Mathea Ford's Blog, page 100
November 20, 2012
Can I Eat Cranberries On A Renal Diet?
CDC cranberry1 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Canned vs. Fresh Cranberries In A Renal Diet
A renal diet is usually restricted from several different nutrients, specifically protein, sodium and potassium. It depends which stage of kidney disease you have, but when you are thinking of how to manage a renal diet, cranberries can be considered a low potassium food. Just as you might suspect, it’s important to balance the foods that you eat all around and not just focus on single foods for your diet.
You have several choices in cranberries, and they vary in nutritional value. But the good thing to know is that they all are good for a renal diet.
Nutritional Information For Cranberries
Plain raw cranberries are the best, but you might think they are a little tart. Add some splenda or sugar, depending on your condition, and sweeten them up a little.
1 cup whole cranberries, raw – 44 calories, 0.4 grams of Protein, 11.6 grams of Carbohydrate, 2 mg Sodium, 81 mg Potassium
1/3 cup dried, sweetened cranberries – 102 calories, 0 grams Protein, 27.2 grams of Carbohydrate, 1 mg Sodium, 13 mg Potassium
1/2 in thick slice cranberry sauce, jellied, canned – 86 calories, 0.1 grams Protein, 22.2 grams of Carbohydrate, 17 mg Sodium, 15 mg Potassium
Other Options For A Renal Diet
You really can eat lots of cranberries, especially the fresh ones, on a renal diet. Around the holidays, you can even find them in the produce section of the grocery store. They may seem a little tart, so if you want to add some sugar or sugar substitute to them, feel free! But what if you don’t like cranberries? You can eat other low potassium fruits that are “berries” – blueberries, blackberries and strawberries. You can grab those in the same section of the grocery store and with a little rinse off – you are ready to pop them in your mouth and munch down.
But, if you don’t like berries, and you need something fruity for your renal diet, pick out some of the fresh apples in the fruit / produce section. Knowing that year round there are plenty of varieties of apples, from green to red and tart to sweet, anything for your tastebuds! Eat them fresh, they are low potassium fruits and can satisfy a sweet tooth.
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters -
Suggested Reading:
What Foods Should I Avoid On A Renal Diet? Let’s Talk About High Potassium Foods
The Kidney Disease Diet Can Be Complicated
Renal Diet Recipes Need To Meet Your Restrictions
November 19, 2012
Recipe – Chili Con Carne
Chili is such a wonderful food to fill you up. Add a few unsalted crackers to this and you have a great meal. You can make this and freeze it for use later – put one cup in a baggie and freeze lying flat, then when you are ready to eat it, pull it out and put it into a microwave safe bowl and cook. It’s great for renal diets because there are no beans, so you have a lower phosphorus level. Let me know what you think!
Recipe – Chili Con Carne
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
2 hours
Total time
2 hours 15 mins
This chili will keep you warm and works for pre-dialysis and ESRD patients both! I found it at davita.com
Author: Mathea
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: American
Serves: 8
Ingredients
1.5 pounds lean ground beef
16 ounce can low sodium stewed tomatoes, blenderized
1 tablespoon oil
1-2 tablespoons chili powder (to taste)
½ cup onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
½ cup green bell pepper, chopped
1.5 cups water
Instructions
Heat large skillet on medium heat. Add oil, onion, celery, and pepper until tender but not brown.
Add ground beef, breaking into small pieces and cook until brown.
Add blenderized tomatoes, chili powder, and water. Mix thoroughly; reduce heat to low.
Simmer for several hours.
Serving Size = 1 cup
Potassium = 450 mg
Phosphorus = 180 mg
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 cup Calories: 190 Fat: 10 Carbohydrates: 5 Sodium: 116 Fiber: 1.25 Protein: 20
3.1.09
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters -
Suggested Reading:
How To Leach Potassium out of Vegetables
Caring For A Loved On With Renal Disease Is Easier With A Meal Plan
How Does A Kidney Diet Help With Pre-Dialysis Renal Disease?
November 16, 2012
Don’t Give Up On Your Kidney Disease
Have you ever tried really hard to learn something, then thought you might fail, then tried some more, and finally you realize you have been doing it for a while without even thinking?
Let me give you an example.
Remember when you learned to walk? Well, probably not, but think about when your children learned to walk. Did you get impatient with them for not trying hard enough? Could you see it in their eyes that they wanted to walk so bad that even falling down 100+ times would not stop them? I bet you could. And they didn’t stop – no matter how long it took them. Did you ever think, well, it’s ok if they never learn
to walk? I didn’t think so. [if your child has a disability that prevented them from walking, do you do whatever it takes to make it so that they can meet their potential, no matter what?]
Yet, so many times we say that very thing to ourselves, about things that are very important to us. Like our health. Of course, you know what I am talking about – and you might be thinking – it’s different. Sure it’s different, because…
Whatever excuse you can think of, I am waiting to hear. It’s different because I’m older, it’s not as important, it’s hard…
Really? [As my daughter would say, really, mom, really?]
What is different because you are older? I thought we were supposed to be wiser when we grew up? So we should have the wherewithall to make the changes that we need to make. Today should be the beginning of your new life, right, and people can see it in your eyes how hard you are working on controlling your kidney disease and not letting it control you. But it’s not because it’s different. Let me guess, you don’t think that you deserve it? You are not that important? Look into the eyes of your significant other or your children or your parents and tell them you are not important enough to be healthy. I think they will tell you a different story!
I want you to take this opportunity to see how each day you wake up with a new opportunity to move forward to make a small step for a big step towards having a healthier diet or controlling your kidney disease a little better or making someone else’s life a little better. I know that there are many times that you are frustrated but remember just like a child it’s not going to come easy the first time you do it or the second time you do it or even the 50th time sometimes that you do it. But each time you get a little better at it.
You should see how much you value your life has to those around you, whether it’s the people you work with or your family every day, and take the steps you need to take the time and understand the kidney disease that’s going on in your body. Reducing the stress that you have can go a long way towards reducing your blood pressure which helps with any kidney problems. Managing your blood sugar by checking it as often as you need to so that you learn and understand what your values are. You can associate the foods that you ate with the blood sugar that results so you know how your body reacts to different types of food.
I’m saying all of this because so many times people feel like if they failed once or if they don’t do well with their kidney diet that it’s somehow something that they should have a choice to not do it anymore. And I agree is an adult we all have a choice whether we learn to do things differently and change our lives. But I want to remind you for a moment that change is never easy and things that are worthwhile don’t necessarily come easily. But you can find stories of lots of people who have made it through kidney disease, through getting a fistula, through dialysis and just worked out a little bit more every day. What I’m asking you to do today is to not give up on you.
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters -
Suggested Reading:
A Chronic Renal Failure Meal Plan Is Important in Pre-Dialysis Kidney Disease
Living With Chronic Kidney Disease-Predialysis AKA My First Book!
The Kidney Disease Diet Can Be Complicated
November 15, 2012
Research Around The Web – eGFR Information
12th March: Kidneys (Photo credit: scribbletaylor)
During Kidney Week 2012, lots of information was disseminated. One article that I found of use was related to understanding how hematocrit is affected by declines in kidney function.
See below:
SAN DIEGO—Hematocrit decreases as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) declines in hypertensive chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, according to findings from a longitudinal study presented at Kidney Week 2012.
Teresa K. Chen, MD, MHS, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and colleagues analyzed 12 years of follow-up data from the African-American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK). They identified 1,094 African-American patients with hypertensive CKD. Covariates included gender, age at randomization, baseline and longitudinal eGFR, baseline proteinuria, and randomized drug group….More at Hematocrit Decreases as eGFR Declines
Overall, it’s important to realize that as you develop into further stages of kidney disease – defined by your eGFR reading, you have a higher risk of developing anemia. Anemia is a problem because when you are anemic, you don’t have a lot of energy. You don’t feel like doing much. And you need to do things – like make dinner and do a little exercise – to keep up your strength. So, in this case, you need to ensure that you do what you need to make sure your iron levels are maintained or decrease as little as possible.
Ask your doctor to check your iron levels and hemoglobin levels. Take vitamins or iron if approved by your doctor. Your doctor may even prescribe epogen, but that has side effects as well, so don’t think it’s the solution. I want to encourage you to do what you need to do to make sure you are as healthy as possible when you are heading toward dialysis, because the better your albumin and hematocrit levels are when you enter dialysis – the better outcomes you will have.
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November 14, 2012
Awareness and Prevention Of Kidney Disease
Today, I recorded a 5 minute video talking prevention of kidney disease and how you can make some simple changes to your lifestyle and prevent kidney failure from advancing. If you listen and take some steps to improve your health using the simple things I speak about here, you will be able to delay the onset of kidney failure, and perhaps even prevent it.
Now, the things I spoke about are simple, but they are not easy! I know it’s hard to manage your diabetes and blood pressure, but I also make it easier by providing you with information and guidelines on how to create meal plans. Meal plans are the key to being successful. Check out our renal diet plans on our website today and make tomorrow easier!
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters -
Suggested Reading:
Living With Chronic Kidney Disease-Predialysis AKA My First Book!
The Kidney Disease Diet Can Be Complicated
A Chronic Renal Failure Meal Plan Is Important in Pre-Dialysis Kidney Disease
November 13, 2012
Ways To Know If You Need A Renal Diet Plan
Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
The decision to embark on a specialized diet plan such as a renal diet plan can be a difficult one.
You may have been told by your family practice doctor that your kidneys are starting to fail. Or maybe you’re at the point of seeing a nephrologist and you understand that you have to do something now to slow the progression of your kidney disease.
It is important to understand at this point what level of diet for kidney failure you might need. Did your Dr. say you are in stage 1 or stage 2 kidney disease? Or did he/she tell you that you need to start thinking about dialysis? Maybe you were just so shocked when they said something about your kidneys that you forgot to ask. [If that's the case, then you should probably call them back and talk to the nurse about what stage of kidney disease you may be in.] A renal diet plan can be very restrictive so it’s important to know how much action you really need to take when you’re creating your diet for kidney failure.
1. If you are in stage 3 or 4 kidney disease, you need a diet for kidney failure. By the time your Dr. actually tells you that you are in kidney failure, you are probably in stage 3 or 4. Your doctor may have mentioned something called a GFR, and that will tell you which stage of kidney disease you are in. It’s fairly common for doctors to not impose restrictions on patients prior to stage 3 or 4.
2. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, and you’ve had it for more than 10 years, chances are your kidneys may be damaged. It’s just part of the disease process and unless you maintain very good control over your blood pressure or your diabetes you likely have caused small amounts of damage over time that can start showing up as kidney failure. You should start looking at better controlling your diabetes or high blood pressure, and that will help delay the onset of any kidney disease.
3. If you’ve done a 24-hour urine collection and the test showed a significant amount of protein over that period of time, your kidney failure is likely to progress more rapidly than someone who doesn’t have as much protein loss. That may seem like a bad thing but it should be a wake-up call to you to start taking action right now to do the things you need to do to be on a diet for kidney failure.
It’s important to realize that about 10% of the people in the world have some amount of kidney disease. Your kidneys just naturally start to fail as you get older, and many more people have high blood pressure and diabetes today than ever before. Those are risk factors associated with developing kidney disease – diabetes, high blood pressure and age. If you have high blood pressure you should be doing everything you can to control it.
What I would like to do is help you avoid getting to the most restrictive of the kidney diets. A pre-dialysis diet limits a lot of food that you can eat. After you’ve been diagnosed with kidney disease, you will find that you are even more restricted from sodium and other minerals like potassium and phosphorus.
So when you are looking at ways to know if you need to renal diet plan, aside from the most obvious one of your Dr. telling you that you need a diet for kidney failure, you should realize that if you have some of the risk factors associated with kidney disease you need to control those to delay the beginnings of kidney failure.
If you need help with a diabetic diet plan, you can learn about those on our other website, www.healthydietmenusforyou.com – you also have access to cardiac diet meal plans as well.
If you’re on this website because you realize you need to do something about your kidney disease, learn more about our meal plans on this page. And sign up for our e-mail list to get three free meals specifically designed for the diet that you are on.
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters -
Suggested Reading:
Renal Diet Menu – Ways To Make Your Meals Better
September 29, 2012
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September 3, 2012
Monitoring Your Blood Pressure On A Renal Diet
If you need to monitor your blood pressure at home because your doctor wants a more clear record of your highs and lows, you should know a few things about how to accurately measure with a home device. When you measure at home, it can be different than what the nurse does at your doctor’s office. And that can lead to confusion if you don’t know what to do.
You probably have purchased a home monitor for your blood pressure. Something like the Omron BP785 10 Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor, Black/white
available on Amazon. You want a machine with an upper arm cuff and one that is easy to put on.
When you prepare to measure your blood pressure, make sure you are in a quiet place and not talking. Believe it or not, that increases your blood pressure. So don’t talk to anyone while you are measuring your blood pressure. Remove tight clothing from your upper arm so as to not further constrict the area. And don’t drink, eat, exercise or smoke within 30 minutes before you take the measurement. All of those affect your blood pressure.
Sit in a chair, don’t stand. Sit upright and let your arm rest comfortably on the table with your feet on the floor. You want to have the cuff at the same level as your heart and your palm facing up. This allows the measurement to be the most accurate.
Before you press the start button, take a few breaths and relax. Then, once you press the button, continue to be calm and quiet. Once the machine is done, you can look at the measurement.
Looking at the monitor, you will usually see 3 lines of information. SYS means systolic blood pressure, and that should be below 130 mmHg. That is the pressure when your heart is contracting and pushing blood through the arteries. It is the pressure about 1/3 of the time. DIA means diastolic blood pressure and it should be below 90 mmHg. When your heart is relaxed and between beats, this is the pressure that is placed on your arteries. That is the pressure about 2/3 of the time. The final number is usually Pulse – that is the number of beats per minute in your body. While there are no cut and dried rules about how high or low this number is, it is usually better if it is lower. Talk to your doctor about what your number should be.
Finally, if you need to take another measurement close together, wait 3 minutes between measurements. The wait time allows your blood vessels to recover and return to their original condition. Then follow the previous steps to ensure you are doing it properly.
Your blood pressure measurements should be recorded on a piece of paper and taken to your doctor’s appointment. Make sure you record not only the numbers but the time of day and if you recognize any specific issues – you are not feeling well or didn’t sleep well.
You may need to follow a low sodium diet after learning that you have high blood pressure in conjunction with a pre-dialysis kidney disease. Remain calm and try to minimize your changes to your diet. If you are following one of our meal plans – such as a pre-dialysis meal plan – you are already on the right track because you have a low sodium diet already planned.
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