Mathea Ford's Blog, page 99
December 17, 2012
Can I Eat Quinoa On A Renal Diet?
Quinoa is not a grass, but its seeds have been eaten for 6000 years. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Quinoa On A Renal Diet
Learning more about the variety of starches out on the market is invaluable. Quinoa, pronounced (Keen – wah) is a versatile product that is actually a seed. Looking at it for a renal diet, you can see that it has many of the desired properties we want in a meal.
1 cup dry quinoa, has 626 calories, 24 gm protein, 109.1 gm of carbohydrate, and 12 gm fiber. You should realize that it expands to 4 times it’s size when cooked! So, 1 cup dry = 4 cups cooked quinoa! Wow, that really makes for a full stomach on just a little bit of food. You could eat 1 cup quinoa for 160 calories, 6 gm protein, 28 gm carbohydrate and 3 gm of fiber. That is a healthy side dish, and you don’t even need to add meat! As a person on a renal diet, if you need to restrict protein, you can easily eat this and add some low potassium vegetables to the meal and you are set for a filling dish that didn’t go over your needs but filled you up. And you can feed this to your whole family.
A Simple Introduction To Quinoa
This is a food that is both old and new; as an ancient staple and a rediscovered foodie favorite. If you have noticed quinoa at all, you know what everyone is saying about it. Can it be that quinoa is the perfect food for you and your family? Could quinoa be the one new ingredient you try this year that changes the way you cook? Quinoa is all that and a powerhouse of nutrition, flavor and texture. Let’s take a brief look at this super-food and why it is quickly becoming all the rage.
What is Quinoa?
Those who are not yet familiar with quinoa, may think of it as a grain, or at least a replacement for grains. The little tiny disc is actually a seed of a plant in the same family as beets, chard, and spinach. These nutritious, amino acid rich seeds are light and fluffy when cooked, with a little snap to it. You’ll also find quinoa in a variety of beautiful colors such as gold, red, and even black.
Ancient History
While relatively new to the US market, quinoa has been cultivated in Peru, Chile, and Bolivia for over 50 centuries (that’s right, I said centuries!) and is a staple food in their diets. The Incas considered quinoa a sacred food and referred to it as the “mother seed,” which is why we often refer to it as “Gold of the Incas.”
When Spanish conquistadors were trying to gain control of the South American indigenous people, they destroyed the fields in which quinoa was grown, and outlawed the farming and sale of quinoa. In1980, two Americans re-discovered the health and nutrition potential of quinoa and started cultivation in Colorado. Today, quinoa is finding its way into homes and restaurants all over the map.
Health Benefits
For being such a tiny little seed, quinoa is a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids. Quinoa is also a great source of manganese, magnesium, folate, phosphorus, and lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. The minerals contained in relatively high amounts may also be especially helpful for those people who have consistent migraines, diabetes, and atherosclerosis.
One of the most highly valued aspects of quinoa for many people is it is gluten free. Those looking for alternatives for wheat and other gluten foods can turn to quinoa in several forms to replace the gluten in their diets.
How to Eat Quinoa
The quinoa seeds are naturally covered by a saponin residue that is bitter to the palate. This is one defense mechanism the plant has to fend off the occasional passing critter that wants a snack. While commercial cultivation processes remove much of the saponin that coats the seed, it is still a good idea to rinse the seeds in cold water to make sure the process is complete. However, there are many brands that are pre-rinsed. You can use your own judgment.
Once you have the quinoa rinsed, bring a pot of one part quinoa and two parts water to a boil, cover, and simmer slowly for fifteen minutes, or until the the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. If you want to keep more of the natural nutty flavor, you can dry roast the seeds before cooking them. Put the quinoa in a skillet over medium heat and toss, just until the quinoa becomes fragrant.
Now you have a multitude of options for preparing your quinoa. Whether you like it hot or cold, you can put it into a salad or in a soup. You can also form your cooked quinoa into patties with a variety of ingredients. Go ahead and add cooked quinoa to your favorite pancake or muffin recipe for a brand-new take on healthy eating.
No matter if you are looking for a gluten free alternative to grains, or you are a person on a renal diet who is just looking for something new to experiment with, or you want to give your nutrition a real boost, give quinoa a try. With all the possibilities, you could easily create a quinoa creation for every day of the year!
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Renal Diet Menu Headquarters -
Suggested Reading:
Nutrition Bars You Can Eat On A Renal Diet
December 12, 2012
Low Potassium Foods: Create A Fruit And Veggie Plate For Your Next Party
Potassium is an important mineral, and especially significant when you’re counting your milligrams for a renal diet. Potassium can affect your kidneys, and as you progress in kidney disease, many are people required to follow a low potassium diet.
A lot of people find this very difficult. They find it hard to understand what foods are okay, and what foods to avoid. And some people even go overboard and avoid every bit of potassium, when managing the amount that you consume is the most important thing. Your body still needs some potassium, as it’s used in many muscle contractions and nerve endings. Sometimes it seems like it’s easier just to cut out the source of the problem, but that’s not always the best choice.
Eating Low Potassium Foods Includes Fruits
Low potassium foods in a diet are fees that you should eat more often than other foods that are high in potassium to add variety in your diet and allow you to have a plate full of food. There are actually a large amount of allowed foods on a renal diet that are low potassium. You also want to be concerned about the amount of sodium that is in foods but when it comes to fruits and vegetables, it’s fairly easy to get low sodium because you can buy them fresh or frozen. That means there hasn’t been a lot of sodium added to them during the canning process.
Some high potassium fruits, such as citrus fruits and dried fruits, are not the best choices for a renal diet. Lighter colored fruits and berries are among the better choices for low potassium fruits. Apples, blackberries, cranberries, grapes, peaches and strawberries are some of the best low potassium feeds that you can eat.
Healthy Vegetables Are Low Potassium Foods
With vegetables, more of the green and yellow vegetables are going to be low potassium foods. Well that’s not completely true of every green food, because broccoli and brussels sprouts are both high potassium foods, many times green does win out as a low potassium food.
Beans, cabbage, celery, corn, cucumbers and radishes are all low potassium vegetables that can be placed on a fruit and vegetable plate for a party. You want to avoid broccoli, raw carrots, tomatoes, and beans. Again you want to make sure that you’re using fresh or frozen products, instead of canned, to reduce the sodium. If you want to use canned vegetables, rinse them first multiple times to reduce the amount of sodium they contain.
Put It All Together For Your Snack Food Tray
Now let’s talk about a recipe to add together to make a good snack food tray that you can take to your next party.
As far as fruit you can add:
sliced apples
cherries
cranberries
grapes
peaches
pineapple
pears
strawberries
As far as vegetables you can add:
wax beans, rinsed
cauliflower
celery
cucumber
mushrooms
peppers
yellow squash
zucchini squash
When you’re creating your plate choose three or four from each category of fruit and vegetables and assemble your tray. Remember to add a dressing in the center that is an oil/vinegar mixture to lower the sodium and potassium of the tray.
Hope you have a great party, and you’ll provide a healthy snack for everyone not just the person you need to renal low potassium foods diet.
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters -
Suggested Reading:
What Foods Should I Avoid On A Renal Diet? Let’s Talk About High Potassium Foods
Can I Eat Cranberries On A Renal Diet?
A Low Potassium Diet – 3 Tips To Make It Easier To Follow
December 10, 2012
What Is The Fluid Restriction For A Pre-Dialysis Patient?
Your Dr. may have told you that you’re on a fluid restriction for your pre-dialysis kidney disease. This usually happens in the later stages of end-stage renal disease, especially when your kidneys are not working to their full capacity.
A fluid restriction means that you are limited in the amount of fluid or products that become fluid at room temperature that you can take in because your body is not removing the fluid properly. If you’re on dialysis, you probably are most certainly on a fluid restriction because your kidneys are no longer producing urine.
If you have too much fluid in your body and it’s not removed in a timely manner, it can aggravate high blood pressure, it can cause fluid in the lungs, and it can cause other problems with your heart. Complications from extra fluid also involves swollen legs, and fatigue.Your fluid restriction amount would be determined specifically by your doctor, but ask them for specifics such as how many ounces or milliliters you are allowed. Fluid restrictions are to make the patient feel more comfortable and reduce the weight gain that you have. Because if you take in fluids and you can’t get rid of them, it just stays on your body as weight.
What Is A Fluid on A Kidney Diet For A Fluid Restriction?
While it’s obvious that beverages like water, coffee, juice, soda and other liquids or shakes count as fluid, other food items may not be as obvious. Ice, ice cream and sherbet, gelatin, popsicles, and soup also count as fluid amount since they become liquid at room temperature or body temperature when they enter your stomach. Fruits and some vegetables also contain liquid, and you may want to check specifically with your doctor if you need to monitor your fluid intake closely for those items. But in general, anything that is liquid at room temperature counts as a fluid.
Fruits and vegetables they generally don’t count as part of your fluid allowance but do contain a significant amount of fluid are: apples, blueberries, blackberries, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, celery, cherries, cranberries, cucumbers, eggplant, grapes, lettuce, peaches, pears, peppers, pineapple, plums, strawberries, tangerines, and zucchini.
Good Ways To Limit Your Fluid On A Fluid Restriction
While your fluid needs will depend on your weight and height, and be directed to you specifically by your nephrologist or doctor, some ideas on how to limit and inyour fluid intake might be helpful.
Don’t do things that increase your thirst such as eating salty or spicy foods. Overall you should reduce your salt intake not only for your kidney diet but also to keep you from increasing your thirst.
Spread your liquids out throughout the day don’t drink all of them in the morning and then have nothing left for your evening meal.
Don’t get overheated by exercising or being outside in the heat, stay in the cool areas.
Use smaller cups as they make you feel like you’re getting a bigger amount without noticing that it’s really a limited portion.
Try making ice cubes out of your favorite beverage, and then when you’re thirsty you can chew on those ice cubes as part of your daily limit but they will last a little longer because they’re cold and you have to take some work to chew on them.
It’s really important to keep a daily fluid and food journal including your way information if your doctors have put you on a fluid restriction, that mean that they are concerned about the amount of fluid that you may be taking in and not being able to process through your kidneys. Keeping a journal will help you to understand where your problems may have occurred and discuss them with your doctors.
I found this helpful online tool to show you how to convert your daily fluid intake into ml and keep track of what you consumed.
If you need more information about a renal diet for any type of kidney diet - check out our online meal patterns and plans that help you make a complicated diet easier to understand.
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters -
Suggested Reading:
Benefits of Following a Good Kidney Failure Diet
Kidney Failure Diet – What Is It?
Choosing a Pre-Dialysis Diet Plan
December 5, 2012
Nutrition Bars You Can Eat On A Renal Diet
A nutrition bar is a transportable quick meal or snack that you can eat and provide a lot of your nutrition in a small portable size. But if you have kidney disease, a lot of the meal bars can be downright bad for your health. They may contain extensive amounts of protein, sugar, or salt. You have to read the labels carefully.
Today I wanted to take a minute and go through some nutrition bars that might be a good choice on a renal diet.
The first one is a Kashi Go Lean Crunchy Chocolate Pretzel bar. You can find it on Amazon in each bar contains only 160 cal, 3 g of fat, 28 g of carbohydrate, 5 g of fiber, 250 mg of sodium and 8 g of protein.
The reason I like Kashi GO LEAN bars is that they are high in fiber, use seven whole grains, and have a reasonable amount of protein. These bars in particular have a little bit of chocolate flavoring so they are a nice addition to a meal or snack in the middle of the day. 8 g of protein is the equivalent of 1 ounce of meat so I would expect that you would decrease the amount of meat that you are eating at that meal by 1 ounce.
Another Kashi bar that I would like to recommend to you is the Go Lean Crunchy Cinnamon Coffee Cake bar. Also available on Amazon, this bar contains 160 cal, 4.5 g of fat, 26 g of carbohydrate, 5 g of fiber, 240 mg of sodium, and 8 g of protein.
This bar again contains the extra whole grains, and fullness from fiber. It’s 8 g of protein will replace another ounce of meat in your day. This bar tastes like a vanilla coffee cake flavor with a little bit of cinnamon and hazelnut. Think about it for use on a day when you might need to travel a long way such as going to dialysis, or when you’re not sure what to fix for lunch.
The next bar is by Clif bar, and is called Clif Mojo Peanut Better Pretzel. This bar contains 200 cal, 9 g of fat, 21 g of carbohydrate, 2 g of fiber, 230 mg of sodium, and 10 g of protein. Although the protein is a little high as long as you account for it in your daily amounts you should be fine. Mojo bars are made to be a mix of something sweet and salty. So you get a little bit of sweetness with the peanut butter pretzel and a little bit of salty flavor but not too much salt.
Finally, I want to introduce you to a couple bars by Luna. Luna bars are created by Clif bar company. They’re made for women mainly and have a little bit of extra soy in them. They are made for a healthy heart diet, and contain lower amounts of sodium than any other bar that I have found.
The Luna S’mores bar contains 180 cal, 5 g of fat, 27 g of carbohydrate, 3 g of fiber, 140 mg of sodium and 9 g of protein. With great flavor, and a little bit of chocolate, they really do taste just like a s’mores bar. This bar hits your target with being low sodium and a modest amount of protein.
The Luna Lemon Zest bar contains 180 cal, 5 g of fat, 27 g of carbohydrate, 3 g of fiber, 115 mg of sodium and 9 g of protein. The lemon zest flavor has a creamy coating with a light taste of lemon.
Of course it just depends on what you’re in the mood for, but I find these bars to be some of the best choices especially when you’re going to spend a long time away from home and it may be difficult to find the proper meal out on the go. Carry them in your purse or in a bag for your car and they’re always available. If you’re on dialysis in trying to gain some weight, these can be a great way to pack a lot of nutrition into a small bar. And if you’re predialysis these meet your needs for being lower in sodium while still packing a great deal of flavor into a small package.
I hope you give some of these a try and let me know what you think. I personally love the Luna bars especially the lemon zest for a good snack between meals. Of course, you should always look into your personal needs and allergies before purchasing these for yourself, and discuss with your doctor if you have any concerns.
[Just a note, that the links in the post are affiliate links, which means I earn a commission when you purchase the products. You won't pay more for the product, and I don't recommend products that I don't believe in 100%!]
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters -
Suggested Reading:
How Quickly Will My Chronic Kidney Disease Progress To Dialysis?
What Foods Should I Avoid On A Renal Diet? Let’s Talk About High Potassium Foods
Recipe – Chili Con Carne
December 3, 2012
How Much Sodium Should I Eat On A Renal Diet?
Salt (Photo credit: AloneAlbatross)
What Is Sodium And How Does It Affect My Kidneys?
Sodium is a mineral that is found in many foods. Many processed foods have added amounts of sodium to preserve the contents. You may be steadily decreasing the fat in your diet but not realize how much sodium you take in and how it is affecting your kidneys. Sodium can be linked to increased blood pressure, and increase blood pressure levels cause damage to your kidneys over time whether you’re aware of your blood pressure being high or not. Sodium can also make you feel dehydrated. Start looking for low sodium foods in your grocery store and in restaurants.
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that you take in only about 2300 mg of sodium per day for a normal adult, and only about 1500 mg per day for someone who has high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease. On average, Americans still eat around 3400 mg of sodium per day. That’s about 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt per day.
What Foods Are High In Sodium?
Among the foods highest in sodium, are processed foods such as soups and canned products. You should learn to read labels and look for the line that says sodium and try to keep it to less than 250 mg per serving. In addition to food you may eat at home, the good majority of restaurant food is very high in sodium. When dining out, ask your server about how much salt is in your meal, and options to put sauces and gravies on the side.
How Do I Find Low Sodium Foods?
When you’re looking for low sodium foods, reading labels is one of the most important things that you can do. Comparing the exact same product may show that one pasta sauce has 80 mg of sodium and another pasta sauce has 400 mg per serving. Make sure the serving size is the same and choose wisely.
Eat more fruits and vegetables, especially those that are frozen or fresh. Canned fruits and vegetables can be higher in sodium, so choosing a frozen product may give you a fresher meal and reduce sodium altogether. Eat fruits that are in season that match your potassium requirement. And mix in extra vegetables into soups and casseroles to make them tastier and more filling.
Speaking of mixing extra vegetables into soups and casseroles, it’s very important that you prepare more meals from scratch at home. Our renal diet meal plans show you how to make meals at home seven days a week for dinner. No matter how you slice it, you really need to eat those foods that are not coming from boxes or frozen convenience foods, but something that you made that you can control the amount of sodium per serving.
Finally, look at the portion size of foods that you’re eating. You may find a pasta sauce with only 80 mg but determined that the serving size is only 1 tablespoon. You’re definitely going to eat more pasta sauce than that. So when you’re comparing make sure that you’re aware of how much are actually going to eat of the product.
Finding low sodium foods can be difficult, and cooking at home can be a challenge. Looking up recipes and planning meals can take a while, especially when it’s new to you. If you’re looking for an easier way, click on over to our renal diet meal plans and check out what we do for you here every day.
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters -
November 29, 2012
Grapefruit, Kidney Disease, and Medications
This image was selected as a picture of the week on the Farsi Wikipedia for the 22nd week, 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I got a question this week about grapefruits and kidney disease. Recently in the news, a lot of information has come out about how medications and grapefruit juice or grapefruits interact. Some news even suggesting that they cause kidney damage or sudden death.
As a registered dietitian, I have known for many years that certain medications interact with grapefruit juice and it’s recommended to not consume grapefruit juice with these medications. That’s one of the reasons I know that many hospitals do not even place grapefruit juice on their menus, because of the myriad of medications that can be affected by it.
But let me take a moment and explain to you what the new research is showing and help you understand what it’s trying to say so that you can make a good decision about grapefruit juice and kidney disease.
The research shows that over the past four years since 2008, the number of medications with the potential to interact with grapefruits and cause serious adverse effects increased to 43 medications. Those serious adverse effects can include sudden death, acute kidney failure, respiratory failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, bone marrow suppression in people with compromised immune systems, kidney toxicity and other serious side effects. Here is the research article: http://www.cmaj.ca/site/misc/pr/26nov12_pr.xhtml
First of all, you should not take anything I say in this article as medical advice. You should discuss any medications you take with your Dr. What’s important to be aware of is that even a small amount of grapefruit juice or grapefruit can affect these medications. You may think that drinking a glass of grapefruit juice in the morning which is only about 4 ounces may not affect you. But the research has shown that the interaction can occur even if the grapefruit is taken in many hours before you take your medication. Even a small amount of grapefruit juice can affect how much of the medication is absorbed.
So what is happening with the grapefruit and your kidneys in this case?
Normally, these medications and the chemicals that are in them are only absorbed at about a 50% rate. So if it’s 100 mg of active ingredient, your body normally only absorbs about 50 mg of that medication or less. These drugs interact with an enzyme called CYP3A4 in the intestinal tract for absorption. The grapefruit juice you drink interacts with that enzyme and causes it not to be effective.
So suddenly, your body is able to absorb over 50% of that medication. So you’re getting more of the active ingredient then normal person would who didn’t drink grapefruit juice or eat a grapefruit. That’s where the damage can occur because your body has a higher concentration of that medication. That medication in the higher concentration can affect your kidneys. Your kidneys process some of the drugs you take and make them inactive in your body so a larger amount of that drug may damage your kidneys by overwhelming the capacity that they have to inactivate medications.
Basically you took 100 mg pill and you absorbed over 50 mg (which is what your doctor expected you to absorb), and that amount can cause damage over time or if it’s a significant increase can cause damage fairly quickly. That is where the damage from grapefruit juice or grapefruits can occur – not with the juice itself, but with the interaction and increased absorption of the active ingredients of the medications.
A large amount of medications on the list that are affected by grapefruit or grapefruit juice ingestion and can affect your kidneys. The link to that list is here. Go there and check and see if you take any medications that are on the list.
The list contains medications that are anti-cancer agents, anti-diabetic agents, anti-infective agents, anti-inflammatory agents, anti-lipemic agents, cardiovascular agents, central nervous system agents, estrogens, gastrointestinal agents, immunosuppressant agents, and urinary tract agents.
As always, I recommend that if you feel you have concerns about this, to talk to your doctor immediately. I would recommend calling your doctor’s office and letting them know that you’ve heard about this and that you do drink grapefruit juice and you take one of these medications that is on the list, and you’re concerned. I hope this has been helpful to you and explained a little bit about what’s going on.
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters -
Suggested Reading:
How Quickly Will My Chronic Kidney Disease Progress To Dialysis?
Living With Chronic Kidney Disease-Predialysis AKA My First Book!
The Kidney Disease Diet Can Be Complicated
November 28, 2012
How Quickly Will My Chronic Kidney Disease Progress To Dialysis?
Dialysis USA 3-2007 004 (Photo credit: jimforest)
Progression To The Next Stage Of Kidney Disease
One of the most common, if not the most common question, that I see over the Internet is people asking about how quickly their chronic kidney disease will develop into dialysis?
The truth of the matter is your doctor would have to tell you that for sure. And they’re not really even sure how quickly it will progress with absolute certainty.
The Way To Slow The Progression Of Non Dialysis Chronic Kidney Disease
The main goals of treating chronic kidney disease are to slow the progression of the disease and to prevent any complications from heart disease or diabetes. When you have kidney disease, you’re at greater risk of dying from a heart attack.
So your doctor needs to do the things that will help you prevent both further damage to your kidneys and cardiovascular disease.
The goals your doctor should have for you are to keep your blood pressure below 130/80 mm Hg and hemoglobin A-1 C below 7.5% in a person with diabetes. Many doctors use ACE inhibitors and ARB’s to preserve your renal function and prevent or reduce proteinuria. Your doctor should be carefully looking at your electrolytes in your blood and any other anemia or malnutrition and that you might have.
When you get to stage III kidney disease which is defined as a eGFR of 30 – 59 mL/minute, it’s highly recommended that you start working with a nephrologist. (A specialist in kidney disease).
Working with a nephrologist not only helps you prepare better for dialysis, but in many cases can slow the progression of disease through their specialized knowledge and use of medication.
How To Predict How Quickly Your Chronic Kidney Disease Will Progress to Hemodialysis?
One of the things they will look at to determine how quickly your kidney disease will progress is the amount of protein in your urine. It has been proven that people who have a higher amount of albuminuria or proteinuria have a higher risk of progressing to the next stage of kidney disease faster. The additional population of protein in the urine is not official, although there are some charts that show the risk scale related to the amount of protein in your urine.
The important thing to remember is that you don’t have to just let your kidney disease get worse. If you have nondialysis kidney disease, or pre-dialysis kidney disease, and you just found out one of the most important things you can do is to read more about your options. I’ve written a book that takes you through the stages of living with chronic kidney disease as a person that’s pre-dialysis and it’s available on Amazon either through paperback or Kindle.
Click here to look at my books on Chronic Kidney Disease
Follow The Correct Meal Plan To Stop The Progression Of Kidney Disease
Dialysis can be a very scary endpoint to look forward to and I completely understand your desire to prevent placement on dialysis. Regardless of how much protein you have in your urine or what stage of kidney disease you are in, as long as it’s predialysis, you can slow the progression through the implementation of a healthy diet.
If you’re in stages one or two of pre-dialysis kidney disease, you should work hard to control your blood pressure, diabetes, and any sort of heart disease that you have. If you need meal plans to help you prepare nutritious yet delicious meals, you can check out our meal planning program on healthydietmenusforyou.com
If you’ve progressed to stages three or four of predialysis kidney disease, you should look into our meal plans that we have on the renaldietHQ.com website to help you manage the low-protein and diabetes meal plan that you need to also have nutritious and delicious meals.
Click Here To Get Diabetic and Cardiac Diet Meal Plans
Click Here To Get Renal Diet Meal Plans for Pre-Dialysis or Hemodialysis Kidney Disease
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters -
Suggested Reading:
Living With Chronic Kidney Disease-Predialysis AKA My First Book!
Did You Know That 30% Of People With Diabetes Will Develop Kidney Disease?
How Does A Kidney Diet Help With Pre-Dialysis Renal Disease?
November 26, 2012
Create Your Own Kidney Diet Plan Book Is Released!
Sorry for the delay in letting you know about this, but I have been working on another book that I know will be super duper helpful to you. You – those people who find it difficult to understand about working on a kidney diet and those who know you can do it yourself. I am going to teach you how to do it yourself.
It’s not easy, I am telling you that for a fact. Part of the process of writing the book involved me trying to make it easier to understand a complicated process. And I think I did an excellent job of it, but you know that even though it seems like it should be simple – the process is not. It’s hard to distill years of learning into a 50+ page book.
First of all, if you are looking for a way to follow a kidney diet that is low in protein, this book will tell you what to do about portion sizes and what foods to eat. You need to understand about how different foods fit into your plan. I have even included options for building your meal plan with 3, 4, or 5 meals per day, since everyone is not expected to eat the same. Look for it now on Amazon!
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters -
Suggested Reading:
Living With Chronic Kidney Disease-Predialysis AKA My First Book!
What Kind of Plan Should I Follow On A Stage 3 Kidney Diet?
A Low Phosphorus Diet is Important For Pre-Dialysis Kidney Disease
November 22, 2012
Did You Know That 30% Of People With Diabetes Will Develop Kidney Disease?
The other day, November 14th, was World Diabetes Day, and I saw a really neat infographic from the IDF – Diabetes Prevalence In The World
“Diabetes is running at record levels worldwide and half the people estimated to have the disease are, as yet, undiagnosed, according to a report on Wednesday.
The number of people living with diabetes is now put at 371 million, up from 366 million a year ago, with numbers expected to reach 552 million by 2030, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) said… Read more at the Chicago Tribune“
I write this to say that I am amazed at how many people have diabetes – as well as – I know from research that 30% or more of them will develop kidney disease. This is a public epidemic, and we should all be standing up and saying – when will it stop?
The number of people who are diagnosed with diabetes is increasing every year in every country. And in the US, so many people don’t even have good healthcare that allows them to see a Registered Dietitian to get help with planning their meals or improving their health. Not to mention the fact that doctors just seem to ignore kidney disease until it gets too far along and patients are almost ready to have dialysis. So much can be done before that happens – I talk about that in my book – Living With Chronic Kidney Disease – PreDialysis on Amazon. You can slow down the damage that diabetes and heart disease do to your kidneys every day – but it involves talking to your doctor and taking the right steps to slow the progression.
When I was writing the book, I was amazed at how much people could do to slow down how fast their kidneys are damaged. Most people ask, “how long before I get to dialysis?” when they should be asking – “what can I do to prevent my kidney disease from getting worse?”
And, back to the diabetes statistics – half of the people who have diabetes don’t even know it? In the US, that number is smaller – because the awareness of it is greater – in the US only about 30% of them are unaware – so 1 in 3 people. Doesn’t sound like a good number either way…
Based on my amazement – I wrote another book to help people who have kidney disease to develop their own meal plans, called Create Your Own Kidney Diet Plan – Build A Meal Pattern For Stage 3 or 4 Kidney Disease
, and I have seen the difference it makes in people’s lives because people write to me every day about it.
But today, I think it’s important for us to stop and say – what can I do to slow down the progression of kidney disease and keep it from defining me and controlling me? You don’t have to let kidney disease control you!
First of all – you are in charge of your diabetes or your kidney disease. You have to decide what is more important – are you in stage 1 kidney disease (if your doctor even told you that! – most don’t bother until it’s stage 3), or are you almost in ESRD (end stage renal disease).
As someone who is in stage 1-3 of kidney disease, you should focus on controlling your diabetes! Controlling your diabetes means – taking your medication, exercising, and following a meal plan. That is your priority. As part of a group of people in the US – 38 Million People – you have the ability to manage your diabetes. And it’s not a one time thing – it’s going to need to be managed every day. It can get better when you exercise or take your medication regularly, but it won’t “go away” you have to keep trying.
If you are about to enter ESRD, you should look at using a renal diet meal plan made to be used by people with both kidney disease and diabetes – ours is one of a kind! No other program works to blend the needs of a diabetic with the needs of a kidney patient to meet both the limitations on carbohydrate and the limitations on protein. You will be amazed at how great it feels to have your meals done for you.
I don’t want you to become a statistic. You can stabilize your condition. Did you read – at the bottom of the infographic – that half of the people who die from diabetes are under the age of 60? The worst part of that is that it is totally preventable! Don’t let your fear stop you from making the changes that you need to make! Start by talking to your doctor and getting your diabetes under control. That will help the most and it’s one of the easier things to do. Yep, you might have to check your blood sugars more often, but doing that could add years to your life. Don’t let today’s fears or “other things” get in the way of you living a healthy life past the age of 60 – so you can see your grandkids graduate. They haven’t found a cure for diabetes yet, but they do know how to manage it.
And as far as kidney failure is concerned, don’t let your fear of the unknown bother you either. If you are afraid of dialysis, let that be your motivation to move your body and do what you need to do to get your blood pressure under control and your eGFR under control. Read books, start exercising, talk to your doctor and eat better. Simple things, but they are definitely not EASY. Remember – Rome was not built in a day – you will not have smooth sailing – but you will get there if you know where you are going and you have some help getting and staying on the right track.
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters -
Suggested Reading:
Living With Chronic Kidney Disease-Predialysis AKA My First Book!
How Does A Kidney Diet Help With Pre-Dialysis Renal Disease?
A Kidney Diet Helps You With Pre-Dialysis Renal Disease
November 21, 2012
Holiday Eating With Non Dialysis Kidney Disease
Thanksgiving at the Trolls (Photo credit: martha_chapa95)
Now that the holidays are almost upon us, it’s important as a person with kidney disease to think about how you can enjoy the holidays – from the meals to the parties to the shopping – and not end up hurting your non dialysis kidney disease condition.
Both Thanksgiving and Christmas can be a challenge for people with kidney disease whether it’s non-dialysis or dialysis. Many of the foods are high in protein, salt, and potassium. You can still make healthy choices though, as long as you do a little thinking ahead.
Plan Ahead When You Have A Busy Day
The most important thing you can do, is to think about your day and make sure you have a plan for how you eat that day. If you know you’re to have a big lunch, you may want to eat a small breakfast before you go. It’s important not to skip breakfast so you’re not overly hungry at the meal time. That will keep you from over doing it.
Either take with you or ensure that your host will have some raw vegetables with low calorie dip. You can eat plenty of carrots and cucumbers, either raw or with some light dip but not too much. The dip can have a lot of sodium in it. If you’re not sure just take a small baggie with some carrots and celery and that way you’re all set.
At The Table
When you’re choosing meat from the bird, make sure that you’re eating the white meat without the skin. Dark meat, without the skin, is the second choice. And only a small amount of either. Just get a little taste, 3 ounces worth which is the size of a deck of cards, and that will keep you from over doing it with the protein and sodium related to the bird.
It’s probably best overall to skip the potatoes. I love sweet potatoes and I think they’re delicious on Thanksgiving or Christmas, and if you want to take a small nibble of those that would be fine. But the plain white potatoes are going to be high in potassium, therefore a little too much for your meal.
Another idea is to bring along a fruit and vegetable plate with some low potassium vegetables that you can eat. That way you feel for sure that you’ll have something available should you need it. And you will be helping the hostess.
If you’re watching your fluid intake, that doesn’t stop with the holidays. Make sure you’re only drinking the amount that you’re allowed, and don’t overdo it with the sodium which will make you more thirsty.
Finally, if you’re going to eat desserts, choose a half piece of pie. You’ll be tempted to eat multiple desserts, so get away from the table as soon as you’ve had the one that you committed to. And don’t take home any leftovers.
Ask For Help
It can be really hard to stick to your non dialysis diet meal plan on the holiday season. Ask your family to help you, by making sure that they have foods that you can eat at the meals that they plan. And being understanding by not overproducing and offering you seconds and thirds of items.
If you have nice enough weather to go outside for a short walk after eating, that can help your body cope with the extras that you consumed. Exercise helps your body utilize those extra calories and maybe not put all of them on as extra weight.
I hope you have a good holiday season and that you can find a way to follow your non dialysis diet meal plan to keep your body healthy and your kidney disease controlled.
Renal Diet Menu Headquarters -
Suggested Reading:
A Chronic Renal Failure Meal Plan Is Important in Pre-Dialysis Kidney Disease
A Low Phosphorus Diet is Important For Pre-Dialysis Kidney Disease
Choosing a Pre-Dialysis Diet Plan
