It is here again! Let’s celebrate our kidneys, they deserve it! They work hard 24/7 without any pauses or vacation. Did you know your kidneys filter 125 ml of blood each minute? It means 180 liters of blood daily! Wow, that’s amazing, isn’t it?
Over the last 11 years, it has become a tradition to proclaim the second Thursday in March the World Kidney Day. It is a worldwide campaign which aims to highlight the importance (and they ARE important!) of kidneys for our body and increase awareness of possible illnesses (or damage) and their prevention. Did you know most of the kidney illnesses don’t hurt at the beginning? The pain usually starts when the illness is serious and sometimes even uncurable. Ooops, scary, right? The kidney problems can be easily recognized from your blood or urine so think of prevention.
This year the World Kidney Day is on Thursday, May 9th (TODAY!). Like each year, also this year’s campaign is focusing on one theme connected to the health of kidneys, risk factors or illnesses. This year the theme is Kidney disease & Obesity.
Obesity is becoming the modern age epidemy and is closely connected to diabetes and high blood pressure. It is also one of the risk factors for kidney illnesses as it increases the demand on kidneys work. They have to filter more blood than normally to meet the metabolic demands of the body. Logically, more kilos, more work, do the math!
The good news is that obesity can be prevented or reduced when already developed with a healthy lifestyle and physical activity! So don’t eat poisonous stuff (e.g. burgers, french fries, cakes full of white sugar, etc.), eat more veggies and fruits, drink lots of water or tea (without sugar) and move! Watch this or this video to get the mood 😉
Over the world, there are many activities and connected campaigns to support the World Kidney Day like open days in hospitals, possibilities to have your health checked on public events, meetings with doctors, TV and radio campaigns, sports events and many many others, so check them out in your area! Some of them are listed here.
I am definitely going to join the #move4kidneys initiative. If you want as well, just do any physical activity and share it on your profile on Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Web…wherever! with the move4kidneys hashtag. So run (that’s what I love), walk, dance, swim, ride a bike, do yoga, aerobic, pilates, climb rocks (or trees), jump on trampolines, pump your muscles in fitness, play football, volleyball, basketball, tennis, hockey, do handstands, do whatever you like, just do it! See you somewhere there!
Pinky Kidney 