Lifestyle care for kidney disease

Traditional Chinese medicine has the concept of dietary taboos for diseases, and a large amount of practice has also proved this point of view. Of course, if there are foods that are taboo, there are also suitable foods. For kidney disease, a reasonable and correct diet can have a good effect on renal insufficiency caused by kidney disease, reduce the burden on glomeruli, and have a positive effect on the condition. So how should we adjust the lifestyle of kidney disease patients? Of course, this must first be adjusted from the diet.

Daily Diet Principles

(1) Low-protein, low-phosphorus diet: The problem of protein intake is faced by almost all kidney patients, and the amount of protein intake will have a significant impact on the development and recovery of the disease. For patients with chronic nephritis, in the early stages of the disease or during acute attacks, when there are certain symptoms of oliguria, edema or poor appetite, protein intake should be appropriately controlled, but not excessively restricted, especially when the patient loses weight, otherwise it may affect the body's immunity and be detrimental to recovery from the disease. Generally, it is advisable to give 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. When edema subsides after massive diuresis and the patient's symptoms improve, it is necessary to increase protein intake in time to replenish the protein lost during massive diuresis. This is especially true for patients with chronic kidney disease-type nephritis.

(2) Adequate carbohydrates: Since patients with chronic nephritis limit their protein intake, their energy is mainly supplied by carbohydrates. Therefore, the amount of sugar in the diet should be appropriately increased to meet the body's demand for energy. In addition, adequate heat energy supply can reduce protein consumption, reduce the burden on the kidneys, and allow the small amount of protein consumed to be fully used for tissue repair and growth and development. Foods suitable for patients with chronic nephritis include rice noodles, vermicelli, potatoes, lotus root starch, etc.

(3) Limit sodium salt: For patients with chronic nephritis in the stable stage, when the general symptoms of chronic nephritis such as edema are not obvious, there is no need to limit salt intake, as long as they do not eat too salty food. When patients have severe edema, heart failure or even hypertensive encephalopathy, they must strictly limit their salt intake. Not only should they not consume table salt, they should also not eat other foods containing sodium, such as soda crackers, alkaline flour buns, and meat floss. In order to avoid affecting the patient's appetite due to the lack of salt and taste, salt-free soy sauce can be used instead of table salt when cooking. The salt intake can be gradually increased only after the patient's condition has improved and stabilized.

(4) Appropriate amount of water intake: There is generally no restriction on the amount of water you drink, but it should not be too much, especially for those with obvious edema and oliguria, you must pay attention to your water intake.

(5) Vitamin and iron supplementation: Chronic nephritis patients may have difficulty in taking vitamins due to long-term illness, poor appetite, and low food intake. Therefore, chronic nephritis patients should pay attention to eating foods rich in vitamin A, B vitamins, and vitamin C, such as fresh vegetables and fruits, to prevent vitamin deficiency.