Whether you’ve just been diagnosed with kidney disease, or have been living with it for a while, nutrition plays an important role. Nutrition and a renal dietitian can help to preserve kidney function and delay disease progression.
But, if you’re like many, you’ve looked on Google and found the nutrition recommendations to be quite overwhelming.
How much potassium, phosphorus, sodium, or protein should you have?
What are even sources of potassium?
Should you be following a plant-based diet?
The list could go on and on.
As a renal dietitian ….
As a renal dietitian, I’ve worked with many different areas of kidney disease including:
- Chronic kidney disease – caused by conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure – in both the pre-dialysis and dialysis stages.
- IgA nephropathy or polycystic kidney disease which are genetic conditions associated with kidney failure.
- Individuals who have received a kidney transplant.
- Those living with kidney stones.
In each of these cases I’ve seen the positive effect nutrition can have on the lives of those with kidney disease. And it is impossible to deny that nutrition helps to delay disease progression, manage symptoms, and give you energy.
So how do YOU know if it’s time to work with someone like me?
Here are five really good reasons.
You’re Tired Of Asking Dr. Google Everything
“Emily helped breakdown confusing nutrition information and set realistic goals for me.â€
The world of nutrition is always evolving, not to mention, there is a lot of misinformation available about the renal diet.
We know nutrition is important in preserving kidney function and managing changes that happen when we have kidney disease. Kidney disease is also associated with inflammation and gut microbiome changes.
A renal dietitian is a nutrition expert. I’ve worked in the field for more than 5 years to provide my clients with the most up to date information available to preserve their kidney function.
Nutrition changes can start with what is on our plate and aiming to include some of the foods we typically thought we could not like whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds. And these foods can help us to preserve our kidney function, reduce inflammation and much more.
A renal dietitian like myself can help you sift through the nutrition information, find foods that fit for you and set realistic health goals.
You Need Help Planning Kidney-Friendly Meals
“With Emily’s personalized meal planning support, I was able to stay on track with my diet and my eGFR improved from 35 to 60 in 3 months.â€
Some need the basic nutrition information. Others may need support with planning meals. And some may want accountability to continue following their kidney-friendly diet.
Whatever your nutrition and health goals are, a renal dietitian can help to support you develop consistency in your eating.
Most of us eat 3 meals per day, that is 21 meals a week. A renal dietitian can help provide you support and encouragement when making nutrition changes. We want changes that are realistic for you and sustainable for the long-term.
You Want To Feel Confident In And Out Of The Kitchen Empowerment
“I now know that I can still include the foods I love, preserve my kidney function and manage my potassium values
Renal dietitians are an important part of your healthcare team. We can help you adjust your lifestyle and empower you to develop and maintain healthy eating habits.
We are not the food police, but we do want to teach you nutrition and food skills that work for your lifestyle.
I’ve worked with my clients to help them feel empowered to make nutrition changesâ , improve their eating habits and gain the knowledge and tools to continue living a healthy lifestyle long-term.
If you’ve been living with CKD, you may have felt that you can no longer eat the foods you love or go to restaurants. You may feel like you have to decline invitations to meals at others homes. But this does not need to be the case.
Being able to go out to a restaurant and feel empowered to order foods off the menu that fit in your diet is possible. A renal dietitian can help. As a renal dietitian, I know you can’t and should not live under a rock for the rest of your life. That is why I teach my clients how to choose foods with confidence that they enjoy.
You Want to Enjoy Foods again
“I now understand the foods that are helpful for me and in the right portion sizes.â€
If you’ve been living with CKD, you may have read online that there is a list of foods that you can no longer eat may seem quite lengthy. The old thought that a renal diet needs to be bland and boring is out the window. Finding foods that fit into your preferences and lifestyle is something important to me as a renal dietitian.
Food is everywhere, and it is much more than just something we eat. There is a social and cultural component to it. That is why it can be difficult to know what we should eat when we have chronic kidney disease.
A renal dietitian can help show you how to choose your favourite foods and preserve your kidney function.
You Also Have Other Health Conditions
“Emily helped me preserve my kidney function and improve my blood glucose levels through teaching me portion sizes and balanced meals.â€
Nutrition is a complex and it should be tailored to your needs, renal dietitians can help with this. Many individuals have multiple conditions like chronic kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol at once.
A renal dietitian can help you break down the confusing information and provide you with a personalized plan to help meet your nutrition needs. Because a renal dietitian can help manage current conditions and prevent ones associated with kidney disease (like anemia or constipation) from developing.
You can start to see a renal dietitian at any stage of kidney disease, but the earlier the better.
Does Today’s Article Speak To Your Struggles?
If you’re looking to feel empowered and supported with your nutrition needs, and these five reasons to see a renal dietitian inspired you, working with a dietitian can help you gain confidence and understand your kidney-friendly diet.
Want to work together? Connect with Emily here.
Want to learn more about Emily? Learn more here.
