1) Introduction: The Origin of Kidney Diet
If you are suffering from a kidney disease, then a Kidney Diet is exactly what you need. In this article will help you choose the best foods to get you healthier naturally. There is a registered nurse by the name of Rachel Gordon. Why do I mention this name? Well, recently she made a study called “Kidney Diet Secrets“ in which she scientifically explains how to reverse the kidney disease without ever going to dialysis.
In her study you can find the one week diet menu with 100 recipes that will help every renal disease sufferer. Just to mention this, she’s been helping people with kidney conditions for more than 10 years.
In this article I will show you some of the key elements to avoid and key elements to implement to get rid of your kidney conditions naturally. Keep in mind, you should always consult with your doctor first, but I hope that this is going to be a useful guideline for you anyway.
2) What is the function of the kidney?
Well, in case you didn’t know, kidneys are practically essential for life and they perform many vital functions that we don’t even think about.
Their primary role to filter out toxins from blood, they produce hormones, they also control blood pressure and they activate vitamin D. We are specifically interested in regulation of blood pH here because it is very important to keep the alkaline levels regulated.
3) The Symptoms of Kidney Failure
Before I give you any advice on how to get rid of your kidney disease, it’s probably the best idea to find out what are some of the most common symptoms of kidney failure in the first place.
Generally, patients start feeling ill and there is a lack of interest in everyday activities. Next comes the difficulty to concentrate on basic tasks. Also, you might notice that you are tired and that you lose energy fast.
Some patients have reported that their legs were starting to swell and they were generally feeling very itchy. One of the most common symptoms of a kidney disease is that people often get an altered taste and they lose appetite. Also, urine production is increased during night.
Now that you know how to recognize some of the symptoms, I will split this article up into sections which explain every key element that you should get rid of.
4) Reduce phosphorus levels.
You know, phosphorus levels need to be controlled all the time, because if you don’t control them at all, you will experience total kidney failure. Not only that, but you could also experience a bone disease or heart ailment along the way.
Phosphorus is a mineral that helps you build up strong bones in your body. When your kidney is functioning normally, it regulates the level of phosphorus in your blood by removing any extra from it. When you have a kidney condition though, the phosphorus will start piling up. This condition is called hyperphosphatemia. As a consequence, too much phosphorus in your blood will lead to a bone disease.
So, what foods should you avoid? Well, as a general rule of thumb everything that is rich with protein is also rich with phosphorus. That’s why I’d suggest you take a low-protein diet in the early stages of your kidney condition.
However, if you’ve been having this kidney condition for a long time, you might want to change this plan a bit. Why? Well, because dialysis removes protein, so the protein part actually has to go up. This doesn’t mean that you can now eat foods with phosphorus. The phosphorus levels still need to go down. I would advise you to consult with your dietitian concerning this matter, because it’s a very tricky one.
4.1. Some of the lower phosphorus foods:
Low-fat cream cheese, rice milk, sure bet, frozen fruit pops, refined grains, white bread, cereals, rice, pasta, popcorn, jelly, honey, ginger ale, root beer, plain water.
You can eat these instead of: chocolate, Coca-Cola, chocolate drinks, knots, organ meats, dried peas, quick breads, whole grains, high phosphorus soups (bean soups, dried peas soups, lentils), ice cream, hard cheese, fat-free cream cheese.
5) Reduce the intake of salt.
In case you didn’t know, chronic kidney disease is generally caused by salt, blood pressure and any type of heart disease. You should definitely reduce the daily intake of salt, because high salt intake will cause fluid retention. Don’t even try substituting salt with low-salt substitutes because it simply doesn’t work.
6) Control calcium levels as well.
If you’re a kidney patient, you should be concerned about calcium in your body. If you don’t control the levels of calcium in your body, it can cause pretty serious bone diseases in the later years of your life.
7) Fluid control
If you’re not on a dialysis, you don’t have to restrict fluids (unless the fluid overload pops up). Generally, these are my guidelines: try to drink water only when you are thirsty, never from a sheer habit. That’s why it is important to reduce the amount of salt that you take (check out the fifth point), because salt makes you thirsty.
8) Avoid cardiac arrest by reducing potassium.
Potassium levels are very high with patients who suffer from renal failures. This is a very tricky point to explain, so my advice here is to consult your dietitian first. Why? Because potassium is considered to be a vital element, and it can often be found in very healthy foods. Reduce potassium in your kidney diet, this is very important.
9) What about medications?
Well, to be honest, most foods do contain phosphorus, and for this sole reason it will be practically impossible to reduce it only by eliminating the food which is rich with this element. This is where kidney diet alone isn’t enough. That’s why you’ll need to take some medication. The best medication that I can recommend is a phosphate binder. They are harmless, and they do one thing only: they bind to the phosphorus in your food and they degrade it, stopping your body from absorbing it.
10) Conclusion
Healthy eating is crucial if you want to get rid of a kidney disease naturally. Believe me, this is very possible, and there are thousands of patients around the world who can testify of this.
Just keep in mind that there are three elements which are essential for a successful treatment: a healthy diet, dialysis (although Rachel Gordon, a certified nurse wouldn’t agree with me here) and a phosphate binder. However, the most important of these three is definitely a solid, well planned Kidney Diet.
This article contains general information about medical conditions and treatments. The information is not advice and should not be treated as such.