GPPC Blog

By: Julie Baudo, RDN, CDCES, CDN
Registered Dietitian

Our kidneys play a vital role in protecting our overall health. These bean-shaped organs perform many essential functions, including filtering blood, regulating fluid and blood pressure, activating vitamin D for healthy bones, removing waste products from the blood, and helping make red blood cells. A fun fact about these amazing organs is that they filter about 200 gallons of blood daily to create 1-2 quarts of urine!  When the kidneys are not working well, they don't filter blood properly, which means harmful substances can accumulate in the blood. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 15% of adults have chronic kidney disease (CKD), or roughly 37 million people, and many don't realize they have it. The leading causes of kidney disease are high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. Common symptoms of kidney disease include swelling of hands, face and feet, foamy urine, puffy eyes, increased thirst, and fatigue. The good news is that changing our lifestyle can prevent or slow the progression of kidney disease.

Dietary changes can greatly impact kidney health, giving you the power to protect your kidneys. See below for some important and easy ways to help maintain kidney health.

1. Reduce sodium. Eat less salty snacks, limit convenience foods and prepare more homemade meals.

2. Incorporate more plant-based meals into your diet. Diets high in animal proteins from red meat may harm the kidneys. Plant-based foods like dried beans, nuts, seeds, tofu, and vegetables can protect your kidneys and provide excellent nutrition and fiber.

3. Drink more water! Proper hydration keeps your kidneys working efficiently. Sugary drinks like specialty coffees and energy drinks are both high in calories and sugar, so make water your main drink of choice.

4. Consider following the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. The diet is designed to help lower blood pressure. It is rich in fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, fish, and poultry. In addition, the diet is low in salt, added sugars, and red meats.

A  registered dietitian, your trusted guide, can help develop an eating and exercise plan that considers individual food preferences, lifestyle, level of physical activity and special needs to help accomplish disease management goals. The dietitian's goal for their patients is to enhance their quality of life while protecting their kidney function. Discuss this with your physician and ask for a referral!

BE KIND TO YOUR KIDNEYS THIS MONTH AND EVERY MONTH!

PROTECT THOSE BEANS!