diet

A diagnosis of kidney disease means more doctor visits, various lab tests, changes in diet, and the likelihood of dialysis or even a kidney transplant in the future, should the disease progress far enough.

There are five stages of kidney disease, and the dietary needs of patients vary from stage to stage. For example, during the earlier stages, patients actually need less protein than the average person. But, in the end stage of renal failure, it is important that patients receive quite a bit more protein. It is essential that patients in renal failure heed the dietary advice of their physicians, dietitians and nutritionists in order to maintain a healthy diet that caters to their nutritional needs. No two patients are the same, so it only stands to reason that no two diet plans for patients are the same either.

Diabetes is categorized into two kinds: Type I and Type II. Type I diabetes is very similar to an autoimmune disease. The body’s immune system begins to attack its own pancreas, leaving the patient in need of regular insulin injections. This type of diabetes usually begins at a young age and accounts for about 5 to 10% of all cases of the disease. Type II diabetes is much more prevalent. More than 15 million Americans have this type of diabetes in some stage. There are many names for Type II diabetes, among them simple sugar diabetes, even though sugar is sometimes not the main cause or problem. It is a common misconception that people with Type II diabetes should just stay away from sugar to remain healthy, but that is not the way the disease works.

After being diagnosed with kidney disease of any kind, many people will be faced with a lifetime of doctor visits, specialists, lab tests, dietary and fluid restrictions, and changes and the looming possibility of dialysis or the need for a kidney transplant if the disease continues to progress.

Every day there is discussion about the best way to have good health and the best diet to eat. High protein diets were the rage a few years ago, and people were told to eat tons of protein, including fatty bacon and red meats but no carbohydrates at all. While people did lose weight on these diets, the long-term effect on their overall health is just now starting to be seen.

If you have been fighting the battle with weight loss and not winning, you may want to consider having a discussion with your physician about undergoing bariatric surgery. This is a drastic step and should not be taken without a considerable amount of thought. There are many things that you will need to know in order for you to decide if bariatric surgery is the right choice for you, but with your physician’s help, you are sure to make the right decision.