Hello everyone
Has anyone read the book called The Plant Paradox by S. Gundry - as he talks about patients who have recovered kidney function by altering their diet. I am 20% through the book but I wanted to see if anyone has read the book and tried the plant paradox meal plans?
Thank you. Wishing everyone health and a good life.
Ozzy,
Sounds like a good read as both my friend who has severe MCD and I went vegetarian. She did this recently and has lost 22 pounds. I have been plant based for over a year and don't mind it a bit.
Will let you know what I think.
Thanks for sharing.
B..
Just ordered the book as well. Thanks for sharing.
Bet- what are some of your plant protein sources? Do you eat lentils?
Hi SN,
Actually, I don't follow a specific meal plan. I try to eat what I like and portion within sense. My protein is basically hummus, chick peas which have been soaked or washed, black beans, occasionally garbanzo beans. I watch the sodium on any pre- made hummus, nothing in the 100 range, or lets say 115 is my cap. I live in the US and buy Joseph's brand both plain and red pepper. I occasionally buy beet hummus but that is a treat. I am looking into Tofu but read that is soy based which is not friendly to my thyroid. There are brands which have little sodium. The veggie hot dogs etc are loaded with sodium..do not touch.
My close friend is from the UK and cooks, eats with a protein replacement called Quorn but I haven't seen it here.
I eat alot of fresh and fresh frozen vegetables, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, red and green peppers, onions, eggplant, green beans, cucumbers.
I also eat alot of salad, no tomatoes. Subway has a great chopped salad where they add lettuce, spinach, onion, peppers and cukes for me and put oil and vinegar dressing on it.
Panera Bread also has a great green salad, good size with kale and the lettuces as well. I have lots of cukes and onions and no croutons. Their dressing has 50 mg sodium. At home, I add 4 to 5 forks of hummus to it.
If I eat out, salads with dressing on the side, no ceasar, ranch, Italian. Swiss cheese has the lowest amount of sodium, but I watch the dairy.
I have an apple with hummus for breakfast , no sugar apple sauce or Quaker gluten free oats with strawberries and blueberries on it.
I also have 2 tbsp of Lite and Fit Greek Yogurt in the am for digestion.
My big cheat is a light wheat bagel with hummus or margarine.
Land O' Lakes has a great butter that has no cholesterol and light saturated fats. Called Fresh Buttery Taste..
I also switched to Carnation FF liquid original creamer from milk and take a bit in a small bottle when I go out.
I make my husband veggie pasta. Peppers and onions with eggplant on occasion. I steam the veggies and brown them with non- stick spray, pepper, onion and garlic powder
.My pasta is whole wheat and no sodium. I use either Mama Rhinaldi no sodium sauce and add spices or Prego low sodium.
I have seen the You Tube clips on Forks over Knives which my friend is into. Just got Netflix and plan to watch the documentary that motivated her asap.
My husband eats what I do in the and has been ordering vegetarian out and we have both slowly lost weight.
Look this over and get back to me as I love to share. I will do the same.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Bet
Hi Bet,
Thanks so much for your thoughtful and detailed response. This is invaluable advise and I look forward to incorporating your suggestions in recipes, diet plans and sometimes cooked food I send to my son👍🌿
Plant paradox is an interesting book and makes a lot of sense. I am half way through and look forward to incorporating some of these ideas too. I will explore Forks and knives and would love to share my thoughts as well. Look forward to it. 🌻
My son has his labs retest tomorrow. Hope and pray that it was a one off and he is back on track🙏🙏🙏
SN,
You are so sweet..I tried to give you a good idea as to what I do.
I am going to order the book over tbe weekend and we will share.
Sending you good thoughts, vibes and blessings that your son's labs show improvement! It is all a frustrating process that takes time!
Please let me know the outcome of the resukts..
With you all the way!
B...
Hi SN,
How is your son doing? You both have been in my thoughts and prayers.
Haven't had a minute to buy the Plant Paradox. Do they have any suggestions as how to raise the albumin level without eating animal protein?
I tried to eat a small amount of scrambled eggs this morning after a year and it tasted awful to me.
Will PM you and fill you in.
Have a wonderful Mother's Day tomorrow.
David and I honor you and send you our best.
Bet
Hi Bet,
Thanks so much to David and you for your wishes ( so touched) and a wonderful Mother’s Day to you too. My son is doing well. Thanks so much for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.
I read the book and his key message is to avoid lectin laden food to increase healthy gut bacteria and to take supplements that help in that. Among the plant based proteins that he recommends is hemp seeds. My son has started adding a spoonful of that to his morning breakfast as his naturopath also recommended it and the nephrologist approves of it. He also takes lentils. Dr Grundy also recommends yellow and red lentils provided they are very well cooked and chickpeas and kidney beans only if they are soaked overnight and then very well cooked in a pressure cooker. This reduces the lectin content.
I will think of more and message you. Also his suggestions are more focused on the gut and are generally good for autoimmune conditions
Once again my warmest regards to you
SN
Hi Bet,
Hope you are doing great! I saw this study on soy flour as renal protective and good source of protein and thought of you. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
I tried making a pancake with it with rice flour, flax meal, oats flour onions, ginger and coriander. Tasted good.
Warm regards,
Hi Bet117
Which stage of CKD are you at? I was diagnosed with stage 3a recently but my doctor is adamant that diet (no unhealthy excesses obviously) makes no difference at this early stage. I got the same advise from the National kidney association who too say that diet is not yet necessary and that I should simply have a blood and urine test once a year. If that is true, then why are we even told we have an incurable disease which causes great anxiety for everyone. Why not wait until meds and diet will become necessary. This could be years or never happen at all.
You seem to suggest that diet does count. Are you at a stage where you need to watch it or is it because you have had success in increasing your eGFR? If it is indeed an improvement, then I will certainly follow suit. I rarely eat meat anyway, am not diabetic but have controlled hypertension treated with ARBs which is suppised to be beneficial in CKD.
Here in the UK you will not get referred to a nephrologist until stage 4 earliest. It all seems such a hit and miss situation.
I really need somebody to say do x or y and you'll stop progression.
Anybody there?
Hi Barty!
Yes I am here. Busy couple of days as it has been our holiday and I had family for dinner 3 nights in a row. Forgive me.
As far as the CKD, as many people on this site will attest, hearing that you have a chronic and incurable illness is shocking, frightening and upsetting. Your feelings are very normal.
if you have a doctor/consultant who is up front with you about being diagnosed with a kidney disorder and willing to talk to you, listen and work with you, it is a blessing.
Bear in mind, that everyone is different and with different medical needs and responses to medications.
The key with kidney disorders is to keep them from progressing.
The fact that you have controlled BP and are non diabetic are clearly to your advantage.
Things to look for is your kidney function ( creatinine level) GFR and if you are spilling any protein. Cholesterol level also is important.
You are already taking a BP medication which is the first line drug given to control protein spilling, which can play a role in kidney damage.
Yes, diet and exercise are very important in keeping you as healthy as possible and preventing the progression of kidney disease.
The areas to keep an eye on are. your sodium, protein, potassium and phosphorus levels.
It is important that you watch and limit your sodium consumption to 1500-2000mg a day.
Avoid frozen dinners, canned soups and such meats as bacon, hot dogs, cold cuts, and other foods which are high in salt.
A lower protein diet is generally suggested. No red meats, but fish, chicken and eggs or egg whites are fine.
Watch your dairy consumption of dairy and foods high in potassium. Keep hydrated with water, but don't overdo.
Eat alot of fresh or fresh frozen vegetables, and fresh fruits such as apples, strawberries and blueberries.
I don't touch a salad dressing which has more than 115mg of sodium and portion control. If we get carry out, or eat out, I always order salad dressings on the side.
If you google davita.com, they have alot of good recipes which are broken down into carbs, protein etc. and have a vast amount of i information. They also have Kidney Smart classes that you can attend here or watch on line. I attended one to gain further insight and make good food choices. It was excellent.
The National Kidney Foundation also has a great site which lists kidney-friendly foods, foods to minimize, and foods to avoid. I also previously posted one of their articles about eating out.
You might also consider seeing a renal dietician for a list of foods which are better choices and menus as well.
Your doctor did not put you on a specific diet, but eating clean and healthy is very important.
Going for a walk at least 3 times per week and getting some exercise is also vital in keeping the CKD from progressing.
In response to your question about myself, I have an autoimmune kidney disorder called Membraneous Nephropathy; where my immune system is mistakenly attacking the kidney filtration units. This causes inflamation and protein leaks out into my urine.
Luckily my kidney function has been normal since before my diagnosis and has remained so.
My GFR is also high which is excellent and I have normal to low normal BP, a tad of cholesterol from my thyroid and no symptoms as edema.
I am monitored carefully for Proteinuria, or protein spilling which fluctuates. We are trying to keep me from kidney damage and CKD.
Regardless of the kidney disorder, they are all chronic , so taking meds, eating well and exercising are important.
As far as the health care system in the UK, I know it differs from the US as one of my closest friends is a resident of Southend by the Sea. She has MCD and is seen by a nephrologist. Ask your GP for a referral to be safe. Just my thoughts.
I personally chose to eat a plant based diet over a year ago and have no regrets. I do eat whole grains in moderation. I feel better, have lost weight.
I hope that this has given you some insight and support.
Please keep in touch as I care and am here to support and share. . Feel free to private message me by pressing on my name. I will always answer.
Sending you my good and healing thoughts!
Bet
Hi Bet
Such a quick reply and so very comprehensive. Many thanks for that. I wasn't actually specifically 'targeting' you but you seem to be knowledgeable in the subject with lots of postings.
I don't see what else but 'incurable' one can call CKD. Is there a euphemism? Doctors don't like the term. It questions their expertise. It makes us feel vulnerable and helpless. We're all used to popping pills and getting better.
My reaction on hearing the diagnosis and especially later on reading up on the subject, was and still is, one of sheer horror. I had never heard of it.
I have tracked my blood test results for the last 2 1/2 years (first thing I did) and found that during that time my eGFR decreased by 20% from a not great but still normal 61.
I have never been a big meat eater and always eat salad/fruit/vege as per guide lines! 😳 So I don't see how much more I can do to help the situation. All my electrolytes are within normal range and I have no proteinuria. As I mentioned before, my doctor says that at this stage a special diet makes no difference. I think they are just not trained in that area and there are no meds they can prescribe. Later on phosphate binders will enter the picture and I believe there are some meds which help. But that is down to a nephrologist. I have tried to find a nephrologist with a private practice in the area (South of England) but no luck at all. There are just 600 in the entire country. The waiting lists are long and my doctor will not refer until stage 4.
As far as you are concerned, is it controlled entirely by diet or do you take meds to help with it? I must say, your diet sounds very strict. I admire your tenacity. It would cancel out my social life. Yes, I realise health is more important, I'm just not convinced diet will be terribly effective. I'll stick with it for 3 months and then have another blood/urine test. That should give a better idea.
I also have to deal with heart arrhythmia which, however, I can control with meds. I just wonder if they have anything to do with CKD onset.
Anyhow, if you have any other advise I'd be really grateful to hear it.
Barty 😊
I have not read it but will do. I was diagnosed with CKD stage 4 three years ago with eGFR of 17%. I was able to increase it to 21% by making diet changes which consisted or reduction in dairy and elimination of red meat. I also cut down a lot on alcohol and stopped drinking cola. My kidney function has continued to decline but slowly so I think that the diet change has helped me. I will look up the book. Thanks
Read the following that counters the books advise. tonic.vice.com/en_us/articl...
Thank you for your message. I will take a look at the article. Best wishes.
**Trigger warning** Sex and the kidneys 
Lab results after one year vegan
My GFR has gone up! :-)
From eGFR 29 to 41!!!
