If you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), it becomes very important to watch what you eat and drink. That’s because your kidneys can’t remove waste products from your body like they would normally do. A kidney-friendly diet can help you stay healthier longer.
Dietary restriction vary depending on the stage of kidney disease and other medical conditions that you may have. This information should be used as a basic guide. Everybody is different and has different nutrition needs. Talk to a renal dietitian at Planko to get a personalized diet plan based on your health condition.
Your doctor may recommend you to consult a renal dietitian to choose foods and drinks that are easy on your kidneys. Here are some useful tips he/she might suggest to manage your kidney disease:
Cut down your salt & sodium
Sodium affects your blood pressure and helps to maintain water balance in your body. Damaged kidneys can’t filter out excess sodium, therefore can cause problems like increased blood pressure levels, swollen ankles, shortness of breath etc. It’s often recommended to limit sodium to less than 2 gm per day.
Simple tips to cut down sodium would include avoiding table salt, avoiding ordering food from outside, trying new spices and herbs instead of salt, reading the labels and selecting foods with low sodium, staying away from packages foods etc.
Limit phosphorous
When the kidneys are healthy, they remove the phosphorus you don’t need. But in case of CKD, the phosphorous levels can get too high, that can put you at risk for a heart disease.
Simple tips to limit phosphorus would include eating more fresh fruits and veggies, cutting down on meat, poultry or fish, limiting dairy, choosing corn and rice cereals etc.
Reduce potassium
Potassium helps your nerves and muscles work properly. But when you have CKD, your body can’t filter out excess potassium. When you have too much of it in your blood, it can lead to serious heart problems.
Foods with low potassium include apples, cranberries, strawberries, plums, pineapple, cabbage etc.
What about the fluids?
Fluid restriction will depend on the stage of CKD. If you are at the early-stage then you are not likely to cut back on fluids. But if your condition gets worse, your doctor will let you know if you need to limit those, too.
Remember to always discuss your food choices with your doctor or renal dietitian to ensure that you are following the best diet for your individual needs.
Following a renal diet can feel restrictive at times, there are plenty of delicious foods that fit into a kidney-friendly meal plan. For any questions related to your personalized nutrition needs, get in touch with Planko.
Source — WebMD, Healthline
