Renal Diet

[kristina]

My GFR is at about 10%, and I'm still pre-dialysis. My nephrologist has given me some recent findings in the field, and it seems that certain amino acids found only in meats actually HELP delay the formation of kidney cysts. So, even though I can only tolerate 40-45g/day of protein, I make it a point to have at least some meat protein each day.

Recently, my potassium levels have been increasing, so I have given up most potatoes, orange juice, ant tomatoes. Still, the potassium remains high, and I'm wondering what my nephrologist's next idea is going to be.

With the help of the Internet you can work out your daily potassium intake...
you can also work out - courtesy of the Internet again - what nutrients your body needs every day...

For example, I know that my daily natural diuretic asparagus contains lots of potassium.
I therefore peel my asparagus and boil them in lots of water to “bleach out” as much of the potassium as possible...

I also worked out from the very beginning all my other daily potassium intakes to make sure I never have too much potassium...
...despite my strict vegetarian diet...

To work all this out and to be precise is at first rather confusing and not easy ...

... but after a few weeks you could be a real professional at it... Good luck from Kristina.

[renalwife]

I have followed the renal diet my dietitian worked out for me, and has continued to check on it re my labs.  The following is a 24 diet total.

Protein 50gm
K       2000 mg
Po4   2000 mg
Na     2000 mg.

I have a chart for each value:  Those foods  low in protein, moderate and high in protein  The same is the charts for potassium, phosphorus and sodium.

I have found that very useful and have used this chart guide since 2004.  And except for a couple of episodes of acute renal failure (ending up in ICU) my lab values have been pretty stable..stage 4 for since 2007.

I have no desire to go on dialysis so I keep pretty close to the allowable substances.  Lately, in the past year, my potassium has been rising and we don't know why.  But from reading this thread, I wonder if it is the cooked meat?