Diet for Nephritis

The safest treatment for acute nephritis is fasting.



By means of the fast, the toxins and systemic impurities responsible for setting up of the inflammatory kidney conditions are removed rapidly. The patient should resort to juice fasting for seven to ten days till the acute symptoms subside. Mostly, vegetable juices such as carrot, celery and cucumber should be used during this period. A warm water enema should be taken each day while fasting to cleanse the bowels of the toxic matter being thrown off by the self cleansing process resulting from the fast.

Diet for Nephritis:

After the juice fast, the patient may adopt an all-fruit diet For four or five days. Juicy fruits such as apples, grapes, oranges, pears, peaches and pineapples should be taken during this period at five-hourly intervals.
After the all-fruit diet, the patient may adopt a fruit and milk diet. In this regimen, milk, preferably raw goat's milk, may be added to the fruit diet mentioried above for further seven days. The patient may, thereafter, gradually embark upon a well-balanced low-protein vegetarian diet, with emphasis on fresh fruits and raw and cooked vegetables.
In case of chronic nephritis a short juice fast for three days may be undertaken.



Thereafter, a week or ten days may be spent on a restricted diet. In this regimen, oranges or orange juice may be taken for breakfast. Lunch may consist of a salad of raw vegetables in season, with olive oil and lemon juice dressing and dinner may consist of one or two vegetables steamed in their own juices and a few nuts. Thereafter, the patient may gradually adopt a well-balanced low-protein vegetarian diet.

Further short juice fasts followed by a week on the restricted diet should be undertaken at intervals of two or three months until the kidney condition has shown signs of normalisation.

The patient should avoid vegetables containing large quantities of oxalic acid such as spinach and rhubarb chocolate and cocoa also contain oxalic acid and must not be taken. Garlic, asparagus, parsley, watercress, cucumber and celery are excellent vegetables. Best fruits are papaya and bananas. Both have a healing effect on the kidneys. A small amount of soured milk and home-made cottage cheese and be included in the diet.



All salt should be eliminated from he diet. Five or six small meals should be taken in preference o a few large ones.

The diet should be adequate in all essential nutrients. Supplements should be given to furnish the nutrients not obtained from food. The supplements may include one tablespoon of lecithin, 30 mg. Of vitamin B6, 25,000 ius of Vitamin A, and 300 to 600 ius of vitamin E.

Smoking and drinking, where habitual, must be completely given up. Studies have shown that smoking impairs kidney function. The patient should avoid white bread, sugar, cakes, pastries, puddings, refined cereals, greasy, and fried foods. He should also avoid tea, coffee; all flesh foods, condiments, pickles and sauces.

All measures should be adopted to relieve the kidneys of work by increasing elimination through other channels. A hot Epsom salt bath should be taken every alternate day to induce elimination through the skin as much as possible.

Fresh air and outdoor exercises will be of great benefit n all cases of nephritis and where possible, the patient should walk for at least three kilometers once or twice daily. The sufferer from chronic nephritis should never exert himself when doing anything. He should avoid all hurry and excitement. He should also avoid late hours.

If the above treatment is faithfully carried out, the patient of acute nephritis will soon be on the way to recovery. Even in advanced cases of chronic nephritis a great deal can be done to improve the sufferer's condition by perseverance, with the treatment outlined above.

TREATMENT CHART FOR NEPHRITIS

A - DIET

I. A fast on carrot or orange juice and water for three days. Use warm water enema this period.

II. An all-fruit diet for further three days, with three meals a day at five-hourly intervals.

III. Fruit and milk diet for further five days. In this regimen fresh milk may be added to each fruit meal.

IV. Thereafter, gradually adopt a well-balanced low-protein diet on the following lines:-

1. Upon arising: 25 black raisins soaked overnight in water along with water in which they are soaked.

2. Breakfast: Milk sweetened with honey and fresh fruits such as papaya, banana, apples, grapes, pear, peaches, and pineapple.

3. Lunch: A bowl of freshly-prepared 'steamed vegetables such as carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, two or three whole wheat wheat tortilla, unsalted butter and a glass of buttermilk.

4. Mid afternoon: A glass of carrot juice or coconut water.

5. Dinner: A large bowl of fresh green vegetable salad. With lemon juice dressing and green gram beans sprouts.

6. Bedtime snack: A glass of milk sweetened with honey.

Avoid: Tea coffee flesh foods salt condiments sugar white flour products refined cereals and foods containing oxalic acid such as spinach chocolate and cocoa

Take Liberally: Garlic, cucumber, French bean, carrot, bananas, papaya, watermelon and pineapple juice.

Note: Repeat short juice fast followed by all-fruit diet and fruit and milk, diet at intervals of two months.

B - OTHER MEASURES

1, Fresh air, brisk walks, and yogasanas".

2, Avoid all hurry, excitement and late hours,