Guide Helps Dialysis Patients Eat Out SmarterWASHINGTON, Pa.—A registered dietitian and nephrologist have teamed up to publish a guide to help dialysis patients choose the best food for their diets when they are eating out at fast-food restaurants.
“Dialysis Dining on the GO!” includes information specific to individual restaurants and companies, and it uses a colored-coded system to show patients which foods are best and what foods to stay away from.
Selections are described throughout using traffic signals—"Go" (green), "Caution" (yellow), and "Stop" (red).
The authors, Cynthia West, MD, and Allyson Almeida, RD, LDN, who both work at Liberty Dialysis in Washington, created to allow for greater freedom and confidence in making appropriate food choices while eating out.
Almeida, who is a registered dietitian, said the “GO foods” aren’t necessarily low in potassium, phosphorus and sodium; they just indicate items that are the better choices on the menu. Foods with higher amounts of sodium are designated by the yellow caution light and red stop light.
For instance, a quarter-pound hamburger and fish sandwich are among the GO foods at Wendy’s, while patients should use caution when eating foods with cheese, tomatoes and almonds or Frosties that include candy. Sandwiches with “everything” get the red light.
The book also includes recommendations for “anywhere” dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner; provides salad bar pointers; and addresses toppings, condiments and desserts.
Other “Dialysis Dining” tips encourage patients to:
* Eat 8 to 12 ounces of meat per day to fight infection and maintain energy.
* Eat Chinese food in moderation. Chinese food is usually high in sodium, which means the body retains extra fluid, putting pressure on the heart and lungs.
* Eat low-sodium soups that contain less than 140 mg of sodium, potassium and phosphorus.
* Use Wish Bone salad spritzers, Mrs. Dash salt-free seasoning blends and Ken’s Lite Accent dressings and marinades.
Almeida and West presented “Dialysis Dining on the GO!” at April’s National Kidney Foundation in Orlando, Fla., and, according to West, they received “tremendously positive feedback.”
“By and large, there is nothing out there like this,” West said.
Books are $9.95 plus shipping, and volume discounts are available. To purchase books, e-mail alleycat2001rd@yahoo.com.
http://www.renalbusiness.com/news/2010/08/guide-helps-dialysis-patients-eat-out-smarter.aspx
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