Healthier You Series: Go Meatless Monday for Kidney Health
Start smart eating habits on Mondays for a happier and healthier you! We hear a lot about how not eating meat just one day a week is good for the planet, but what about how good it is for our health? It turns out, Meatless Monday is also an easy way to take steps towards a healthier lifestyle and better health.
Cutting out meat just one day a week and choosing plant-based foods instead can help promote kidney health. In fact, eating less red and processed meat and more plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes, can help lead to:
• Better kidney health
• Better management of kidney disease
• Lower blood pressure and cholesterol
• Lower risk of diabetes
• Healthy weight management
Your hard-working and multi-tasking kidneys work round the clock to remove wastes from your body, balance your body’s fluids and minerals, make hormones that control blood pressure and form red blood cells, and much more. You can’t live without your kidneys!
We’re very pleased to say that Meatless Monday has partnered with the National Kidney Foundation to encourage people to make healthier changes to their diets in support of kidney health.
Gail Torres, RN, MS, RD, Senior Clinical Communications Director at the National Kidney Foundation explains, “Studies show that eating less meat may play a key role in keeping your kidneys healthy and in improving your health overall. This doesn’t mean you need to cut meat out completely from your diet, but rather, to replace some meat with plant-based foods, such as soy and nuts.” She continues, “This change in diet helps your body make less acid, which puts less stress on your kidneys. It also lowers your intake of saturated fat, which can harm blood vessels and lead to heart and kidney disease. Less meat in the diet is also linked to preventing and controlling diabetes and high blood pressure, the two main causes of kidney disease.”
1 in 3 American adults is at risk for kidney disease. According to the National Kidney Foundation, in the United States, about 30 million adults have chronic kidney disease – and most aren’t aware of it. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history.
But here’s the good news! You can kickstart your Mondays by swapping out meat for plant-based foods to help promote kidney health. See this week’s Meatless Monday recipe for Corn-Stuffed Zucchini, courtesy of National Kidney Foundation.
Use Mondays to make positive change in your life that will do you a world of good. Meatless Monday is a global movement followed by millions who choose not to eat meat one day a week for their health and the health of the planet.
To spread the word about Meatless Monday and kidney health, download our fun and shareable free graphics, here.