What’s safe to eat?

[Rock9663]

I see potassium and phosphorus are to be avoided. But spinach, sweet potatoes, bananas, avocados, etc. are fully of them. So, how can I eat a balanced diet?

[Julesboz]

Hi there, do your blood tests indicate you need to avoid potassium? When I was diagnosed I looked online and saw all sorts of ‘kidney friendly’ diet advice that advocated avoiding potassium (and other things) but when I saw a dietician, who checked my blood test results, it turned out I was actually very low in potassium and should not avoid it otherwise I’d become deficient. Everyone is different. Please be wary of cutting out entire food groups from your diet unless your blood results indicate you need to and speak to a dietician. However, the general rules that apply to everyone who has CKD are avoid salt, processed foods and fizzy drinks. Reduce red meat and dairy. Eat plenty of whole fresh foods including lots of veg and drink lots of water. Reduce alcohol and avoid medications that damage kidneys like NSAIDs. For anyone with stage 3 CKD that is normally enough and what a lot of people have been told by dieticians.

[Rock9663 in reply to Julesboz]

Great advice, I get to go over the blood work with the doctor today.

[RickHow]

A renal diet is not one size fits all. You need your blood tested to see what you lacking or what is normal. You should NOT just automatically eliminate potassium and phosphorus from your diet. Your body needs theses. So if your values are normal, continue what you are doing. If high, then watch your consumption. But if you automatically just cut these things from your diet, you may very well be hearing your doctor yell at your next appointment, that your levels are too low.

[Rock9663 in reply to RickHow]

Thanks for the advice, I will check with my doctor today.

[orangecity41 in reply to RickHow]

agree with your reply that one size does not fit all. At first I was not potassium restricted as blood work was ok for it, but later bloodwork showed i needed to cut back on potassium, so received a different diet.

[MAS_Nurse]

Hi Rock9663,

You have had some great replies from the community. Maybe you might find this following information helpful about Healthy eating for kidney patients: kidneyresearchuk.org/health...

It may also help to ask your GP or nephrologist to refer you to see a renal dietician to discuss your concerns.

Best wishes,

MAS Nurse and Moderator

[Rock9663 in reply to MAS_Nurse]

Yes the help here has been tremendous. I will check out the site and ask the Nephrologist for a dietitian. Thank you .