The Role Of Diet And Nutrition In Managing Chronic Kidney Disease

I am learning that food is an important medium in my life. But the food we eat is helping us get healthy or negatively affecting our life. This disease stops us from eating what we want. What a bummer.

When I discover that I had developed CKD it was devastating news for me. I'm an emotional person and I like food.  So now I have learned that I have to take care of my health which means I can’t eat what I want. Always having second thoughts. So getting the necessary information about my diet and nutrition was the first thing I asked my doctor about.

Seeing a dietician for my CKD

There were pieces of advice my doctor gave me regarding food which I will share later, but the first thing he asked me was if I wanted to have a dietician since I was facing CKD and now need to keep my health in check now more than ever.

One dietician suggested I used certain herbs and spices which I could use as I can’t add salt to my meals, not even a pinch. I was pleasantly surprised at how some of these spices gave my meals new flavors and tastes. It's hard getting used to not putting salt on my food.

Other than the doctor and the dietician, I did do my research about foods which I can eat and which ones I shouldn’t. This was necessary for me since I was a food lover and compromising on my diet due to CKD was stressful and time-consuming.

Developing a meal plan for myself

But, I also don’t want to take any risks for my health. I discovered that most fruits and vegetables have potassium in them so I also can’t eat many of them. I have to search for those with no potassium or just a trace of it.

Most foods and vegetables have the necessary nutrients which help my kidneys. I just can’t say no to healthy foods. My dietician helped me in developing a meal plan where I balanced my meals. Sometimes I balanced my meals with potassium-rich foods and at other times I will try a low-potassium meal. I am a work in progress.

I have to keep my phosphorus in check. They told me not to do too many nuts or dairy products anymore since they have phosphorous in them. I have to eat them very sparingly. The other drawback for me is that phosphorous can lead to bone disease. I just got diagnosed with osteoporosis.

Over time, I have discovered that lean proteins, grains, and certain fruit and vegetables are helpful for me. You just need to learn to balance your meals if you are taking a rich-nutrient meal at one time then balance it with a low-nutrient meal.

Making necessary changes to my diet

You also need to kick out certain foods from your life. As we all know now, salt is a big NO!!! This means giving up fast food and some of our favorite cuisines. It is sad but we have to keep limitations on our diet, but remember you are helping yourself with the choice of foods you are taking and it is increasing your immunity against CKD.

Happy thoughts can lead you to a happy and healthy life. Just remember to talk to your healthcare team before starting anything new.