Combined Diet Treatment for Kidney & Diabetic Patients

People with diabetes and/or kidney problems should follow general advice about healthy eating and exercise. If you have diabetes, you may also need to limit your consumption of alcohol, sugar, and refined starches. If you have kidney disease, you may need to restrict protein, sodium, and potassium. People with both problems should see a doctor about a healthy, low-carbohydrate diet.

General Healthy Eating

• People with diabetes and kidney disease can benefit from general advice about a healthy diet. In general, eating healthy means controlling calories and portion sizes, eating a variety of healthy foods, and limiting processed foods, fats, and sugars. Healthy foods include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.

  Limit your intake of all fats, and try to eat unsaturated rather than saturated fats. Trans fats, which are a product of food processing, should be eliminated if possible. Also limit your intake of sugars and refined carbohydrates, eating whole grains and foods high in fiber instead.

  Also want to watch your portion sizes; try not to consume more calories per day than you expend. Different people have different caloric needs, depending on their metabolisms and level of physical activity, but general guidelines recommend about 2,000 calories per day for women and 2,500 calories per day for men. In addition to healthy eating, regular exercise, even moderate exercise, is always a good idea.

Special Concerns for Diabetics

• People with diabetes do not produce enough of the hormone insulin. Insulin is the body's way of converting sugar and starches into energy that the body can use. If you have diabetes, a lack of insulin can leave you with very high blood sugar; over time this can cause severe health problems, eye problems, and the loss of limbs.

  For this reason, people with diabetes need to be especially careful to limit their intake of sugars and refined carbohydrates. The general healthy eating guidelines above also apply to diabetics, though if you have diabetes you may also want to take care with some fruits and vegetables (such as sweet potatoes) that are high in sugar. Even these foods, however, are better than refined sugars and starches found in processed foods like candy and chips.

  People with diabetes also need to be very careful when drinking alcohol. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so only when your blood glucose is at a safe level, such as after eating. If you drink alcohol when your blood glucose is low, you are at risk for hypoglycemia -- dangerously low blood sugar.

Special Concerns for Those with Kidney Disease

• If you have kidney disease, you may need to decrease stress on your kidneys by eating a low-protein diet. Some people with kidney disease also need to restrict their intake of sodium and potassium. In some more advanced cases, those suffering from chronic kidney problems may also need to restrict fluid intake. It is important to make these changes while under the care of a doctor, and in discussion with your kidney specialist. A low-protein diet can have serious side effects, including malnutrition.