6 New Year Resolutions for Kidney Health in 2025

Ready to make 2025 your healthiest year yet? Kick off the year by setting goals that support your kidneys and help you feel your best. Here are six simple changes that can make a big difference. 

Some conditions, like high blood pressure and kidney disease, don't have obvious symptoms. When symptoms appear, it's often too late to reverse the damage.

"You can't know what's going on in your body unless you get annual checkups and bloodwork done," said George, a transplant recipient. "My kidney failed because of glomerulonephritis–a disease you don't usually find in time to maintain kidney function unless you get checkups."

Simple urine and blood tests are the best way to catch these issues early and stay healthy.

Here are some key tests:

• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP): This simple blood test looks at the body's chemical balance and how it uses energy. It checks the kidneys and measures blood sugar levels, electrolytes, protein, calcium, A1C levels for diabetes, and more.
• uACR: This measures albumin, a protein that should stay in the blood, and creatinine, a waste product normally excreted in the urine. Albumin in urine (albuminuria) can signal kidney damage, even if eGFR levels appear normal.
• Blood Pressure Test: A blood pressure cuff measures how hard blood pushes against artery walls. High blood pressure can damage blood vessels, raising the risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease.
• eGFR: This calculation uses blood creatinine levels, a waste product, and protein in the urine to check how well the kidneys work.

Jot these numbers down in a journal or app to track health over time. Write down odd health symptoms, hydration, daily blood pressure, and other health goals or information you want to watch. Keep an eye out for trends in your health and discuss them with your healthcare provider.

Are you at risk of kidney disease? Take this one-minute quiz to find out. 

Eating a healthy diet full of plant-based foods is a powerful way to protect health.

"Prescription diets, like plant-based ones, help manage medical conditions. For example, someone with later-stage kidney disease may need a lower potassium diet. Someone on dialysis may need a high protein diet, "kidney dietitian Amanda Hayes said. "Prescribed diets are not quick fixes. They are life."

Types of Plant-Based Diets:

• The Mediterranean Diet is based on cereals, grains, vegetables, beans, fruits, and nuts. It includes moderate amounts of fish, cheese, olive oil, and yogurt, with very little red meat.
• The DASH Diet is often recommended for people with high blood pressure. This diet includes many fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, whole grains, poultry, and nuts. It limits foods with salt, sugar, red meat, unhealthy fats, cholesterol, and trans fats.
• The MIND Diet is a blend of the Mediterranean and DASH diets. It's designed for brain health, featuring green leafy vegetables, berries, nuts, olive oil, whole grains, fish, beans, and poultry.

"Start by buying frozen fruits and vegetables. Incorporate shelf-stable, nutrient-rich items like beans and rice into your diet," said Maya Feller, a registered dietitian. "What is recognizable and accessible to you? This could be anything from jicama to plantains or beans. Eat the rainbow. Berries, nuts, and seeds are fantastic, but there are so many more options, like quinoa, millet, teff, and red, black, or wild rice."

Canned items can be high in sodium and sugar. Read nutrition levels before purchasing and rinse canned foods well before consuming.

Learn more about plant-based diets.

You may have heard the phrase, 'eight is great' for how much water you drink a day. While a catchy slogan, it's not a hard-set rule. Everyone's hydration needs are different. It depends on many factors, such as age, health conditions, and climate.

"Speak with a healthcare provider to determine what proper hydration looks like to you," Feller said. "Be mindful of sugar-sweetened beverages and alcohol. These are two things that can impact anyone's blood sugar and pressure."

Learn how to be water-wise.

NSAID pain relievers like ibuprofen can harm the kidneys if taken against the directions, too frequently, or at high doses.

Jeanine Ramirez, a transplant recipient, learned this lesson the hard way. Now, she shares her story to help others avoid making the same mistake.

"I took Topamax for migraines. I didn't know that this drug could cause serious kidney damage when taken with NSAID medications like naproxen sodium," Jeanine said. "I stopped taking both immediately, but it was too late to save my kidneys. My coworker donated his kidney to me and saved my life."

If your doctor prescribes medications, take them as directed. Ask about any possible health complications the medicines could cause and if you should avoid anything specific when taking them.

Use NKF's BuzzRx card to save up to 80% on all medications.

Stress can have real effects on health if not properly managed. When stressed, our bodies react physically. Muscles tense. Breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure increase.

A little stress can be motivational. Chronic stress can raise blood pressure and allow more fats and sugars into the blood. This can also lead to diabetes–a leading cause of kidney disease.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction may help. Mindfulness is the practice of focusing on the moment and accepting thoughts as they come up. It's about noticing what's happening in your mind and body without judgment.

"This practice may help lower blood pressure. It can help people manage cravings and lose weight," said Gary Petingola, a social worker. "Mindfulness may help reduce pain, fatigue, and stress in people who have chronic pain."

It can even increase self-compassion, make people more resilient to stress, and stop a wandering mind.

Find more tips to reduce stress.

Exercise is great for the entire body–including the kidneys. It helps the lungs work better and lowers the risk of heart issues. For people with diabetes, exercise may help them need less insulin, manage blood sugar better, and even live longer.

But that's not all!

"Exercise increases strength and endurance. It can help decrease anxiety and depression while improving cognitive function and sleep quality," clinical exercise physiologist Brittany Glazer said. "Exercising regularly helps keep risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and elevated blood sugar to a minimum in the short and long term."

The CDC recommends adults do 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, like walking, and two days of muscle-strengthening activities, like lifting weights.

Kidney-friendly exercises to try: 

• Walking: Gentle on joints, easy to start, and no equipment needed.
• Swimming or Water Aerobics: Low-impact but great for building strength.
• Stretching or Yoga: Improves flexibility, balance, and relaxation.
• Resistance Training with Light Weights or Household Items (like canned foods): Helps strengthen muscles.
• Stationary or Recumbent Bike: Low-impact cardio that's easy on knees and back.
• Chair Exercises: Good for those with limited mobility, including seated leg lifts and arm raises with light weights.

Learn more about exercise and kidney health.

Connect with other kidney community members and find up-to-date kidney health resources:  Explore NKF's social media communities.