals it contains. This is because any minerals larger than colloidal-sized particles will be rejected by the body, thereby allowing an accumulation of discarded minerals to be deposited in your body. The beauty of distilled water is that it is devoid of oversized minerals and actually picks up discarded and accumulated ones. Some people get confused and think that distilled water leaches minerals from the body. It only does this to the un-assimilable, rejected and 'dangerous' minerals, whilst retaining and using the colloidal-sized ones in the same way as plants utilise them. When urinalysis tests were performed on people before drinking distilled water and subsequently one month later, the mineral sediments picked up in one month were incredible. I also know what my distilled water machine residue looks like! I really wouldn't want to imbibe what is in the average 4 litres of tap water.

Common foods and drinks such as tea, coffee, chocolate and, to a lesser extent, peanuts, rhubarb, tomatoes and spinach, contain oxalic acid which create more work for the kidneys.

Some foods are strongly active on the kidneys and bladder and eating them in season can help maintain, cleanse and thus balance the kidneys and bladder, preventing stagnation, stone formation and infection. Asparagus, for instance, is useful in late spring as a means of doing this, but don't use it if your kidneys are known to be, or suspected to be, inflamed. Also avoid asparagus if you already feel exhausted and tired, as the diuretic effect could increase this feeling.

Parsley and Nori seaweed in salads, soups and stews provide a nice all-year-round addition, while blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, celery, water melon and watercress are more summer choices. Whole barley and sweet corn in soups and stews could then be used in the autumn and winter months.

If you have inflamed, weakened kidneys make a soup of 70% courgettes and 30% potatoes. Carrots, lettuce and cabbage are also very helpful. Oxalic acid-rich foods like gooseberries, strawberries, rhubarb and spinach must be avoided by those who are prone to kidney problems as they are known to help create kidney stones.

Drink barley water.

Back to top

Back to top