Diet Guy

[Diet Guy]

I'm the Scientific Director for Calwood Nutritionals.  In 1999, Dr. Mackenzie Walser, a friend of mine, asked if I could make the essential amino acids taste good.  He said he could keep his patients off dialysis, but they would rather die than eat the stuff.  So we did that, but we never realized the nephrology community in the US would completely reject the idea.  Dr. William Mitch recently said, "What the MDRD study showed, was that if the patients stayed on the diet, they could prolong the time to dialysis."  The first review of the results was based on what the Dr.'s prescribed and not what the patients did.  In the study, the patients ate double to triple the amount of protein they were prescribed and surprise, surprise, the study failed and all the nephrologists said, see, diet doesn't work.  Meanwhile, in Europe and Asia, Fresenius sells the analogs of the essential amino acids and in China alone, they have more customers than are on dialysis in the US.  But for this forum, the most interesting result is something a dialysis patient who didn't feel good, forced me to try.  I told her when to take the aminos and she followed the advice.  One serving of essential amino acids 10 minutes before the end of dialysis and another 25 minutes after the end of dialysis, allowed her to feel fine.  I spent a lot of time helping Margaret as we worked on timing.  The amazing thing is that some nurses have recently found that 94% of all dialysis patients suffer from post dialysis fatigue.  But you all know that.  What you didn't know, is the method to make yourself feel better.  Please realize that although I sell something, the clinical trials are just now being set up and what we have now is our customers who have used this and told us about it.  Nevertheless, I know about your fatigue and we would like you to do better, now.  If anyone asks, I will tell you how this works, if no one does, OK.

[MuddyGurl]

As a CKD patient  I discovered Dr. Walser's book , and his recommend Amino Acid supplementation last year.

I truly  have been thru the wringer with nephs over my diet before my nephretomy in 2010, and now with CKD (which they never revealed back then..costing me 3+ years of time I COULD have taken action to keep my function up. But now i will do what I can for myself. )

i was the ideal patient, willing to learn, try, and DO what was needed..but my experience is typical..they assume you will fail in any diet, and don't bother to tell your numbers.  to me this is criminal.  You'd THINK that keeping people OFF the costly dialysis would be ONE goal, along with patient health…but no.
 
I take the Amino Acids mentioned above, ..I started with the  basic powder  which thickens due to added Carageenan in it, and used it in my  almond milk protein shakes as I learned HOW to lower my protein down..it has taken me a few months..but I am now at ther recommended 20 gr MOST days..

I like the chewy Amino bites (like gummy bears) as convenient, and they cost about 20 cents more over the lowest cost powder.

The drink mix is VERY  HARD to dissolve..so I add a scoop to 1/4 glass of water, and LET IT SIT for a few hours, then add sparkling water, or tea, or  fill the glass with more water and drink plain..it just does NOT dissolve even with a mixer/blender tool. but eventually it does. so plan ahead.

But i am not at Stage 5… so i understand I have a little room to learn about this diet..    Before AA supplements I found I can stay at Stage 3b where I was since 2010 if I just dont eat meat..stay with a vegetarian diet.     Now I increased my daily amount and have better energy, probably because I weigh more than the 150s the 3x day dose is based on. ( made sense, I have/need for muscle building)

However Walser  seems to have based his diet on now outdated USDA advice on  FEARS of saturated fats  ( studies  in 70s-80s were lumping them with trans fats, and blaming both.)   I feel we need to know the LATEST facts on nutrition..so where  Walser promotes false coffee creamer which is truly junk carbs, and canned  Heinz "gravy" …I will not use it. They are NOT good nutrition, and I can't use the carbs if I am to lose weight..

There is a lot to learn about combining the best of Very low protein with Amino Acids for energy/muscle  AND more modern  studies on fats in the diet.
 
I may be an N=1  with my adapted diet,  but my improved kidney function proves i'm on the right track.

( I posted the link to Dr. Voleks call for BETTER SCIENCE in the USA 2015 Guidelines under  "Metabolic Acidosis"

[Rerun]

Hello Diet Guy.  I'm glad to see you could finally sign on.  If people would like to hear more about this they can PM you.  But, feel free to write a little more about how it works in the general dialysis area. We just want to welcome you here.

Thanks for joining.

Welcome - Rerun, Admin.