Mathea Ford's Blog, page 70
August 1, 2017
Renal Diet Headquarters Podcast 052 – 4 Things For People Who Are New To Kidney Disease
4 Things For People Who Are New To Kidney Disease
Podcast #52 Released on August 1, 2017
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Renal Diet Menu Headquarters - Renal Diets That You Will Love!
Suggested Reading:
Renal Diet Headquarters Podcast 031 – Home Food Safety Myths and Facts for People with Chronic Kidney Disease
Renal Diet Headquarters Podcast 040 – 7 Things You Must Know About Kidney Disease
Renal Diet Headquarters Podcast 025 – Label Reading For People With Chronic Kidney Failure
July 24, 2017
Low Sodium Picnic and Potluck Recipes
The warm weather is here, and summer holidays are creeping up. This is the time of year that people throw outdoor parties, backyard barbecues, and poolside picnics. While these parties and picnics are certainly a lot of fun, they can be daunting for someone who is living with a metabolic illness such as chronic kidney disease.
With chronic kidney disease, your diet is of the utmost importance. Diet, in fact, can make all the difference in slowing the progression of kidney disease. So even during these fun events, you really want to make sure that you are careful about what you eat. What you need, then, are a few ideas for low sodium picnic and potluck recipes.
Pasta Salad
1 box (16 ounces) rotini noodles, cooked al dente
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic (or more to taste)
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon dry oregano
¼ cup minced onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped bell peppers
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
In a small bowl or jar, mix vinegar, olive oil, garlic, pepper, oregano, and onion. Let these ingredients sit while you work on the rest. Cook your noodles to al dente, drain and let cook while you chop up your vegetables. Once noodles are cool, mix all ingredients together and enjoy.
Shrimp Kabobs
Large peeled and deveined shrimp (about 6 per kabob)
1 cup thick sliced mushrooms
1 large sweet onion, chopped into large pieces
1 large bell pepper in each color, chopped into large pieces
Juice of 1 large lime
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
¼ teaspoon paprika
Arrange your vegetables and shrimp on skewers. Mix the lime juice, parsley, and paprika and brush the mixture over the kabobs before and during the cooking process. Kabobs are perfect for the grill, but can also be made in the oven. Substitute cilantro for parsley if you prefer.
Chicken Salad Zucchini Boats
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
2 large zucchini
½ cup chopped apple
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup quartered red grapes
¼ cup diced onion
1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
½ of one fresh lemon
Spices to taste: cinnamon, black pepper, paprika
Cut the ends of the zucchini and then halve lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp, and then cut the zucchini “shells” into two to three inch little “boats”. Mix chicken, apple, celery, grapes, onion, mayonnaise, and pulp from zucchini together in a large bowl. Squeeze lemon juice into the mixture and season to taste. Scoop chicken salad into the zucchini “bowls” and enjoy.
All of these easy and delicious recipes can be used for just about any of your upcoming summer events. They are just as great for your backyard barbecues as they would be at a potluck picnic. These recipes can help you enjoy your summer events and your diet as well.
If you’re looking for more recipes and an easy to follow diet plan that even includes grocery lists for you to make healthy choices, click here for more information.
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters - Renal Diets That You Will Love!
Suggested Reading:
Great Kidney Friendly Potluck Recipes
Top Ten Meals Made with Milk Alternatives
Great Picnic Meals For Pre-Dialysis CKD
July 10, 2017
Common Risk Factors for Chronic Kidney Disease
As with just about any chronic illness, there are certain risk factors that can make developing chronic kidney disease more likely. These risk factors can also contribute to the progression of your illness. Understanding your own health risks is the best way to start your journey to a healthier you, even with chronic kidney disease.
Risk Factors
Age: Kidney function can decrease with age. So it makes sense that age is a risk factor for chronic kidney disease.
Race: People of Asian, Black, or Latino descent are more at risk of developing many health conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, and chronic kidney disease.
Overall Health: Your overall general health is a risk factor for chronic kidney disease. Metabolic diseases, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney disease, are all connected and it is not uncommon for patients to develop more than one of these illnesses. Diabetes is actually one of the most common causes of kidney disease.
Gender: Chronic kidney disease seems to occur more in men than women.
Family History: Your genetic and family history are risk factors for chronic kidney disease. Not only are there genetic markers, but your learned behaviors growing up can affect your likelihood of developing metabolic disorders like kidney disease and diabetes.
Lifestyle: People who live a healthier lifestyle, who eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly, are less likely to develop chronic health problems. Conversely, if you eat a diet that is heavy in sodium and other unhealthy ingredients, and live a sedentary lifestyle, you are more likely to live with health problems.
The Importance of Information
Information is often one of the strongest tools in your health arsenal. Not only can you help prevent some illnesses, but you can help to lead a healthier lifestyle if only you know how. Reading everything you can about your health issues, talking to your doctor, and making the appropriate changes necessary are the big steps that it takes to make real change.
What You Can Do
Routine Testing: Regular checkups are the first defense for early diagnosis and intervention. The earlier you catch a problem like chronic kidney disease, the better able you will be to combat it.
Eat Right: Your diet is a huge part of treatment for chronic kidney disease. With diet alone, you have the potential to slow or even halt the progression of damage to your kidneys. This makes diet one of the most important factors in treating chronic kidney disease.
Live A Healthy Lifestyle: A healthy lifestyle overall is one that includes a healthy diet and regular exercise, but also avoids excessive alcohol consumption and smoking, contributes to a healthier life overall.
Appropriate Follow Up: It is important to listen to your healthcare providers’ instructions and to follow up accordingly.
Chronic kidney disease can slow you down, and if left untreated can lead to multiple health issues and even death. Arming yourself with information about your risks can help save your life and help you to live a longer, healthier, and more comfortable life. Talk to your doctor about your risk factors for chronic kidney disease and learn about what you can do to live healthier.
If you have questions about chronic kidney disease or are looking for more information, click here.
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters - Renal Diets That You Will Love!
Suggested Reading:
Risk Factors for Renal Disease
Lesser Known Facts about Chronic Kidney Disease
The Chronic Illness Connection
June 26, 2017
A Low Potassium Diet – 3 Tips To Make It Easier To Follow
A low potassium diet is a diet that is usually recommended for people who have journeyed down the road towards end stage renal disease. As your kidneys start to fail, it’s difficult for them to process the potassium in foods and eliminate it.
As potassium builds up in your body, it can affect muscles and how they work. Especially muscle contraction. Our bodies are made of muscles, but one of the most important muscle that you don’t want to have stop working is your heart. So a low potassium diet can help you make sure you don’t have too much potassium in your blood and affect your heart’s ability to contract and pump blood throughout your body.
So for some tips to follow, you need to know the following about a low potassium diet:
1. You should avoid a “salt substitute” that is white. You can use all the Mrs. Dash that you like, but don’t use the nu salt or other types of salt replacements that are made from potassium chloride. Read the label to be sure, but most of the time this is the case. While these can be ok for someone who is trying to reduce the intake of sodium chloride, your body is not processing the potassium either, and you will have to use other seasonings to make your low potassium diet work.
2. Greens, beans and tomatoes are high in potassium. You can eat small servings of these, if you like them, but realize that they contain a high dose of potassium. Baked beans, black beans and almost any type of dried beans and peas are high in the amount of potassium in a 1/2 cup serving. You could eat about 1/4 of a cup of them and be ok, so if you are making a lunch taco and want some refried beans, stick to a small amount. Problem is – it’s hard to judge. So be careful. You can eat green beans or wax beans, and a lot of the lighter colored vegetables (except potatoes). Foods like cucumbers, lettuce, corn, carrots and squash are low in potassium and serve as a great side dish.
3. Usually, you should substitute rice or pasta in place of potatoes. And apple juice for orange juice. Those two foods are high in the amount of potassium per serving, and if you make it a habit to just not consume those you will be a long way towards making your low potassium diet successful. Fruits that are low in potassium are apples, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, grapes, peaches, pears, strawberries and pineapple. Some of those have a juice associated with them – pineapple juice for example.
It’s hard at times to follow a low potassium diet, but you can do it. Changes must be made, but you will feel great after you have taken the steps to create a healthy low potassium diet for your lifestyle.
Because change is hard and following a low potassium diet can be difficult, I’ve taken some of the pressure off you by creating the renal diet meal plans. Learn more about all the components to make your life easier here: renal diet information page.
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters - Renal Diets That You Will Love!
Suggested Reading:
What Foods Should I Avoid On A Renal Diet? Let’s Talk About High Potassium Foods
A Low Potassium Diet – The Key to a Renal Diet
How Much Potassium Should I Eat Per Meal On A Low Potassium Renal Diet?
June 12, 2017
Pre-Dialysis Diet – Tips For Eating On The Go
On A Pre-Dialysis Diet, You May Need To Eat On The Go
What does that mean, eat on the go? A pre-dialysis diet requires that you follow certain restrictions and limit your intake of certain types of foods. Namely salty foods and foods high in protein. That will pose a challenge to you as you follow the limitations. I know that it’s sometimes hard to understand what to eat, and that is why – for the majority of the time – we recommend that you eat at home and eat food that you prepare. This allows you to control the portions and how the food is made.
A Pre-Dialysis Diet Can Be Followed When Eating Out
In the early stages of kidney disease, you need to limit the amount of sodium and protein that you eat to limit the damage you do to your kidneys. If you can reduce the damage that is done to your kidneys through eating healthier, that is the best way to help your kidneys work longer and help you to not have to go to dialysis. So following a pre-dialysis diet will really help you in the long run.
3 Tips To Follow When Eating Out On A Pre-Dialysis Diet
1. Plan ahead and know where you will be while you are trying to follow a pre-dialysis diet. That seems to be reasonable, right? But most people don’t do it. You will need to know where you are going and research what is in the area. The other part of planning ahead is to bring food with you. If you are driving all day, you may find it helpful to keep a cooler in the car with you and have foods that you can eat. You can take food with you, like plain low salt crackers. Crackers (not whole wheat) are a good snack. You can eat some apple slices and crackers and be doing quite well. You can download an app for your smartphone if you need to learn more about your foods. Another book that I suggest you get and carry with you is the The Calorie King Calorie, Fat, & Carbohydrate Counter 2012
. It’s got all kinds of foods and references restaurants as well. In a pinch, you can guesstimate the best foods to eat as part of your pre-dialysis diet. I love this book, it has a large amount of information. In a pinch, you can guess using another item that is close to the item you need at another restaurant.
2. Know what the low protein foods are on the pre-dialysis diet. Your main concern is to reduce your intake of protein and salt. If you can order the lunch size portion, please do. Even if it is a little higher outside of lunch hours. Or order items “ala-carte” from the menu. You do not have to order the entire meal! Even if it costs less, unless you are going to split it with someone – order what you will eat. You will be setting yourself up for failure if you can’t portion this food out. Order a vegetarian style meal for your pre-dialysis diet dinner. If you can get the spaghetti with just alfredo sauce, and no meat, you would do great. If you can eat some white bread with butter or chips and a small amount of salsa. I would also consider getting the vegetable plate – corn, green beans, squash, lettuce, carrots and cauliflower are great things to eat that are low potassium foods. Ideally you can order a small portion of meat (if you want it) and the rest as grains – like pasta or rice, and vegetables.
One of my friends used to take her own bread with her to restaurants where she knew it would be a problem. That is thinking ahead, she knew where she was going and what the problem could be so she was prepared.
3. Ask for alterations in how your food is prepared. People are used to this by now – especially in restaurants. I would recommend you explain that you have special dietary needs, and you need to understand how the food is prepared. If people don’t understand that, it’s not a place that you want to eat. You don’t have to tell them that you have kidney disease, but you may need to explain what types of alternatives that you would like. Food that has not been salted or seasoned or marinated to reduce the amount of sodium in the final product. One of the safest bets will be a plain chicken breast, you can get that at most places. You can ask for your server to not add the dressing to the salad, and to put it on the side. You can ask them to not add cheeses or sauces to items. Those are just a few thoughts but you really need to know that you can ask for items to be changed in the restaurant or establishment. If they are unwilling to do that, you should avoid eating there.
So to recap, if you are out and about on the town, to manage your pre-dialysis diet needs, you should follow these tips for better eating.
Looking for more information? Sign up to learn more about renal diets, and get special tips and information just for you.
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters - Renal Diets That You Will Love!
Suggested Reading:
How a Renal Pre-Dialysis Diet Is Going To Help You
Holiday Eating With Non Dialysis Kidney Disease
Choosing a Pre-Dialysis Diet Plan
June 8, 2017
What You Can Do To Help Your Chronic Kidney Disease
Kidney disease affects over 660,000 people in the United States, making it one of the most common illnesses among Americans. The symptoms of kidney disease itself are often not the worst of it, though. It is the link between other common metabolic disorders such as diabetes and heart disease that make it even more dangerous.
If you have kidney disease, you may feel at a loss for what to do. You may even feel that there is nothing you can do to help a chronic disease, but you can do something. You can make your life easier and more comfortable and make a difference in your health. These are the tools you will need:
Information
Information is perhaps the strongest tool you have in helping yourself treat chronic kidney disease. The more you know about your condition, the better able you will be to make the best decisions and know what actions to take. Helping your chronic kidney disease starts with gaining all the information you can.
Understanding
Information means nothing if you do not understand it. Whenever you have questions or concerns, write them down and discuss them with your healthcare providers at your next appointment (or make one if you need to). You need to understand how your body and your condition work so that you can better understand why your treatment plan is right for you. For example, if you truly understand the way that diet affects kidney disease, you are more likely to stick with whatever diet and treatment plan is prescribed to you because you will then truly understand the importance of diet with chronic kidney disease.
Action
Now that you have gathered the information you need, and gained an understanding of what chronic kidney disease means for you, then your next step is taking action. This means actively doing things to help yourself, such as following up with all of your doctors’ appointments, seeking guidance from a nutritionist, making meal plans, and following through with every step.
Diet
Your physician will likely explain to you the importance of diet changes to treat chronic kidney disease. Because everything you eat is ultimately processed through your kidneys, eating a kidney safe diet can mean the difference between worsening your condition and bettering it. In fact, a strict diet has the potential to actually slow the progression of chronic kidney disease. So a healthy, kidney safe diet that is approved by your doctor should be at the top of your action list.
You can make a difference and help your chronic kidney disease. Use these tools and information to truly make a difference in your own health and wellbeing. Start a conversation with your doctors, really listen, and ask questions. Then take action in the form of following your doctor’s recommendations and making healthy changes to your diet and lifestyle.
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Renal Diet Menu Headquarters - Renal Diets That You Will Love!
Suggested Reading:
Understanding the Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease
Food Questions to Ask Your Doctor after Being Diagnosed With Chronic Kidney Disease
Commonly Asked Questions about Chronic Kidney Disease
May 29, 2017
Renal Diabetic Diet: The 3 Ways To Control It Better
As a person in need of a renal diabetic diet, It’s important to realize that a lot of the people experiencing a stage of kidney failure, whether it’s stage 1 kidney disease up to stage 5 kidney disease, are also diabetics.
The best selling meal plan I have is the one that combines renal (Kidney disease) with diabetes (called a renal diabetic diet) to control for both protein and carbohydrate. If you are looking for a meal pattern for the entire day and 7 new meals a week, look no further – read about it on our information page.
But, I also know that a lot of people just plain don’t understand diabetes in the first place, then you add kidney disease and it’s an overwhelming task to manage a renal diabetic diet.
It’s a well known fact that diabetes results in all kinds of problems in your body, from eye damage to nerve damage to kidney damage. All of this is a result of having too much sugar in your blood and not using it properly. Over time, the sugar attached to cells that it’s not supposed to and causes those cells to not work the way they are supposed to.
For example, in your kidneys you have a very thin layer of cells that filter your blood to remove the waste products and create urine. As your kidneys start to fail, you lose some of this capacity. And kidneys fail at the blood vessel level – known as capillaries – because they are vulnerable. You can live fairly well and not realize you have kidney disease until you only have 30% of the function of your kidneys left. You can limit further damage by following a renal diabetic diet plan. But most people on dialysis will tell you how important kidney function is and how it feels to lose it. Not the end of the world, but difficult to say the least.
The best thing to do when you know you are starting to develop kidney problems due to your diabetes is to start tightly managing your diabetes as part of your renal diabetic diet plan.
1. This means, you should start taking your blood sugars more often. Know what it is when you wake up and after meals (most people take it 1 hour after they start eating – not after they finish). Track these numbers by writing them down. Once you have a week’s worth of tracking and documenting, as well as making sure that you are taking your medication properly, then you need to discuss with your doctor what methods you can use to control your blood sugars better. Following a renal diabetic diet will mean that you have to track and document to make sure you are on track.
2. You can learn what foods are high in carbohydrate – and low in fiber – and limit your intake of them. It’s vitally important to understand that eating foods that are high in fiber can help you tremendously when controlling your renal diabetic diet. The fiber slows your absorption of sugar from the foods that you eat, and allows your body more time to respond. So things like sugary colas and fruit juice should be gone from your diet. You may believe that you need them to manage your blood sugars (oh, if I get too low) but the best thing to do for that is to eat a fruit or 1/2 a sandwich and wait 15-20 minutes. Your body will take the sugar from these foods and manage better than if you shocked it with a can of sugar. And even better, make sure that you eat your planned meals on time and in the right amounts.
I believe that one of the best ways to control blood sugars is through a significant reduction in the simple sugar and low fiber foods that you eat. Aside from just not eating too much, you can feel fuller by managing your meals throughout the day.
3. Finally, exercise. I am aware that you may have a heart condition or limitation otherwise. Ask your doctor, but I have seen plenty of people do chair aerobics and other sitting type exercises that improve their muscle strength and aerobic capacity. Check a video out from the library if you don’t have anything that you feel you can do. Yoga is a great exercise and you don’t realize how much it helps with strength and aerobic capacity. If you can’t do yoga, find some thing that you can do. It’s vital to your survival. And, it burns calories so you can lower your blood sugar levels at the same time which helps control your renal diabetic diet. Voila!
I know it’s a long post, but a key ingredient in helping out your kidneys to reduce the risk of being put on dialysis is to manage your diabetes. Control your blood sugars. Eat high fiber types of carbohydrates – learn about whole grains and eat more of them. Eat whole fruit instead of fruit juices. It all adds up to a healthier lifestyle for your management of a renal diabetic diet.
If you’re still not sure what to eat or need some meal ideas, look no further. We will give you a meal pattern for the entire day and 7 new meals a week. Read about it on our information page.
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters - Renal Diets That You Will Love!
Suggested Reading:
How To Survive With A Renal Diabetic Diet
Ways To Know If You Need A Renal Diet Plan
Top 4 Ways To Reduce Sodium Intake For A Renal Diet
May 15, 2017
Choosing a Pre-Dialysis Diet Plan
Why Do I Need a Pre-Dialysis Diet Plan?
A kidney is an essential organ in our body which serves vital life sustaining functions. When our kidneys become impaired due to diseases they are unable to remove waste from our body. Then the procedure of dialysis helps to remove waste from our blood as an alternative to kidney function. Dialysis is not as efficient in removing wastes as a healthy kidney can do, so to get maximum benefit from dialysis we have to limit the accumulation of waste in our body by adjusting our diet.
Which Pre-Dialysis Diet to Follow?
Learning how easy is it to follow a pre-dialysis diet plan is something that anyone can do.
There are 5 different stages in kidney deterioration. The dietary needs at different stages of disease advancement are different. A person at the initial stages of kidney disease should have a lower protein diet, but those who are at the end stage of the renal disease should increase their protein intake when on dialysis. It is a bit challenging to identify when to make changes in diet plans, and your doctor will give you more specific information based on your laboratory values. But as you progress, there is still an opportunity to slow down the damage to your kidneys through careful management of meals and diet planning.
Protein Intake and Pre-Dialysis Diet
According to the American Association of Kidney Patients, those who are in the initial stage of renal disease should reduce the intake of protein and should control their blood pressure, so that the progression of chronic kidney disease to end stage renal failure can be slowed effectively. A daily intake of 40 to 50 gram of protein is optimum for most patients, i.e. about 0.6 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. The objective of a low protein diet is to preserve the existing kidney functioning. Fish, lean meat, egg white etc. are good choices for attaining your desired protein intake, but you will have to limit the consumption. 1 ounce of chicken contains about 7 gram of protein.
Sodium and Pre-Dialysis Diet
A low sodium diet will help preventing high blood pressure and will assist your kidneys in retaining water in our body. This in turn will ease the kidney from some of its burdensome functions. You should choose fresh, frozen fruits and vegetables rather than those treated with preservatives or salt.
Fluid Intake and Pre-Dialysis Diet
The amount of fluid you take in should be restricted as the kidney will have to work more if you take in more fluid. A fluid intake of 5-7 glasses a day would be ideal in a pre-dialysis meal plan.
A Sample Pre-Dialysis Diet Plan
An English muffin with unsalted margarine, grapes, and a cup of tea with sugar substitute will be an ideal breakfast for a pre-dialysis patient. A sample lunch would be 1 ounce of unsalted tuna packed in water, 1 slice of whole grain wheat bread. An ideal dinner would be 2 ounces of chicken breast, 6 ounces of asparagus, and one medium potato, one slice of angel food cake and fresh strawberries or grapes. While this is a sample, and it seems limiting, you can follow much more structured diet plans to achieve the best control and improvements in health.
Is Creating a Pre-Dialysis Diet Plan a Hard Job?
Making a pre-dialysis diet plan is a somewhat hard if you are planning to do it alone. There are many reliable online sites which offer you a pre-done online pre-dialysis diet plan that are easy to follow. Considering the changes in your kidney functioning as the time passes there will be need for frequent analysis and regulations of diet plans.
Therefore it is better to take the advice of a physician and nutritionist who will make sure your blood pressure is low and your intake is sufficient to provide your daily nutritional needs. Preserving your kidney functioning as long as possible is ideal. This can best be done with a pre-dialysis diet meal plan that is good food for all stages of kidney disease.
Renal Diet HQ offers a healthy and dietitian designed pre-dialysis diet plan that you can easily follow because it contains all the necessary steps and grocery lists for you to make healthy choices. Read about our pre-dialysis diet plan on our information page!
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters - Renal Diets That You Will Love!
Suggested Reading:
A Chronic Renal Failure Diet Is Easy With A Meal Plan
How a Renal Pre-Dialysis Diet Is Going To Help You
How Quickly Will My Chronic Kidney Disease Progress To Dialysis?
May 1, 2017
Hemodialysis Diet: What Changes Should You Make To Your Meals?
Hemodialysis Diet Is Key To Making Renal Failure Healthier
Hemodialysis is the medical method of cleaning waste and free water from your blood if your kidneys go into renal failure, and is one of three ways—transplant and peritoneal dialysis being the others—in which renal replacement can be performed. With a hemodialysis diet, there are fewer dietary restrictions than you might have to face dealing with other renal replacement treatments, but the restrictions are still there.
What the Hemodialysis Diet Requires
According to the National Kidney Foundation, a proper hemodialysis diet customarily requires that you eat more high quality protein foods, eat fewer foods high in salt, potassium, and phosphorus, substitute herbs, spices, and low-salt flavor enhancement for pure salt, and stay away from potassium-made salt substitutions.
This is not as difficult a hemodialysis diet plan to follow as you may fear, though it is certainly not a simple one, either. Your physician or specialized renal dietitian will prescribe a meal plan for you to follow, and there are several resources on which you can lean to make a sensible and easier-to-follow scheduled meal plan from those prescriptions.
Learn More About A Hemodialysis Meal Plan (Click Here)
How You Can Plan Your Hemodialysis Diet Meals
Online, you can get assistance in planning your meals from such several resources. Many of these will help you develop a balanced meal plan in which you can make food substitutions using basic principles, because the meal categories include the same nutrients you need to maintain your body during your dialysis period. After you receive your doctor or renal dietitian-outlined diet plan, those resources will usually help you plan for daily or weekly diet maintenance, or even both, and many also include specialized renal diet recipes which are easy to follow , and you can and keep a printable record for follow-up with your doctor or renal dietitian about your hemodialysis diet meal plan.
What You Can Eat On A Hemodialysis Diet
So what can you eat on a hemodialysis diet? Among other things, you can eat lean meat and poultry, fish, and egg whites, all high in protein and all carrying the amino acids you will need especially to control your weight and body fluids between dialysis sessions. You will find yourself monitoring not merely the fluids you drink but those which might be hidden in some of your food, such as gravies, sauces, and desserts like gelatin and sherbet. Your doctor or renal dietitian will outline the precise amount of fluid you can consume safely between dialysis treatments on your hemodialysis diet, because your damaged kidneys cannot take excess fluid from your blood and you must maintain your weight between treatments for the maximum benefit.
Your doctor may also prescribe vitamin and mineral supplements, depending on your actual condition, because of what you may be missing now that you must avoid certain foods. Beware, however, to take only what your doctor does prescribe, because off-the-shelf supplements may harm you.
A Sample Meal Plan for A Hemodialysis Diet
Based on examining several kidney disease research and diet resources, if your doctor or renal dietitian has decided you should have restricted potassium, phosphorus, and fluid restrictions, one sample menu plan for a hemodialysis diet could resemble this:
Breakfast—A breakfast sandwich consisting of scrambled egg whites with two ounces of thin-sliced meat on toast or an English muffin, and four ounces of non-acidic fruit juice.
Lunch—A salmon or other fish salad consisting of a cup of romaine lettuce, an eighth of a cup of raw broccoli, a tablespoon of slivered or chopped nuts, three ounces of cooked salmon, and low-fat dressing, with a small white roll buttered with trans-fat-free margarine on the side, and a four-ounce glass of a water or non-carbonated beverage.
Snack—Low sodium or sodium-free Ritz crackers with low-sodium cream cheese.
Dinner—Three ounces of grilled skinless chicken, half a cup of squash, half a cup of cabbage atop a cup of cooked pasta, substituting two tablespoons of olive oil and half a cup of low-sodium chicken broth for pasta sauce, half a cup of cherries, and a four-ounce glass of water, with orange sherbet for dessert.
Learn More About A Hemodialysis Meal Plan (Click Here)
Be sure to consult with your doctor or renal dietitian to determine which beverages and other fluids are safe for you. Most resources indicate Diet Sprite or Crystal Light as safe choices, but your doctor or dietitian will know others you can drink on a hemodialysis diet.
Did you find this information useful? Please pass it along!
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters - Renal Diets That You Will Love!
Suggested Reading:
Renal Diet Menu – Ways To Make Your Meals Better
The Advantages of a Pre-Made Dialysis Diet Menu
Renal Diet Guidelines for Kidney Dialysis
April 17, 2017
Diagnosis and Prognosis for Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease can be a confusing and difficult diagnosis to process. If you were recently diagnosed, you may be feeling unsure about what your diagnosis means or what you should do now.
Here is some basic information to help you begin your journey:
Diagnosis
How is Chronic Kidney Disease diagnosed?
Chronic kidney disease is diagnosed through blood tests. When some values, such as creatinine and urea, are higher than they should be that is a sign that the kidneys are not functioning properly. Urine tests and imaging such as ultrasounds are also used to diagnose or confirm kidney disease. Sometimes biopsies are also done, so the tissue of the kidneys themselves can be tested.
When is Chronic Kidney Disease typically diagnosed?
Chronic kidney disease is often only diagnosed once symptoms set in, which is only around the third stage of the disease. This is why routine checkups and screenings are so important. If you are vigilant about regular checkups, kidney disease can be diagnosed in the earliest stages.
How many stages are there?
There are five stages of kidney disease. The first stage of kidney disease often has no symptoms at all and is only detected through routine screenings. Stages then progress to the last stage, which is referred to as end stage renal disease. Stages of kidney disease are diagnosed based on a value known as the GFR, or glomerular filtration rate. The GFR is a calculation based on your creatinine levels, age, body type, and gender.
Prognosis
Is my life in danger with Chronic Kidney Disease?
If left untreated, your life could very well be in danger with chronic kidney disease. Untreated, your body could reach end stage renal disease at a much quicker rate and you would likely experience a lot of discomfort.
What is end stage renal disease?
End stage renal disease is the last stage of chronic kidney disease. It means you have reached renal failure. Dialysis or kidney transplant would be necessary to live beyond this stage of renal disease.
What is the treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease?
Treatments for kidney disease range from simple but strict dietary changes, to medications, to dialysis or transplant. Each stage will have different and escalading treatment recommendations. For example, in the first stage you might only have dietary changes recommended to you. As or if the condition progresses, you will have stricter dietary restrictions, often including fluid restrictions and medications. If you reach stage 5 you would need to replace the function of your kidneys with a transplant or dialysis.
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of replacing the function of the kidneys. There are different types of dialysis, but most involve a port being inserted into your body so that your blood can either be removed for cleaning, or so that special substances can be put into your body to clean it.
Is there a cure for Chronic Kidney Disease?
There is no cure for chronic kidney disease, nor is there a way to replace the function that is lost once damage has occurred. There is, however, a way to slow the progression of CKD so that you can live a longer, healthier, and more comfortable life. Strict dietary changes and adherence to all other medical recommendations is the only way to help your condition and avoid end stage renal disease.
These questions and answers should give you a good start to better understanding what chronic kidney disease is and what the future may hold. At the very least, this information should give you a base knowledge to start a conversation with your doctor. You should always go to your healthcare providers with questions about your diagnosis, diet, and lifestyle with chronic kidney disease.
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Suggested Reading:
Food Questions to Ask Your Doctor after Being Diagnosed With Chronic Kidney Disease
The Importance of Diet for Stage 3 Kidney Disease
Understanding the Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease
