My experience: I have had kidney disease for at least 3 years

Thanks for information. I did order a renal cookbook. Going to check it out to see if I can benefit from from it. All helps!!!

I found out 20 years ago that I had “mild - moderate kidney disease” due to diabetes. I was going through a pre transplant evaluation for a pancreas transplant. I was not told a stage # or alphabet letter and was told I did not need a kidney transplant. I had a pancreas alone transplant. But I started learning about chronic kidney disease, renal labs and renal diet.
The first thing I did was to reduce salt. Then I learned to eat as much protein as I needed for myself (height, weight, gender). I had been consuming too much in an effort to limit carbohydrates. I focused on fish, poultry, eggs and dairy rather than red meat. I learned about labs. My nephrologist says I need to eat for the labs. These are calcium, oxalates, phosphorus and potassium. Renal dieticians have lists of foods pertaining to these. My doctor monitors these plus creatinine, BUN, eGFR and makes recommendations of things that should be increased or decreased.
This is all going pretty well. Between 2008 and 2016 I was at stage 4 CKD. Now I’m at stage 3. My last eGFR was 34.

At stage 4 or 5 about 2+ years ago, now 3b, eGFR of 38, Creatinine around 2.02 (stable). I don't eat as much red meat anymore...chicken & fish, turkey (parents use to raise them) & turkey bacon, eggs, goat cheese. Doing more quinoa, chia seeds, lentils (in soup-red ones), homemade baked beans, ground flax, oats (granola and oatmeal). Salads, salads and more salads...1/4 avocado, bell peppers, the goat cheese, cucumber. I do enjoy a burger, pork chop or sirloin steak about 1 or 2 times per month. Mostly drink water, herbal tea (guess you have to avoid the ones with licorice root??), a root beer or creme soda at times and non-dairy frozen dessert. And, lots of fruit - the berries, apples, pears...those small oranges (cuties) on occasion. Love pizza or a calzone, so we make our own sauce (little to no sodium), garlic, spread it on a tortilla with some mozzarella and turkey pepperoni...handles that craving nicely.

@i ordered a Renal cookbook & am looking forward to see what I can learn from this book. Currently my efr #’s hv been stable they used to as low as 16. I think diet & exercise hv helped me increase my #’s. It’s encouraging to read other members & what they do to maintain their CKD. Thanks to all.