Tips For Proper Nutrition In Chronic Kidney Disease

To control your chronic kidney disease, you may need to make some dietary changes. Many doctors advise working with a registered nutritionist to develop a diet plan that includes foods you love while maintaining the health of your kidneys.

The tips below will help you eat right while controlling your kidney disease.

Step 1: Choose and prepare foods with less salt and sodium

Why? To be able to control your blood pressure. Your diet should contain less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.

• Buy fresh food more often. Sodium is added to many pre-prepared or packaged foods that you buy in the supermarket or restaurant.
• Cook from scratch, instead of eating "fast" foods, frozen dinners and canned foods with a higher sodium content. When you prepare your own food, you control what goes into it.
• Use sodium-free herbs and spices instead of salt. Check the label on food packaging for sodium. A daily value of 20% or more means that the food is high in sodium.
• Try low-sodium versions of frozen dinners and other "fast" foods.
• Rinse canned vegetables, beans, meat and fish with water before eating.

Step 2: Eat the right amount and the right types of protein

Why? To protect your kidneys. When your body uses protein, it produces "waste." Your kidneys remove this "waste". Consumption of more than the required amount of protein can impair kidney function.

• Eat small portions of protein-rich foods
• Talk to your nutritionist and choose the right combination of protein foods for you

Step 3: Choose foods that are good for your heart

Why? To prevent the accumulation of fat in the blood vessels, heart and kidneys.

• Choose grilled, baked or cooked foods instead of fried. 
• Cook with cooking spray or a small amount of olive oil instead of butter.
• Before cooking, remove the fat from the meat and remove the skin from the chicken, as it is extremely rich in cholesterol.
• Try to limit saturated and trans fats.
• Drink alcohol in moderation only - no more than one drink per day for women, and no more than two for men. Drinking large amounts of alcohol can damage the liver, heart and brain.

It is characteristic of chronic kidney disease that kidney function gradually decreases over time.

Step 4: Choose foods and beverages with a lower phosphorus content

Why? To protect bones and blood vessels. When you suffer from chronic kidney disease, phosphorus can build up in your blood. The large amount of phosphorus in the blood "pulls" calcium from the bones, which makes them more fragile and weak and creates a precondition for fractures. High levels of phosphorus in the blood can also cause itchy skin and pain in the bones and joints.

• Low phosphorus foods - fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, rice, corn and cereals
• Foods high in phosphorus - meat, fish , cereals and oatmeal, dairy foods, legumes, nuts, some bottled or canned beverages

Some doctors recommend taking a phosphate binder with food. This will reduce the amount of phosphorus in the blood. A phosphate binder is a drug that acts like a sponge to absorb or bind phosphorus while it is still in the stomach. Because in this way, it does not get into the blood. Instead, your body excretes phosphorus in your feces.

Step 5: Choose foods with the right amount of potassium

Why? To help your nerves and muscles work properly. Many problems can occur when blood potassium levels are too high or too low. Damaged kidneys allow the accumulation of potassium in the blood, which can cause serious heart problems.