Mathea Ford's Blog, page 69

Commonly Asked Questions about CKD Diet

Treatments for chronic kidney disease can vary from medications to dialysis, depending on the stage of the disease. Diet, however, is the one common factor for all kidney disease patients, no matter what stage of renal disease. Diet is the first and perhaps most important part of a healthy kidney disease lifestyle, so it makes sense that you may have questions about how diet can affect your treatment.

Why is diet so important in treating chronic kidney disease?

Diet is important because it can make all the difference in the treatment of your chronic kidney disease. First of all, it can make living with kidney disease more comfortable. Everything that you eat is eventually filtered through your kidneys. If you eat a diet that is considered kidney safe, you are giving your kidneys less work to do. Your symptoms, then, can be less severe when you are eating a diet that doesn’t create extra work for your already ailing kidneys.

Perhaps most importantly, a strict kidney safe diet can actually slow the progression of damage. Yes, you can slow or even stop the progression of chronic kidney disease by sticking to a strict kidney-friendly diet.

What are the most common dietary restrictions?

The most common dietary restriction and a very important one is sodium. Sodium can cause a laundry list of issues from high blood pressure to swelling. Salt isn’t the only food that has sodium in it, so be aware of the foods you eat that contain sodium, especially processed foods.

Other dietary restrictions may depend on what stage of kidney disease you are in. Potassium and phosphorus are other common dietary restrictions for chronic kidney disease. Potassium especially is found in so many foods, even fruits, and vegetables, and therefore can be a difficult dietary restriction to manage.

It feels like there are so many restrictions. What can I eat?

Especially in the beginning of your kidney disease journey, it can feel like even simple dietary restrictions are overbearing and just impossible to follow. Sodium and potassium especially are so abundant that you may be feeling like there are too many foods that you shouldn’t eat and not enough foods that you can eat. However, there are so many foods and delicious recipes that you can use and enjoy on a kidney safe diet.

Ask your healthcare professional for a list of foods that are safe for you to eat, ask to speak to a specialized nutritionist, or do some simple research to find kidney safe recipes. Davita.com and The National Kidney Foundation are good resources to start with. Remember to always speak with your healthcare professionals about any changes you plan to make with your diet, or if you are ever unsure about a particular food or recipe.

Are sodium free salt substitutions safe?

Many sodium free salt substitutions are high in potassium. If potassium is on your list of foods to avoid, you shouldn’t use them. There are, however, many other flavor enhancers that you can use in place of salt or salt substitutes. Experiment with herbs and spices, or try replacing the bright, tart flavor of salt with fresh lemon juice.

These are just a few commonly asked questions about chronic kidney disease diets. If you have more questions, you should always feel comfortable opening up a discussion with your healthcare professionals. The more you know about how a kidney safe diet can help you the better able you will be to live a healthier and more comfortable lifestyle with chronic kidney disease.

Want to make things easier on yourself? Let us do the meal planning for you! Learn more here.

Renal Diet Menu Headquarters - Renal Diets That You Will Love!

Suggested Reading:

Commonly Asked Questions about CKD Diet
Commonly Asked Questions about Chronic Kidney Disease
Commonly Asked Questions about Dialysis

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Published on September 18, 2017 08:00

Goat Cheese, Basil, and Bacon Chicken Breast For Kidney Disease Diet – ZYD

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https://youtu.be/KYLG2qKFjkY

This week’s recipe is a low sodium chicken breast with goat cheese, basil, and bacon that makes for an excellent meal. It will be a great way to have a delicious entree with your meal.

If you would like the actual recipe, enter your name and email below. I will send you the recipe immediately, and you will be notified whenever we have a new recipe. (Which is weekly). Feel free to opt out anytime from the recipe emails.

Renal Diet Menu Headquarters - Renal Diets That You Will Love!

Suggested Reading:

Renal Diet Recipes – Easy Chicken Noodle Soup – Low Sodium and Kidney Diet Friendly
Summer Snacking with Chronic Kidney Disease
Low Sodium Foods – How Do I Make Chicken Broth From Stock For A Renal Diet?

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Published on September 14, 2017 06:34

Homemade Vegetable Broth – ZYD

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This week’s recipe is a low sodium vegetable broth for you to make and use either as a warm comforting beverage or your addition to recipes that need a little more flavor but not more salt.

If you would like the actual recipe, enter your name and email below. I will send you the recipe immediately, and you will be notified whenever we have a new recipe. (Which is weekly). Feel free to opt out anytime from the recipe emails.

Renal Diet Menu Headquarters - Renal Diets That You Will Love!

Suggested Reading:

Food Questions to Ask Your Doctor after Being Diagnosed With Chronic Kidney Disease
Know Your Phosphorus Levels: What To Eat?
Low Sodium Foods – How Do I Make Chicken Broth From Stock For A Renal Diet?

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Published on September 07, 2017 05:00

Tips for Navigating Fluid Restrictions

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navigating fluid restrictions

Living with chronic kidney disease can come with many challenges. For some, these challenges include navigating fluid restrictions. Not every kidney disease patient has to restrict their fluid intake, but many who are reaching end-stage renal disease will have to monitor and restrict the amount of fluid they put into their body.

Fluid restrictions can be one of the more difficult challenges faced with chronic kidney disease. Not only do you have to deal with yet another strict dietary restriction, but you start to realize how much fluid is in everything. You don’t just have to limit the amount of beverages you can drink per day, but you must include the amount of fluid in the foods you eat as well.

Navigating fluid restrictions can feel overwhelming and very difficult. There are some techniques you can use to make it a little easier on yourself, however. There are even little tricks that can help you combat thirst and dry mouth so that you are not so uncomfortable and overwhelmed with this important dietary restriction.

Understanding

First and foremost, it is very important that you understand why you have been put on a fluid restrictive diet. This understanding can help you to follow through with your prescribed treatments and restrictions.

Fluid restrictions are important to end-stage renal disease because your kidneys can no longer process, filter, and expel excess fluid in your body. The buildup of fluid in your system can cause shortness of breath, dangerous swelling, high blood pressure, and other potentially uncomfortable or even life-threatening complications.

Tips and Tricks

Avoid Salty Foods: Aside from the obvious dangers of sodium with chronic kidney disease, salty foods can be quite detrimental to your fluid restrictions. Avoiding salty foods can help you to not feel so thirsty.

Mint: Sucking on a little fresh mint leaf can help to freshen your mouth, helping it to relieve dry mouth discomfort.

Ice Cold: Whenever you do drink your liquids, drink them as cold as possible. Extra cold beverages are more refreshing and the coldness can help to “trick” your brain.

Frozen Treats: As a refreshing snack, you can freeze grapes, berries, or other fruits. They make a delicious and refreshing snack that can help relieve dry mouth.

Keep It Small: Fluids, whether they are liquids you drink or the foods you eat with a high liquid content, can go a long way if you keep them small. For example, drinking your allotted fluids out of a small glass can make you feel like you’re drinking more rather than disappoint you.

Blood Sugar: If you have diabetes along with kidney disease, which is common, keeping your blood sugar levels stable can help you with thirst. Unstable blood sugar can make you feel thirsty.

Mouth Rinse: If you are struggling with dry mouth, there are sprays and mouth rinses that you can try to combat this issue. You can find them in drug stores just about everywhere.

All of these tips and tricks are useful techniques for navigating the hardships of fluid restrictions on a kidney disease diet. You can use these to combat thirst and dry mouth that sometimes accompany fluid restrictions. Talk to your doctor about how much fluid is safe for you to consume and for more ideas on how to make living with fluid restrictions easier.

Need help with grocery shopping and meal planning? We’ve done the work for you! Check out our renal diet meal plans here. You’ll get 7 dinner meals per week with a variety of entrees and sides and grocery lists.

Renal Diet Menu Headquarters - Renal Diets That You Will Love!

Suggested Reading:

When Are Fluid Restrictions Necessary with Chronic Kidney Disease
How to Navigate Fluid Restrictions
Fluid Restrictions for Kidney Failure

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Published on September 04, 2017 06:00

The Progression of Symptoms with Chronic Kidney Disease

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Chronic kidney disease is a progressive illness. That means that it gets worse with time. Some illnesses, including chronic kidney disease, can be slowed or even halted in their progression by making strict changes to your diet and lifestyle. However, left untreated or without following certain guidelines, the illness can progress.

Chronic kidney disease is marked in stages. Each stage represents a value that helps quantify the progression of damage to the kidneys. Medical professionals use an equation known as the glomerular filtration rate (or GFR) to mark the progression of kidney disease. You can find this information at FDA.gov but we’ve summarized it below.

GFR

There are many factors that go into calculating the glomerular filtration rate, or GFR. This calculation is a fairly complicated equation that looks like this: GFR (ml/min/1.73m2) = 186 x (Creatinine / 88.4)-1.154 x (Age)-0.203 x (0.742 if female) x (1.210 if black). To simplify, your race, gender, age, and serum creatinine results are all used to calculate a value that represents the health and function of your kidneys.

The results of your GFR are relatively easy to read. The highest “score”, representing 100% healthy functioning kidneys, starts at 100. So then, if a GFR comes back as 50, your kidneys are only performing at half of their normal function.

Stages of Kidney Disease and Symptoms

Using the GFR, you can determine what stage of kidney disease you are in. Each of these stages is typically marked by a progression of symptoms as well.

The first stages of kidney disease often have no symptoms at all. Early stage kidney disease is most often only caught through routine examinations, which is why regular checkups are so important.

Stage 1: Normal or high GFR (GFR > 90 mL/min). Most often, people do not find out that they have kidney disease until stage 2 or later because the kidneys are still functioning well. There is damage to the kidneys, but it is almost undetectable. If the patient has high blood pressure or diabetes, doctors know to be on the lookout for kidney damage, which can be seen through imaging such as ultrasound, MRI, and CT scans.

Stage 2: Mild CKD (GFR = 60-89 mL/min). Very few to no symptoms are typically present in the second stage of kidney disease, but it is easily detectable through routine testing. If any symptoms are present, they are usually urinary issues.

Stage 3: The third stage of kidney disease is broken up into two parts. Stage 3A (GFR = 45-59 mL/min) and stage 3B (GFR = 30-44 mL/min). This is considered moderate damage, and this is where most of the symptoms of kidney disease come into play. Major urinary changes, fatigue, back pain, leg cramps, and fluid retention are all common in stage 3 kidney disease.

Stage 4: Severe CKD (GFR = 15-29 mL/min). Stage 4 is considered to be severe, with symptoms drastically changing your life. Stage 4 often sees the symptoms of stage 3 worsening, plus nausea and vomiting, nerve issues such as tingling and numbness in the extremities, problems sleeping, loss of appetite, and more.

Stage 5: End Stage CKD (GFR

The stages of chronic kidney disease are ultimately decided by the glomerular filtration rate equation, but they symptoms of CKD are also a good measure of damage to the kidneys. If you do not already know your GFR, talk to your doctor about the stages of kidney damage and what you need to do to slow the progression of kidney damage and live a more comfortable life.

Need even more information? Read Stages of Renal Disease Explained now.

Renal Diet Menu Headquarters - Renal Diets That You Will Love!

Suggested Reading:

Diet Changes by Stage of Chronic Kidney Disease
Common Symptoms of Chronic Kidney Disease and What They Mean For Meal Planning
Understanding the Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease

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Published on August 21, 2017 06:00

Commonly Prescribed Medications for Chronic Kidney Disease

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There are many ways that chronic kidney disease is treated. One of the most common prescribed treatments for chronic kidney disease are dietary restrictions, but medications are also commonly prescribed. It can be difficult to find much information on medications used to treat chronic kidney disease. This is because there technically isn’t a medication designed to treat kidney damage itself, as damage cannot actually be repaired. Instead, medications are used to control common symptoms and contributing disorders associated with chronic kidney disease.

Medications for Common Side Effects

Although it depends on the stage of kidney disease you are in, there may be side effects that can be better controlled with medications. Diuretics are commonly used for fluid retention and swelling, for example. Iron pills may be used to treat anemia, which is common for many kidney disease patients. Medications are also sometimes used to treat electrolyte imbalances. Potassium binders are also sometimes used to lower potassium levels in the blood.

Medications for High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is directly and strongly related to chronic kidney disease. High blood pressure is a common cause of kidney damage, and chronic kidney disease is sometimes a cause of high blood pressure. It is very common for high blood pressure medications to be prescribed for the treatment of chronic kidney disease.

ACE Inhibitors, Beta Blockers, Vasodilators, and many more common high blood pressure medications are quite often prescribed to chronic kidney disease patients. More often than not, more than one medication is necessary to find the right balance for individual patients. There is no one size fits all answer to high blood pressure or chronic kidney disease, after all.

Medications for Dialysis

If you reach end-stage renal disease, also known as kidney failure, you will need to completely replace the function of your kidneys with either dialysis or transplant. As transplant lists are quite long and not everyone qualifies, dialysis tends to be the far more common treatment.

There are different types of dialysis, and each of these different types is likely to be accompanied by different medications. Some common medications given during dialysis are Vitamin D, Iron replacement medications, and a medication called erythropoietin, that stimulates the production of new red blood cells and may decrease the need for blood transfusions.

Medications for Transplant

If you are able to get a kidney transplant, there are many medications that help your body heal from surgery, treat new or old symptoms, and help your body to accept the new organ. Immunosuppressant or anti-rejection drugs are very commonly prescribed to all transplant patients. Anti-rejection medications are typically taken for the rest of your life as long as you have your transplanted kidney.

There are a lot of medications that are used to treat chronic kidney disease and the complications that it may cause. Talk to your doctor about your medications if you have questions or think your medications may not be helping you. Always remember to discuss any major diet, lifestyle, or medication changes with your doctor before making changes.

And remember, diet plays an important part in all this too. Click here to get a free 7 day meal plan for your renal diet!

Renal Diet Menu Headquarters - Renal Diets That You Will Love!

Suggested Reading:

Lesser Known Facts about Chronic Kidney Disease
Diagnosis and Prognosis for Chronic Kidney Disease
Commonly Asked Questions about Chronic Kidney Disease