Dietician said only stay hydrated with Stage 3b CKD....no other diet

I've been following the mediterranean diet. Have an apt with nutritionist next month. Had to start taking iron for anemia.

@kayabbott frankly, I find that shocking. And I would find another dietitian. My dietitian has helped me get to stage 3 a. Yes, the water is important but that’s only one part of it. There are many good online dietitians. That’s where I found mine and I meet with her online every three weeks. She handles the insurance. In my small city, the nephrologist had no one to recommend, but with the help of these forums, I realized how important the dietitian is and it was easy to find one online. We often have to advocate for ourselves to remain healthy!

@marshgirl24 I agree with the shocking, but I have stage 3a and the renal dietician was worthless regarding diet. With stage 3a they mostly stress hydration. Too often the medical profession is focused on stabilizing and improving, rather than slowing/preventing progression (other than the don't smoke/drink, and food pyramid pre RFK stuff). Finding dieticians is easy, finding good renal dieticians a bit harder. As a scientist, I just researched the renal and other diet options. My only blood/urine work that is out of kilter is creatinine; everything else was normal range, so saying I wanted to stop/slow progression just seemed to throw her. Also, if someone is into high-energy exercise and/or weight lifting, it is good to take a couple of days off before bloodwork because associated muscle microtears and healing can ramp up creatinine levels. Eating moderate amounts of lean proteins is good, creatine supplements not so good with CKD.

At 3b, eGFR of 38, I too was told kidneys were healthy enough no diet changes were required. The nutritionist, I eventually spoke with, did urge me to limit sodium, potassium and watch for added phosphates in the ingredients listed on foods. I should limit red meat. Eat lean portions of 4 ounces. Protein intake should be between 45 - 60 grams per day. Protein from vegetables was better - beans, lentils, quinoa, chia seeds being good sources. She suggested several recipe sources DaVita being one and Nat'l Kidney Foundation. Stay hydrated. Keep body weight down, I'm about 6-7 pounds overweight. Moderate exercise was very good - walking everyday. Limit sugar intake and get enough fiber in the diet. Bottom line: Not really any restrictions on foods, but if you need to watch sodium, potassium, etc., then you'd have to limit (go easy on portions) of potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, oranges, etc. So, there is a bit of homework involved. Eat in moderation.

These recommendations for a kidney diet just put me in a slump. I did NOT grow up with things like Chia seeds, lentils and quinoa and honestly don't even know exactly what they are. Sold in health food type stores I suppose. There is absolutely no way I am going to flip flop my entire way of eating at the age of 76 and start shopping for gerbil food. I guess these things are fine if you're used to eating them but I wouldn't know where to begin and I've had a terrible time and couldn't find any help with a dietitian for CKD3B. At least not one my insurance would pay for. So with no help other than the internet and restricting certain foods, I've managed things on my own. So far so good. I guess our medical system/my insurance could care less about helping us stay well and off dialysis.

@happyquilter Lentils are a type of bean. Other legumes (beans) are fine with renal diets; they are high in potassium and phosphorus so moderation is key. Rather than a bowl of chili, chili on a tostada or white rice works. If you like to cook, DaVita has online recipes for kidney and diabetes diets. Eggs are good, and not particularly liked by gerbils. https://davita.com/diet-nutrition/recipes/

I am aware of DaVita recipes and beans. Some beans may be kidney safe but because of watching sodium, that makes beans extremely bland. I have a difficult time with bland. Plus, canned ones are loaded with sodium so it would mean rinsing or cooking them from scratch which is even more bland. I do have some issues with zero flavor. It's challenging. Plus unappealing food triggers my nausea.

@gingerw You said a mouth full. Getting help or guidance for a kidney disease diet is like trying to catch a wild horse while on foot. My dietitian is really
zero help. She actually knows nothing about kidney disease and even said so. It's up to us to teach ourselves if we want to try to avoid dialysis. But, it is what it is. My doctor now has me on a "remote" blood pressure machine. Didn't give me a real explanation but it's what I need to do every morning when I first get up.

@happyquilter Also, as we age our sense of smell and taste tends to fade; so food gets dosed with more sugar and salt. We have been low sugar and salt for years because we increased spices to replace those flavorings. If you cook, then you are likely familiar with doubling and tripling spices in recipes as a way to decrease salts and sugars. Thyme and sage, pepper and peppers, and others help the flavor of bland beans.

@kayabbott Honestky, I don't cook much anymore. I don't eat much anymore. I don't use many seasonings or spices. It really depends on what I would cook and don't do much any more living alone. Too much trouble and hard to really cook for one person. So all those spices just don't get used. I've honestly found it quite difficult to eat period because I no longer get hungry and really just don't have an appetite. Cooking is too much work now.