How to Love Your Kidneys

The kidneys play a vital role in multiple systems of the body. They regulate our red blood cell count by communicating with the bone marrow and by influencing the synthesis of new red blood cells via the hormone erythropoietin. They then convert Vitamin D into its active form which protects and builds our bones, and they regulate our blood volume and blood pressure via the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. When we choose to implement a positive mental attitude into our every day life, we create a very potent form of stress relief that protects these functions.

Psychological stress for example, in the form of anxiety, arguments, negativity, conflict, or threats to personal safety, cause a rise in breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and increases the levels of fats and sugars in our blood. This combination causes a rise in the force of blood-flow through our blood vessels, causing them to stretch. If this were to continue over a course of many decades, this stretching can scar and harden the blood vessels throughout the body, including those in the kidneys. If the kidneys’ blood vessels are damaged, they may stop removing wastes and extra fluid from the body. This extra fluid accumulation may then raise blood pressure even more, creating a dangerous cycle. When we choose to smile more (yes, even fake smiling), practice reframing and consciously build our resiliency – the ability to adapt to stressful and / or negative situations and losses – we protect our red blood cells, bones, and heart health by decreasing the stress on our kidneys. Perhaps the greatest discovery is that we can change our future by merely changing our attitude.