Kidney Disease Diets 101!

July 13th, 2011 | Posted by Trey Sanders in Student Blogger - (1 Comments)

In your body, the kidneys are the “filtering system” working to remove drugs, toxins and waste products from your blood, regulate and balance fluids in your body, and release hormones that help keep your blood pressure normal. In addition to this, your kidneys help produce vitamin D, which promotes strong, healthy bones and help produce red blood cells. Kidney disease can occur for a variety of reasons, including multi organ system failure, excessive blood loss, or sepsis- a full body inflammatory reaction that can result in minimal blood flow to the organs.  Below are some of the nutrients of concern when on a diet for Kidney Disease!

Protein: Protein helps to build, maintain, and repair every cell in your body, but in kidney disease, your kidneys cannot handle protein very well.  Make sure to get energy from carbohydrates and fats so that the protein can be used to adequately build and repair cells. If you’re undergoing dialysis, which a process that cleans the blood (what normal kidneys do), you will need more protein because this nutrient is removed from the blood. The main sources of protein include meats, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, beans, and nuts. Breads, cereals, seeds, and vegetables also contain protein too.

Sodium: This nutrient works in your body to help maintain fluid balance and blood pressure.  In kidney disease, too much sodium can cause a build up of fluid which can affect the heart and lungs. To find out more on sodium containing foods check out the Low Sodium Diets blog post! Note: Many salt substitutes contain potassium, which also needs to be monitored so be sure to read the ingredient labels!

Potassium: This nutrient like sodium, needs to be balanced in your body. In kidney disease, too much potassium can build up leading to heart rhythm complications, so it is important to monitor your potassium! These foods are high in potassium:  Apricots, Artichokes, Avocados, Bananas, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Chard, Cheese, Dates, Dried peas and beans, Grapefruit/grapefruit juice, Greens (beet, collard), Honeydew melon, Ice Cream, Milk, Nectarines, Okra, Oranges/orange juice, Parsnips,  Potatoes,  Prunes/prune juice, Pumpkin, Sweet potatoes, Spinach, Tomatoes/tomato juice, and Vegetable juice. Foods low in potassium include: Apples/apple juice, Applesauce,  Blackberries,  Blueberries, Cabbage,  Carrots,  Cauliflower, Corn, Cranberries/cranberry juice cocktail,  Cucumber,  Eggplant, Fruit cocktail, Grapes/grape juice, Green beans,  Lemon,  Lettuce, Lime, Mushrooms, Onions, Peach (canned), Pear (canned), Pineapple,  Plums, Radishes, Raspberries, Strawberries, Tangerines, Water chestnuts, and Watermelon.

Phosphorous: This nutrient is needed for healthy bones and teeth, and can be found in many foods. In kidney disease, too much phosphorous can lead to itchy skin, bone weakness and breakage, or heart issues. High Phosphorus foods include Bran muffins and cereals, Brown Rice, Cheese, Chocolate, Cola beverages, Custard,  Dried beans and peas, Dried beef, Ice Cream, Milk, Molasses, Nuts and seeds, Oatmeal, Oysters,  Raisins and dates, Salmon, Sardines, Whole wheat breads, and Yogurt.

For more information, check out the American Dietetic Association or the National Kidney Disease Foundation!

Eat Well and Eat Happy!

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What’s in Season: Asparagus

April 27th, 2011 | Posted by Catherine Metzgar in Blog - (0 Comments)

As you visit your local Farmers Markets this spring, you’re likely to come across fresh asparagus. Asparagus is a nutritional powerhouse for important vitamins and minerals and is naturally low in calories.

Asparagus is a source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C, antioxidants which may help reduce your risk of heart disease, certain cancers, and other health conditions. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron, so asparagus makes an excellent side dish to your chicken breast, hamburger, or other iron containing foods.

Potassium and fiber are also found in asparagus. Potassium helps to counteract sodium to keep your blood pressure in check while fiber can help lower your cholesterol. Fiber is great for keeping you full longer and may help lower your risk for developing diabetes and heart disease.

Fill up on fruits, veggies and whole grains to get plenty of fiber each day.  How much fiber do we need?  Most adult American’s need at least 25 grams fiber/day.  Sadly, most of us aren’t getting even half of the recommended amount.

Look for crisp, round spears when choosing asparagus. Aim for spears that are relatively the same thickness to make cooking easier. Store in the refrigerator and use within 2-3 days.

Steam, sauté or blanch your asparagus for a quick and healthful side dish. Top with lemon juice or shredded low-fat cheese.

Tired of asparagus as a side dish? Puree and substitute for avocado when making guacamole for a guilt-free option with fewer calories and no fat. Try the recipe below – I promise you won’t even miss the avocado!

Mock-A-Mole

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and chopped
  • ½ cup fresh salsa
  • 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 tsp minced garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • ¼ tsp salt

Directions:

  1. In a large pan, combine the asparagus with ½ cup of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until asparagus is tender, but crisp.
  2. Drain and run under cold water to cool and stop cooking process; pat dry.
  3. In a food processor, pulse the asparagus, salsa, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and salt. Pulse until desired consistency. Transfer to serving bowl and refrigerate until chilled.

Makes 1 ¼ cups.

Nutritional Information (per ¼ cup serving): 6 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 94 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein.

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Go Bananas for Potassium

April 6th, 2011 | Posted by Catherine Metzgar in Blog - (1 Comments)

 

Never one to pass up a good deal, I couldn’t resist the deal I found on bananas during a recent trip to the Farmers Market. Four pounds of bananas for just $1 – what a steal considering bananas not only taste good, they also a good source of potassium.

Dietary potassium can help lower blood pressure by having the opposite effect of sodium (which is found in excess in our diets and is associated with high blood pressure). Potassium rich foods decrease bone loss and can help reduce the risk of developing kidney stones. The Adequate Intake (AI) for potassium in adults in 4,700 mg per day – an amount most of us are not meeting. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines encourage Americans to increase their potassium intake by consuming more fruits, vegetables, and milk products. One banana provides about 400 mg of potassium and is sodium free! Choose your favorite potassium rich foods from this list (Appendix 12) to increase your daily intake.

After some quick calculations, it occurred to me I would have to eat my entire 4 pounds of bananas to meet my daily potassium recommendation. Talk about a lot of bananas. Realizing there was no way I could actually consume 4 pounds of straight bananas in a day (or even a week), I spent some time researching some new and unique ways to use my bananas. Next time you find yourself with excess bananas, try one of these ideas.

  1. Make banana pops. Peel and cut banana in half and place on a wooden ice cream or popsicle stick. Place on a piece of wax paper and freeze. For a sweet treat, dip frozen banana in melted chocolate or butterscotch and roll in nuts or other toppings.
  2. Blend bananas with fresh or frozen fruit for a quick and healthy fruit smoothie.
  3. Top your morning cereal or oatmeal with banana slices.
  4. Spread peanut butter or almond butter on whole wheat bread, slice some bananas and make a peanut butter and banana sandwich.
  5. Use a food dehydrator to make dried banana chips.
  6. Whip up banana bread or muffins. Add walnuts for some extra protein.
  7. Combine milk, peanut butter, and bananas for a peanut butter and banana smoothie.
  8. Try grilled bananas. Lay banana on its side (unpeeled) and cut a slit lengthwise being careful not to cut all the way through. Mash together brown sugar, margarine, and cinnamon and stuff banana with mixture. Place on grill and cook until blackened. Serve warm.

What are your favorite food sources of potassium? Do you have creative ways to use bananas?

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