Onion Soup for Healthy Kidneys

Kidneys are a vital organ of our body. They filter waste products from the blood and regulate blood pressure, electrolyte balance, and red blood cell production in the body. The symptoms of kidney failure are severe. There is a build-up of waste products in the body and this causes symptoms such as weakness, shortness of breath, lethargy, and confusion. Potassium is not removed from the bloodstream and this can cause abnormal heart rhythms and even sudden death. Sadly, the start of kidney failure may cause no symptoms so you don’t even know that it is happening.

There are numerous causes of kidney failure and we should all try hard to keep our kidneys healthy. One of your allies in looking after your kidneys is the humble onion!

Onions are a great medicinal food – they are highly depurative, antiseptic and diuretic. In fact they are ideal for helping to fight off many kidney-related problems, like urinary infections, kidney stones and fluid retention.

In this article, you will find a great way to take care of your kidneys. It is a 9-day kidney cleanse using a delicious onion soup. You will notice results right away.

What’s so great about onions?

The humble onion is rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, chlorine, copper, iron, phosphorus, iodine, silica and sulphur. It is also packed with vitamins A, B, C, and E. It is thought that the health benefits of onions, apart from kidney health, include them being:

• A diuretic – helps fluid retention, swollen eyelids and oedema
• Anti-inflammatory – fights inflammation
• Antioxidant – fights free radicals
• Antiseptic, antimicrobial and anti-fungal! Prevents and fights infections caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi.
• Great for respiratory health
• Protective when it comes to cardiovascular diseases.

Onion soup recipe

Chop one onion and boil in a litre of water. You can add some chopped parsley sprigs if you like. This also has cleansing properties. It is as simple as that. You can make several batches and keep them in the fridge until you need them.

Drinking the soup

Drink two batches of the soup every day. You do not have to drink it all at once. Instead you can consume the soup in small sips, at room temperature if possible. Some people like to add some lemon juice to give some variety of taste.

The best method is to drink a glass on an empty stomach at least half an hour before breakfast.

The 9 day treatment

Consume the soup as recommended for 9 days in a row to get the best health benefits. At the same time you could take further steps to help the effect. Here are some suggestions:

• Avoid salty foods. You can add a small amount of salt to your meals if you have to but salt water (sold in health food shops) is a more healthy alternative.
• Reduce your consumption of animal protein (this is things like meat, milk, and dairy products). You can replace it with vegetable protein. One example is adzuki beans – which happen to be the shape of the kidneys! Other healthy sources of protein are: dried fruits, mushrooms. If you have to eat animal protein it is best if it is eggs and fish.
• Avoid refined sugar and sugary foods. Use honey or stevia as a healthy alternative.
• Keep your kidneys warm – they can get cold and this can make you feel tired and give you lower back pain. Always keep the middle and lower area of your back warm – you could use a hot water bottle at night.
• Get plenty of exercise. When you sweat, your kidneys have to work harder and this does them good.

A healthy diet plan

Here is a healthy meal plan that you could use when you are undergoing your 9 day kidney treatment::

1. Once you wake up: two glasses of onion soup
2. Breakfast: whole wheat germ toast and an omelette
3. During the morning: a few sips of soup
4. Mid-morning: dried fruit such as raisons
5. Lunch: lentil soup and whole rice with mixed salad. Fresh green apple
6. Mid-afternoon: a few sips of onion soup
7. Snack: banana and cranberry smoothie
8. Dinner: cabbage with potatoes, stir fry with garlic, and fish fillet.