The Kidneys
What are Kidney Stones and Why do I need
to do a Kidney Cleanse?
What are the Herbs and the Directions of
the Kidney Cleanse?
Why The Need For A Kidney Cleanse?

The kidneys make a tremendous effort in trying to keep the body clear of toxic substances such as
lead, cadmium, mercury and other impassable pollutants. They also maintain fluid and electrolyte
balance and regulate the pressure from the heart that forces the blood through their filtering system.
Kidney stones greatly impair this ability, which consequently increases the amounts of heavy metals
and raises the body’s general level of toxicity. This can lead to infection, high blood pressure, heart
disease, brain disorders, cancer and many other diseases.

The following signs indicate the presence of crystals and stones in the kidneys or bladder: A dark or
whitish color under the eyes; puffy or swollen eyes, particularly in the morning; deep wrinkles under
and around the eyes; tiny whitish, tan-colored or dark lumps under the eyes, which can be felt or made
visible when stretching the skin outwards towards the cheekbones; overlapping of the skin of the
upper eyelid; chronic pain in the lower back; swelling of feet and legs; constant fear or anxiety.
There are a number of herbs that can effectively dissolve kidney stones within a period of 20-30 days
(see the updated kidney cleanse protocol in the book The Amazing Liver & Gallbladder Flush (www.
ener-chi.com); you can purchase the herbs from The Present Moment Herbs and Books in
Minneapolis, tel. 800-378-3245 (ask for the "Moritz Kidney Tea") or other herb stores. Whether
someone has been diagnosed as having kidney stones or not, doing a kidney cleanse once or twice a
year produces tremendous curative and preventive benefits. The kidney cleanse not only improves
physical health but also reduces stress, fear and anxieties.

Dehydration:

The human body is composed of 75 percent water and 25 percent solid matter. To provide
nourishment, eliminate waste and regulate all the functions in the body, we need water. Most modern
societies, however, no longer stress the importance of drinking water as the most important
“nutrient” among all nutrients. Entire population groups are substituting water with tea, coffee,
alcohol and other manufactured beverages. Many people don’t realize that the natural thirst signal of
the body is a sign that it requires pure, plain drinking water. Instead, they opt for other beverages in
the belief that this would satisfy the body’s water requirements. This is a false belief.

It is true that beverages such as tea, coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks and juices contain water but they
also contain caffeine, alcohol, sugar, artificial sweeteners or other chemicals that act as strong
dehydrators. The more you drink these beverages, the more dehydrated you become because the
effects they create in the body are exactly opposite to the ones that are produced by water. Caffeine
containing beverages, for example, trigger stress responses that have strong diuretic effects
(causing increased urination, at first). Beverages with added sugar drastically raise blood sugar
levels, which uses up large quantities of cellular water, too. Regular consumption of such beverages
results in chronic dehydration, which is a common factor in every toxicity crisis.

There is no practical or rational reason to treat an illness (toxicity crisis) with synthetic drugs or even
with natural medications and methods unless the body’s need for hydration has been met first. Drugs
and other forms of medical intervention can be dangerous for the human physiology largely because
of their dehydrating effects. Most patients today are suffering from “thirst disease,” a progressive
state of dehydration in certain areas of the body. Unable to remove toxins from these parts due to
insufficient water supply, the body is faced with the consequences of their destructive effects. The
lack of recognition of the most basic aspects of water metabolism in our body can be held responsible
for seeing a disease when it really is the body’s urgent cry for water.

Recognizing Dehydration

Those who have lived for many years without proper water intake are the most likely to succumb to the
build-up of toxins in the body. Chronic disease is always accompanied by dehydration and, in many
cases, caused by dehydration. The longer a person lives on a low water ration and/or on a high ration
of stimulating beverages or foods, the more severe and long lasting is the toxicity crisis. Heart
disease, obesity, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, stomach ulcers, hypertension, cancer, MS, Alzheimer’
s, and many other chronic forms of disease are precipitated by years of “body drought.” Infectious
agents such as bacteria and viruses cannot thrive in a well-hydrated body. Drinking enough water is
therefore one of the most important preventives for any disease.

People who do not drink enough water or unduly deplete their body’s water reserves through
overstimulation for a period of time gradually lower the ratio of the volume of water that exists inside
the cells to the ratio of volume of water that is found outside the cells. Under dehydrated conditions,
the cells may lose up to 28% or more of their water volume. This certainly undermines all cellular
activities, whether they occur in skin cells, stomach cells, liver cells, kidney cells or heart cells.
Whenever there is cellular dehydration, metabolic waste products are retained, causing symptoms
that resemble disease but in truth are nothing but signs of disturbed water metabolism. Since more
and more water begins to accumulate outside the cells, the dehydration may not be apparent to the
afflicted person; he may in fact notice that he retains water, leading to swelling of his legs, feet, arms
and face. Also his kidneys may begin to hold on to water, markedly reducing urinary secretion and
causing retention of harmful waste material. Even the enzymes and proteins living in the dehydrated
cells become so inefficient that they are no longer able to recognize the dehydrated state of the body;
they fail to set off the “thirst alarm.”

A dehydrated person may also suffer from lack of energy. Due to the shortage of water inside the cell
the normal osmotic flow of water through the cell membrane becomes disrupted or severely
disturbed. Like in a stream, the movement of water into the cells generates “hydroelectric” energy,
which is subsequently stored in form of ATP molecules (the main source of cellular energy). Normally,
the water we drink keeps the cell volume balanced and the salt we eat maintains the balanced volume
of water that is held outside the cells and in circulation; this generates the right osmotic pressure
necessary for cellular nourishment and energy production. During dehydration, this basic process is
undermined.

The Pain Connection

Another major indicator of dehydration in the body is pain. In response to increasing water shortage,
the brain activates and stores the important neurotransmitter histamine, which directs certain
subordinate water regulators to redistribute the amount of water that is in circulation. This system
helps move water to areas where it is needed for basic metabolic activity and survival (from drought).
When histamine and its subordinate regulators for water intake and distribution come across pain-
sensing nerves in the body, they cause strong and continual pain. These pain signals, as they
manifest, for example, in rheumatoid arthritis, angina, dyspepsia, low back problems, neuralgia,
migraine, and hangover headaches, etc., are necessary to alert the person to attend to the problem of
general or local dehydration.

Taking analgesics or other pain relieving medications such as antihistamines or antacids can cause
irreversible damage in the body. They not only fail to address the real problem (which may be
dehydration) but they also cut the connection between the neurotransmitter histamine and its
subordinate regulators such as vasopressin, Renin-Angiotensin (RA), prostaglandin (PG), and kinins.
Although the action of the pain killing drugs can relieve local pain for a while, they nevertheless stop
the body from knowing the priority areas for water distribution, adding confusion to all its functions.
Antihistamines -- also known as allergy drugs – effectively prevent the body's histamines from
ensuring balanced water distribution.

In addition to jeopardizing the water regulating mechanisms, after reaching a certain pain threshold,
painkillers become ineffective because the brain takes over as a direct center for monitoring pain
perpetuation (unless of course the body is hydrated again). If the body produces pain out of its own
accord (not caused through an injury), this should first be interpreted as a cry for water. The use of
painkillers, which suppress this cardinal signal of chronic and local dehydration in the body and which
“short circuit” its emergency routes, sabotages waste elimination and sows the seeds of chronic
illness.

There is enough documentation to show that these drugs can have fatal side effects. They can cause
gastrointestinal bleeding, killing thousands each year. Yet the body’s natural pain signals are perfectly
normal responses to an abnormal situation, which may be simple dehydration. In the case that a pain is
simply unbearable, the use of painkillers, however, may be unavoidable. At the same time, the pain-
afflicted person should drink plenty of fresh water and discontinue all energy-depleting factors, as
these tend to have a strongly dehydrating effect.

“Body Drought” - the Strongest Form of Stress

Our brain, working round the clock, requires more water than any other part of the body. Under normal
conditions, it contains about twenty percent of all the blood that circulates through the body. It is
estimated that brain cells consist of 85 percent water. Their energy requirements are not only met by
metabolizing glucose (simple sugar), but also by generating “hydroelectric” energy from the water
drive through cell osmosis. The brain depends greatly on this self-generated source of energy to
maintain its complex processes and efficiency.

Water deficiency in the brain tissue cut downs its energy supply and thereby depresses many of its
vital functions – hence the word depression. With a low level of brain energy, we are unable to meet
our personal and social challenges and subsequently succumb to fear, anxiety, anger and other
emotional problems. We may feel drained, lethargic, stressed and depressed. The chronic fatigue
syndrome, which is commonly known as M.E., is mainly a symptom of progressive brain dehydration
and subsequent retention of metabolic toxins in the brain. The syndrome may disappear on its own
when the afflicted person stops stimulating the brain with caffeine, tobacco, drugs, animal products,
etc., and begins a consequent program of re-hydrating the body.

The Stress Response

When dehydrated, the body has to put up the fight of a lifetime -- similar to the one experienced in a
“fight or flight” situation. The body meets a crisis situation by mobilizing several powerful hormones,
including adrenalin, endorphins, cortisone, prolactin, vasopressin, and Renin-Angiotensin (RA).

Endorphins, for example, help us to withstand pain and stress and allow the body to continue most of
its functions. Cortisone orders the mobilisation of stored energies and essential raw materials to
supply the body with energy and basic nutrients during the crisis. In other words, this hormone allows
the body to literally feed off itself. This in itself is a very stressful and damaging situation for the body
and is expressed by such emotions as, “I can’t cope anymore” or, “I feel this is eating at me.” Many
patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, MS or other degenerative diseases take cortisone drugs, which
often give them a boost of energy and morale for a relatively short period of time.

The “success” of the drug, however, only lasts as long as there are still reserves left in the body that
can be mobilized for energy and nutrient distribution. Once the body has used up its emergency
reserves the organism can barely function anymore and the symptoms of disease become worse than
ever.

Constriction of blood vessels

When the cells in the body are under-supplied with water, the brain’s pituitary gland produces the
neurotransmitter vasopressin, a hormone that has the property of constricting blood vessels in areas
where there is cellular dehydration. During dehydration, the quantity of water in the bloodstream is
reduced. Vasopressin, as its name suggests, squeezes the vascular system, i.e., the capillaries and
arteries, to reduce their fluid volume. This maneuver is necessary to continue having enough
pressure to allow for a steady filtration of water into the cells. This gives vasopressin a hypertensive
property. High blood pressure is a common experience among people who are dehydrated (for more
information on hypertension and heart disease, see chapter 8). A similar situation occurs in the liver’s
bile ducts, which begin to constrict in response to restricted availability of water. Gallstone formation
is a direct result of dehydration.

A person who drinks alcohol suppresses the secretion of vasopressin and thereby increases cellular
dehydration (if alcohol consumption is excessive, cellular dehydration may reach dangerously high
levels). To survive the body “drought,” the body has to secrete ever more stress hormones, among
them the addictive endorphins. With regular consumption of alcohol, meaning every day for several
years, dehydration increases even further and endorphin production becomes an addictive habit. This
may lead to alcoholism, a disease that has devastating consequences on a person’s personal and
social life.

Water Retention and Kidney Damage

The Renin-Angiotensin (RA) system is activated when there is a water shortage in the body. This
system is used to direct the body to hold on to water wherever possible. It instructs the kidneys to
inhibit urination and tightens the capillaries and the vascular system, particularly in areas that are not
as vital as the brain and the heart muscles. At the same time, it stimulates an increase in the
absorption of sodium (salt), which helps the body to retain water. Unless the body returns to its normal
level of hydration, the RA system remains activated. But this also means that the pressure of the blood
against the walls of the blood vessels remains abnormally high, causing the damage that is known as
cardiovascular disease.

Hypertension and the retention of urine in the kidneys lead to kidney damage. Conventional
treatments for this condition consist mostly of diuretic (urine forming) drugs and restricted salt
consumption. Both may have severe drawbacks. Diuretic drugs, which are used to normalize the blood
pressure, as well as reduced salt intake strongly undermine the body’s emergency efforts to save the
little water it has left for cell functions. The resulting stress response causes a further increase in
dehydration and the vicious cycle is complete. There are so many kidney replacements made today
that result from chronic dehydration, caused by something as simple as not drinking enough water or
overstimulation of the nervous system.

The Caffeine and Alcohol Drama

The caffeine contained in such beverages as tea, coffee, cacao or colas not only stimulates the central
nervous system and immune system but also acts as a strong diuretic. For every cup of coffee or tea
you drink you relinquish approximately three cups of water, which the body cannot afford to give up
without suffering damage. The caffeine containing cola beverages work in a similar way. Caffeine,
being a nerve toxin, stimulates the body’s stress hormones and triggers a strong immune response
that may give a person the (false) impression that his level of energy and vitality has suddenly
increased. To remove the nerve toxin caffeine, the body has to come up with extra water, which it
takes from its cells. Hence there is an occurrence of cellular dehydration.

Caffeine, which is a major component in most soft drinks, removes water from the body faster than the
body can absorb it again, thereby generating constant thirst. People, who frequently take soft drinks,
can never really quench their thirst because their bodies continually and increasingly run out of
cellular water. There are college students who drink as many as 10-14 cans of cola a day. Eventually,
they confuse their bodies’ never-ending thirst signal with hunger and they begin to overeat, causing
swelling and excessive weight gain. Apart from its diuretic action and its addictive effects on the
brain, regular caffeine intake overstimulates the heart muscles, causing exhaustion and heart disease.

Alcohol has a similar diuretic effect as caffeine containing beverages. For every glass of beer, for
example, the body is forced to sacrifice about three glasses of water. A hangover results when due to
alcohol abuse the brain suffers severe dehydration. If this occurs repeatedly, a large number of brain
cells become damaged and die. Many important brain functions slow down or become depressed.
Recovery is possible to a certain extent if alcohol consumption is discontinued.

Kidney Stones

The main functions of the kidneys are to keep the blood pure and healthy and maintain proper fluid
balance in the body. To accomplish this difficult feat, the kidneys constantly monitor normal blood
volume and filter from the blood the right quantity of urine to keep it balanced. There are many
influences that can disrupt this mechanism and cause congestion in the kidneys. They include
overstimulation, dehydration, fatigue, overeating, gallstones, blood pressure disturbance, medical or
narcotic drugs, vitamins, digestive disorders, etc. When the kidneys are incapable of sufficiently
separating the urine from the blood, part of the urine continues to circulate throughout the body,
depositing urinary waste products in the blood vessels, joints, tissues, and organs. Skin diseases,
strong body odor, sweating of palms and feet, water retention, intestinal swelling, high blood
pressure, etc. are all signs of toxic blood caused by crystals and stones in the kidneys.

Stones in the kidneys begin as tiny crystals and can eventually become as large as an egg. The tiny
crystals are too small to be detected by X-rays and since they do not cause pain, they are rarely
noticed yet they are big enough to block the flow of liquid through the tiny kidney tubules. Crystals or
stones are formed in the kidneys when urinary constituents, which normally in solution, are
precipitated. Precipitation occurs when these particles occur in excessive amounts or when urine
becomes too concentrated. The crystal particles or stones are usually full of sharp angles, which may
cut and wear away the inner surface of the urinary canal (ureter) during their passage from the
kidneys to the bladder. This causes severe pain in the loins or lower back. There may even be blood in
the urine, pain running down the legs, numbness in the thighs and a difficulty in passing urine.

Most crystals or stones originate in the kidneys, although some may also be formed in the bladder. If a
large stone enters a ureter, urine flow becomes obstructed. This can lead to serious complications,
such as kidney infection or kidney failure.
THE KIDNEY CLEANSE
If the presence  of gallstones  in the liver, or
any other situation, has led to the
development of sand, grease, or stones in
the kidneys or urinary bladder, you may also
need to cleanse the kidneys. The kidneys are
extremely delicate, blood filtering organs
that  congest easily because of dehydration,
poor diet, weak digestion, stress, and an
irregular lifestyle. The main causes of
congestion in the kidneys are kidneys
stones. Most kidney grease/crystals/stones,
however, are too small to be detected
through modern diagnostic  technology,
including ultrasounds or X-rays. The are
often called "silent" stones and do not seem
to bother people much. When they grow
larger, though, they can cause considerable
distress and damage to the kidneys and the
rest of the body.  To prevent kidney
problems and kidney - related diseases, it is
best to elliminate kidney stones before they
can cause a crisis. You can easily detect the
presence of sand or stones in the kidneys by
pulling the skin under you eyes sideways
toward the cheekbones.  Any irregular
bumps, protrusions, red or white pimples, or
discoloration of the skin indicates the
presence of kidney sand or kidney stones.
The following herbs, when taken daily for a
period of twenty to thirty days, can help disolve
and eliminate all types of kidney stones,
including uric acid, oxalic acid, phosphate, and
amino acid stones. If you have a history of
kidney stones, you may need to repeat this
cleanse a few times, at intervals of six weeks.

Ingredients:

Marjoram (1oz)
Cats claw (1oz)
Comfrey root (1oz)
Fennel seed (2oz)
Chicory herb (2oz)
Uva ursi (2oz)
Hydrangea root (2oz)
Gravel root (2oz)
Marshmallow root (2oz)
Golden rod herb (2oz)

Directions:
Take 1 ounce each of the first herbs and 2 ounces each of
the rest of the herbs, and thoroughly mix them together.
Keep them in an airtight container. You may put them in the
refrigerator. Before bedtime soak 3 tablespoons of the
mixture in 2 cups of water, cover it, and leave it covered
over night.
The following morning , bring the concoction to a boil: then
strain it. If you forget to soak the herbs  in the evening, boil
the mixture in the morning and let simmer for 5 to 10
minutes before straining.
Drink a few sips at a time in 6 to 8 portions throughout the day. This tea does not need to be taken warm
or hot, but do not refrigerate it. Also, do not add sugars or sweetener.!! Leave at least one hour after
eating before taking you next sips.
Repeat this procedure for twenty days. If you experience discomfort or stiffness in the area of the lower
back, this is because mineral crystals from the kidney stones are passing through the ureter ducts of
the urinary system. Any strong smell or darkening of the urine at the beginning of or during the kidney
cleanse indicates a major release of toxins from the kidneys. Normally, though, the release is gradual
and does not significantly change the color or texture of the urine. IMPORTANT: Support the kidneys
during the cleanse by drinking extra amounts of water, a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 8 glasses per
day, unless the color of the urine is dark yellow (in which case you will need to drink more than that
amount.)

During the cleanse, try avoid consuming animal products, including meat, dairy products, including
meat, dairy foods (except butter), fish, eggs, tea, coffee, alcohol , carbonated beverages, chocolate, and
any other foods or drinks that contain preservatives, artificial sweeteners, coloring agents, and the like.

If you are doing liver cleanse,  make certain that you do a kidney cleanse after every 3 or 4 liver
cleanses.
In addition, those suffering from large kidney stones may benefit from drinking the juice of one or two
lemons (diluted with water) per day for about 10 to 14 days. After that, drink the juice of half a lemon per
day indefinately.
Directions for Kidney Cleanse Continued: