exercise

Why should you even worry about protein? There are many answers to that question. First, protein is the primary component of all of the lean muscle mass in your body. Second, protein is a central ingredient in every cell. There are other functions, too. Many enzymes and hormones are manufactured from proteins, which are essential to the processes of digestion, metabolism, ovulation and sleeping. Protein bolsters your immune system, aids in healing and provides energy, all while maintaining and balancing the amount of fluid in your body. As you can see, protein is vital to survival.

Our kidneys do a lot of work to help keep us healthy. They are responsible for filtering out waste from our blood. They release hormones that regulate blood pressure. Our kidneys process more than 18 gallons of blood each and every hour of the day, and filter more than half of the fluids we take in. Unfortunately, our kidneys are susceptible to a number of ailments, from simple kidney infections to kidney stones to chronic kidney disease, which can ultimately lead to renal failure.

There are more than 26 million Americans today who are living with chronic kidney disease, and many millions more are at significant risk of contracting it. It is very important to detect the progression of the disease in its early stages, before kidney disease becomes kidney failure. The top cause of death for people who have chronic kidney disease is actually heart disease caused by the kidney difficulties. Kidney disease can contribute to hypertension, which is a source in itself of all sorts of problems. One indication of chronic kidney disease is too much protein in the urine.

Lifting weights is a great form of exercise for everyone at any age or health level. Even seniors with limited range of motion can get some benefit from light strength training as long as their doctor approves. There are varying levels of strength training, from the woman who adds five-pound dumbbells to her workout routine all the way up to the bodybuilders who are building huge and powerful bodies through hours of lifting ultra heavy weights.

When you are first diagnosed with kidney disease, you are typically given a protein restriction. As the disease progresses, however, your needs will change dramatically. While you will still need to be careful with the amounts of other nutrients that you are getting and the amount of fluids that you consume each day, you will see an increase in the need for protein. It is very important to follow the recommendations of the nutritionist no matter what stage you are in currently, especially in the later stages when dialysis begins.