Renal Diet Guide

Your renal diet is an important part of your treatment and can help you avoid medical complications and feel better. Your renal dietitian will help you build a meal plan to meet your unique needs and meet the requirements of your lab results, disease stage, type of treatment and any other medical conditions. Following a renal diet can reduce the effect of waste buildup from the food you eat and may delay the progression of your kidney disease, according to the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center.

Identification

A Renal Diet Guide may be provided by your medical center, dietitian, doctor, the American Dietetic Association or dialysis center. This small booklet will provide information for new and experienced kidney disease patients to help them manage their disease. Most renal guides include an introduction, information on getting started with kidney-friendly food choices, dining out, snacking, holiday food and cookbooks. This type of workbook helps you plan nutritious meals and keep your body functioning at its best.

Function

The purpose of your renal diet guide is to provide information to help you sort through what having kidney disease means to you and how it affects your diet and lifestyle. When your kidney function is low, various products of metabolism such as protein, potassium, phosphate and salt can build up in your blood. Each of these can affect your health and the way you feel.

For instance, salt can increase blood pressure and make you thirsty even when you need to limit fluids. Potassium in excess affects the rhythm of your heartbeat and can be harmful or fatal, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearing House. Your renal diet guide explains how your renal diet helps keep your body in balance.

Renal Dietitian

You will need to work closely with your renal dietitian throughout the progression of your kidney disease. The dietitian takes your diet history, reviews your blood test results and builds an appropriate diet plan. Your renal diet will be tailored specifically for you based on your disease stage, medical conditions and food preferences. Dietary restrictions may be required as the disease progresses, but your dietitian will help make your diet as easy and as satisfying as possible.

Significance

A renal diet guide helps answer the many questions that newly diagnosed patients may have about kidney disease, including how it affects your health and your life, possible complications, blood testing, dialysis and transplants. It will explain what needs to change in your diet and why. A renal diet guide usually provides resources for further information and contact numbers for support groups and networking with other kidney patients.

Considerations

A renal diet guide provides information for you and your family to help you learn more about your health. Follow any instructions your health care provider offers for your special needs. If you have questions or if there is anything you do not understand, ask your doctor or dietitian.