Foods that Help with Kidney Detox and Cleansing

Your kidney's play a very important role in helping to eliminate harmful toxins that you eat and drink (and breathe).  And a good kidney detox plan can go a long way to having a happier and healthier life and some believe that a regular detox will actually lengthen your life.  Why is that?

Your kidney's are responsible for handling all the enzymes and by-products that happen when you eat.  It is also responsible for the absorption of very important minerals all the while acting as a filter to filter out urine and waste.  It regulates the amount of salt and other things to keep the body running on an even keel.  When something goes wrong with your kidneys or they aren't functioning as they should, it can throw your entire body out whack.

Of course, since the kidney's are responsible for filtering out the bad stuff into urea, the best line of defense you have in the form of a detox is to drink plenty of water.  10-12 glasses a day is good.  You also want to actually go when nature calls as opposed to holding it in.  This is simply, hands down, the best (and cheapest) way to detoxify the kidneys.

As with all detoxification plans, the less processed foods you eat, the more time you give your body to detoxify.  This is primarily why most detox diets are closely associated with fasting diets;  if you give your body a chance to solely focus on eliminating toxins rather than spend it digesting food, it can work more efficiently.

If fasting kind of scares you, you can tone it down by simply eating lots of organic fruits and vegetables and stay away from sources of protein (even the "good" kinds like chicken and fish) while you are on detox.  The reason for this is that breaking down proteins takes more resources and energy from your body than breaking down fruits and vegetables.

There are also certain foods that you can think about that are absolutely perfect for a kidney cleanse.  Any foods that help stimulate the blood are good for a body detox.  These include:

• Grapes and bananas (all varieties) that are high in potassium...
• Cranberries which is high in a nutrient called quinine....
• Dandilion which is one of the best ways to detox the kidneys because of its powerful digestive properties (my grandmother used to cook them when she was growing up)....
• Ginger root, which is most commonly eaten with sushi and is known for its stomach calming effects....
• Turmeric tea which is an indian spice that is a common remedy for many digestive disorders in ayurvedic medicine...