high carbs or low carbs

[Radars]

I have read a lot regarding low carbs been the way to go, but I can't do that I need the calories anyone else similar. and I need protein because I also have osteoporosis.

[orangecity41 NKF Ambassador]

Has your Doctor given you an appropriate CKD diet based on bloodwork and conditions. which appear as we age. So adjustments worked for me.

[Radars in reply to orangecity41]

nothing, I said to gp surely you will have to get on top of it as early as possible he said not yet, I came out of that surgery no wiser.i have been reading about a guy's experience on dialysis not good, if and when I reach that stage I will refuse it full stop.

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

See Orangecity's response. He is correct. But just short note. Depends on you level of kidney disease. Protein is necessary for muscle, brain and other body functions. Stage 2 and 3, no worries but keep it under 100grams. It also depends on the type. Red meat in general is terrible for your health no matter what. Lean red meat once in a while, ok. As you progress to stage 4, less protein, stage 5 even less protein is advised. Unless you have your doctor prescribe it for other conditions. This is why need to check with your medical team.

[Radars in reply to Bassetmommer]

saw gp last week I asked about some treatment and he said no need yet, the gp I saw about a month ago said that the renal team think it was my higher blood pressure that's causing proteinuria but they are not concerned yet, I complained to the gp last week regarding my irregular heart beats and the shuddering and throbbing sensations I am still getting but he said not to worry about them, but I do worry about them surely if it's my blood pressure I should have treatment to help slow proteinuria down as early as possible.

[drmind in reply to Radars]

Sounds as if you need a second opinion.

[jodaer]

For what it's worth I had proteinuria for several years before I was diagnosed with CKD. Also yes, dialysis can be a B**** but it also might not be. Listen to other stories before you make up your mind.

[lowraind]

Mathea Ford, RD/LD has written several short books. I have used Living with Chronic Kidney Disease-Pre-Dialysis and Create Your Own Kidney Diet Plan which I found very helpful. I was diagnosed in 2017 and am holding steady. I know doctors often say you are not bad enough to worry about yet. My own feelings are, if I do now what they want me to do when I am "bad" enough, I may never get bad enough.

[horsie63]

I'm underweight after a 2 month hospital stay so I eat all the high calorie food I can get. Since I'm on hemodialysis I have to eat more protein also. I get labs every month and adjust diet as needed.

[Whitetail66]

Here is my advice for (imo) the most important thing you can do for nutritional concerns and your kidney health. While it doesn’t directly address your protein/carbohydrate question, I feel that my reply is important for the overall picture of your health, and thusly, your kidney function. If you already do what I discuss, that’s fantastic! If not, please read my short novel, and if anyone else on here finds this helpful, great. Take it or leave it for what it is, but it comes from the heart. I truly believe that WE must be our own, best healthcare advocate.

We all know that CKD is basically inflammation in the kidneys that kill the tiny filters that filter out the toxins in our body reducing the kidneys function. This novel addresses that issue specifically with nutrition and diet, and the paramount importance of being as serious as possible about it.

My best advice (if you haven’t already) is to make sure that you are doing everything to be as healthy as possible with diet and water intake/hydration. Track your nutritional intake daily, and by that, I mean COMPLETELY track it. I use the Cronometer app which I love, and it was eye opening as to what nutrition I was getting daily, and more importantly, what I was getting too little of, or too much of. I switched my diet from the ’typical’ person’s diet (which has processed foods/drinks), to removing ALL processed foods and preparing everything I eat from whole ingredients. As organic/natural as humanly possible. I measure every ingredient that I use in preparing my food by weight. I got rid of the processed table salt and use nothing but Himalayan pink sea salt and Celtic salt, which are actually way better for your body than the white/processed table salt. Ideally, you want to be eating a whole food diet- nothing processed that has ANY ingredient that is not a naturally occurring ingredient. Inflammation is the main cause of chronic illnesses (especially ckd), so anything that has sodium in the ingredient label is terrible for inflammation (unless it is specifically an unprocessed salt like Himalayan sea salt, or better yet, Celtic sea salt). Try focusing on an anti-inflammatory diet. Certain foods actually are anti-inflammatory in nature, which benefit the kidneys. I got rid of all bread products from my diet, as that stuff is horrible for you (unless it’s homemade and not processed). I heard a doctor say, “If your great, great grandmother wouldn’t recognize the ingredient, don’t eat it!” He’s correct (Although, great, great grandma probably used table salt, as that was the only salt available at the time). With the Cronometer app, I can track my nutritional and liquid intake and adjust accordingly as needed. I can create my own recipes, and add nutritional information to a product that doesn’t include the nutritional information on the products label. Example- Cameron’s coffee didn’t have any caffeine amount listed, but I contacted Cameron’s and they sent me the information I asked for (potassium, phosphorous, sodium, and caffeine content), and I created my own custom beverage item. You can also use a barcode scanner on the mobile app while shopping to see nutritional information for a product, and add it to your diary. I was amazed at the nutrients that I was deficient of that are critical for your body to function properly. Even now, with eating a whole, natural food diet, I is still a struggle to hit the 100% mark on everything, which is why I do believe that supplements are a necessity to a degree. But how to get the supplements you need in the right amount might be a challenge. I will look into the supplement issue when I feel like I have my diet better dialed in, and research them at that point if I feel it’s necessary. I also take the Benefiber powder three times a day, as my nephrologist said that fiber is fantastic for your kidneys. With the Benefiber powder, I don’t need to worry about the amount of phosphorous, potassium I’m taking in as there are none, while trying to get a good amount of fiber daily. Plus, it’s tasteless and dissolves well in water, and can be put on your food without noticing it’s there.

While I’m still new to this new lifestyle of eating (about a month), I can already feel a big difference. My body/muscles aren’t nearly as sore/achy as before I started, my energy has improved (I was struggling with that a lot), and where I could feel pain in my kidneys from my kidneys being inflamed (or more accurately, pain in the sack surrounding the kidneys because my kidneys were inflammed), there is no longer any pain/tenderness. My BP has also gotten better since starting this lifestyle, with hopes that I can get off of my BP meds all together someday. There are some great videos on salt and how the different types affect the body on the molecular level. It covers what the processed salt (aka, table salt) that is in almost EVERYTHING on the store shelves does to the bodies cells, and exactly how it causes inflammation. It’s quite fascinating. I can provide you a link if you would like to watch it. I also believe that it is up to us to figure these things out, as GPs and nephrologists don’t seem to offer any real nutritional guidance, and a renal dietician isn’t covered by my insurance until I’m end stage (Which I am trying to avoid at all costs!). I will be setting up an appointment with a dietician in hopes that they can help me figure out this often confusing nutritional ‘maze’ that I’m trying to navigate.

So, I hope you didn’t fall asleep reading this reply.😁 This lifestyle change is difficult to implement, but imo, it’s critical to do for your kidneys/overall health, and well worth it. I hope this helps you, or anyone who reads it. If someone finds just one thing I offered here helpful, then it was worth effort. Best of luck to you in your journey!

[Radars in reply to Whitetail66]

thanks, a good read I won't be able to do all you do because I have got osteoporosis and what's good for one isn't good for the other I need protein for my bones, I have had 2 transfusions of zoledronic acid for my bones, I also have prostate cancer it's OK at the moment but my testosterone has never recovered that is why I have got osteoporosis and now proteinuria, it's hard work.

[Whitetail66 in reply to Radars]

Understandable. I’m not recommending changing anything that you need to do, as we all are different. I was merely pointing out the importance of eating as healthy as possible in general. Having this CKD along with your other health conditions makes it all the more difficult, not to mention that there is conflicting information out there that makes it even more difficult. Best of luck, and take care.

[Darlenia]

It's best to listen to one's doctor. So are you really having issues with carbs and sugars? your electrolytes? and other factors? It's wise to sort one's thoughts into categories - reality and illusion. One's labs will reflect that reality now and over time. I think your doctor has stated your kidney situation (proteinuria) is related to your blood pressure, not so much other factors. How does that happen? Well, high blood pressure slams the blood through your kidneys (and other organs) at a high force and that can result in small filtering vessels stressing and breaking - allowing protein to escape into urine. (High blood pressure can also create erratic heartbeat patterns.) Protein is essential to all cells and structures in your body and needs to stay inside the body. Hence, it's very important to keep your blood pressure in the optimum range. It's also good to keep a tight hand on the fickle mind. If worry and fear is out-of-hand, a good doctor will offer reassurance and guidance with that situation as well - I've actually been there so I know. It really affects one's quality of life. Wishing you a nice, calm journey going forward.

[Radars in reply to Darlenia]

why didn't they recommend any BP meds I used the nhs BP calculator and it says slightly high she said on average not bad what kind of answer is that, I have got irregular heart beats when I had ecg and I am still having shuddering and throbbing sensations which they have dismissed.

[Radars in reply to Darlenia]

yeah, I have recently had a blood test my egfr is 96 it was 101 in October so it's going down, my serum creatinine level is below low reference limit 56umol/L even if you're egfr is ok you can still leak protein.

[WildIris]

It sounds as though you are pretty healthy other than the osteoporosis, but that is being treated. The proteinuria and high BP, don't seem to worry your doctor, so, if I were you, I wouldn't worry either.

I got labs recently- my egfr is 65, down from 70 last year, but it hovered in the high 40s and 50s before I changed my diet. Like Whitetail66, my diet does not include processed foods or sweeteners, and I've been on the diet for 3 or 4 years, I think, and my health and energy are very much better.

I went low carb, because I was overweight when I started, plus I've read bad things about a high carb diet. There is no reason to restrict protein since you really aren't close to kidney failure yet, but plenty of reason to eat healthier since you are an older guy who likes to take care of himself.

[Radars in reply to WildIris]

thanks ,gp said the renal guys don't seem concerned because they don't seem to bother till the later stages. I want 😫 to try gain some weight because I am only 8st, but it's hard with no testosterone,