#WKD: 8 Kidney Cleansing Recipes

By Hema, My Little Moppet

The kidneys perform a multitude of functions, the main of which is to process over 140 liters of blood a day, separating excess water and waste products. Besides this huge job, kidneys also release hormones, maintain calcium levels in the bones, and balance electrolytes in the body.

This goes on to show that when the kidneys are not functioning at their best, they can cause some serious consequences. Some early symptoms of kidney problems include itchy skin, fatigue, swollen feet, and abnormalities in urine, like being cloudy or bloody.

That means that we have to take care to ensure our kidneys are always working at their optimum level. The World Kidney Day 2022 theme is “Kidney Health for All”. The 2022 campaign focuses on efforts to increase education and awareness about kidney health and on reducing the stubbornly high CKD knowledge gap at all levels of kidney care.

Benefits of Kidney Cleansing Foods

This is a great opportunity to recalibrate your diet, and include more kidney cleansing foods. These foods have many benefits:

• Prevent kidney stones
• Clear toxins from the body
• Reduce bloating
• Improve absorption of nutrients
• Reduce the risk for bladder issues and infections
• Help control blood pressure 
• Boost immunity

Since it can be confusing deciding which foods are kidney cleansers, here is a list of 8 simple kidney cleanser recipes that can help keep your kidneys in their best health.

8 Kidney Cleansing Recipes

1. Grape Juice

Ingredients:

• 2 cups grapes
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1/4 cup basil leaves
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
•  1/2 tsp grated ginger

Instructions:

1. Put all the ingredients in a blender jar and blend till smooth.
2. Strain the juice and serve immediately.

Benefits:

Grapes are among the best foods you can have for kidney health, thanks to compound resveratrol. This and other flavonoids like Vitamin C help lower kidney inflammation. What’s more eating grapes can stop the progression of kidney disease. The juice also contains basil, which improves kidney health and prevents kidney stones. It is a diuretic and also reduces uric acid in the blood. It can also help in the breakdown of any existing kidney stones.

2. Golden Detox Juice

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 tbsp grated lemon zest
• 1/2 tbsp grated orange zest
• 1/4 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups cold water

Instructions:

1. Put all the ingredients except water in a blender jar and blend till smooth.
2. Add in as much water as required to dilute the juice. 
3. Serve chilled.

Benefits:

Citrus fruits like oranges and lemons are rich in citric acid which binds with calcium in the urine and prevents the formation of calcium crystals which can lead to kidney stones. The Vitamin C in the citrus fruits also flushes out toxins and provides a good shot of antioxidants. Besides oranges and lemons, this detox drink contains turmeric, which contains the magical compound curcumin. Several studies have shown how curcumin can curb kidney disease and prevent kidney damage.

3. Watermelon Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 3 cups deseeded watermelon cubes
• 3 tbsp honey
• 5 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 cups of ice cold water

Instructions:

1. Blend the watermelon cubes in a blender jar. 
2. Add honey, lemon juice and enough cold water and mix well.
3. Serve immediately.

Benefits:

Watermelon is among the top fruits that improve kidney health as it acts as a diuretic. Watermelons are also rich in lycopene which is a powerful antioxidant and helps the kidneys function properly. It also prevents the formation of kidney stones by controlling the acidity of urine. The addition of lemon juice also gives this juice an extra kick of kidney-boosting health.

4. Cranberry Apple Chutney

Ingredients:

• 3 cups dried cranberries
• 1 large apple
• 2 tsp orange zest
• ¼ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Wash and peel the apple. Chop into small pieces.
2. Add all ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Cover the pan and simmer 20-25 minutes.
4. Let the chutney cool a little and mash it using a potato masher or in a blender.
5. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Benefits:

The best food you can have for the health of your kidneys has got to be this – cranberries! Cranberries are a popular natural remedy for urinary tract infections, but it’s also excellent to prevent kidney infections by making the urine more acidic. Along with cranberries, apples are also a part of this chutney, which contains fiber that has the unique property of binding to toxins and relieving the pressure on kidneys.

5. Stir Fried Cauliflower

Ingredients:

• 1 large cauliflower, separated into florets
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped green onions
• Salt and pepper
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan or wok. Toss in the garlic.
2. Add the cauliflower florets and fry so that all parts of the florets are properly fried. 
3. Fry till the cauliflower florets are cooked but still maintain some crunch.
4. Season with salt and pepper and toss the green onions.
5. Squeeze over some lemon juice before serving.

Benefits:

Cauliflower is a great vegetable to include in your diet when you’re trying to cleanse your kidneys. Packed with Vitamins B, C, and K, this vegetable is a key ingredient in most detox diets. It possesses anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial effects that are great for detoxifying the kidneys. Add to this the benefits of olive oil, which contains oleic acid and is packed with antioxidants. Being phosphorous-free, olive oil is also ideal for a kidney-friendly diet.

6. Sooji Cabbage Dhokla

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup sooji
• 1 cup sour curd 
• 1 cup grated cabbage
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp Eno salt
• 1/8 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/8 cup water
• Coriander leaves for garnishing
• Oil

Instructions:

1. Mix sooji, curd, cabbage, water and salt in a large bowl and leave it covered for 10-15 minutes.
2. Grease a deep dish with oil and fill a pan/cooker with a little warm water for steaming.
3. Check the consistency of the batter. It should be smooth but neither watery nor thick. Add Eno salt to the batter and mix well.
4. Pour the batter into the greased vessel and place it in the pan/cooker for steaming.
5. Cover the pan with a lid. Place a cloth between the pan and the lid to soak up the steam rising from the pan.
6. Steam the dhokla for 20 minutes on medium flame. The batter should rise in that time.
7. Insert a knife into the dhokla and if it comes out clean, the dhokla is done.
8. Turn off the flame and let the dhokla cool completely in the pan. Cut into squares.
9. Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds. Immediately scatter them over the dhokla. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Benefits:

Just like cauliflower, cabbage is another cruciferous vegetable that is great for kidney health. It is packed with fiber which slows down the absorption of nutrients, ensuring the kidneys aren’t overburdened. Fiber also binds to all the toxins from the digestive tract. Cabbage is also full of antioxidants and other nutrients like calcium, Vitamins B, C, K and manganese. Being low in potassium and phosphorous makes it an ideal vegetable to add to your kidney cleanse diet.

7. Bell Pepper Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 small green bell pepper
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 1 small yellow bell pepper
• 1 onion finely sliced
• 2 cloves on garlic
• 1/2 inch root ginger
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon ghee

Instructions:

1. Deseed the bell peppers and slice them thinly.
2. Heat ghee in a non stick wok. Add cumin seeds. Once the seeds crackle, add the bay leaf and cloves. Fry the spices for few seconds.
3. Add finely chopped garlic and ginger and stir fry till the raw smell goes.
4. Now add the onion slices and stir fry for 1-2 minutes or until the onions turn translucent.
5. Add chopped colored bell peppers and stir fry on high flame. Cook while stirring for 2-3 minutes more. Add salt and mix.
6. Once the bell peppers turn little soft, add cooked rice and toss well.
7. Stir fry for another 1 minute or so and cook for 1-2 minutes. Put off the gas and season the rice with freshly crushed black pepper. Serve warm.

Benefits:

The star ingredient in this recipe is the red bell peppers, which are loaded with antioxidants and nutrients like Vitamins A and C. These boost metabolism and also provide the kidneys with a slew of antioxidants. Red peppers also contain lycopene which is a crucial nutrient for kidney health. What’s more, they are low in potassium. The addition of ginger and garlic increases the health benefits of this dish. Garlic contains allicin, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.

8. Baked Fish Balls

Ingredients:

• 500 grams of any fatty fish like salmon or tuna
• 2 medium sized potatoes, diced into small cubes
• 1 small onion or half of a big one, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp coriander Leaves
• 1 or 2 green chilies, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 egg
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• Salt
• 1 tbsp oil
• 4 cups water
• 4 cloves of garlic, slightly bruised
• 1” knob of fresh ginger, thickly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 4 pods of cardamom, slightly bruised

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine water, ginger slices, garlic pods, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and add the fish and cubed potatoes.
2. Poach for 5-6 minutes till the potatoes are soft and the fish is cooked through and flakes easily. Drain and let it cool. Discard the ginger slices, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and the bay leaf.
3. In a large bowl add the poached fish, chopped onions, chopped cilantro, salt, chopped chilies, garam masala and egg. Mix it well.
4. The mixture needs to sit in the refrigerator to firm up. Wrap it with a cling wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours to overnight.
5. Preheat the oven at 400F/ 200 C. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and grease it well.
6. Using an ice-cream scoop, roll out 2 inch balls from the chilled potato-fish mixture. Roll each ball in the bread crumbs to coat completely.
7. Arrange the coated balls on the greased aluminum foil lined baking tray. Spray the fish balls lightly with nonstick cooking spray or brush them with oil.
8. Bake for 30 minutes, turning the tray midway for even cooking.
9. Serve hot with green chutney.

Benefits:

This recipe features fish, which is great for kidney health, especially fatty fish like tuna or salmon. These are high in Omega-3 fatty acids and lean protein, both of which are essential for the proper functioning of the kidneys. Studies have found that omega-3 fats can reduce the chances of proteinuria, as well as other kidney issues. The fish is paired with ginger, which also has lots of antioxidants that offer kidneys protection from dehydration and damage.

Note:

While these kidney cleansing foods can be had by anyone, they are not recommended for pregnant or nursing women or children. Anyone with a history of kidney problems should consult their doctor before including kidney cleansing foods in their diet. 

For optimum kidney health,

it is also recommended to drink sufficient amounts of water and to stay away from harmful behaviors like smoking and alcohol consumption. Staying active and keeping blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol at healthy levels is important.

Those with kidney issues are also advised to stay away from foods rich in oxalates, like chocolate, red meat, dark greens, nuts and sweet potatoes.