Confusing diet

[Suzie1995]

I went private to see a dietician and she said to eat meat fish 3 times a week and tbe other 4 days hsve a plant based diet ..vegetarian...but I have found out lentils ..soya etc hsve a high level of potassuim. The dietician also said low salt and low protein so have been looking at foods with that content in but the potassuim levels aren't great. Finding it very confusing ..any help would be great ....

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

Hi Suzie, Yes, it is very difficult when the potassium levels are elevated. I do not eat soy or lentils because of that as well. So limiting protein is a goal. And eating it 3 times a week is a good way and then having only veggies 4 days is great. But, sticking to that with the limited amount of what you can eat is the trick.

So try having vegetables in the forms that you would for meat. Examples are to have cauliflower steaks, mushroom as a burger, and carrots grilled as hot dogs. Fortunately I love big salads. I add things like apples, pears and strawberries for variety to a tossed salad. If weight or diabetes is not an issue for you, pasta is a great extender of veggie meals. Try making you own veggie based soups. Look at some of your favorite casserole dishes and see if you can make them with out meat.

Hope this helps.

[Suzie1995 in reply to Bassetmommer]

Ah thank you that helps alot ....

[Bet117 NKF Ambassador in reply to Suzie1995]

Hi Suzie,

Bassetmommer gave you some great insight.

I have been plant based for a number of years Now and love it.

I cook similarly to her, and do not eat tofu, frozen plant based creations etc. I I also use my veggies in a creative manner.

Give your RD a call and discuss the possibility of eating hummus ( but watch the salt as some brands have more than others)

I eat it on toast, with salad, dip cukes in it as well.

I also add peas and have asked about quantities of kidney beans - ask.

Here are a couple of links to help.

apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/in...

kidney.org/atoz/content/pot...

Hope this helps!

Bet

[orangecity41 NKF Ambassador in reply to Bet117]

I do eat some of those items listed high potassium, but limit my amount and track and plan what I eat for potassium, sodium, phosphorus and protein, as my blood work was out of range consistently for these, before my diet. Some of these foods have good nutrition content .

[Amrellessy66]

Surely she must have told you how much meat every time? Stay away from the pulses , lentils etc.

Best veggies are cauliflower, limited broccoli, egg plant.

Fruits : strawberries , blueberries , blackberries

Stay away from kiwis, bananas& avocadoes.oranges & all citrus fruits . Limited watermelon

If you have access to Utube watch Dadvice, he’s a kidney patient & very helpful.

Drink water with a slice of orange in it for flavour.

The kidney website DaVita is also very helpful.

[Allank]

great advice above. Not everyone has to watch their potassium, sodium and phosphorus levels. Of course we need to eat healthy , avoiding processed foods. The difficulty with a renal diet is sticking to quantities , as suggested check with your dietician how much protein per day - if I remember the main concern is animal protein because it has creatinine - you can have . Usually grams per your kg weight - kidneyhi.org/dietitian-blog... can check in a nutrition index how much protein there is in chicken etc . The truth is we need to check we are getting the daily vitamins, minerals, fats and proteins. I hope this helps

[orangecity41 NKF Ambassador in reply to Allank]

I agree , that is important to check to see we are getting the nutrients we need.

[Andreli]

Hi Suzie. Its amazing how much amateurish information is around to confuse and take unfair advantage of people like you and me. I was diagnosed with aggressive CKD and my eGFR dropped to 18 two years ago, now is ~60. I had to educate myself and to stop listening to doctors and dietitians. Its waste of time and money, lots of money.Ask yourself question. Who knows better what's needed...your body of a half educated dietitians with a worthlessness certificate?Educate yourself, your body has phenomenal ability to repair itself. Eat all food, cook your own but use products from clean, healthy sources; avoid sugar, vegetable oils and wheat.

Exercise, meditate, practice yoga regularly.

Your main goal is to minimise body's inflammation.

Good luck.

Andre

[drmind]

Assembling kidney friendly meals can be confusing. But. I believe the key to being successful rests with considering (1) the CKD stage youre in PLUS (2) your lab results. First tbe stage youre in may dictate what you can or cannot eat. Second, you may have to restrict some elements (sodium, potassium, etc) if your labs show them not to be on the normal range.

So, other than generalities, I believe there is no one renal diet that may fit everyone. I believe a good renal diet is a highly specific one that considers your CKD stage and also works to reduce any abnormalities that show up in your lab reorts. It can get fairly complex and I think getting the help of a good renal dietitian who helps with meal plans is a blessing.

The best of luck with assembling a good, helpful meal plan for yourself. Keep us posted.

[Darlenia in reply to drmind]

Appreciate this reply. Lab reports should always drive the direction of diets. Numbers should always be kept in the normal range whenever possible. It's possible that certain electrolyte levels, such as potassium, can be fine. Indeed, there is no one renal diet that fits everyone. Oversight is needed. Thank you.

[Bet117 NKF Ambassador in reply to Darlenia]

Hi Darlena. Totally agree with you and Allank, what you eat depends on your labs as we are all different and have different needs.

Labs and discussion with my nephro and PCP and a note to the RD

If they clear it and portion size, add it.

Bet 😊

[DEZIN]

Fresh vegetables, no lentels or beans. no asparagus. for me. You have to check eachitem that you like for sodium and possible phosphate levels. You just have to be

diligent for your health needs it is very personalize depending on your test results.

For me I have high uric acid so my limitations are more severe. I cannot even have

fish. Just think of it as adding years to your life if you do all you can to protect your

kidney.

[orangecity41 NKF Ambassador in reply to DEZIN]

I too have high uric acid level, and take a prescribed medicine for it plus watch my diet.

[GonetotheBeach]

Hi Suzie I also recommend using the app MyFitnessPal if you're not already doing so to keep track of the levels of protein and other elements of your diet. It has a nutrition calculator which can help guide your food choices. For example, I was very surprised to see how little protein was recommended by my renal dietitian but that it was possible to eat a lot of certain veggies and fruits with no negative impact.

[Suzie1995 in reply to GonetotheBeach]

Ah thank you I will look at that

[Halebopp]

It’s important to know what stage of CKD you are in, have regular labs, see your nephrologist & have a meeting with a registered dietitian. One thing I didn’t see anyone mention is fiber. That’s a very important part of any food plan. High fiber foods may also have higher potassium & phosphorus, but the fiber binds with those elements & washes some of it out of your body. I have CKD stage 3 & I eat pretty much what I want, including beans, lentils, sweet potatoes, & some of the other high potassium foods. My CKD has been stable for several years & is slightly improved. I eat almost no meat & very little dairy or eggs. Ongoing research has shown that a mostly plant based diet is healthiest for CKD patients. So keep tabs on your labs, keep involved with your nephrologist & registered dietitian, & follow the legitimate research that is being done.

[apopnj01 in reply to Halebopp]

Also have ot keep in mind most CKD do not progress

[Suzie1995 in reply to Halebopp]

Thank you for your reply ..trouble is my doctor will not refer me to.a dietician I am in the uk..she says I am stable .I had to go private for a dietician

[apopnj01]

Go here: facebook.com/groups/natural...

they have done wonders for people and 100's of stories of people being on dialysis and coming off from it - plant based approach and they have all the recipes and stuff to eat in the files