Got milk? Americans are familiar with the milk ad campaign that shows up on television and in magazines. Celebrities sport a milk mustache that  promotes health benefits of drinking milk. For people with kidney disease on dialysis, milk restriction is advised. Milk is high in potassium, phosphorus and calcium-some of the nutrients that become out of balance when the kidneys are no longer working. Milk is often limited by chronic kidney disease patients who are on a lower protein diet. Read more…

Today I received a question about the best cereals for a person in stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD) to eat. Instead of sending my answer to only one person I thought I would share it with all of you as well.

Some good hot cereal choices include cream of wheat, Malt-o-Meal, grits, and even oatmeal a few times a week. (Stick with the cook and serve cereals instead of the higher sodium instant ones.) Many diet guides place oatmeal in the limit or avoid list because it does contain more phosphorus than the other hot cereals listed.

For ready-to-eat cereals look on the Nutrition Facts label and select the brands lowest in sodium and phosphorus. Lower sodium choices help with blood pressure control. Many cereals give the % Daily Value for phosphorus rather than milligrams. Try to go with those containing 10% DV or less. In general, cereals with added nuts or whole grain tend to have higher amounts of phosphorus.

Read more…

When you find out you need dialysis due to kidney failure, options for treatment include transplant, traditional in-center hemodialysis (ICHD), home hemodialysis (HHD), in-center nocturnal dialysis (ICND) and peritoneal dialysis (PD). Each treatment choice has different pros and cons when it comes to diet. Today let’s take a look at the peritoneal dialysis diet.

PD is performed on a daily basis which means waste and fluids are removed more often compared to three times a week traditional in-center hemodialysis. For this reason some parts of the diet are more liberal. 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…

Most people aren’t concerned about potassium because healthy kidneys regulate potassium to keep blood levels normal. If you have chronic kidney disease (CKD) you may need a low potassium diet as your kidneys stop working. Read more…

What kind of noodles do you eat? Growing up my family ate egg noodles and spaghetti.  As an adult, I’ve discovered a whole world of noodles from around the world. A basic noodle recipe calls for flour, water, egg and salt.

Types of flour used in noodles include wheat flour, (white or whole wheat) rice flour and buckwheat. Some noodles are made with Read more…

Eating more fish high in omega-3 fatty acids and taking fish oil supplements may reduce inflammation and cardiovascular disease (CVD)—that’s not a new finding.  If you have diabetes or chronic kidney disease (CKD) it’s important to know and practice because both diseases are risk factors for CVD.  In fact, many CKD patients already have a diagnosis of CVD before kidney problems are detected.

What if you don’t eat fish?  Read more…

I love frozen blueberries.  I usually fill a small bowl and eat them as they thaw while working at my computer.  My friend loves dried wild blueberries because they’re packed full of flavor—and because there’s over 6 grams of fiber per serving.  That’s great news for anyone following a low potassium kidney diet—so many high fiber foods end up on the limit list due to higher potassium or phosphorus content.  An added plus is there’s only 112 mg of potassium in a cup of fresh or frozen blueberries; phosphorus and sodium are low too. Read more…

Valentine

Chocolate covered nuts may not be on the Valentine’s Day menu for sweethearts with chronic kidney disease this February 14th, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the day with special treats.  A few guidelines can help you treat yourself or your sweetie and still stay within the sodium, potassium and phosphorus targets for a renal diet.

Kidney Diet Tips for Eating Out on Valentine’s Day

• Make dinner reservations!  A long wait and hunger contributes to less control over food choices.
• Study the menu online before going to the restaurant. Read more…

(This post is a continuation of a look at kidney-friendly foods and some of the good things about them.)

Increase flavor without increasing sodium with two world-famous citrus favorites–lemons and limes.  These tart citrus fruits enhance the natural flavors in many foods. Their acids stimulate taste buds while masking the need for salt.

Use the juice or zest, the colored part of the peel packed with fresh citrus flavor. If you are fortunate enough to find lemon or lime oil (usually in a specialty culinary store) add it to your flavorings collection. One or two drop of lemon oil added to marinades and sauces turns a good –tasting dish into a great –tasting one.

Nutritionally, lemons and limes are Read more…