Elimination System (The Body's Detoxification) - Part 1

**NOTE: The topic of the elimination system may be a little awkward for people to talk about, but let's be honest: we're all adults here. If you would prefer to not read about the health of your body's eliminating process, it's probably best you walk away from this post. It could be the fact that I handle the nitty gritty from children five days at a daycare and therefore have lost any social filter for these topics (or the fact that I may have not had it to begin with), but I'm pretty sure this topic is important for everyone at one point in there life. **

And now to the post...
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I find my writing lacking when I'm not inspired, so that would be the reason I didn't post at all last week. However, when I am inspired I've got three different topics trying to cram out of my head and onto paper. I only choose one, and this time I'll write about the body's elimination system.

elimination [e-lim″ĭ-na´shun]. discharge from the body of indigestible materials and of waste products of body metabolism (medical dictionary)
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Why haven't I wrote on this topic before? I've discussed this subject with many of my friends, but like I've said: when it comes to being inspired, I have to put two of the three topics I want to write about on the back burner. This topic especially re-emerged in my mind as this past weekend I had a kidney infection and oh boy did I found out that those aren't fun! So I had to leave work early and went to the doctor, and they confirmed what I had.

How did this happen? Why me?!

One of my coworkers were stunned. "With the way you eat, I'd never thought you'd ever get a kidney infection." However, it's not just about eating, but about bacteria in general. Specifically, the bacteria E. Coli is the main cause of kidney infections. This can happen by travel through the urethra and into the kidneys. It's more common in people than I realized. It is important to see a medical physician if you think you may have this condition, because there can be complications involved if it goes untreated.

Symptoms are:

• a burning sensation when urinating
• blood in urine
• extreme pain in sides and lower back
• nausea and/or vomiting

"Approximately 250,000 cases of acute pyelonephritis occur each year, resulting in more than 100,000 hospitalizations." (Hooton, TM)​

Out of all the people to catch kidney infections, it is more likely to be women than men to catch them.
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Now I wasn't hospitalized, and I'm not making it worse than what it was. Sure, it hurt bad. No, don't try running with a kidney infection. I did kick that infection's butt, though, and of course naturally a kidney infection needs antibiotics. However, these can be straining on the body wherein prolonged usage destroys healthy bacteria in the digestive system that will take quite a while to build back up with the use of probiotics, and even longer without it. Aside from a little antibiotics, I also used this:
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• moonshine
• Apple cider vinegar
• honey

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Of course, I don't encourage the use of alcohol with pregnant or nursing women, children, or even the elderly. However, when possible and in medicinal quantities, alcohol has its use.

The moonshine I have is 130 proof, so it's potent stuff. I used 1 and 1/2 shots of the moonshine to clean out the bacterial infection in my kidneys as it passed through my system. In it, I put 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of honey.

Tastes awful, but then again I'm not so keen on vinegar. I felt better by the evening! I still continued on my antibiotics for another day. I'm keeping plenty of fluids in my system and have also the aid of cranberry supplements. another known useful herb for UTIs and kidney problems. 

If you aren't interested in the moonshine, then a good mix of apple cider vinegar and honey should help, still, as it helps balances your body's pH levels. You pH levels are measure of the balance of acidity and alkaline of your body's fluids. Your body corrects the imbalance through various ways, such as excreting them through the urinary system and by the decrease of the acid carbon dioxide from the respiratory system. By maintaining your body's proper pH levels, you can protect yourself from kidney stones, headaches, digestive problems, etc.  (Thibodeau, Patton 2004)

Further aiding the elimination system, drink plenty of water! Most view 64 oz of water the proper requirement for a healthy daily intake, but you can go by your weight divided by 2. For example, I am 115 lbs: 115 / 2 = 57.50 oz. I still strive for 64 oz, though. ​

Other tips to prevent kidney infections would be:

• peeing right after sex, to help flush out bacteria
• poor fitting pants (such as extreme skinny jeans)
• non-cotton underwear (sorry, ladies, non-cotton doesn't let that area breathe well and it's also best if you go without underwear when possible for that exact purpose)
• maintaining a proper diet to ease the body's work of filtering harsh foods such as soda

Herbs useful in treating bladder and kidney infections would be:

• cranberry Oxycoccus
• horestail Equisetum
• uva ursi Arctostaphylos
• marshmallow Althaea
• goldenrod Solidago

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I hope this post is useful to any of you out there, and if you have any questions feel free to contact me!
​Until next time, good health to you and yours.
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Hooton TM, Stamm WE. Diagnosis and treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infection. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 1997;11:551–81.

​Thibodeau, G. A., & Patton, K. T. (2004). Structure & function of the body. St. Louis, MO: Mosby.