Kidney Disease Diet: Taking Control of Your Health

How Restrictive Is It?

The kidney disease diet, as with many diets, includes a list of foods that you want to avoid. These foods include beer, processed foods, foods with refined sugars, fatty foods, and other unhealthy options that are hard on your kidneys. Those who have to follow the diet strictly must also monitor their intake of nutrients like water, protein, sodium, phosphorous, and more.

What the Diet Does for You

The kidneys truly are an integral part of your overall health and well-being. You may be aware that they work to remove waste from your system, but they also work to control sodium in your blood and therefore affect your blood pressure and heart health. They also produce some hormones in your body, too. Clearly, the kidneys are important, and when they are not functioning at full capacity, they can affect your health in significant ways. The kidney disease diet ensures that your kidneys get what they need each day for optimal function, and prevents the intake of foods that slow down the functional capabilities of your kidneys.

Take Your Doctor’s Advice

If your doctor has recommended that you follow the kidney disease diet, you do want to do what you can to follow the diet as closely as possible. This may mean meeting with a dietician or nutritionist, and it may mean learning some new recipes from a kidney health cookbook. Many do feel that the diet is restrictive in nature, but how restrictive it will be for you will depend upon how healthful your diet was previously. Promoting kidney health when you are battling a chronic kidney condition is important, and it can be the determining factor that can add years of additional health to your life. These are years that you can enjoy spending with family and friends, so while the diet may be restrictive and a hassle, most people do indeed find that the effort is well-rewarded in the long run.