Hi, everyone. I had my labs done on 4/22/19 and I just got the results online today on 4/26/19. As promised to some of my fellow CKDers, I will put up my lab results after starting a mostly vegan/the rest vegetarian diet modified for CKD.
Before I put up my lab results (can't you tell that I am excited and that they will be good? Oh, wait... the title of the post gave it away), let me briefly tell you what got me going to educate and take care of myself and how I learned what to do.
My last three sets of labs before 4/22/19 showed a worsening GFR with each lab. On some whim in late January of 2019 I Googled "Stage 3 CKD Life Expectancy" since my former San Diego, CA PCP and a renowned La Jolla, CA (where a lot of rich people live - not I) nephrologist both told me my kidneys would last me the rest of my life at Stage 3A when I was in my early 50s. I saw the mortality table (Table 1) in the article I found (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl... and it read that I had about another 7-8 years of life left at Stage 3B now being 60 years old. My only hope was that the numbers from the mortality table had a 95% confidence interval, which means there are 5% of wiggle room. And my goal was to be in that top 5%.
After a good cry within a few seconds of looking at the mortality table, and I am a man who was raised not to cry, I decided to educate myself, eat the proper CKD Diet and lose weight. After hours of online research and then looking to Amazon for a good CKD book to buy I stumbled upon Stopping Kidney Disease by Lee Hull which came out on January 14, 2019 - I was looking for an up to date book. It already had many impressive reviews on Amazon. I bought the book and read it - if you are going to buy this book, please buy the paperback so you can quickly flip within and between sections of chapters.
The first thirty three chapters of this book will educate you on what CKD is, its causes and each chapter focuses on a different aspect. All of the research is backed up by published medical case studies - included in the book - which you can skim or skip. At this point in the book you will know more about CKD than most PCPs since they are not specialists. Starting in Chapter 34 Mr. Hull outlines a very healthy Vegan style eating plan adapted to CKD and he explains why it works! After finishing the book you will know more about CKD nutrition than most PCPs and nephrologists since they are not nutritionists. Even if you don't believe or want to do the Vegan diet, the first thirty-three chapters explain CKD with the latest information. You will find everything useful and accurate that you can Google about CKD all in one book.
I started eating healthy on 2/1/19 following Mr. Hull's book and exercising (walking or riding a recumbent bike). The labs were done on 4/22/19. Here are the relevant numbers for CKD and a couple of extras:
Creatinine 1.37 mg/dL
BUN 13 mg/dL
BUN/Creatinine Ratio 9
GFR 56 mL/min/1.73m2 (Stage 3A!!)
Albumin 4.6 gm/dL
Total Cholesterol 129 mg/dL
A1C 5.1 % of total Hgb
On 12/28/18, my creatinine was 1.66, my BUN was 26, my GFR was 44 (Stage 3B), and my Albumin was 4.2!
So after about 12 weeks of following Mr. Hull's advice, I jumped back to Stage 3A and I am just shy of Stage 2 which starts at 60 mL/min/1.73m2! I also lost thirty pounds! Thank you, Mr. Hull!
I did make one mistake in the twelve weeks. My wife and I went to a Gem show at the California Gem museum on 4/14/19 just before my labs were done. I went inside one of the buildings while she sat outside. When I came out she told me a kind gentleman gave her a large carne asada (beef) burrito because he had bought one too many from one of the food vendors. I was hungry and I am human, so we split it. I will always wonder if I could have hit a GFR of 60 if I hadn't eaten half of that large carne asada burrito stuffed with beef and only beef.
I believe everyone can benefit from educating himself or herself, exercising, weight loss (if needed) and eating a proper CKD diet. And please don't dampen my post by stating that this eating plan worked for me and it might not work for everyone else - all of the latest medical research shows that a vegan or vegetarian diet coupled with exercise and weight loss will improve CKD and other morbid conditions as well. Thank you for reading.
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Beckett24
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Hi, Hul. Thank you. The book is not trivial and does not minimize CKD. Just re-read some of the sections (I had to). Also, after a while go back and re-read the book - I need to. LOL
Yes, Mr. Hull is coming out with a recipe book within the next few months. I signed up on his website and received some great sample recipes.
Weird, I looked for my post a few hours ago and could not find it. I thought it had been deleted because I mentioned Mr. Hull's book.
Hi, Bunkin. Did you buy Stopping Kidney Disease by Lee Hull from Amazon? If you plan to, buy the paperback - there is way too much page flipping when you review for the Kindle version. And no, I am not the author or gain any monies for the recommendation. LOL
I have read a lot of it. Have been trying to eat more alkaline. Also I cut out meat and dairy(except last night, I had Mexican food) I always reward myself after I have labs done. I’m now a little concerned about the protein part if it but I do eat peanut butter
Hi, Bunkin. I think I handled the protein part fairly well with perhaps a tiny bit of fudging - that's fudging, not fudge, LOL. Read my reply to Marvin8 below. I would personally stay away from peanut butter - too much sugar and sodium. I love the Kirkland Creamy Almond Butter from Costco - the only ingredient is: Roasted Almonds. How's that for healthy?
Hi Beckett24.been following this thread since beginning..really interesting. Must get the book. Can I ask when you have almond butter do you have crackers or bread? I’ve been used to rice cakes .
Hi, Newstarter. I like to put as close as possible to one Tablespoon (half a serving) of the almond butter on Belvita biscuits. You get four biscuits per package which is one serving. It's a fairly healthy snack, although the biscuits do have 220 mg of sodium per serving at 230 calories and 90 mg of potassium. I also buy 8-12 boxes of them (30 packages per box) when Costco has them in their coupon book. You should try it. Kirkland Creamy Almond Butter (also at Costco) takes a while to really appreciate its taste as it has no added sugar or sodium. But at $7.99 for a big jar (1 pound, 11 ounces), it's a bargain.
Hi, Bunkin. Thank you. I know it was verbose, but I really wanted to tell my story. I hope it inspires other people to educate and take care of themselves.
My only problem with his suggestions is getting enough bioavailable protein and calories to sustain my weight. I have the book, and all I kept gleaning from it is cutting more and more things out of my diet in order to make it alkaline. I don't need to lose a single pound. In fact, I'd like to GAIN a few pounds. I see malnourishment as the number one risk factor to contend with, but I'll go back and read some more to see how he addresses it. I was hoping to find a few foods that I could eat with reckless abandon so that I could maintain caloric intake, but I didn't find any. To eliminate all the normal proteins like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, etc., makes it unbelievably challenging to get enough protein to sustain muscle mass and weight. And then if you go the bean route, you've gotta deal with potassium risks. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that your GFR is up, and I hope it stays up there, but my hope is that I can find some way to make his suggestions work without having to order his expensive Albutrix supplements, which it seems may be one of the main reasons he wrote his book. Judgement withheld, but am really happy for you. Btw, how much water do you drink a day?
Hi, Marvin. Thank you for the encouragement. As I am trying to lose weight, it's easy for me to reduce calories. But I have been keeping the protein at 0.6 grams per kilogram of body weight - what Mr. Hull considers a low protein diet (LPD) - and my Albumin went up!!
Here are my two primary protein sources: Orgain Organic Plant Based Protein Powder, Vanilla Bean - Vegan, Low Net Carbs, Non Dairy, Gluten Free, Lactose Free, No Sugar Added, Soy Free, Kosher, Non-GMO, 2.03 Pound from Amazon - I make organic vegan protein fruit smoothies this way - just add some real fruit juice and frozen berries and a little ice - I buy both at Costco. It's pricey, but you can wait for the coupons at Amazon and also buy the much cheaper Chocolate Fudge flavor. I also have bought vegan veggie burgers and meat substitutes - they have some sodium, so that's my sodium meal for the day - I try to keep my sodium under 1,000 mg per day. My only cheat is a few Kirkland Protein Cookies and Cream protein bars a week - 190 calories, 170 grams of sodium, 2 grams of sugar, 3 grams net carbs, 50 grams of potassium, 22 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber as a bonus - they are whey based so it's a small amount of dairy.
So figuring out how to get enough protein, even without the Kirkland Protein Bars, should be no problem. If your numbers look good on a LPD following Mr. Hull's guidelines, there is no need to buy Albutrix. Can you do better with Albutrix? I think so, but if you are happy with your numbers why spend the money? I personally do not think that one of the main reasons he wrote the book is to sell Albutrix. I personally think that one of the main reasons he wrote the book is to offer people the option of Albutrix - to give them hope - if that makes any sense to you. He is trying to help fellow CKDers, not profit off them like a pharmaceutical company. He seemed to be a very successful professional before he wrote the book. And what a book it is - it could easily be a PhD thesis or two. Talk about research.
Remember, you can eat fruits and vegetables to your heart's content - as a matter of fact, they are alkaline. You can also have some nuts; I buy fresh nuts from Costco and I love their Kirkland Almond Butter - the only ingredient is Roasted Almonds - sodium free.
We also have Quaker Oatmeal made in the pressure cooker and we add dried fruits, and fresh nuts (everything bought at Costco). We also have rice and pasta with steamed or oven baked vegetables - no salt added, both cooked in water - and adding sautéed onions makes the rice taste great.
So getting enough calories should also be easy for you. Don't forget that he will be coming out with a cookbook in a few months - that should have more dietary guidelines as well.
I go by the often suggested drinking half of your body weight (in fluid ounces, not in pounds - LOL) of water daily for Stage 2-4 CKDers.
Well, I hope this is food for thought for you. Let me know.
I personally do not eat potatoes right now, just too many bad qualities. Imagine, fast food or restaurant French fries are vegan and they are one of the worst things anyone - CKDer or not - can put in his body. And I can't handle potatoes without butter, LOL. Once in a while, I split a medium vine ripened tomato on a salad with my wife.
Your story is inspirational! Thank you for posting. It's great to know there could be room for improvement. I am 58 and have been in stage 3B for the 2 years since I was diagnosed. I have increased fluid intake, cut out a lot of things like alcohol and increased my excercizing. I was a 37 when first dx but seem to be consistently with a GFR of 44 or 45. My biggest issue is a low potassium level.
Hi, Cindystyle. You are welcome. Thank you for the kind words. I think with a proper CKD diet - and don't wait for your doctor or to see a dietician - that could take weeks - you could do what I did and get back to Stage 3A. I'm not sure how to handle a low potassium level - except to eat more potassium - LOL.
At the risk of being petty, i don't think it helps to post data on life expectancy on these forums. There are a lot of people in much worse situations than you, who are trying to control their anxiety by avoiding such material. They come to these forums for support and reassurance.
I appreciate this was not your intent. Congratulations on your good news.
Hi, Baza. You are not being petty. I thought your same thought about the life expectancy table. I then realized that it's what got me going. I have been at Stage 3A since my very early fifties (51 or 52) - I'll be 61 this June. I did very little about it for so many years believing my PCP's view that Stage 3A was no big deal until after I found and read the table. It awakened me to the fact that CKD is a huge deal - it motivated me to educate and take care of myself. I hope it does the same for others no matter what their CKD stage. And there are always hope and room for improvement if you want them.
Thank you for the congratulations. It means a lot to me to get support from such a great community.
I received Lee Hull's book on Kindle a few days ago, before I saw this thread. It's easy to get around the book on Kindle. The table of contents is keyed to the chapters, and you can use search and go to, take notes etc. Works well. Except, if you are using an e reader, some of the graphs are awfully small, but they would probably be small on a paperback too (unless it was larger than my 6 inch screen. I might download it to my Kindle Fire which has a larger screen and the graphs would be even larger when I turn it sideways.
I am thoroughly enjoying it -- well written, well organized, and informative.
On second thought, I think I'll download it to my laptop so I can print out my excerpts and notes. Thanks Becket for all the helpful info. I'm sure I'll be back to this thread.
I have almost went vegetarian since I was diagnosed. I have the same problem as Marvin8. I don't want to lose anymore weight. Egg white vegetable omelets are good for breakfast. I'm eating chicken breasts. Nuts. Need more protein. Powdered protein? Let me check the book. Cindystyle, the book has a chapter addressing potassium.
Hi, Ronaldo. I guess I'm just old fashioned, but those huge Acid Load tables that went on for many pages would be murder for me even on a large desktop PC monitor.
Yes, the book is extremely well written (with only a few typos), well organized and informative. I will be showing it to my PCP tomorrow morning.
Ronaldo, you are most welcome. Since the protein powder I recommended is 100% vegan and organic to boot (also carried at Costco, but Amazon's price is lower per pound - which shocked me), I am 100% positive that Mr. Hull would approve. I forgot about the potassium chapter, LOL. I need to re-read the book!
I would urge you to give up the chicken breasts and all meats (including fish), dairy and so on. We have found that vegan organic faux chicken products taste better and are easier to prepare than actual chicken breasts! You have to watch the sodium, but packaged actual chicken breasts also have sodium and most people add sodium on top of that in the cooking process - and don't forget about those AGEs and the acid load of real chicken!
And remember, my great Albumin score of 4.6 came with eating no more than 0.6 grams of protein per Kilogram of weight or an actual Low Protein Diet. I usually ate less than that per day, truth be told - 45-55 grams of protein per day - I started the program at 224 pounds and I'm now 194 pounds. So you don't need to load up on the protein - as a matter of fact 0.8 grams of protein per Kilogram of weight is considered normal protein intake - don't ever go above that. Oatmeal, rice and pasta can also add daily calories so you don't lose weight - just count their small protein intake. And don't forget to give the Kirkland Creamy Almond Butter (Costco or Costco.com) a try.
I hope you do come back to this thread and we can keep it going. I think it's a good thread.
Good job! You give me hope and the fortitude to try the book recommendations. I have read most of his book and now trying to implement the diet. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, shogun. You are welcome. Even I have not yet implemented Mr. Lee Hull's diet a 100% as it is very restrictive. I worked my way into it and I am still doing so. Start by cutting out as much meat, fish, dairy as possible, but maybe treat yourself once in a while - at first. While you keep reviewing his book and reading those Acid Load and AGE tables, cut out a little more of the bad food. I'm still not 100% as I use Coffeemate Italian Sweet Crème in my coffee and have the Kirkland Cookies and Cream Protein Bars (available at Costco.com) a few times per week which are whey based and thus a dairy product. And I had half of that large carne asada burrito (beef) just before my labs. It will haunt me forever! LOL
I just got an email this morning from being on Mr. Hull's email list and... Mr. Hull's diet book is coming out on May 15! This should make meal planning and preparation a lot easier! Good luck.
Hi, everyone! Thank you so much for the great replies and encouragement. I wish you all the best.
Anyway... Mr. Hull is coming out with his companion diet book to Stopping Kidney Disease on May 15! I got an email from being on his email list about it.
When I first replied, I had barely got into the book. I've still not read it all. I skipped over a lot of material in those places where study followed study, many of them addressing the same point. I did the weight and body fat calculations, and figured out how many calories and how much protein I could consume -- 58 grams. That's a little more than two ounces, with one ounce coming from keto acids. I wasn't expecting that. Maybe I made a mistake. Seems like it would be difficult to get protein that low even on a strictly vegetarian regime.
The urine albumin tests and serum vitamin D tests I asked my doctor for came out good. I wasn't too pleased, however, with her reply to my request for a nephrology referral: "I have put both results on portal for you to view they are in normal range and no proteinuria noted on urine test. At this time, no nephrologist referral is needed." We are going to have to have a talk.
Hi, Ronaldo. I first wanted to see how a Vegan diet modified for CKD would help me without taking any Keto supplements. If your numbers look good on a Low Protein Diet following Mr. Hull's guidelines, there is no need to buy Albutrix. Can you do better with Albutrix? I think so, but if you are happy with your numbers why spend the money?
When you wrote that 58 grams of protein is a little more than two ounces with one ounce of Albutrix, that can only mean that the food protein is from meat. I would urge you to get off all meats (including fish and poultry) and dairy and see how that goes at first (pretty much what I did).
As far as your doctor not wanting to refer you to a nephrologist, it's standard practice in the USA not to send you to a nephrologist until you hit Stage 4. By that time tons of kidney damage has been done. And like I wrote above, the renowned nephrologist I went to all those years ago didn't really do anything for me - his whole medical advice to me was to watch the sodium. So I would not worry about that. I would much rather go see a Renal Dietician and see if my numbers improve after the CKD diet recommendation.
Do you mind my asking you to share your numbers? Your lab results? Creatinine level, GFR, age, BUN, albumin, weight?
I just converted 58 grams into ounces. If I get that two ounces of protein from meat, it certainly wouldn't be very filling. It just seemed like a small amount of protein. I guess I was still harboring the illusion that I wouldn't have to go strictly vegetarian. I am going to have to become a lot more familiar with the protein content of fruit and vegetables. How do I combine fruits and vegetables to get all the amino acids while keeping the renal acid load low?
I came across this information and thought it might be of interest to you and others following this thread. thestar.com.my/lifestyle/he...
This segment seemed of particular interest "Keto acids are the equivalents of essential amino acids, but without the nitrogen.They come in pill form, allowing patients to easily consume them. And the lack of nitrogen means that patients can get their supply of amino acids without burdening the kidney with extra urea excretion. In fact, Dr Chong shares that the keto acids will pick up nitrogen in the body to complete their transformation into amino acids, thus, further decreasing the kidneys’ workload."
The article goes on to explain that keto acids are not a substitute but a supplement to protein.
I expect I will be getting Albutrix, but first I'll investigate other keto acid supplements.
My Comp. Metabolic Panel (14) is Glucose 104, Bun 18, Creatinine 1.29, eGFR 53, BUN/Creatinine Ratio 15, Sodium 142, Potassium 4.7, Chloride, Carbon Dioxide, Total23,Calcium 9.3, Protein, Total 6.6, Albumin 4.5,Globuline, Total 2.1, A/G Ratio, Bilirubin, Total 0.4,Alkaline Phosphatase 54, AST (SGOT) 21, ALT SGPT) 13. My Vitamin D level is 33ng/ml. My Urine Microalbumin is <3.0 ug/ml. The only ones outside the reference interval are Glucose, Creatinine, and eGFR. I am 78 years old.
I read the article on Keto supplements. It was an excellent article. Thank you. Here is an excerpt:
Dr Chong notes that the recommended daily protein intake for healthy adults is 0.8g per kilogramme of body weight. “But Malaysians usually take more than 1g per kilogramme – we have a high protein diet.”
He says that CKD patients need to lower their protein intake to 0.6g per kilogramme a day, or even 0.3-0.4g if aggressive management is required. “You really have to cut down a lot.”
I cut my protein down to 0.6 g per KG of weight (considered a Low Protein Diet) and my albumin was a superb 4.6 (Mr. Hull wrote that 4.5 is ideal). So people do not need as much protein as they think. I did NOT take any Keto supplements.
Yes, if you want to follow Mr. Hull's advice and methodology, you will have to give up meats (including fish and poultry) and dairy. There is no way around this, but this will allow you to eat more food to get your protein and you will not go hungry.
To me, your labs look very good - especially at 78 years old. You should first try Mr. Hull's CKD Diet program without Albutrix like I did with a few minor cheats - a little pasta, bread and rice and a good quality protein bar like Kirkland Cookies and Cream Protein Bars (available on Costco.com) - before you spend nearly $2,400 per year on Albutrix. I also got some of my protein (20 grams per day) from the Orgain Organic Vegan protein powder (available on Amazon), which I mixed with real fruit juice (no high fructose corn syrup), frozen berries and ice which is NOT a cheat.
You can also enjoy many delicious fruits and vegetables with a small serving of nuts. So I do not think you will go hungry.
And don't forget daily exercise, drink half of your body weight in water (in fluid ounces, not in pounds, LOL), keep the sodium under 1,000 mg per day, and weight loss if needed!
I hope you take what I am about to write the right way - at 78 years old, after you start eating a lot healthier and improve your already very good labs - you will probably need to live to be over 100 years old before you need Dialysis. So as long as you take care of yourself and continue to take care of yourself, you will be fine.
Let me know how you are doing and how your next set of labs goes.
Got my labs back. Things have definitely improved. My Comp. Metabolic Panel (14) follows (with changes from previous lab noted) Glucose went down from 104 to 98, Bun the same at 18, Creatinine down 1.29 to 1.12, eGFR up 53 to 63, BUN/Creatinine Ratio up 15 to 16, Sodium down 142 to 139, Potassium the same 4.7, Chloride 104, Carbon Dioxide, Total down 23 to 22, Calcium down 9.3 to 9.2, Protein, Total down 6.6 to 6.3, Albumin down 4.5 to 4.3, Globuline, Total down 2.1 to 2.0, A/G Ratio 2.2, Bilirubin, Total up 0.4 to 0.6, Alkaline Phosphatase down 54 to 52, AST (SGOT) up 21 to 22, ALT SGPT) down 13 to 12. Urinalysis - everything within range except Ketones - Result: Trace, Flag: Abnormal. I was a bit surprised at the trace of ketones since I am eating the lowest protein, highest vegetable diet of my life, but it doesn't appear to be particularly significant.
I have gradually cut my protein to 45 grams daily, and consider myself at least 85% compliant. Another thank you to Lee Hull.
I didn't realize how expensive the Albutrix is. I checked other Ketoacid analogs, but they're equally or more expensive. I'll be trying just the low protein route for now. There are numerous protein bars available, but many of them are loaded with salt. Kind Bars have a low sodium choice. Taste pretty good too, but not very much protein. I want a good vegetable protein powder. I'll check out your suggestion. The pea protein powders look pretty good. Some of the veggy powders combine the type of protein, like pea and rice -- a lot of choices.
Hi, Ronaldo. Albutrix is the least expensive Keto supplement with the nitrogen removed and it is sold by someone trustworthy in the USA. Like I wrote to Marvin, no other protein bar comes close to Kirkland Protein Cookies and Cream protein bars - 190 calories, 170 grams of sodium, 2 grams of sugar, 3 grams net carbs, 50 grams of potassium, 22 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber as a bonus - they are whey based so it's a small amount of dairy. They are available at Costco.com. I would strongly recommend these.
The Orgain powder (actually cheaper by the pound at Amazon than Costco! - especially with the Amazon online coupons) was the best Vegan Organic protein I could find at the best price. Costco also carries a 6 pack of 32 oz Almond Milk for $8.99 which I will be trying soon - the best price I could find. It's much healthier to add very low sugar Almond Milk to smoothies than high fructose fruit juice.
I liked the price and the ingredients on the Orgain powder, but decided on Garden of Life Sport Organic Plant Based Protein Powder in vanilla flavor. It's a bit more expensive, but the deciding factor was the sodium content. Orgain labels their product at 180mg but, in 2018, Consumer Labs tested it at 325.8 mg of sodium per serving. Garden of Life has 80 mg of sodium per serving. I worked to get my blood pressure down, and I'm almost paranoid about sodium. I also ordered The Complete Book of Food Counts, 9th Edition : The Book That Counts It All (142020785339 ) from Ebay. This appears to be the most complete book on food content and is a little cheaper on Ebay.
YES!!! You have NO idea how happy your post just made me feel. I was a bit of a rebel at Christmas 2018 and went on the Atkins diet. I also trained three times a day. Twice with CrossFit and once running. Lost 25 lbs. Also, clearly not drinking enough water. 3 months ago at my kidney clinic appointment my results were 13% function. And the slight side of high for potassium. I knew right away the results were so bad because I a) did the Atkins b) tore muscle on the daily c) ignored water. I knew better too. So I’m trying to explain to the team what happened. They sent me home with the food lists which I have followed mostly faithfully. Increased my fibre to over 35 g per day. Got totally on top of the water situation and limited my protein to 80 g per day preferably non meat sourced. (I’ll have tiny amounts of chicken and cheese). I go back on June 20 and I am hoping that these changes reflect a better number. I’ve limited myself to one CrossFit workout per day and I maintain the same weights I don’t add heavier to reduce/eliminate the muscle waste. So yes this was wordy but you have made me feel so much better. Thank you. And I’m ordering that book tonight.
Hi, CrossFitAngie. You are welcome and thank you for the encouragement. Sorry I missed your post. I missed the email notification; I came back because of the post from Playnejane and its email notification. I hope your labs improved on June 20.
Congratulations on your new approach and your weight loss and I am sure your muscle gain.
Although, I am no expert, the Atkins diet (lots of meats, fish and dairy), strenuous exercise and de-hydration make up the perfect storm for poor and inaccurate lab results.
The only thing I would question about your new approach after reading Stopping Kidney Disease is the 80 grams of protein per day. On a Low Protein Diet it's 0.6 grams of protein per Kilogram of weight. Normal Protein Diet is 0.8 grams of protein per Kilogram of weight.
This is exciting news, Beckett 24! The timing in your story mirrors mine. I had a "bad" blood test result in April. (Creatinine 1.88, eGFR 29) Found Lee's book, have been eating a vegan diet since. Just had a blood draw yesterday and will have to wait until Monday for the results. I truly hope they are similar to yours! Fingers are firmly crossed.
Hi, Playnejayne. Thank you for the encouragement. I have my second set of labs on 7/18/2019. My only "mistakes" are the Kirkland whey based protein bars a few times oer week, and several servings of cheese over the past three months. So I am still about 80% vegan and 20% vegetarian, but I am only human.
Good luck on your labs and let us know how they go. I am sure they will improve.
Will do! Yeah, it's challenging to eat out especially. Over the almost 3 months I've had salmon once and fish and chips once as well as two shrimp off my husbands plate! I thought cheese would be my downfall - but it's not as hard to stay away from as I thought it would be. I'll get back to you when I hear my results....BTW, I bought Lee Hull's SKD Food Guide. Only glanced through it so far. Looks interesting.
I am part way through reading Mr Hulls book and also very interested in this thread. It may become clearer as I read more of the book but I have a question. If us CKD patients need to reduce protein intake why are you taking protein supplements? I’m imagine it’s making sure we get the right sort of protein
It depends on how much protein you are taking in. On a Low Protein Diet of 0.6 grams of protein per KG of weight, I am not taking any supplements and my albumin is fine at 4.6. If I were doing a Very Low Protein Diet of 0.4 grams of protein per KG of weight, I imagine I would need supplements.
Most Americans take in way too much protein for their body weight to begin with. Also, the TYPE of protein is crucial, not just how much you consume.
I'm not eating real chicken, I am eating faux-chicken or fake chicken, a vegan chicken less, meat less product that tastes like chicken.
Since rice and oatmeal are still vegan, I occasionally eat those in small quantities. It's way better to do the program at the 98% level than not to do it at all, hence my eating an occasional Kirkland protein bar which is a dairy product. The main thing is to cut out the real meats (any type of meat from any creature) and dairy.
Hi, Artbyrd. Don't think of it as a diet or you will never stay on it for long. This is the way you must eat for the rest of your life if you want to manage your CKD. There is a lot of great food you can still eat after you give up meat and dairy. Try the vegan faux meat products as a treat, just watch the sodium for the rest of the day when you have one of them. Good luck.
You are misinterpreting the life expectancy in the table. All that means is that on average a 65 year old with stage 3b would have another 7.8 years life expectancy on average. Someone with no ckd at that age has an average of about 11 years. It certainly does not mean that 95 percent of people at stage 3b ckd at age 65 only have 7.8 years left.
Hi Jason again, you seem to be doing really well! I have been a bit up and down I'm afraid, possibly because in the last month I have slipped a bit with the vegan diet!
I have been having blood samples taken every 6 weeks, the first two I had improved and was back in 3a territory with a GFR of 48, the next one I stayed the same but the latest one , last week, I had deteriorated and was back in 3b with a GFR of 42! Apart from the creatinine, all other tests were bang in the middle of normal range - BUN, urea, albumin, protein, globulin - these have always been spot on, and a protein in urine sample was also correct.
So back to keeping strictly to the vegan diet for the next few months, I'll keep you posted.
I got the cookbook! I was vegan when I was young and then had some iron deficiency. I’m hoping that the change in diet away from meat will help as I have been uncomfortable from kidney difficulties lately.
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thank you for sharing your story! 
Does stage 3 ckd always progress to ESRD.
27 years old male, CKD stage 2 at 82. How long it can be predicted to preserve my kidney status at stage 2?
Lee Hull Book
Perplexed at GFR decrease after month of changes????
