People suffering from chronic kidney disease need a healthy daily diet in order to stay above their health. Chronic kidney disease means that your kidneys are losing their ability to keep you healthy because of damage or illness.
One of the best ways to manage your damaged kidney is through diet and nutrition. Managing diabetes and controlling blood pressure also help you take care of your kidney.
If you are looking forward to managing your kidneys you will need to incorporate certain nutrients in your daily diet. Contact a dietician and work with them to figure out the best meal plans according to you.
Here are a few dietary restrictions that come with chronic kidney disease:
Protein
It is important to consume a certain amount of protein for everyone according to their height, weight, and age. Protein comes useful in wound healing, enzyme and hormone production, and immune functions. However, when your kidney is damaged, it is unable to clear the byproducts of protein thereby building up waste products in the body. If you are suffering from damaged kidney, you should limit your protein intake, especially the ones coming from meat.
Sodium
Excess amounts of sodium in your blood can increase blood pressure and fluid retention, resulting in your heart and lungs working harder. Lowering the amount of salt in your daily diet does not make up your sodium intake because the food we buy including grains, meat, soup, sandwiches, and restaurant meals already contains more than 70% of the daily average diet.
In order to have a low sodium intake diet, one should take 1500-2000 mg of sodium everyday. As long as you keep each meal under 600 mgs, you are good to go.
Potassium
Potassium is found in a variety of foods and is an important mineral for the functioning of our body. However, too much sodium can be harmful. If you have damaged kidneys, they won’t be able to balance the minerals in your body, potentially leading to a build up of potassium and phosphorus in your body.
The amount of potassium in our body affects how our muscles work. If you need to lower the amount of potassium in your body, limit high-potassium foods such as potatoes, tomatoes, melons, oranges, bananas, dairy products, and salt substitutes. To prepare a kidney-friendly diet plan that suits you the best, consult with online nutritionists for kidney problems.
Phosphorus
Similar to potassium, a kidney damaged body is unable to regulate the amount of phosphorus available in the body which could cause phosphorus build-up. Fast foods, packaged foods, and sodas contain the most amount of phosphorus. Dairy, whole grain, and nuts also contain high amounts of phosphorus and need to be limited.
Calcium
Calcium is one of the most important minerals for our body as it helps in the formation and strengthening of bones. However, excess amounts of calcium in the body can leave traces of calcium deposits in our blood vessels. If you think you have an excess amount of calcium in your body, avoid calcium-rich food and talk to your dietician about how you can maintain calcium in your body.
It might seem overwhelming to prepare a kidney-friendly meal plan. However, it is only through restrictions and limitations that one can avoid the accumulation of waste materials in our body.
