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…

Are you ready to take the challenge? DaVita has launched the DaVita Phosphorus Challenge, a fun way to learn about phosphorus with games, quizzes, articles, videos, recipes, polls and community discussion boards. You can create a user profile and connect with other challengers while earning points as you learn.

After signing up for the DaVita Phosphorus Challenge, you will receive 11 emails over the next 30 days with educational information about phosphorus and challenges to help you learn. On the last day you will receive a certificate and you will continue to have access to the games, education content and community section of the DaVita Phosphorus Challenge.

Phosphorus is a serious issue for people with chronic kidney disease. Uncontrolled phosphorus levels contribute to bone and heart disease. Early phosphorus control can keep you healthier.

Sign up and take the DaVita Phosphorus Challenge today. I am interested in hearing from you.

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.

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

Review and rate recipes

Discussion Forums

Monthly Recipe Alerts

DaVita Diet Helper

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…

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…

The pharmaceutical company Genzyme announced Renagel®, a phosphate binding medication widely used throughout the US, will no longer be distributed in the US after September 30^th.  A newer binder called Renvela® will replace Renagel®.  One advantage of the newer drug is Read more…