Renal Diet Ideas

If you have been diagnosed with kidney disease, your doctor will likely place you on a renal diet to help preserve maximal kidney function. While being on a renal diet is certainly no picnic, with proper planning and the right mind-set, adherence to a renal diet need not seem torturous. If followed in detail, a renal diet is your best shot at retaining control over your life.

Kidneys

• The kidneys are one of the body's main filtration systems, responsible for cleaning the blood and removing a variety of waste products. Additionally, the kidneys are responsible for maintaining your electrolytes levels, keeping blood pressure regulated, and managing the acid/base level of your entire body. Thus, any problem with the kidneys can potentially affect a large number of bodily systems necessary for continued life.

Renal Diet Theory

• A renal diet is a specific type of restriction/elimination diet, intended to modify eating behaviors to relieve strain off of the kidneys, allowing them to devote their energy to effectuating repair (where possible) or delaying failure (where repair is unlikely). As consumption of certain minerals and macronutrients affects the kidneys more than others, removing those elements from your diet is the goal of the renal diet.

Protein Limitations

• Protein is one of the elements that must be restricted while on a renal diet. While some protein is necessary for proper function, too much can place an undue burden on the kidneys, rendering them more likely to fail. The easiest way to modify your protein intake while on a renal diet is to modify your food psychology. Whereas on a "normal" diet you might consider meat to be a main course, supplemented with vegetables and other side dishes, on a renal diet you should consider vegetables and whole grains the main course, relegating meat (and other high-protein foods) to the side. One of the easiest ways to do this is to half (or even quarter) the meat recommendations in your favorite recipes.

Sodium Limitations

• Salt intake must also be strictly metered while on a renal diet. Aside from the obvious suggestion of wholly eliminating salt as a potential seasoning for your food, there is another trick to naturally reduce your intake of sodium. When at the store, always purchase fresh foods wherever possible. Processed foods and canned fruits and vegetables tend to have a fair amount of added salt. Thus, the easiest way to control your salt intake is to remove these items from your diet.

Potassium and Phosphorous

• Potassium and phosphorous are two other items that need to be restricted during your tenure on a renal diet. Unfortunately, there are no easy tricks here, so you must remember the foods that contain these items or scrupulously examine ingredient lists and nutritional information. However, some common foods that contain these ingredients include: broccoli, nuts, dairy, chicken, alcohol, ice cream, oranges, coffee, tomatoes, potatoes, and chocolate.