How To Plan A Low Potassium Diet For A Diabetic
Avocados contain more potassium than bananas. How to Plan a Low Potassium Diet for a Diabetic Maura Shenker is a certified holistic nutritionist and health counselor who started her writing career in 2010. She leads group workshops, counsels individual clients and blogs about diet and lifestyle choices. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design, a Master of Fine Arts from The Ohio State University and is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Your body uses potassium in digestion, metabolism, regulating muscle tissue and homeostasis -- balancing the chemical and electrical processes in your body. Excess potassium can lead to loss of muscle and nerve control, an irregular heart beat and cardiac arrest. Your kidneys remove excess potassium from your bloodstream, but when you have renal disease, commonly caused by diabetes, your kidney's aren't able to work properly. A potassium build-up, called hyperkalemia, occurs -- which might have fatal consequences. Prevention of hyperkalemia is the best treatment, and following a low-potassium diet can help. Choose carbohydrates that are low in potassium and sugar. Carbohydrates have a direct impact on blood sugar, and most diabetics count carbs carefully. Unfortunately, high-fiber low-glycemic index carbs that are often recommended for people with diabetes can be high in potassium and phosphorous. Instead of eating two slices of whole grain bread, you may have to eat just one slice of white bread as one serving of a low-potassium carb. Avoid processed proteins. Cold cuts, lunch meats, sausages and meats cured with nitrates tend to be higher in potassium than lean cuts of meat, fish, seafood, poultry and eggs. You'll also want to limit nuts and dried legumes. Use low-fat dairy products Continue reading >>
Following A Diet For Diabetes And Kidney Disease
Both of these illnesses can be difficult to manage alone, but can create even more stress when you have to manage both. Many Americans suffer from both conditions though and according to the End-Stage Renal Disease Incident and Prevalent Quarterly Update, approximately 37% of patients with ESRD have diabetes. (1) Diet becomes even more important for patients with both conditions. You will need to pay more attention to the amount of carbohydrates (sugars) that you eat. Carbohydrates can be found in many foods such as fruits, milk, breads, deserts and many drinks. Sodium remains important for both CKD and diabetic patients. Keeping your diet lower in sodium helps to lower blood pressure and reduce fluid retention. Protein is another nutrient that has enhanced importance and too much protein can be harmful for diabetic patients. It is important to talk to your dietician and nephrologist to determine the levels appropriate for your care. Another major change from only a kidney friendly diet is emphasis on eating on a routine and balancing out your meals and snacks. Peritoneal dialysis patients that also are diabetic need to be extra careful with their sugar levels, because dialysate solutions used to clean the body are normally sugar based solutions. Your care team will help determine what solution is best for you and help you adjust your diet to account for the extra sugar in the dialysate. Your care team should be aware of your status as a diabetes patient, however be proactive and make sure your dialysis care team is aware of your condition. The Following are examples of foods and drinks that are can be exchanged and are good for both diets: Fruits Good alternatives: Berries, grapes, cherries, apples, plums Avoid: Cantaloupe, mangos, kiwi, oranges, pomegranate Vegetables Continue reading >>
Potassium-rich Diets Could Protect Diabetic Patients' Kidneys
Diabetes patients are at risk for a wide variety of negative health outcomes during the progression of their disease. One such area of concern is kidney function. New research hopes to spark further investigation into ways to tackle these disorders with dietary potassium. Diabetes is a growing problem. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate there are 29.1 million diabetics in America. Worryingly, the CDC also predict that this number will double or triple over the next few decades. If that forecast is correct, between 1 in 3 and 1 in 5 Americans may be diabetic by 2050. Although obesity is known to be a major factor, the search is on for other dietary risk factors that might be easier to correct. Controlling diet in diabetes is an essential part of the treatment plan, and low-sodium and reduced-calorie diets are the most commonly recommended. The standard diet that clinicians advise for diabetics is essentially a healthy, well-balanced diet with an extra focus on reducing salt. Renal and cardiovascular problems in diabetes Type 2 diabetes significantly increases an individual's chance of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Hyperglycemia (excess blood glucose), hypertension (high blood pressure) and dyslipidemia (excess lipids in the blood) are well-known risk factors for both ESRD and CVD. In the general population, potassium is recognized as a means to prevent hypertension and stroke. However, its effects on ESRD and CVD onset are not well investigated, especially within a diabetic population with healthy cardiovascular and kidney function. The role of potassium Potassium is a vital mineral involved in the normal functioning of all the cells, tissues and organs of the body. Along with sodium, chloride, calcium and magn Continue reading >>
Nutrition For Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease In Adults
Nutrition for Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease in Adults Nutrition for Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease in Adults Nutrition for Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease in Adults Why is nutrition important for someone with advanced chronic kidney disease? A person may prevent or delay some health problems from chronic kidney disease (CKD) by eating the right foods and avoiding foods high in sodium, potassium, and phosphorus. Learning about calories, fats, proteins, and fluids is important for a person with advanced CKD. Protein foods such as meat and dairy products break down into waste products that healthy kidneys remove from the blood. As CKD progresses, nutritional needs change. A health care provider may recommend that a patient with reduced kidney function choose foods carefully. The kidneys remove wastes and extra water from the blood and make urine. To keep the body working properly, the kidneys balance the salts and mineralssuch as calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and potassiumthat circulate in the blood. The kidneys also release hormones that help make red blood cells, regulate blood pressure, and keep bones strong. CKD usually takes a long time to develop and does not go away. In CKD, the kidneys continue to workjust not as well as they should. Wastes may build up so gradually that the body becomes used to having those wastes in the blood. Salts containing phosphorus and potassium may rise to unsafe levels, causing heart and bone problems . Anemia low red blood cell countcan result from CKD because the kidneys stop making enough erythropoietin, a hormone that causes bone marrow to make red blood cells. After months or years, CKD may progress to permanent kidney failure , which requires a person to have a kidney transplant or regular blood filtering treatments called dialys Continue reading >>
Diet Tips For People With Diabetes And Kidney Disease
Diet is one of the most important treatments in managing diabetes and kidney disease. If you’ve been diagnosed with kidney disease as a result of diabetes, you’ll need to work with a dietitian to create an eating plan that’s right for you. This plan will help manage your blood glucose levels and reduce the amount of waste and fluid your kidneys process. Which nutrients do I need to regulate? Your dietitian will give you nutritional guidelines that tell you how much protein, fat and carbohydrate you can eat, as well as how much potassium, phosphorus and sodium you can have each day. Because your diet needs to be lower in these minerals, you’ll limit or avoid certain foods, while planning your meals. Portion control is also important. Talk to your dietitian regarding tips for accurately measuring a serving size. What may be measured as one serving on a regular diet may count as three servings on the kidney diet. Your doctor and dietitian will also recommend you eat meals and snacks of the same size and calorie/carbohydrate content at certain times of the day to keep your blood glucose at an even level. .It’s important to check blood glucose levels often and share the results with your doctor. What can I eat? Below is an example of food choices that are usually recommended on a typical renal diabetic diet. This list is based on sodium, potassium, phosphorus and high sugar content of foods included. Ask your dietitian if you can have any of these listed foods and make sure you know what the recommended serving size should be. Carbohydrate Foods Milk and nondairy Recommended Avoid Skim or fat-free milk, non-dairy creamer, plain yogurt, sugar-free yogurt, sugar-free pudding, sugar-free ice cream, sugar-free nondairy frozen desserts* *Portions of dairy products are o Continue reading >>
Eating Right For Chronic Kidney Disease
You may need to change what you eat to manage your chronic kidney disease (CKD). Work with a registered dietitian to develop a meal plan that includes foods that you enjoy eating while maintaining your kidney health. The steps below will help you eat right as you manage your kidney disease. The first three steps (1-3) are important for all people with kidney disease. The last two steps (4-5) may become important as your kidney function goes down. The first steps to eating right Step 1: Choose and prepare foods with less salt and sodium Why? To help control your blood pressure. Your diet should contain less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day. Buy fresh food often. Sodium (a part of salt) is added to many prepared or packaged foods you buy at the supermarket or at restaurants. Cook foods from scratch instead of eating prepared foods, “fast” foods, frozen dinners, and canned foods that are higher in sodium. When you prepare your own food, you control what goes into it. Use spices, herbs, and sodium-free seasonings in place of salt. Check for sodium on the Nutrition Facts label of food packages. A Daily Value of 20 percent or more means the food is high in sodium. Try lower-sodium versions of frozen dinners and other convenience foods. Rinse canned vegetables, beans, meats, and fish with water before eating. Look for food labels with words like sodium free or salt free; or low, reduced, or no salt or sodium; or unsalted or lightly salted. Step 2: Eat the right amount and the right types of protein Why? To help protect your kidneys. When your body uses protein, it produces waste. Your kidneys remove this waste. Eating more protein than you need may make your kidneys work harder. Eat small portions of protein foods. Protein is found in foods from plants and animals. Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Potassium Levels
Potassium is a mineral that is often referred to as an electrolyte. These are electrically charged particles that are used by the cells to maintain voltage across the cell membranes of the body. They carry nerve impulses to other cells. Some other electrolytes in the body are chloride, sodium, calcium, and magnesium. Kidneys help in regulating the number of electrolytes in the body. The role of potassium is to help in nerve conduction, to help in contraction of the muscles, and to help regulate the heartbeat. Potassium also helps to maintain a proper fluid balance between the body’s cells and body liquids. One of the roles of the kidney is to ensure the body’s potassium level is correctly maintained. Levels that are too high or low can be equally dangerous. The normal range of potassium in the body Potassium has the capacity to move out of and into the cells of the body. Total stores of potassium in the body are 50 mEq/kg of body weight. Out of this, about 98% of the total potassium is located inside the body cells and is intracellular. Only 2% is located outside the cells in blood circulation and in extracellular tissues. Blood tests only measure potassium levels that are outside the cells, in the blood circulation. So, conditions and diseases that cause potassium to move out of the cells into the blood stream can increase the levels of potassium into the blood, even though the total amount of potassium has not changed in the body. Potassium is a mineral that helps to keep the body fluids at a normal level.So, by keeping fluids in check it helps muscles to contract without pain, keeps the heart beating correctly, and maintains brain function at its highest capacity. The role of potassium in diabetes Diabetic patients often have less capacity of the kidney to excret Continue reading >>
What Kinds Of Foods Should I Eat To Bring Up My Potassium Level?
Q: I had blood work done recently before having surgery. I was told that my potassium level is low. What kinds of foods should I eat to bring up my level, without raising my blood sugar level? I have type 2 diabetes. Potassium levels must be maintained within a very narrow range. Too little potassium or too much potassium can both cause problems. Many people think of bananas, potatoes, and other high-sugar and high-carb foods as being the best sources of potassium. However, there are several low-carb foods that are rich in this mineral. Choosing from this list can help you boost your potassium level without increasing your blood sugar: Avocado Nuts, especially almonds and pistachios Cooked leafy greens, such as spinach and kale Fish, especially flounder, halibut, salmon, trout, and sardines Shellfish, especially scallops Plain Greek yogurt Cooked mushrooms Answered By dLife Expert: Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE Certified diabetes educator and registered dietitian living in Southern California. Disclaimer The content of this website, such as text, graphics, images, and other material on the site (collectively, “Content”) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for, and dLife does not provide, professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. dLife does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on this Continue reading >>
What To Eat On A Low-potassium Diet
Q: My husband's potassium level is high. What foods should he avoid? A: Your husband's potassium level in his blood may be high for several reasons. It could be due to a heart or kidney problem, or it could be due to a type of blood pressure medication he takes, among other things. If he has this high potassium evaluated and his health-care provider encourages him to limit his potassium from foods, be aware that the following are high in potassium: It's important to monitor his blood potassium level as recommended by your physician and to adjust your meal plan to include more foods lower in potassium. Ask his doctor or registered dietitian for a list of high- and low-potassium foods. Madhu Gadia, M.S., R.D., is a certified diabetes educator. Continue reading >>
Low Potassium Diabetic Diet
Managing diabetes and potassium levels is a double challenge, as you must eat foods low in sugar and potassium. You should make careful food selections that are rich in vitamins and minerals, which are essential for good health. Also become familiar with all the foods that are low in sugar and potassium to help regulate your sugar and keep your potassium levels low. High Potassium Risks Potassium is essential for muscle building, healthy heart, regulating blood sugar and for transmitting nerve impulses. Potassium is filtered through the kidney and the excess is excreted through urine. If your potassium levels become high, you are at risk for a disease called hyperkalemia. This disease manifests itself with general weakness, irregular heartbeat, difficulty in breathing and in extreme cases, paralysis. Fruits and Vegetables Select produce that is both low in potassium and sugar. According to the Cleveland Clinic, some low potassium vegetables are cucumbers, lettuce, green beans and cauliflower; these vegetables are also low in sugar. Some fruits that are low in both sugar and potassium are blueberries, grapes, grapefruit and strawberries. Blend some berries with crushed ice and 1 tbsp. of nondairy topping in your blender, and freeze for a delicious sweet treat. Make a salad of lettuce, cucumbers and mushrooms with a salad dressing of lemon juice and whipped cottage cheese for a low potassium and low sugar salad. Protein and Dairy Most protein has some potassium content; select carefully and limit portions and servings. Turkey, skinless chicken breasts, tuna and shrimp are low in potassium and are naturally low in sugar. The recommended serving for these choices are 3 oz., according to University of Maryland Medical center. Cheddar and Swiss cheese are both low in potassiu Continue reading >>
Looking For Low Carb And Low Potassium Recipes
looking for low carb and low potassium recipes looking for low carb and low potassium recipes Hello, I am new to DD, I joined because my hubby was recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic. He has had hyperkalemia for several years, which requires a low potassium diet. A low potassium diet is a struggle, but I was resorting to feeding him lots of carbs to replace high-potassium foods (which is most foods). Now he needs to restrict his carbs too!! It is a tremendous amount of work to research foods and recipes to find foods he can eat that fit into a low carb, low potassium diet. Wonder if anyone else on this site has to restrict both carbs and potassium in their diet, and if so do you have any recipes to share? I don't need generalized lists of good/bad foods (i.e. eat this, don't eat that), that is easy enough to come by. The hard part is coming up with a days' worth of calories using specific foods and recipes. Also, because potassium info is not required on food products, that info can be hard to come by. I am hoping there are others on this site who can help me find recipes that are healthy/EZ/yummy or he's not going to eat it! I did a quick Google for low potassium foods, and found this set of 8 low carb snacks excellent. They could easily be made up into meals: And the same site says that chicken and fish are good to eat, as well as green vegies such as broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, most salad greens. I eat a very low carb diet and all those are well-represented on my menu. And they're yummy! Eggs are also recommended, it seems, so crustless quiche with the above ingredients, and frittatas as well, would be easy to make, stored and reheated. HbA1c 1st November 2017 31mmol/mol (5.0%) D.D. Family Getting much harder to control Hi and welcome to DD and where I am the oppo Continue reading >>
Potassium And Your Ckd Diet
What is potassium and why is it important to you? Potassium is a mineral found in many of the foods you eat. It plays a role in keeping your heartbeat regular and your muscles working right. It is the job of healthy kidneys to keep the right amount of potassium in your body. However, when your kidneys are not healthy, you often need to limit certain foods that can increase the potassium in your blood to a dangerous level. You may feel some weakness, numbness and tingling if your potassium is at a high level. If your potassium becomes too high, it can cause an irregular heartbeat or a heart attack. What is a safe level of potassium in my blood? Ask your doctor or dietitian about your monthly blood potassium level and enter it here: If it is 3.5-5.0You are in the SAFE zone If it is 5.1-6.0You are in the CAUTION zone If it is higher than 6.0..You are in the DANGER zone How can I keep my potassium level from getting too high? You should limit foods that are high in potassium. Your renal dietitian will help you plan your diet so you are getting the right amount of potassium. Eat a variety of foods but in moderation. If you want to include some high potassium vegetable in your diet, leach them before using. Leaching is a process by which some potassium can be pulled out of the vegetable. Instructions for leaching selected high potassium vegetables can be found at the end of this fact sheet. Check with your dietitian on the amount of leached high potassium vegetables that can be safely included in your diet. Do not drink or use the liquid from canned fruits and vegetables, or the juices from cooked meat. Remember that almost all foods have some potassium. The size of the serving is very important. A large amount of a low potassium food can turn into a high- potassium food. If Continue reading >>
What Is The Connection Between Diabetes And Potassium?
Usually, your body processes the food you eat and turns it into a sugar called glucose. Your body uses glucose for energy. Insulin is a hormone your pancreas produces. Your body uses the insulin to help move glucose into cells throughout your body. If you have diabetes, your body is unable to produce or use insulin efficiently. Type 1 diabetes isn’t preventable, but you can prevent type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, or adult-onset diabetes, usually occurs in people ages 35 and older. Potassium is an electrolyte and mineral that helps keep your bodily fluids at the proper level. Your body can do the following if your fluids are in check: contract your muscles without pain keep your heart beating correctly keep your brain functioning at its highest capability If you don’t maintain the right level of potassium, you can experience a variety of symptom that include simple muscle cramps to more serious conditions, such as seizures. According to recent research, there may be a link between type 2 diabetes and low potassium levels. Although people recognize that potassium affects diabetes, research is ongoing to determine why this may happen. Researchers in one study at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine linked low levels of potassium with high levels of insulin and glucose in people who were otherwise healthy. Low levels of potassium with high levels of insulin and glucose are both traits doctors associate with diabetes. One 2011 study found that people taking thiazides to treat high blood pressure experienced a loss of electrolytes, such as potassium. Researchers noted that this loss might increase a person’s risk of developing diabetes. And along with that, researchers have also linked potassium levels to high blood pressure. Even though low potassium may incre Continue reading >>
Emergency Meal Planning For Diabetics
Why do I need an emergency meal plan? This meal plan is for you to use in case of an emergency or a natural disaster when you may not be able to attend dialysis. It is important to follow a limited diet if dialysis has to be missed. A grocery list and a three-day meal plan for an emergency are included in this fact sheet. This diet is much more strict than your usual diet. This very strict plan is needed to control the buildup of toxins such as potassium, phosphorus, urea and fluids that can be life threatening to you if several dialysis treatments are missed due to the emergency . Many things we depend on daily may not be working during an emergency. You may be without a telephone. Water and electricity may be cut off, keeping you from cooking your meals in the usual way. You may need to use cold or shelf-stable foods until the crisis is over. Food in your refrigerator will keep safely for up to 12 hours and in the freezer for one to two days, if these appliances are opened only when meals are prepared. It is best to eat the foods from your refrigerator and freezer first before using your shelf-stable foods. Distilled water, disposable plates and utensils also should be kept on hand. How do I prepare myself for an emergency? As natural disasters may happen without warning, it is good to keep foods with a long shelf-life on hand at all times. If you do stock foods, remember to check dates for freshness and replace regularly. The following items are important and useful to have on hand in case of an emergency: this diet sheet always have a two-week supply of all medicines and vitamins all of the groceries listed in this guide diabetics need to have enough insulin and supplies on hand, including extra batteries for the glucometer emergency phone list with names and phone Continue reading >>
Kind-to-kidneys Meal Planning
Help damaged filters function at their best Diabetes is challenging; kidney disease is challenging, says Vandana Sheth, RD, CDE, a Los Angeles dietitian and certified diabetes educator: "When you put the two together, that diagnosis can be overwhelming and pretty stressful." People with diabetes are used to meal plans that count carbohydrates and saturated fat, but kidney disease adds to the foods-to-monitor list, which are covered in this article. Healthy kidneys work hard to keep vital nutrients in your body and get rid of waste products you don't need. Every day, the two fist-sized organs that rest in the lower back on either side of your spine filter about 50 gallons of blood. Your kidneys expel toxins via urine and keep nutrients, such as salt and potassium, in perfect balance. When the kidneys are damaged, a potential long-term complication of diabetes, they lose their ability to filter the blood properly. That's dangerous because waste and excess fluid can't escape your body. A meal plan that takes this into consideration is important for people with decreased kidney function and those with kidney failure on dialysis. The nutrient protein is essential for building muscles and repairing tissues, but when your kidneys can't filter protein waste products such as urea from your body, you run the risk of these waste products building up to high levels. This, in turn, can cause serious health problems, from fatigue and loss of appetite to a decreased level of consciousness and coma. Because of this, many people with kidney disease limit the amount of protein they eat. Exactly how much protein is too much depends on a person's kidney function, and the specific daily allowance is usually recommended by a doctor or dietitian. Because you won't be eating as much of it, ex Continue reading >>
