Top 20 Points for diet of People with renal Disease
We should do our best to avoid Renal Disease; sometimes it is not in our hands. When Renal disease has been diagnosed we should be careful to not let it progress to End-Stage Renal Disease. Here we introduce top 20 Points for diet of people with renal disease.
Please REMEMBER, even after reading these points, YOU STILL NEED A QUALIFIED DIETITIAN, with RENAL DIET EXPERIENCE.
Food for renal disease is restrictive
Accept the fact. You cannot include all you want in food for renal disease. There is no scope of cheat meals. Small shot up of Potassium can take life.
You will feel like punishment if you take it as restriction, but will be able to accept if you mark it as your personal choice.
Salt free
It is low salt, foods with less salt and spices means less thirst too.
Sodium is key troublemaker
Sendha namak, kala namak, kosher salt, sea salt, etc. all have sodium. Do not be fooled by wrong marketing practices and be aware of the food for renal disease.
Limiting water is tough
Especially in tropical country like India. Sip the given amount throughout the day, instead of gulping down.
Exclude all other liquids from food for renal disease, keep max fluid intake for water only. Tender coconut water, juices and soups are anyways not allowed in renal diets.
Carbohydrates are important in renal diets
For energy and especially for protein-sparing action. We have to choose wisely if Diabetes is also there.
Protein is restricted, but not removed
We have to take allowed portion by dividing throughout the day in food for renal disease.
When you are asked to take adequate proteins- take the advice seriously.
Potassium is there in all foods
We cannot eat our heart out when choosing low potassium foods. Droplets make ocean remember.
Avoid leached edibles
Leaching doesn’t only removes potassium it removes other nutrients too. Choosing leached items more frequent for including taste is not a wise decision.
Do not depend on the Internet values
As soil conditions change so will potassium/ other values. So the fruits grown in other part of the world may have different potassium values. You will get misled.
Phosphorus increase will decrease bone density
Diabetes and kidney diseases are more than enough to handle, and we do not need bone disease additionally. So take care of Phosphorus levels too.
Breakfast is the most important meal, period.
After the whole night’s fast we must not miss breakfast.
Your Kidney is already damaged, it cannot be reversed.
Do not fall for miraculous ayurvedic treatments. Ayurveda is a science, but every tom dick harry doesn’t know it because their family has been into it.
We have experienced patients who worsened their condition due to such hokum.
Do not run away from dialysis
That will help till you till you find organ donor for transplant.
PROCESSED FOOD IS NOT ALLOWED
EVEN AFTER READING THE NUTRITION LABELS. Diseased Kidneys are incompetent in handling basic salt and spices. DO NOT OVERBURDEN THEM WITH PROCESSED FOOD.
Work is important so is life
If anything happens to you your company will hire new employee, your family will not get another you. MAINTAIN WORK-LIFE BALANCE.
Do not feel guilty and overwork as you already miss work during dialysis.
Small and frequent meals
Small and frequent meals help in distributing the nutrients and we do not end up eating high of any. That will avoid shooting of any particular mineral e.g. phosphorus. Total amount taken in a day still matters.
Stress increases the intensity of any disease
Stay calm and happy, have hobbies, do recreational activities. Use placebo effect to cure yourself.
Balance between exercise and rest
There is some or the other form of exercise which help in every disease, meet a physiotherapist/ yoga therapist to help you find the right balance between exercise and rest.
Anabolic exercises
Anabolic exercises help in building protein stores and reducing protein losses from muscles and bones.
You need a dietitian
Even if you buy Nutritive Value of Indian Foods, you will still not be able to self treat yourself. Renal diet is complicated. Only an expert can help.
Reference: Nutritional Secrets - Diet for Early stages, Dialysis and Post Transplant, By Kidney Warriors Foundation.
