Practical Diet and Nutrition Tips for Kidney Disease Sufferers

If you've been diagnosed with kidney disease, and especially if you are undergoing treatment, you know that it can be a struggle just to get through the day. Your kidneys provide a variety of critical functions for your body, including filtering your blood, maintaining the proper balance of electrolytes, regulating blood pressure, and even creating Vitamin D. By practicing proper dietary habits and good nutrition, you can improve your energy levels, reduce fatigue, and maybe even help speed along your recovery.

1. Avoid Fasting
Fasting, or not eating enough when you're feeling under the weather, can result in your body breaking down its fat stores for energy. This releases ketones into your blood stream, which healthy kidneys normally filter out. If you have kidney disease, however, this can be very dangerous. If your kidneys are not filtering your blood properly, ketones build up in your blood and can upset the pH balance in your blood, resulting in coma or death. This is why ketogenic diets such as Atkins and South Beach are not appropriate for people with kidney disease.

2. Take Your Vitamins
Kidney disease sufferers tend to have higher levels of homocysteine, a hormone that contributes to heart disease and stroke. Studies show that homocysteine levels can be reduced by supplementing your diet with B Vitamins such as B6, B12, and Folic acid. Another important Vitamin that you may be lacking is Vitamin D. Healthy kidneys manufacture this Vitamin when your skin is exposed to sunlight, and it's important in bone and muscle health and immune function. Krill is a good source of Vitamin D but you can also get it in pill form.

3. Eat carbohydrates, but watch your blood sugar
It is important not to consume too many carobohydrates as this can lead to unstable blood sugar. 40% of kidney disease patients are diabetic, and this leads to worsening of kidney disease. It is therefore vitally important to control your blood sugar before it becomes a problem. Eat complex carobohydrates in their most natural form and avoid starchy "white" foods like rice, potatoes, sugar, and flour.

4. Go easy on the protein
Protein is an important part of any diet, but protein breakdown creates waste byproduct that can strain the kidneys. You should eat no more than 1 gram of protein per 3 pounds of body weight per day.

5. Drink water
If your kidney disease is not severe (below stage 4), there is no restriction in the amount of fluids you can drink. But as we all know, water is best. Avoid sugary drinks or ones with artificial ingredients.

6. Control your blood pressure
High blood pressure can worsen kidney disease, and reducing your sodium (salt) intake is a popular way of reducing blood pressure. But there are other things you can do to reduce blood pressure. Exercise regularly by walking or lifting weights. Reduce your stress and make time for relaxing activities. Avoid caffine, getting overheated, and activities that can raise your blood pressure