Ok, so I started to change my "plant-based" diet the other day, according to what a renal dietitian on YouTube said about protein intake. She said "0.6 to 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight"
I started counting, but every day, before I even have my dinner, it reaches the limits! Especially when I have legumes like beans and lentils. I'm really having very small meals these days, and it makes me feel like I'm starting!
I had lost about 20 pounds last year before this new diet and I'm now very thin! I'm sure if I continue with this diet I'll soon turn into a walking skeleton!
Unfortunately, we don't have renal dietitians where I live, and the general dietitian I visited didn't really help much. She only advised me to cut down on sugar, salt, meat, and dairy products...
What do you think I should do?! I don't really wanna lose more weight cause I never was overweight. Even when I worked out I was at best 160 lbs (5'11 tall) And now I'm only 140 lbs!
Should I also stop having legumes?
Seems like if I really wanna stick to this "0.6-0.8 g/kg" rule, I'll have to live on fruits and vegetables only?! And rice?
Thanks a lot 😊
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Sharam
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So with any diet, it is individualized. You may need more fat in your diet. Nuts, nut butters, avocados are all good sources of fats for PB diets. Adding olive oil to foods is another way to add calories. You can get flavored olive oil too (or make your own). Adding more grains will bulk up your diet without as much protein. I do not eat many beans or legumes for the potassium and their high protein. I have a limited calorie diet too whihc make it even more interesting. When picking foods, look at the calories bang for the buck as well as the other items such as potassium and or protein. Since weight is you issue, maybe more rice and pasta is a great thing for you. Carbs are great calorie builders.
Oh, geat! I had forgotten about grains! Yeah, I think I have to switch to rice and pasta! I really love beans though, I'm gonna miss them lolThank you so much for your very helpful comment! 😊
Unless you have issue with your potassium you don't need to be restrictive. It's a very important electrolytes. The amount of protein you need to restrict yourself to also depend of what stage you are at, your issues and so on.
Do you have access to registered dietician? They are 2nd best to a renal dietician, just as scientific but a bit less specialized. It's not uncommon to have them list kidney disease as their area of interest.
Thank you very much for the reply. Well, everything else is normal except for creatinine 1.3 (still in the normal range but showing a decline in kidney function)
I started a plant-based diet 7 months ago, but it kept going up (from 1.2)
But I didn't really restrict my daily protein intake back then thinking it was plant-based and wouldn't cause any harm...
Then I decided to make changes again and stick to the 0.6-0.8 g/kgbw rule.
Well, the dietitian I visited was a registered dietitian but she only repeated what my nephrologists said. Cutting down on sugar, salt, meat and dairy products. She believes I don't need a plant-based diet at this stage... Maybe I should find another dietitian lol
Yeah, but apparently it has too much protein (more than 20g in 100g)Almost everything has some amount of protein. So sticking to 0.6-0.8 g/kgbw (which almost every website like davita and kidney.org suggests) means I should only have 45g of protein every day!
I would write down what you are eating and run it by your doctor. My nephrologist has given me great suggestions.
Chia Seeds in my morning yogurt. Quinoa which you can add sauteed veggies, spices, and beans. You can add low sodium broth ( read sodium content or buy sodium free bouillon) to give it extra flavor.
We eat pasta and veggie pasta with lots of sauteed veggies. Add garlic, spices and warm olive oil.
Have you tried the "Full Green" range of riced vegetables? Very tasty & healthy. Lower white in carbs than white rice, grain free, gluten free & GMO free.
Hi Sharam!My husband had the same struggles you are having. He was restricting protein and all kinds of food but was losing to much weight.
Although his doctor never recommended any type of diet we were still scared. My husband has not officially been diagnosed with kidney disease but his GFR is 75 and he is 45 years old. We ended up paying a private consultation with the Reno dietitian and he took his lab work. The dietitian did not recommend a restricted diet just a clean way of eating. Basically no processed foods low in sodium and just not exceeding the daily recommendations of a regular diet. He doesn’t eat red meat at all and Tries to limit the protein intake to chicken turkey and fish only. He eats lots of fruits fresh vegetables salads will have a potato once a week and also enjoys rice and pasta. This is all he recommended for him and it’s been working fine GFR has been holding steady at 75 for about four years now. Like I said he has never been diagnosed but it doesn’t hurt to take care of himself. Good luck on Your diet.
My gfr is also at 70's (actually 73 according to 2021 creatinine-based equation and 80 according to cystatin c-creatinine equation) I've talked to three nephrologists. One believed there was nothing wrong with me. One said it might be ckd but a mild case. The other said it is ckd but too mild to be worried about. But when I compare my lab reports and see the changes over the years, there seems to be something wrong! My gfr was above 120, ten years ago... It was 95, 6 years ago. 85 two years ago. 80 last year, and 73 a few weeks ago! (They're all creatinine-based not cystatin c)
So I can't really ignore this, especially when I see people on this forum talking about how their doctors never told them anything about gfr just because their numbers were above 60!
I guess for now all I can do is make some changes diet wise, to see if I can save my kidney function!
The best thing for you to do is ask your doctor to refer you to a live dietician that can create an individualized meal plan. This way you wont go over or under your recommended intake.
How do you know the person on you tube was qualified to give advice ? If I were you I'd ask to speak to a dietician in your Renal Unit as the advice to me was no need to diet. I'm not diabetic, don't have high blood pressure and am of normal weight, my blood results for potassium etc were good just my kidneys don't work well. So I eat normally and healthily (I dislike that expression as what does it really mean ?) my results apart from GFR are good and my GFR has gone from 8 to 27 in the past nearly two years. I eat meat in moderation and probably too much chocolate but stress that you need to speak to someone trained and qualified to give you advice as that may not be the same as other peoples as it may depend on your kidney problems or other associated health issues.
Well, I did a quick search (Michele Crosmer) and found her name on a few websites. She also has her own website. You're right and the diet should be individualized. Unfortunately, here where I live we only have registered dietitians but not renal dietitians. So, I'm thinking about talking to an online renal dietitians.
I'm coming into this discussion late, but do you know why your GFR is decreasing? Or at least does your nephrologist have a good idea? It seems as if you're starving yourself without a solid cause. First of all, I believe plant protein is processed differently by the kidneys than animal protein. Secondly, you're not going to stay with any diet that is so harsh and debilitating.
Yes, your numbers "can" be scary, but were any of those numbers stabilized with several trials? If you have no idea why you have CKD, then try to find out and fix that before jumping only on a severe diet. Then, go slow with a diet. And, those protein numbers should be established for you at your "stage." Hoping you can eventually consult with a renal dietitian and a helpful neurologist. Once you get some solid advice then go slowly with a diet. Make changes gradually as you check on your progress. Dont eliminate things all at once. Instead do it slowly. I'm afraid that you'll be sick from malnutrition before kidney issues. And, did you know stress also contributes to poor kidney functioning? It's best to work on that, too. I wish you the best and want to hear from you as you travel this road with us.
That's actually the problem...The nephrologists never really told me what has caused this. Just some guesses. I don't usually have high blood pressure. It only high when I feel anxious (it always happens at the doctor's office and when I see the sphygmomanometer! Lol)
One of the nephrologists said my kidney problem could be caused by inflammation. Because my C3 and C4 were a little low (but not too low. Close to low normal) I have ITP and she said whatever has caused your ITP can be the culprit. She didn't say anything about the treatment and told me to talk to my hematologist. And my nephrologist says besides ITP I have no other blood problem. He told me to talk to my nephrologist about my kidney function! I'm kinda confused...
Unfortunately my doctors hardly answer my questions and listen to what I say...
I kept saying that I didn't have high blood pressure until I started taking it twice a day Then, I realized that it was high more than I realized. An adjustment was made and my BP became more stable. So sorry that you're not getting the help you need from your doctors. I finally found a great nephrologist after having one that never listened. The new one has advised me to eat only two meals a week with animal protein (meat, fish, eggs, or dairy).Furthermore, He said not to worry about plant protein even those few vegetables that are complete proteins. He stressed vegetarian meals for the rest of the week. But, this advice is only FOR ME AND MY LABS. And, my lab results are showing small improvements from the advice he is giving
Hopefully, you can find a doctor who will listen and advise you well.
I think your doctors may not be listening to you because they're dealing with kidney patients far worst off than you. But, your concerns are real and should be addressed. They shouldn't ignore you for being proactive. Keep asking them.
You're right. It's more complicated than that. I just think so because I have a fear of seeing high readings! I become very anxious and can feel my heart beating faster and faster when I have it on. my heart beat is usually around 60. But the sphygmomanometer shows 80 and higher! I remember once after taking my bp at home for a few times (130-135 / 80-85) I just lay down and closed my eyes for a minute and then did it again. It was 117/75... So, I'm kinda afraid if I take blood pressure medication, it might be dangerous. I read somewhere that a sudden drop in BP can be life-threatening even. My doctor never suggested 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring which is supposed to be a normal procedure in my case...But the next time my doctor puts me on bp medication, I'll take it anyway...
Am I understanding what you said that your doctor put you on BP medication and you're not taking it? I'm thinking this may not be the best thing for you to do. If you're not listening to your doctor maybe that's why they're not listening to you.
My nephrologist has asked me take my BP twice a day (morning and evening), keep a record of results, and bring the results to him at each of my six week visits. This allows him to see if my BP is stable and if it needs any adjustments. It has also allowed me to see how my BP fluctuates during periods of stress and/or relaxation. Taking it once as you do after "a one minute" rest is not the best way to measure your bp.
I was advised to take my bp properly, i should sit down quietly for about 15 minutes, feet flat on floor, with arm measuring bp resting on a table.
But, Right now, it's my impression that your anxiery about your health is so intense that it may be interfering with how youre managing it. Please consider sharing your stress with a counselor who may be able to help. They are trained to listen and can guide you accordingly. Worry and stress may be a major factor in your medical picture and probably needs to be reduced before you get in a healthier situation. Sending lots of good wishes and positive thoughts. Keep us posted.
Well, she put me on bp medication and after I told her about my anxiety and asked her if it could be the cause of my high bp she said it could be and told me to stop taking it if it made me feel worse. It actually made me feel more dizzy and I stopped taking it. I'm not really sure if it was because of the pill or not, cause I almost always feel a bit dizzy. It sometimes gets worse. I've talked to my nephrologist about it before but she didn't seem to care. My hematologist also never cared... I've had this head pressure and lightheadedness for about six years (when my ITP started) Doctors only prescribed vitamins but they never worked... I sometimes feel like it's a migraine cause I have many of the symptoms... Five years ago my neurologist said I had tension headaches and prescribed some pills.. They didn't do much (who knows maybe those pills did something to my kidneys hahaha)
Another doctor thought it was sinusitis and prescribed antibiotics. They didn't help...
I've visited many doctors but they always refer me to other doctors... My nephrologist refers me to my hematologist, and my hematologist refers me to my nephrologist. (I feel like a ball being passed constantly and no one seems to wanna score a goal lol)
I sometimes think all these symptoms are connected in some way... How come they all started together?! But whenever I tell my doctors about it they just ignore it...
I'm pretty sure my ITP started after an infection (a virus maybe) cause I had swollen lymph nodes just before I got the blood test and then it turned out that my platelet count was low... I asked my hematologist about whether an infection had been the culprit and he said it was possible. I don't know why he didn't even bother to check what infection! I read somewhere that sometimes infections can cause kidney damage so I asked my nephrologist. But she ignored what I said.
I don't know maybe I'm overthinking... I think doctors should explain more about their patients' conditions... Replying with "Yes" and "No" only, doesn't make me feel better... That's why I'm trying to find another doctor...
I've been actually thinking about going to a therapist for my anxiety...
The bad thing is, most of the medicines they prescribe to reduce anxiety are bad for the kidneys! That's getting complicated... 😅
Yes, anxiety can cause high BP and this causes CKD. I went to my doctor and was told I had CKD (Stage3A). Immediately after she took my BP and it was high. So, she said this was the reason for my CKD. Put my high blood pressure medication and my GFR dropped to Stage 4. I went to a nephrologist and he said "the doctor did this to you". Meaning I never really had high blood pressure, more "white coat" syndrome. I was given BP medications which caused my blood pressure to go to low. Consequently, put me in "acute kidney" failure. My numbers came back to near normal, I am 72 years old, doctors tell me they are not worried. General practitioners should not be diagnosing CKD. Before taking any BP medications people should see a nephrologist. I can't even sue my doctor because he is my X son in law and lawyers won't take the case.
That's exactly what I'm afraid of.I read somewhere that very low blood pressure can also cause kidney damage. Prescribing BP medication without considering the patient's anxiety at the office or things like white coat hypertension can be very dangerous... I'm not 100 sure if I don't have hypertension now, it's just a guess based on how I feel when I take my bp. (my heart rate goes up and I feel anxious) Usually after 5 or 6 readings it goes down, very close to normal (like 125/82)
But I'll probably take the medication if another nephrologist tells me to...
I think at this point I really need to visit a therapist for my anxiety...
Yes it is caused by inflammation, she/she was correct. Every time you eat cooked foods your body has an immune response. High fruit is the answer when you really want to heal.
I was told by my doctor to eat 3 oz of meat per a meal, or the size of your palm. But this is not medical advice as I am not a doctor. You can also select a renal dietician and do telehealth with her/him. I am searching for a renal dietician right now through the NKF and PKD foundation and will share what I learn if they respond to my emails. Jen Hernandez from Plant Powered KIdneys has a meal planning course for early kidney stages. I am stage 4 and do not qualify. Being positive. Have a good day! BB
If it is plant protein I don't even worry about it. As long as I am not spilling it. Rice noodles and rice flour has little protein and good substitute as well. I like tofu too.
No becaisecunless you are really good at reasearchingcthe individual amino acids in wachxvegerable and combing different vegetables to get all essential 8 amino acids to get a complete protien then you will fall short. Keep up what you are doing. You may have to add some more calorie dense good fats like a avocado or even small amounts of dairy provided that you watch your total intake of phosphorus. You may add olive oil or avocado oit to your cooking or dressings. You are too thin. What stage kidney disease are you? They will filter the proteins tou are eating still.
Thank you for the comment. I'm stage 2 (gfr 74 / cystatin c-creatinine gfr is 81 though)
No proteinuria apparently! My last year's 24h urine sample had 45 mg protein and the PCR was 0.05. Haven't had a 24h urine test this year but the spot test was negative (no albumin)... Except for the creatinine and C3 and C4, almost everything is normal.
I'm just trying to slow down the progression as as far as I can, and postpone the possible future complications... I read a lot of articles on accredited websites to see what I can do. But I'll definitely talk to a renal dietitian soon. Cause it sometimes gets more complicated than I expect.
You are fine eating your legumes. Your function ain't THAT bad. Combining your legumes and rice will make complete protien. your phospherous intake should be limited to 700 to 800 mg a day and your potassium daily intake should be in the 2000 to 2500mg range.
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