You are probably wondering what type of food you should eat to reduce your problems on a stage 3 kidney diet.
I recently wrote a book on predialysis kidney disease, and how to live a healthier and happier life with kidney disease. In the book, I talk about all the things you can do to reduce your risk of progressing to higher stages of kidney disease. Except for what type of dietary restrictions. That is because I write about it on this blog and I sell meal plans for a stage 3 kidney diet, so I felt like writing an introductory book and teaching you more about the other parts of your life that you can change.
But now, I will talk a bit about how to follow a stage 3 kidney diet, because it is important to control the parts of your life that you can.
Major changes that you can make once you have chronic kidney disease that is not at a stage of dialysis are as follows:
1. Get rid of the salt in your diet. I am sure you have heard this before, but heart disease goes hand in hand with kidney disease, and high blood pressure can do a lot of damage to your kidneys. Removing salt from your table and not adding it to food helps you manage a stage 3 kidney diet. You can also eliminate your canned foods or purchase the lower sodium versions of canned foods to allow you to lower the sodium in your diet further. Eating fresh and less processed foods will help lower the amount of salt in your diet.
2. Eat smaller portions of meat, and eat more vegetarian entrees. As your kidneys have more damage, you need to limit the amount of protein that you eat. That's why our meal plans for predialysis are made with lower protein amounts. And your meal patterns also have a lower level of protein. This is all to reduce the amount that is continuing to cause damage to your kidneys when following a stage 3 kidney diet. Smaller portions means that you should no longer eat 6-8 ounces of meat at a sitting. It means that you should eat about 3 ounces of meat, chicken, fish or other meats. That is the size of a deck of cards when you have it cooked. You can also add more vegetarian meals to your plan for a stage 3 kidney diet and you will be able to eat a larger portion without feeling so hungry. Many times, meat is replaced with beans because beans have protein in them as well as fiber which helps you stay fuller longer. Try to eat a vegetarian meal at least once a week and see if it is something that you can continue.
3. Eat more often throughout the day and get more high fiber foods. Eating more foods that are whole grains and less processed are ways to lower the sodium in your diet and help you feel fuller. You can eat fruits and vegetables that are lower in potassium, like apples, grapes, strawberries, corn, broccoli and peas. You can eat them in their less processed state – not as strawberry jam or peanut butter but as whole foods, like fresh peanuts and strawberries. Eating more often keeps you full without eating a large amount of food. And you can be managing your kidney disease and heart disease by eating lower fat and lower sodium when you eat less processed foods. High fiber foods are whole grains and vegetables that are in the foods that you eat. In other words, don't eat so much sugar.
4. If you are a diabetic, get your condition under control! Optimal hemoglobin A1c levels are 7.0 – 7.5% in a diabetic with kidney disease. If you need a combination renal and diabetes diet, for your stage 3 kidney diet, you can get a meal plan with a pattern for the day right here on renaldiethq.com. You can do your best for your stage 3 kidney diet when you control your diabetes and watch your blood sugar levels. Having uncontrolled diabetes keeps doing damage to your kidneys over time, and can easily put you in need of a stage 3 kidney diet. Check your blood sugars and watch your carbohydrates. Get on a meal plan for renal diabetes. It's amazing what a difference a well controlled diabetic diet will make for stage 3 kidney disease.
Overall, the above suggestions are helpful, and I hope you can get started. It does seem overwhelming but it does not have to be. Get the book on chronic kidney disease and follow a great meal plan and you will find that it's very easy to be on a stage 3 kidney diet.
Let me know what changes you are going to make to eat better and follow your diet more closely in the comments.
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I have Stage 3 CKD and Diabetes type 2. I read yesterday that taking Vitamin D3 can raise BUN levels. Is that true?