Let’s Talk About Pee! What You Should Know About It

Believe it or not, your urine can be a source of information about the state of your health.  Look, smell, and pH level can let us know if we’re experiencing injury, inflammation, infection and/or disease.  It can also be informative as to what we had for dinner the night before.  Contrary to what you might think, urine is not toxic to the body.  It is a by-product of blood filtration and is processed in the kidneys.  This is where excess of water, minerals, vitamins, enzymes, and other elements are collected.  Your kidneys are what help keep the body in balance by flushing out what the body does not need for absorption.  This all depends on what is going on in your body and what your body needs based on your activity, your nutrition, your hormones and many other factors.  It’s important to stay in tune with our urine and know just what it is telling us.  Having a good handle on what is normal for your body in terms of look, smell and your pH level is a great start to better understanding your body’s health.

Let’s take a look at the color of urine. Normal urine should be clear or have a light yellow coloring.  Be aware that certain medications can have an effect on the color.  Take a look at this chart published by Harvard Medical School to see a list of some medications that have an effect on the color of urine.   

If you have ever eaten asparagus you may be familiar with the unpleasant odor of urine.  Some of the foods we eat can certainly contribute to the foul smell of urine.  However, the scent of our urine can also be an indicator of something more serious going on in the body such as diabetes or dehydration. 

Always consult with your physician if you are ever concerned about the color or smell of your urine.  A simple urine test can be done to determine whether or not there is something minor or something more serious that could be going on in your body or with your health.   Sometimes you may not experience any other symptoms so getting things checked out with your physician can be really helpful for targeting any infections or illness before they cause any other problems.  

Maintaining good health by making good choices will help to keep you on top of knowing when their might be a problem before it turns serious.  Urine is part of the body’s natural detoxification system and as long as you are in good health you may notice only slight changes in your urine from time to time.  There are some ways that you can assist your body in the natural detoxification process.  

1.  Drink at least 8 glasses of filtered water daily to allow your body to flush out impurities that can build up in the system.  

2. Choose whole foods by shopping the perimeter of the grocery store.  

3.  Know your body’s pH by testing with pH strips. 

Along with color and smell, the pH level of our urine can also help us better understand what might be going on in our body.   By using pH strips you can determine the acidity level in your body.   Acidic pH levels are associated with Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.  It’s important to have a diet high in alkalizing foods to help balance your pH level.  You can use a simple chart to determine which foods are alkalizing and which are acidic.  Make sure to test at the same time each morning and shoot for a range between 6.5 and 7.5. 

On another level some people like to assist the body in detoxifying by choosing to cleanse, especially after an illness.  There are some cleansing systems designed to assist the body in removing impurities, free radicals, and toxins through the urine.  It is believed that this will allow the body to better absorb nutrients so that our organs can operate more efficiently and effectively.  When undergoing a cellular cleanse a person may experience frequent urination.  This is an example of how the cleansing products assist in purifying the blood as it is processed in the kidneys.   You can read more about healthy detoxification and what to expect in this article by Deepak Chopra. 

You should always be aware of what is going on with your urine.  Always be mindful of activity, medications you are taking, and foods that you are eating that could change your “normal” appearance of urine.  Whenever you are unsure make sure to call your doctor before any symptoms or conditions become worse. 

Sources:
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/salud/esp_salud06b.htm?hc_location=ufi
http://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/urine-color-and-odor-changes
http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/eating-alkaline-foods-how-to-test-and-improve-your-ph-levels/