Thursday March 11 is World Kidney Day, a time to bring attention to kidney disease awareness, treatment and prevention. I will be participating in Building Bridges to Optimum Health World Kidney Day Los Angeles, a conference at the Holman United Methodist Church—please stop by if you happen to be in the LA area.
For those of you who cannot attend, here are a few highlights from my talk on Nutrition and Kidney Disease.
Kidney disease continues to rise with a strong link to epidemic rates of obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure. Early nutrition intervention can make a difference in preventing and treating these diseases that increase risk for kidney failure.

• If you are at risk for kidney disease but do not have it yet, follow a DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) to help lower your blood pressure and eat healthier. For more information on DASH diet: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf
• If you already have early kidney disease (stage 1-3) focus on controlling blood pressure and diabetes. A low sodium diet, carbohydrate counting, glucose monitoring and daily exercise are recommended. Reduce protein to the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) 0.8 grams/kg body weight/day and limit high phosphorus foods and phosphate additives to help preserve kidney function. Most Americans eat much more protein in their daily diets. Work with your doctor and dietitian to be sure you eat enough high quality protein to prevent malnutrition.
•  If you are in stage 4-5 CKD, not on dialysis, you may need to restrict potassium, phosphorus and fluids in addition to sodium. A reduction in protein to help decrease waste build-up in the blood may be prescribed, but maintaining adequate calorie and protein intake to prevent malnutrition is even more important.
• After starting dialysis there is no need to restrict protein—in fact extra protein is needed to replace losses in the dialysis treatment. Low sodium and low phosphorus are still required. Potassium and fluid restriction depend on the type and frequency of dialysis selected.
• In addition to the above, focus on consuming healthy fats (omega 3’s from fish, monounsaturated fats from olive and canola oil), high quality, low phosphorus proteins (egg white, fish, lean meats).
• Eat the rainbow–for good health include colorful fruits and vegetables high in anti-oxidants with anti-inflammatory properties as well as fiber, vitamin C and vitamin E.
• For successful dietary changes focus on education, family support, variety in meals and commitment to making changes to improve your health.
  Takeaways
• What you eat matters in your health-disease  for chronic disease prevention and treatment
• Diet goals change with stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and dialysis
• Start making changes now; it will make a difference tomorrow.

Learn more about kidney disease at www.kidneyawarenesstime.org, www.davita.com, www.yourkidneys.com, and www.kidneytrust.org.

The launch of DaVita Phosphorus Challenge, the newest, coolest phosphorus tool yet, is getting closer.

To get a glimpse of Phosphorus Challenge checkout the Phosphorus Challenge sign-up page on DaVita.com. If you click on the spin area you can see some of the features—games, quizzes, challenger points and resources.

You can sign up now to be notified on launch day. Around mid-April you can join the fun and become a phosphorus challenger. We’ll show you tips on phosphorus management, favorite low phosphorus recipes, helpful grocery and food lists, videos and more.

      Regardless of if you consider it a seasoning, a vegetable serving or a sandwich topper, onions are one of the most versatile vegetables included in a kidney friendly diet.

Onions are low in sodium, potassium and phosphorus, regardless of the color or variety.

• One 1/4-inch slice from a large onion contains 2 mg sodium, 55 mg potassium and 11 mg phosphorus. Read more…

January is a great time to make positive lifestyle changes. If you have chronic kidney disease (CKD) or are a dialysis patient, consider resolutions around eating better to keep your nutrition up and manage potassium, phosphorus, sodium and fluid the best you can.

Among the DaVita resources, several tools are available to help you stay on track. There are Diet and Nutrition articles, kidney-friendly cooking videos and my favorite, DaVita Diet Helper.  All of these resources can help you stick with your 2010 kidney diet resolutions.

Sign up for DaVita Diet Helper an online kidney meal planner. This one-of-a-kind planner uses your diet prescription for protein and potassium to create several weeks of kidney-friendly meals including recipes, what to serve with the recipe and what to snack on in between meals. Read more…

In December I blogged about a new, fun way to learn about phosphorus coming to DaVita.com this spring.  Soon you can sign up to be notified when the Phosphorus Challenge is ready. Look for an announcement coming soon to the DaVita.com home page.

I’m really excited about Phosphorus Challenge. It’s a one of a kind online challenge that provides education about phosphorus by featuring games, quizzes, polls, points and social networking with others who are taking the phosphorus challange. Last week I met with the DaVita Dietitian Council to present the features and received very positive input. The dietitians are looking forward to this new online tool to help dialysis and chronic kidney disease patients learn more about phosphorus and how to control it.

I think you’ll have fun playing the games while increasing your knowledge about phosphorus, which is so important. Today, compared to several years ago, more emphasis is placed on phosphorus control in chronic kidney disease as research reveals new information about the harmful effects of phosphorus on bone mineralization and the role in calcifications of the heart and arteries.

Keep on the lookout for more news about the DaVita Phosphorus Challenge coming soon.

Kidney diet resources from DaVita.com

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The period between Christmas and New Years is a great time to wind down, reflect and gear up for the year ahead. I always like to take some ‘self’ time to think about upcoming events, schedules, goals and yes—a few New Year’s resolutions.

So after the family and guests have gone on Christmas day and in-between planning the New Year’s bash, set aside a few hours each day to contemplate on being healthy with chronic kidney disease in 2010. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
Read more…

Milk is high in phosphorus

Where do you go for information on phosphorus? People on dialysis receive education from their renal dietitian and healthcare team at the dialysis center. Their phosphorus level is checked frequently and phosphorus binders may be prescribed with meals help keep phosphorus levels lower.

Coming soon DaVita is launching a new fun way to learn about phosphorus. It’s called the Phosphorus Challenge and includes online games, polls, quizzes, points and social networking to connect you with others learning about phosphorus. Read more…

Typical Thanksgiving Menu

3 ounces Turkey (pre-basted, frozen)
1/4 cup Turkey Gravy
1/2 cup Stuffing or Dressing
1/3 cup Mashed Potatoes
1/3 cup Sweet Potatoes
1/3 cup Green Peas
1/3 Green Beans
1/4 cup Cranberry Sauce
1 slice Pumpkin Pie
1 tablespoon whipped cream topping

Nutrients:  930 calories, 35 g protein, 128 g carbohydrate, 30 g fat, 112 g cholesterol, 1785 mg sodium, 1216 mg potassium, 515 mg phosphorus, 14 g fiber

Here’s a typical Thanksgiving meal with conservative portions. As you can see from the nutrients fat, sodium, potassium and phosphorus are quite high. Consider some changes to make your meal more kidney-friendly and help you to feel better afterwards! Read more…

I went to a DaVita Dietitian meeting this week and heard a talk by Dr. Shagun Chopra-Sonthalia, a nephrologist from San Diego, CA. I want to share with you some important points from the presentation about new emphasis on earlier phosphorus control. Read more…

A recent study by DaVita dietitian Debbie Benner, MA, RD and collaborators reveals that changing to nocturnal dialysis may make it easier for dialysis patients to eat enough protein and keep phosphorus normal. A poster about the study was recently presented at the American Society of Nephology national meeting in San Diego. Read more…