I recently wrote an article on why dialysis patients must be sensible on their eating habits, and the equal importance of consulting with your Nephrologist and Renal Dietitian before starting a diet plan. This time, I’m writing about the basic minerals found in food that concerns a dialysis patient, like Protein, Potassium, Phosphorus, Sodium, etc. You can work closely with your renal dietitian to decide on the meal plan that includes some of your favorite foods and is best for you.

Your individual meal plan will be based on your age, your weight, foods you like, your dialysis treatment and other medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. It will be tailored to your needs but may not meet the specific needs of other patients. Most people with kidney disease must modify their intake of certain nutrients such as protein, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, and fluid. Following the meal pattern suggested by your renal dietitian will help you feel your best.

The following are some things a dialysis patient needs to know about:

• Protein is used to build and repair tissue. Several of the foods you eat contains protein. The best sources are meat, poultry (chicken, turkey, etc.), seafood, dairy products, and eggs. The best source, also called High Quality Protein, comes from red meat like beef, though it produces more excess waste in the body than other sources. Your renal dietitian might limit you from taking these.

• Potassium regulates nerve and muscle function. Since your heart is made mostly of muscle, this mineral plays a vital role in the regulation of heartbeat. Excess potassium in the body is removed by the kidneys. For people with malfunctioning kidneys, dialysis performs this job. But if you accumulate too much potassium in between treatments, it might cause heartbeat irregularities. Worse, your heart might suddenly stop if potassium is left uncontrolled. Almost all foods contain some potassium. Some foods that are very high include bananas, avocados, oranges, tomatoes, winter squash, dried fruits, milk and nuts. How often these foods can be eaten, and/or their portion size may need to be limited.

• Calcium and Phosphorus work together in the body. They are balanced to keep your bones strong and healthy. There’s an imbalance of these minerals in kidney failure but it can be restored with medications and a moderate level of phosphorus in your diet. Since calcium and phosphorus are found in many of the same foods, it is difficult to get enough calcium without getting too much phosphorus. Almost all foods have some phosphorus, but the highest levels are found in dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese), eggs, meats, dried beans and nuts. You may be asked to take a calcium supplement and a phosphorus “binder”. It is advisable to ask your doctor about it.

• Sodium helps regulate the fluid balance in your body. High-sodium foods may upset this balance in kidney disease. Some foods that have the highest amounts of sodium are cured, processed, and smoked meats and cheeses (ham, bacon, sausage, cold cuts, cheese and snack foods like potato chips, pretzels, corn chips, salted nuts and pickles). Some foods that do not taste salty have a lot of sodium. Examples are soups, ketchup, mustard, relishes, some seasonings, steak sauces, meat tenderizers, canned or packaged foods and restaurant foods, When you prepare foods from scratch, you can control the amount of sodium used, like salt, for instance. Also, avoid using salt substitutes because they’re most likely to be high in potassium, and it’s more harmful to you than sodium.

These are meant to serve as a guide and a patient is still advised to consult with his/her doctor and renal dietitian for individual meal plans. Eating wisely and sensible food choices are vital for a kidney failre patient to stay healthy while undergoing dialysis treatment.

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Diet and nutrition are two important things a dialysis patient must consider. Food gives you energy and helps your body repair itself Your blood picks up nutrients from your food and carries them to all your body cells. These cells take nutrients from your blood and put waste products back into the bloodstream.

Good nutrition is the key to good health for everyone. It is especailly important for people with kidney disease. Even with the help of artificial kidney (dialysis), you cannot get rid of all the wastes and fluids that build up in your body from what you eat and drink. When your kidneys were healthy, they worked around the clock to remove wastes from your blood. Now that your kidneys have stopped working, Dialysis removes wastes from your blood, but between sessions, wastes can build up and make you sick. You can reduce the amount of wastes by watching waht you eat and drink.

If you’re currently undergoing dialysis treatment and is concerned about diet and nutrition, I strongly recommend consulting with your Nephrologist and Renal Dietitian. A Nephrologist is a doctor that especiallizes on kidney diseases and a Renal Dietitian is a dietitian with special training in care for kidney health. They are the people that could help you with your diet concerns and it is imperative that you consult with them first before implementing a meal plan.

This is for the simple reason that every patient has a unique dietary need that should be considered first before proposing an appropriate meal plan. It would also depend on your kidney’s remaining functions. A patient in the earlier stages of kidney failure would have a more restricted diet compared to those who are on the latter stages. This is because they’re already going through dialysis and the machines helps in eliminating excess waste. In my case, I was given a 50-gram protein/ day diet plan. Protein, being an essential mineral that your body needs and produces the most waste as well, will be your doctor’s primary consideration. Along with other minerals like potassium, phosphorus, and calcium, this is where your diet would revolve.

With sensible food choices and smart eating habits, dialysis patients are more likely to stay healthy throughout their treatment. It also minimizes the need for hospitalization, if not totally eliminate it. Together with exercise, a patient has the means to keep kidney failure at bay. One only needs sensibility, discipline, and the determination to abide by the laws that govern their wellness.

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