Kidney or renal failure occurs when the kidneys are unable to remove wastes from the blood. Kidney failure typically occurs as a chronic disease that progresses slowly over time. Individuals with end-stage chronic kidney disease have complete failure and require dialysis treatments to cleanse the body. Causes of this disease include hypertension, or high blood pressure, diabetes and hereditary causes. If you have kidney failure, you will be required to follow a stringent diet to prevent or slow further damage to the kidneys and waste accumulation in the body. This diet controls electrolytes such as sodium and phosphorus intake and limits protein-containing foods.
Step 1
Talk to your doctor about your kidney failure. Discuss treatment and a diet plan to prevent or delay further deterioration of kidney function and the buildup of food and metabolic wastes in the body. Get a referral to a nutritionist to learn how to make a daily and weekly meal plan to help treat chronic kidney disease.
Step 2
Eat a low-protein diet. Limiting the amounts of proteins you ingest helps decrease wastes in your blood that must be filtered by the kidneys. Food protein is digested and metabolized to produce uric acid and other waste products. These can build up in the body when there is decreased kidney function. High-protein foods include meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy products.
Step 3
Maintain a low-protein diet to prevent kidney failure from worsening quickly. The recommended daily amount of protein for patients with this disease is 1 g per kilogram of body weight. Use a kitchen food scale and protein guide to gauge how much protein you should ingest per day.
Step 4
Increase your protein intake if you are undergoing dialysis treatment. Dialysis is needed when you have total kidney failure. Moderate to high amounts of protein are recommended after dialysis to replace lost muscles and tissues. If your doctor advises it is safe to do so, eat more protein foods such as lean meats, poultry, eggs and fish. Approximately 8 to 10 oz. of protein foods may be required per day.
Tips and Warnings
- Use a protein food chart from you nutritionist or dietitian to measure the amounts of protein you are consuming each day. For example, 4 g of protein are found in 1/2 cup of milk or 1/2 cup of yogurt. While 1/2 cup of non-dairy frozen dessert and 1/2 cup of non-dairy cream contain only 1/2 g of protein.
- A kidney failure diet may also require limiting fluids and restricting salt, phosphorus, potassium and other electrolytes. A low-protein diet may also help prevent and treat liver problems and other illnesses. Not following the specified diet carefully can worsen kidney failure and lead to damage to the body. Your kidneys are forced to work harder to remove wastes, leading to a complete loss of function. However, you must still be careful to ingest a balanced diet to maintain health and normal body function.
