CKD Vs Nutrition, Should I Change my Eating Habits? Why Should I Choose Healthy Foods?

Nutrition, our eating habits, played a strong role on whether our CKD will be slowed down or it will worsen until our kidneys are no longer working "renal failure" or End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).

As we now know, the stronger contributors to ESRD are High Blood Pressure and Diabetes, and these two can be controlled, either increased or decreased, depending on our eating habits.

Blood Pressure can be controlled, by choosing healthy foods, perform regular activities, such as walking. Lowering your blood pressure will drastically prevent or delayed the risk of CKD.

If you have been diagnose with high blood pressure, ask your Doctor for a diet or eating plan called Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), this plan may include food choices such as poultry, fish, nuts, grains and small or no salt (sodium), it is very important to learn about low-sodium and salt-free products.

Diabetes, a diabetic patient, should monitor blood glucose levels as directed by a Doctor, also patients with high A1C or Glycated Hemoglobin, this blood test will give you an average of your glucose concentration of the past 2 or 3 months, ask your Doctor for your proper A1C level. In order to maintain proper glucose levels, we need to be very careful of our food choices, (ask your Doctor for the best meal plan that will fit you), another factors that we have to consider are :

• The amount of food we eat each day, has to be the same.
• You have to take your meals and snacks, always at the same hour.
• You can not skip any meal or snack.
• Medication has to be taken at the same hours, everyday.
• Perform a slight activity, such as walking.

Remember, we still have some control to prevent or delayed CKD by changing our eating habits, always choosing healthy foods. Let's live well!!