Veggies that are good for CKD3

@nscappa Good for you, for being mindful of what you eat while in a chronic kidney disease situation! You have no doubt read that your choice in diet can be crucial for your well-being. Low sodium, low calcium, low potassium, quality protein, fresh fruits and veggies, moderate exercise, healthy mind-set are all great goals.

Here is a flyer from the National Kidney Foundation, about squash and kidney disease:
https://www.kidney.org/sites/default/files/01-10-8376_jcb_patflyer_superfood-squash2.pdf

As to fluid intake, remember that anything that is liquid at room temperature is what is considered in your fluid count. My nephrologist just told me, that 2 liters a day [about 66 ounces] is okay for my situation. I am Stage 5, still urinating, and will be starting dialysis soon. At that time, her recommendation may change. What we don't want, is to stress the kidneys and heart. Check with your medical team for their recommendations based on where your stage is. The rule of thumb I was told is 32 ounces plus the amount of urine output in a single day. As kidney disease progresses, the kidneys are not able to process and move fluids out as easily, so we try to lessen stress on them.

From American Kidney Fund: https://kitchen.kidneyfund.org/fluids/
What stage are you? How are you feeling today?
Ginger

Hi Ginger,
Thank you so much for the great and important info. I am quite aware of just what to eat (within reason) but I am not always sure how much protein to take in, my potassium runs low (I take supplements) so I have to wait for my labs in September. I wish I could get my numbers more often so I will know how I am doing. I saved the squash info which I will read today. I am sorry to hear about your stage of CKD. It must be very stressful for you but try to stay strong. Do take care.
Nancy S. : )

@nscappa I was able to retard the progression of my kidney disease by following a renal diet long before the doctors told me to! In fact, even when I was at 3A, I had researched and then adopted a sound diet for me. When I developed gout issues, another prong of my diet was established! I like to tell people my allowed foods are apples and cardboard ;)). The albumin level is important for me, and my nephrologist educated me on that as it relates to dialysis and kidney health. As it was below normal, I now incorporate quality protein daily in the form of a shake made with Greek yogurt, almond milk, berries and protein powder. Like you, I am on potassium supplements due to a high dose of furosemide each day [180 mg].

Thank you for your support. It means alot to me!
Ginger

Everyone’s situation is different. I have Stage 3b CKD due to severe oxylate damage. I use the below list as s guide. If there is conflicting information (of which there can be much out there), I avoid it. For me, good veggies include cabbage, kale, red bell peppers, and cucumbers. My only real protein sources are chicken and occasional low-fat Greek yogurt. I drink 3L of water a day, but have learned to watch my sodium levels so I dilute them too much. Hope this helps. https://kidneystones.uchicago.edu/how-to-eat-a-low-oxalate-diet/

Hi Again Ginger,
Again, thank you for your comments. I know that gout is no picnic as my mother suffered from it. Her foot would get beet red and a lot of pain. As far as cardboard I bought Ritz with a "hint of salt". Oh boy, they are so delicious!! : ( I have not seen a nephrologist as yet but I will soon. Are you telling me that your doctors' didn't give you more information long before??? In my case, I had to see it in my after visit summary. I saw CKD Stage 3 and I was shocked. What is CKD Stage 3? That was, I believe, in 2018. I got info re my GFR (to see what it meant) and it has gone from 49, 44, 49 etc. My doctor was a love (she left the practice) and I asked her why she hadn't told me about the kidney issue. I don't remember her answer but I was very disappointed at that point. Since then I have read so many articles on CKD3 and I have learned what is good and what isn't for me. There are still some questions re portion size. If I ate the amounts that I see I would be down to a Biafra case. I am 5'-9" and I weigh about 154. If I go any lower my pants will fall off so I do need more info. Have you been to a Renal Dietician? Most likely you have. Well, I will end here because I just had a nice strong cup of coffee and when I have that I will just keep rambling on and on. Again, thank you so much for what you have shared with me. I so appreciate it. You take care and keep in touch when you can. I don't check the digest daily but I will look more often. Be safe my kidney friend. : )

@randyr You're absolutely right! Each person has to take into consideration the original reason for their chronic kidney disease. Thank goodness you have found what works best for you.

Thank you for sharing that link. It will help others, I am sure. Although diabetes and blood pressure are seen as the leading causes of CKD, they are certainly not the only ones. Kidney stones, hereditary factors, polycystic kidney disease, medications, and illicit drugs can also play as factors, among other things.

If I may ask, what is the gameplan your medical team and you have come up with?
Ginger

Continuing to tweak my diet to try and further improve my kidney function, watch the potassium, labs every 3-6 months, drink 3L of water daily, and just took the Renasight genetic test to see if there is a genetic condition that may provide some insight or information on how to better improve my condition. I’ve gone from GFR of 16 and Creatinine of 3.80 to 36.7 GFR and Creatinine of 1.94 through changes to my diet over the last 4 years.

@nacappa Like many of our other members with chronic kidney disease, my condition was nothing spoken about by my doctors until heading into Stage 4. It seems to be an unwritten protocol to not say anything about the importance of diet and preventative things until it may be too late. I'm really not sure why that practice is ascribed to. That said, it's the reason I really push for each person to be their own health advocate, no matter what their health conditions may be.

As my husband has related to me; this happened long before we ever met in 2015. He was very overweight. He decided to get healthy and took up treadmill walking after work every night, to help with high BP. It helped him lose 70 pounds! He also began to watch his diet more closely. I look at pictures of the before and after, and am very impressed. But his doctors never said anything to him about his kidney issues. All he thought was that diabetes had a role in CKD, which he didn't have. They never told him about high blood pressure, which he had. After monitoring, he had to go on dialysis in early 2011, and received a kidney Oct. 1, 2016. Until he went on dialysis he was not told about the importance of diet, and he became quite the "numbers guy" about sodium. phosphorous, protein, glucose and calcium.

If you can get into a renal dietician, please do so! I was able to connect with the dietician at my cancer center, who made the effort to send me good info on renal diet as it relates to my cancer treatment, so I can "marry" the two together.

You are always welcome to post your experiences here, and ask questions. There are many who read but may not respond, but being able to learn from others' experiences helps us all!
Ginger

This is very upsetting to me and probably to many other CKD patients. These GP's need classes in kidney issues because if they did, many patients would have the information that they need and will be told to go to a renal dietitian and/or nephrologist to get all the knowledge they need to keep the progression of the CKD at bay. I am so sorry about your husband's experiences but happy that he lost the weight and got healthier at one point. : )

got to 78 I leak and I squeak, take multivitamins, found out glucophage leeches the VITAMIN B12 out of the system so am looking for an alternative to shots from the DOCTOR who tells me NOTHING. WILL A VITAMIN WORK? I cannot afford myriad and complicated tests anymore.