Vegetables in potassium for CKD patients
What is CKD?
CKD stands for chronic kidney disease. It is a disorder of the kidneys unable to filter wastes from the body that simultaneously results in the building up of wastes in the blood that causes damage to the kidneys as well as other body parts. According to the National Kidney Foundation, CKD is more common among the adults and most probably the American adults. Over 30 million Americans’ husbands are affected by CKD that results in a gradual loss of kidney functions overtime. The leading causes of CKD include high blood pressure and diabetes.
In severe cases, CKD gets worse that even stops the functioning or working of kidneys but this is a very rare case. till now, no exact cure of CKD has been found, but yes proper medication and a healthy lifestyle can help you to avoid complications if diagnosed at earlier stages.
As CKD progresses, certain symptoms start to appear and some of the noticeable symptoms includes
- Fatigue, tiredness
- Swollen ankles
- Breath shortness
- Nauseated
- Haematuria blood in urine.
You can control your symptoms with proper medication easily. But since CKD is a lifelong disease, you need regular check ups to check your kidney functions. People affected with CKD have a higher risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke. a proper diet that regulates the amount of nutritional needs to maintain to control the situation.
Limit potassium with CKD
The patients of CKD must limit the amount of potassium in their diet. When kidneys fail, they are not able to remove excess potassium from the body causing extra potassium to build up that simultaneously causes other body damage. generally people with high potassium levels, a condition called hyperkalaemia, is very common among people with advanced CKD.
The noticeable symptoms of high levels of potassium includes
- Muscle weakness
- Tingling
- Nauseated
- Numbness
if levels of potassium increases suddenly, a person is diagnosed with some following symptoms that includes
- Chest pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- High heart palpitations
- Breath shortness
Patients with CKD need to work towards reducing the amount of potassium. It is also important for them to have regular check ups with their dietitians to check nutritional needs.
The best way to manage potassium levels is by making some regular dietary changes. you must avoid high potassium foods by replacing them with low potassium nutritional foods.
Low potassium foods two add a new renal diet.
Low potassium foods are a very good option for CKD people. You must consult a doctor to inquire about the recommended foods to include in your diet to get an adequate amount of potassium in the body. However, there are plenty of foods that are low in potassium but the serving size of food must also be taken into consideration. Sometimes, low potassium foods when served in a large amount may turn out to be a high potassium food for you. so try to stay within the recommended guidelines.
Some low potassium vegetables includes
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Cal
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Cucumber
- Zucchini
- Yellow squash
Don’t purely cut out potassium from your diet as potassium is also very important nutrition in your body and a regulation of levels is maintained. Potassium helps in managing many body functions. some of the important functions of potassium includes
- Helps in muscle contraction
- Maintains electrolyte balance
- Regulates blood pressure
- Important for heart functions
- Helps in waste removal
- Promotes cell growth
- delivers oxygen to the brain
- stabilizers metabolic process
What are the high potassium foods vegetables to avoid?
Don’t get confused with high and low potassium vegetables. make a proper chart of vegetables that you should include in your diet. some of the high potassium vegetables that you need to put a limit or avoid are
- potato
- spinach
- tomatoes
- vegetable juices
- peas
- pumpkins
- sweet potatoes
- legumes
- winter squash
- baked beans
- beats
- black beans
- Chinese cabbage
- Raw carrots
- Kohlrabi
- Lentils
Tips to make low potassium choices for vegetables
- Boil potatoes and other Vegetables with a large amount of water. Two egg sized potatoes are suitable if you want to include them in a low potassium diet.
- Make sure vegetables are well cooked.
- Avoid using cooking water to prepare sauces , soups and even gravies.
- Parboil vegetables before adding them to make sauces. Throw out the boiling water.
- If you are including salad in your diet , do not exceed one part of salad per day.
- Avoid using canned items and their juices.
- Avoid seasoning vegetables with salt. Try some flavourful herbs to add some exciting flavours.
- Also avoid spices from your diet. Don’t eat too spicy as it may make it difficult for the kidneys to filter.