Roughly 36 million Americans suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD), a serious medical condition that can take a major toll on your health and your quality of life. The good news: CKD can be managed with medical treatment and important lifestyle habits — including watching what you eat.
Following the right diet can help control blood pressure, limit waste buildup, and protect kidney health over the long term. In this post, our team at Houston Kidney Specialists Center offers some basic guidelines that can help you make smart food choices to protect your kidneys.
Fruits and vegetables are key to a healthy diet, but some contain high levels of potassium, which can build up in your blood when your kidneys aren’t filtering properly. Apples, berries, grapes, cabbage, and green beans are all great lower-potassium choices.
On the other hand, try to limit or avoid bananas, oranges, potatoes, tomatoes, and avocados if you’re trying to manage your potassium levels. Of course, don’t make any diet changes until discussing it with our team. We can provide guidance and suggestions based on your specific health needs.
Protein is essential for maintaining muscle and overall health, but too much can overwork your kidneys. Choose smaller portions of high-quality, lean protein sources like eggs, fish, and poultry.
In some instances, depending on the nature and severity of your kidney issues, we might recommend focusing more on plant-based proteins that result in less waste — and less work for your kidneys — compared to animal proteins.
Sodium causes your body to retain fluid, which in turn can raise blood pressure, placing additional strain on your kidneys. Of course, you can definitely lower your sodium intake by avoiding using salt at the table. But to really get your sodium levels under control, you need to read food labels, too.
Sodium is found in a surprising number of foods, including lots of processed and prepackaged foods. When shopping, opt for low-sodium options and use herb blends instead of salt for seasoning at home. Choose fresh or frozen vegetables over canned, or if you must use canned vegetables, rinse them before cooking and eating.
Phosphorus is another mineral that plays an important role in overall wellness, but like sodium, there’s definitely too much of a good thing, especially if you have kidney issues. When your kidneys don’t filter properly, phosphorus can build up in your blood, pulling calcium from your bones and leading to weakness and discomfort.
To keep phosphorus levels in range, limit processed foods and dairy foods, and avoid soda, beer, chocolate drinks, and canned iced tea entirely. Depending on your specific needs, we may also recommend phosphate binding medications to help control levels.
Finally, know this: It’s not just what you eat that counts. The way you prepare your meals matters, too.
Grilling, baking, poaching, or steaming foods is typically healthier than frying, which can introduce chemical compounds associated with inflammation and negative cardiovascular effects.
Managing kidney disease is a long-term commitment, but with some smart food choices, you can support better kidney function without sacrificing nutrition — or taste. To learn how we can develop a kidney health management plan just for you, request an appointment online or over the phone at our practice locations in Cypress and Houston, Texas, today.
