Health Condition Support
Newly diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD)? Or do you have a loved one with the chronic illness? Taking time to learn about the disease and understand how to manage it can be very beneficial. Once you do, living with CKD is a matter of being mindful of nutrition, making consistent choices and seeing the doctor regularly to help monitor the disease. Try these tips for a healthy lifestyle that protects the kidneys from further damage, and help you enjoy a full and active life.
What causes CKD and who’s at risk?
CKD is a chronic condition which causes a person to lose kidney function over time. More than 14% of Americans are estimated to have this disease, which is around 35.5 million people. It’s usually a result of other health conditions including heart disease and diabetes. In fact, one in three adults with diabetes and one in five with high blood pressure may have CKD as well. For many individuals, CKD has more than one cause and is why early detection is so important.
The most common risk factors for CKD include:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Obesity
- Family history of CKD or kidney failure
- Personal history of acute kidney injury
- Smoking or using tobacco products
Tips for living with CKD
1. Assess your diet
Work with your doctor or a registered dietitian to customize a nutrition plan that's right for your condition.
- Limit processed foods in your diet.
- Boost your consumption of lean animal proteins, plant-based proteins, whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables.
- For most CKD patients, limiting sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day is also key.
2. Balance your minerals and vitamins
If you are living with CKD, you may have different vitamin and mineral needs due to your compromised kidney function, special dietary requirements and side effects of some prescription medications. Among these, potassium and phosphorous are two minerals to keep your eye on.
- Potassium – When the kidneys are damaged, potassium may build up in the blood and can lead to heart problems. Knowing the potassium levels in your food will help you keep the mineral in check.
- Phosphorous – Like potassium, phosphorous can also accumulate in the blood when the kidneys aren’t functioning effectively. A build-up of this mineral causes bone and joint pain and can lower calcium levels which makes your bones weak. Learn which foods are high in added phosphorous – like dairy, deli meats and dark sodas – and try to avoid them.
3. Prioritize exercise
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, people living with CKD should get about 30 minutes of exercise every day. Any form of exercise can help manage weight while preventing some of the other chronic illnesses that contribute to CKD, including diabetes and heart disease.
And remember that you don’t have to do it all at once. Several brisk 10-minute walks throughout the day will do the trick. Check with your doctor first about the right plan for you.
Mom's Meals® can help with renal-friendly, home-delivered meals
You have a delicious and hassle-free way for eating better to help manage your CKD. Try our convenient, home-delivered meals from our renal-friendly menu, designed by our registered dietitians and professional chefs, to provide nutritional support to help manage kidney disease. Each meal is full of flavor and has less than 700 mg of sodium, 833 mg or less of potassium and 330 mg or less of phosphorus.
Our renal-friendly meals are tailored to meet the nutritional needs of individuals with:
- Stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease with less restrictive dietary requirements
- Stage 5 end-stage renal disease and who are on hemodialysis
Browse our renal-friendly menu.
