Living with a chronic disease such as kidney disease or diabetes can sometimes feel difficult. There are a lot of changes you have to make to your entire lifestyle, and sometimes when you are feeling down those changes may not feel worth it. The fact is, however, that is these changes that make the biggest difference in controlling these chronic conditions.
Kidney disease is a chronic condition that is marked by the loss of kidney function. The loss of kidney function determines which stage of the disease they are in. The rate at which a person loses kidney function often depends on the patient themselves, and their treatment. Each stage of the disease comes with its own challenges and recommendations.
How do you treat kidney disease?
There are many different parts to the treatment of kidney disease. Of course, there are doctor appointments, testing, and medications that you may need to follow up with. Late stage kidney disease will often require dialysis or even a kidney transplant.
In the beginning stages of kidney disease especially however, the number one treatment for kidney disease is a sensible diet. What you eat vastly contributes to your health and well-being, especially when you have kidney disease or other chronic illnesses.
How does diet influence kidney function?
Everything that you eat or drink gets processed through your body. It is broken down in your stomach into the many by-products that make up each food item. These by-products are filtered into your blood stream, and are filtered through your kidneys. Everything that you eat or drink is eventually processed by your kidneys. The kidneys filter out waste, send needed proteins and by-products to other parts of the body, and maintain many other jobs in the body.
When your kidneys do not function properly, it affects your entire body. You may feel sluggish, tired, sore, or even feel pain in your kidneys especially when you need to urinate. The foods you eat can make these symptoms better or worse. Maintaining a sensible diet can not only help you feel better, but it can actually stop the progression of your kidney disease.
What does a sensible kidney disease diet include?
A sensible kidney disease diet will require you to omit quite a few food items from your diet. These include sodium, potassium, and phosphorus rich foods. As kidney disease progresses, there may be other omissions or the diet may be stricter.
Maintaining a sensible diet for kidney disease, or really any other chronic condition, is not all about what you should not eat, however. A sensible diet also includes eating foods that are good for you and for your kidney function. Some of these foods include red bell peppers, antioxidant rich berries, cruciferous vegetables, garlic, onions, and more.
Maintaining a sensible diet is the best way that you can help control your kidney disease. Not only will it help you feel better, but you have the potential to effectively halt the progression of your illness and avoid end stage renal disease. The better you follow your sensible diet, the more likely you are to live a healthy, happy, and comfortable life.
For more information about your kidney diet and how to start, click here.