You thought you had it bad on a regular diet, try a renal diet!

So for those that are new to the CKD/ESRD/dialysis community you are probably just being introduced to the renal diet. Before I got sick I was just like any other 31 year old, I mostly ate like crap, drank WAY too much soda and best of all ate pretty much whatever I wanted. Upon being diagnosed with CKD I had a crash course in the bad P's; phosphate and potassium. There are many toxins that can build up in the body when your kidneys stop functioning but these 2 are the ones they will focus on the most. 

Here is a great link from the National Kidney Foundation website that tells you all about phosphate (phospherus) http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/phosphorus.cfm , It gives you a good list of good and bad foods. This is not by any means a complete list but it is a great place to start. And this link will take you to information about potassium http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/potassium.cfm. The NKF website is a great informational website for people just starting out. 

The long and the short of it is that you have to avoid foods with too much of either of these. It is a lengthy list and I guarantee it will not be easy for most people but trust me, if I can do it so can you! 

Some tips:

- Don't freak out when you see the list. For most people there is some wiggle room and you will not have to give up all of the food that you love. Work with your dietitian to fit in the foods that you really love, 

- Avoid all of the obviously bad for you foods; i.e, fast food, soda, pre-packaged meals. All of these are VERY high in phosphorus. Also, it is an artificial phosphorus which is often used in preservatives and it is much worse than naturally ocurring phosphorus. 

- Be cautious with anything that is not a fresh fruit or vegetable. Many packaged foods have hidden phosphorus in the form of preservatives. A few surprise bad foods to watch for are; lunch meat, meat (all kinds, even fresh from the grocery store). 

I am sure there are a million things that I am missing but these are just a few tips to get you started. If you have questions or comments please feel free to leave them below. I am not an expert by any means but I am happy to try and anwser or share my resources. This is a big life change that has been thrust upon us, patient and families alike and we all need to stick together.