Kidney disease
Lets talk about the kidneys!
The kidneys are a very important part of your body. The body has two kidneys, both of them work together, and some people can live with just one! Some of the jobs of the kidney include but are not limited to, balancing horomones, stimulating the production of red blood cells, filtrating waste, regulating blood pressure, balancing the pH of the body, and contributing to your bone health. When the kidney function begins to decline, the kidneys are not able to remove waste as they should. Sometimes they cannot help balance fluid in the body either. Then, the other functions that kidneys do, start to decline. This creates the build up of the toxins and fluids in the body, and people start to feel symptoms such as:
Swelling and shortness of breath
Low energy
Taste changes
Low appetite
High blood pressure
Nausea and vomiting
The two main causes in the decrease of kidney function are high blood pressure and diabetes. But, there are different types of kidney disease, and some may be caused by other things besides the two causes stated. A lab that helps to understand kidney function is the GFR, which stands for glomerular filtration rate. This is an equation that calculates and estimates your kidney function. This result is determined by a simple blood draw. Kidney disease is categorized by different levels, based on the GFR. The levels range from 1-5. Level 1 is the first level, and produces the least damage, level 5 is kidney failure. It is so important to always be aware of your kidney health, and to keep your kidneys healthy. Nutrition intervention may help prevent kidney disease and may slow down the progression. Nutrition counseling may even prevent or delay the need for dialysis. Contact me so we can work on your kidney health together!
Information and statistics from Davita
Charts and graph were obtained from the National Kidney Foundation
“Only 10% of patients with kidney disease receive nutrition therapy prior to starting dialysis”. Don’t let this be you!
“A renal dietitian is highly educated in food and nutrition and specializes in the dietary needs of people with chronic kidney disease. After earning a bachelor's degree, a dietitian needs to complete an internship and pass a national exam to become a Registered Dietitian (RD). Many dietitians also have a master's degree. Several states require that dietitians also get a license from the state where they work. All dietitians must continue their education each year to maintain their status as a registered dietitian. A dietitian enjoys food sciences, understanding the relationship between food and nutrition and how it affects the body as well as teaching people what to eat to be healthier and feel better. Because renal dietitians specialize in the care of patients with chronic kidney disease, dietitians have thorough knowledge of what types and amounts of foods should be eaten by people who have high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, early kidney disease or are on dialysis”. - Davita