6 Drinks Your Kidneys Love Before Bed — Transcript

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1. 0:00Six drinks your kidneys love before bed.
2. 0:03If you want to take care of your
3. 0:04kidneys, there's a mistake a lot of
4. 0:06people make at night, and it's not only
5. 0:08about what they drink. Even a
6. 0:10kidney-friendly drink can be the wrong
7. 0:12choice if you have it at the wrong time.
8. 0:15Let me show you what I mean. I've worked
9. 0:17in nephrology for almost 30 years, and
10. 0:19what should I drink in the evening to
11. 0:21help my kidneys is one of the questions
12. 0:23I hear the most. So, today I'm sharing
13. 0:26six drinks that fit really well into a
14. 0:28kidney-friendly evening. I'll tell you
15. 0:30why each one made my list and what to
16. 0:33watch out for if you already have kidney
17. 0:35disease. And stay until number one
18. 0:37because the drink is only half of the
19. 0:39answer. Now, keep one thing in mind
20. 0:41through the whole video. Your kidneys
21. 0:44don't need a nighttime detox. They just
22. 0:46need the right amount of fluid for your
23. 0:48body. Okay, let's get into it. Let's
24. 0:51start with number six, and that's
25. 0:53cranberry juice. You've probably heard
26. 0:55that cranberries are good for your
27. 0:57urinary tract, and there's a real reason
28. 0:59for that. They have natural compounds
29. 1:02called proanthocyanidins,
30. 1:04and these may make it harder for certain
31. 1:06bacteria, like E. coli, to stick to the
32. 1:08walls of your urinary tract. But I need
33. 1:10to be really clear about something
34. 1:12because I care about you getting this
35. 1:14right. Cranberry juice does not cure a
36. 1:17urinary tract infection, and it does not
37. 1:19detox or repair your kidneys. If you
38. 1:22have a fever, chills, or pain in your
39. 1:25back or side, please don't try to fix it
40. 1:27with juice. An infection can travel up
41. 1:30to your kidneys, and you need a doctor
42. 1:32to check it out. Now, if you like
43. 1:34cranberry juice, go for one with no
44. 1:36added sugar, and keep your glass small.
45. 1:38And here's a little trap a lot of people
46. 1:40fall into. No added sugar does not mean
47. 1:43sugar-free. Fruit juice still has
48. 1:46natural sugar in it. So, if you're
49. 1:47managing diabetes or watching your blood
50. 1:49sugar, be extra careful with how much
51. 1:52you drink. So, enjoy it if you like it.
52. 1:54Just think of it as a small treat, not a
53. 1:56cure. Okay, number five might surprise
54. 1:59you, and that's unsweetened plant-based
55. 2:02milk. Yes, a small glass of almond, oat,
56. 2:06soy, rice, or coconut milk can be a nice
57. 2:09evening drink. But, here's where I
58. 2:10really want you to slow down, especially
59. 2:13if you have kidney disease. Not all
60. 2:15plant milks are the same, not even
61. 2:17close. Two cartons that look almost
62. 2:20identical on the shelf can be very
63. 2:22different inside. Depending on the
64. 2:24brand, they can have very different
65. 2:26amounts of potassium and phosphorus, and
66. 2:28some companies add extra phosphorus on
67. 2:30top of that. I know it's easy to grab
68. 2:33whatever is on sale, but with your
69. 2:35kidneys, the label really matters. So, I
70. 2:38want you to do one simple thing for me.
71. 2:40Turn the carton around and read the
72. 2:42ingredient list. If your doctor told you
73. 2:44to watch your phosphorus, look for any
74. 2:46ingredient that has the letters p h o s
75. 2:50in it, and whenever you can, pick the
76. 2:52unsweetened kind. Now, I don't want you
77. 2:55to panic. For a lot of people with early
78. 2:57kidney disease, potassium and phosphorus
79. 2:59don't have to be limited at all. Your
80. 3:01lab results and your own treatment plan
81. 3:03should guide that choice, not a rule you
82. 3:05heard online. And here's one more thing.
83. 3:08If you've had calcium oxalate kidney
84. 3:10stones, ask your doctor about soy,
85. 3:12almond, and cashew milks, because they
86. 3:14can be higher in oxalate. Also, if
87. 3:17you're on a fluid limit, remember that
88. 3:19every single drink on this list counts
89. 3:21toward it, milk included. So, this can
90. 3:24be a great option for many people, as
91. 3:26long as you read the label and check
92. 3:28with your care team. A small glass of
93. 3:30the right kind can fit in just fine.
94. 3:32You've got this, and I'm here to help
95. 3:34you figure it out. Now, number four is
96. 3:37perfect for those cozy nights, and
97. 3:39that's a simple caffeine-free tea. If
98. 3:42you love having something warm before
99. 3:43bed, this can be a really nice swap for
100. 3:46soda, sweet tea, or any other sugary
101. 3:49drink. But, I I you to notice something.
102. 3:51I did not call it a kidney detox tea,
103. 3:54and that was on purpose. You'll see a
104. 3:56lot of those online, and I don't want
105. 3:58you to fall for them. Your kidneys
106. 4:00already clean waste and extra fluid out
107. 4:02of your blood all day and all night. A
108. 4:05cup of tea doesn't sneak in at bedtime
109. 4:07and wash them out. Now, let's talk about
110. 4:10the word herbal because this one really
111. 4:13matters. Herbal does not mean safe. Some
112. 4:16herbs can mix badly with medicines, and
113. 4:19some are not a good fit for people with
114. 4:20kidney disease. So, if you have CKD or
115. 4:24you take a few different medications,
116. 4:26please be extra careful with strong
117. 4:28herbal products, supplements, and teas
118. 4:30with a long list of ingredients. My best
119. 4:33advice is to keep it simple. And if
120. 4:35there's a tea you drink all the time,
121. 4:37like hibiscus, ginger, or something
122. 4:39else, take a minute to ask your doctor
123. 4:41or pharmacist if that exact tea is okay
124. 4:43for you. It's a quick question, and it
125. 4:45can save you a lot of worry. One last
126. 4:48thing, keep your cup small because even
127. 4:50if the tea has no caffeine, it still
128. 4:53counts as fluid. So, enjoy your warm
129. 4:55cup, and let's make sure it's a safe one
130. 4:57for you. All right, number three is for
131. 5:00everyone who says, "Plain water is just
132. 5:02so boring." I hear you, and I get it.
133. 5:06The good news is that you don't have to
134. 5:07reach for juice or a fancy flavored
135. 5:09drink. You can just give your water a
136. 5:11little boost. Drop in a few berries,
137. 5:14some slices of cucumber, a few mint
138. 5:16leaves, or another fruit or herb that
139. 5:18fits your own diet, and suddenly that
140. 5:20glass looks and tastes a lot more fun.
141. 5:23And the best part is, it doesn't turn
142. 5:25into a sugary drink. Now, I want to be
143. 5:28honest with you because I never want to
144. 5:30oversell anything. I am not telling you
145. 5:33that cucumber water cleans your kidneys.
146. 5:35It doesn't. There is no magic in that
147. 5:38glass. What I am giving you is a simple
148. 5:40trick to make water something you
149. 5:42actually look forward to, so you reach
150. 5:44for it instead of soda, sweet tea, or
151. 5:47any other sugary drink. And that kind of
152. 5:49small, steady swap is what really adds
153. 5:52up over time.
154. 5:54Here's an easy way to do it. Fill a
155. 5:55pitcher in the morning, toss in some
156. 5:57cucumber and mint, and let it sit in the
157. 5:59fridge all day. By evening, it's cold,
158. 6:02light, and ready to go. That matters
159. 6:05because at night, when you're tired,
160. 6:07it's so easy to grab a soda or a sweet
161. 6:09tea. Having something tasty already
162. 6:12waiting for you makes the better choice
163. 6:14the easy choice. And a small glass is
164. 6:17plenty. Just keep one thing in mind. If
165. 6:19you have kidney disease, and your doctor
166. 6:21gave you specific limits for potassium
167. 6:23or fluids, those limits still count
168. 6:25here, even with a slice of fruit in your
169. 6:27cup. So, if you're not sure which fruits
170. 6:30fit your plan, just ask your care team.
171. 6:32Easy, tasty, and kind to your body.
172. 6:35That's what we're going for. Okay,
173. 6:37number two is lemon water. And there's
174. 6:40something extra you should know about
175. 6:41this one. Lemon water gets a lot of
176. 6:44attention online, and sometimes for the
177. 6:46wrong reasons. Let me be clear. It does
178. 6:49not detox your kidneys. But here's the
179. 6:52real reason I'm talking about it. Lemons
180. 6:54have something in them called citrate.
181. 6:56Citrate can bind with calcium in your
182. 6:58urine, and that makes it harder for some
183. 7:00crystals to form and grow. Over time,
184. 7:03that may help lower the risk of certain
185. 7:05calcium kidney stones. Pretty cool,
186. 7:07right? But please don't get too excited
187. 7:10yet because I don't want to oversell
188. 7:12this. A little squeeze of lemon in your
189. 7:14glass does not prevent kidney stones. In
190. 7:16the studies on lemon juice and stones,
191. 7:18people used much more lemon than most of
192. 7:21us would ever put in a glass of water.
193. 7:23So, if you've had kidney stones before,
194. 7:25talk to your doctor or a urologist about
195. 7:28the best plan for your type of stone.
196. 7:30They can give you advice that actually
197. 7:32fits you. Now, here's why I still like
198. 7:35lemon water. If a little lemon makes you
199. 7:37reach for water instead of soda or
200. 7:39another sugary drink, that's a simple
201. 7:41swap, and it's a good one. Small changes
202. 7:44like that add up. And one more thing. I
203. 7:47know some of you have told me that
204. 7:48citrus makes your acid reflux worse. If
205. 7:51that's you, please don't force it. Don't
206. 7:54drink lemon water just because someone
207. 7:56online said it's good for your kidneys.
208. 7:58Your comfort matters, too, and plain
209. 8:00water works great.
210. 8:02And that brings us to the one I've been
211. 8:04saving for last. And here we are at
212. 8:06number one. And yes, it's plain water.
213. 8:10After all those choices, we end up right
214. 8:12back at the simplest one. I know, it's
215. 8:15not fancy. But for most people who
216. 8:17haven't been told to limit their fluids,
217. 8:19plain water is still my first pick every
218. 8:22single time. Why? Because getting enough
219. 8:24fluid keeps your urine diluted, and that
220. 8:27really helps protect you from kidney
221. 8:29stones. It's simple, it's cheap, and it
222. 8:31works. But now I need you to hear the
223. 8:33next part, because this is the part I
224. 8:36really want you to remember. More water
225. 8:38does not mean healthier kidneys. I see
226. 8:41people push themselves to drink gallon
227. 8:43after gallon thinking it's helping, and
228. 8:45that's not how it works. There is no one
229. 8:48perfect amount that fits everybody. How
230. 8:51much you need depends on a few things,
231. 8:53like how active you are, the weather
232. 8:55where you live, the medicines you take,
233. 8:57your health conditions, and how well
234. 8:59your kidneys are working. And this is
235. 9:01where I get serious, because I care
236. 9:03about you. If you have advanced kidney
237. 9:05disease, kidney failure, heart failure,
238. 9:08swelling in your body, or you're on
239. 9:10dialysis, you may actually need to drink
240. 9:12less. Too much fluid can be a real
241. 9:15problem for you. So, please listen to
242. 9:18your health care team. Their fluid
243. 9:20advice comes first before anything you
244. 9:22hear on YouTube, and that includes me.
245. 9:24I'm okay with that. I would much rather
246. 9:26you follow your own care team than
247. 9:28follow my video. They know your body,
248. 9:31your labs, and your story. So, keep it
249. 9:33simple, and get your amount right for
250. 9:35you. So, here's the main thing. You
251. 9:38don't need to flood your body with water
252. 9:40before bed, and you don't need a kidney
253. 9:42cleanse or a special drink that promises
254. 9:44to repair your kidneys. Your kidneys
255. 9:46just need the right drink in the right
256. 9:48amount at the right time. If you have
257. 9:50kidney disease, your stage, your labs,
258. 9:54and your care team should guide you. And
259. 9:56if you wake up to pee two or three times
260. 9:58every night, it's not always just age.
261. 10:01Watch this video next to find out why.
262. 10:03I'll see you there.