Healthy kidneys regulate the body's potassium blood levels, filtering excess potassium and filtering it through urine. When kidneys fail, they can no longer perform this function, and the potassium can become toxic to your body. Most food contains potassium; therefore, it is important that people undergoing dialysis limit dietary potassium within the guidelines of a doctor-prescribed low-potassium diet. Your doctor and health care team at dialysis will carefully educate you on the best diet to follow.
High Potassium Foods
A food containing 200 mg or more of potassium per serving is considered a high potassium source. Many fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and nuts contain high amounts potassium. Substituting a lower-potassium food for a high-potassium one will allow you more variety in your diet. For example, if you replace 1 cup of dairy milk, which contains 370 mg of potassium, for 1 cup of regular rice milk, which contains little to none, this could allow you to have an extra snack or serving of food at another time.
Portion Control
Monitoring portion sizes is an essential aspect of following a low-potassium diet.Your doctor or registered dietitian at dialysis will instruct you on how many servings of each food group you are allowed per day and will teach you about appropriate portion sizes. Nutrition Facts labels on food package can also help you stay on track. Keeping a food scale or measuring cup on hand will allow you to measure out recommended portions without relying on guesswork.
Leaching Vegetables
Leaching is a process for removing potassium from certain vegetables to help you stay within your low-potassium diet guidelines. You start by peeling the vegetable and cutting it into slices. You then rinse the slices and soak them in a bowl of water for 2 to 4 hours. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and rutabagas are the most common vegetables that can be leached. Leaching does not change the taste of the vegetable, so you can still make your favorite recipe with your soaked, lower-potassium veggies.
Make the Most of Your Diet
It is still possible to have a healthy balanced diet while following your diet restrictions. Choosing a variety of low-potassium foods will help you get essential vitamins and fiber. For instance, although most fruit is high in potassium, berries are low in potassium, high in fiber and other nutrients. Adding blueberries to your cereal or having strawberries for a snack will allow you to enjoy fruit in a way that fits your low-potassium diet.
References
- National Kidney Foundation
- National Institute of Health
- Nutriton and Diagnosis-Related Care. 5th edition; Syvia Escott-Stump; 2002
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