“Everyone has a doctor inside, called natural healing force. We just have to help it in its work. Our food should be our medicine.” – Hippocrates
As the above quote also directs us, Nutrition plays a vital role for both diseased states of body as well as for the healthy state of body. Lack of nutrition cause a disease, a proper nutrition through a rational and proven diet protocol, acts like medicines. Such diet should encompass all those essential nutrients, enzymes, minerals, electrolytes as well as Bio Electrical Energy, which all, in a combination, acts as ideal state or homeostasis for all the biological functions of our body and thereby are the king pin for the disease or for the restoration of health. Scientific studies have now proved that only a raw vegetarian diet received directly from nature could only fulfil or contribute to all such essential components of nutrition.
The kidney performs an important function of balancing these substances in the body by removing excess water, salt and other alkalis from the body through urine. This control function is not done properly in kidney failure. As a result, many times serious problems can arise in kidney failure patients even after taking normal amounts of water, salt, potassium-rich foods etc. In kidney failure patients, it is necessary to make necessary changes in the diet to protect the less functional kidney from overload and to maintain the proper amount of water, salt and alkaline substances in the body.
Know the benefits of diet for patients of Chronic Kidney Disease:
- The progression of chronic kidney disease can be slowed and stopped through diet.
- The need for dialysis can be avoided for a long time.
- The toxic effects of excess urea in the blood can be reduced through diet.
- Maintaining high nutritional status and preventing loss of body fluids.
- Reducing the risk of fluid and electrolyte disturbances.
- Reducing the risk of heart disease.
Know what to keep special attention in the diet during Chronic Kidney failure:
Take the appropriate amount of water and fluids as directed.
The amount of sodium, potassium and phosphorus in the diet should be low.
The amount of protein should not be high. Normally 0.8 to 1.0 g/kg body weight equivalent protein should be taken daily.
Patients already on dialysis require increased protein intake (1.0–1.2 gm/kg body wt/day). This is necessary to make up for the loss of protein during this reaction.
Carbohydrates should be taken in full quantity (35-40 calories/kg body weight equivalent per day). Try to take less quantity of ghee, oil, butter and fat foods.
Supply vitamins and supply essential elements in sufficient quantities. It is extremely important to have a high Fiber diet. Flaxseeds, almonds, pomegranates, dried figs, wheat bran, millet, rye flour, kidney beans, lentils, carrots and beets are rich in Fiber.