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Provided Courtesy of RD411.com Where health care professionals go for information. New Year’s Resolutions for Patients Who Have Chronic Kidney Disease. Contributed by Emily Workman, RD Review Date 5/10. R-0587. Follow Your Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Diet.
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Provided Courtesy of RD411.com Where health care professionals go for information New Year’s Resolutions for Patients Who Have Chronic Kidney Disease Contributed by Emily Workman, RD Review Date 5/10 R-0587
Follow Your Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Diet • Know that everyone needs to limit salt in the diet • Throw away the salt shaker: • Use salt-free seasoning blends, such as Mrs. Dash® or Benson’s® • Add other seasonings, spices, and herbs, such as garlic or onion • Use fewer salty foods: • Choose unsalted crackers, popcorn, or pretzels
Follow Your CKD Diet (cont’d) • Avoid processed foods: • Hot dogs • Sausage • Bacon • Packaged luncheon meats • Canned soups • Canned vegetables • Microwave dinners • Boxed dinners, such as Hamburger Helper® or Rice-a-Roni®
Follow Your CKD Diet (cont’d) • Talk with your dietitian or doctor about limiting potassium and phosphorus in your diet
Get Moving • Exercise is beneficial for everyone • Regular exercise can: • Lower blood pressure • Decrease heart disease risks • Improve energy and mood • Help with digestion • Improve blood sugar control • Control weight • Strengthen muscles and bones • Lower stress • Help you sleep better
Get Moving (cont’d) • Start slowly: • Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program • Always stretch before and after exercise • Make realistic goals: • Choose goals that are reachable and doable • Build from there
Get Moving (cont’d) • Schedule exercise as you would your other appointments: • Make it a priority—you are the priority in your life • Remember that making small changes now can increase both the quantity and quality of your life • Ask for help: • See if a friend or family member can help you or exercise with you • Get encouragement from others to keep you motivated and on track • Have more fun by exercising with others
Get Moving (cont’d) • Include a variety of activities in your exercise routine: • Remember that many activities count as exercise • Consider walking, bicycling, dancing, water aerobics, exercise videos, stretching, chair exercises
Stop Smoking • Smoking: • Is especially dangerous for patients with CKD • Harms the kidneys, contributing to the progress of kidney disease • Affects blood pressure • Increases stress on the heart • Can lead to chest pain, shortness of breath, heart attack, and/or stroke
Learn More About Kidney Disease and Dialysis • Resources for information: • National Kidney Foundation: www.kidney.org • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov • National Kidney Disease Education Program: http://nkdep.nih.gov • DaVita, Inc: www.davita.com
Have a Diabetes Checkup • The more you control your diabetes, the better your kidneys will function • If you have diabetes, the American Diabetes Association suggests that you visit you doctor two to four times a year, and more often if you are on insulin
Have a Diabetes Checkup (cont’d) • If you are not working with your primary care doctor or a nephrologist to manage your diabetes, you should see an endocrinologist (a doctor who is more specialized in treating diabetes) • The three important keys to improving diabetes control: • Medication • Diet • Exercise
Review Your Medications • Review your medications with your doctor, including: • Prescription medications • Over-the-counter medications • Herbal, vitamin, and mineral supplements • Discuss: • What you are taking • How you are feeling • How your body is responding to the medicines, based on your lab results
Review Your Medications (cont’d) • Help your doctor determine if: • You are taking the right medicines • There are medicines you no longer need to take