Renal Diets for Diabetes
Diabetes can have several complications, one of which is kidney disease. The common factor between diabetes and kidney disease is that both of them require dietary modifications. Hence, renal diets for diabetes are important in properly managing and treating the kidney diseases of diabetics. If you have been diagnosed with these two conditions, you need to work with a dietitian in order to create renal diets for diabetes.
Renal diets for diabetes will help you manage your blood sugar levels and at the same time reduce the amount of waste and fluid that your kidneys process. Aside from setting the calories that you need, your dietitian will also break down your renal diets for diabetes into the proper amount of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that you need. The minerals that you take will also be restricted in your diet.
Guidelines for Making Renal Diets for Diabetes
In creating renal diets for diabetes, sodium is the first one that has to be restricted. You should limit your intake of foods with high sodium content, such as ham, bacon, cold cuts, bottled sauces, canned goods, cheese, nuts, crackers, and processed foods. These foods should be avoided in since excess salt tends to cause fluid accumulation in the tissues, known as edema.
Once kidney failure starts to progress, other minerals, such as phosphorus and potassium, are restricted in renal diets for diabetes, which can be a bit of a problem for diabetics since a lot of foods in purely diabetic meal plans contain these minerals. High potassium levels in your blood can cause arrhythmia, so regular monitoring of serum potassium levels is also important. You should avoid high potassium foods in renal diets for diabetes, such as bananas, broccoli, cantaloupe, chocolate, potatoes, tomatoes, and peanut butter. As for phosphorus, it can cause an imbalance with calcium, thus forcing the body to use calcium from the bones, thereby weakening the bones. You should reduce high phosphorus foods in renal diets for diabetes such as bran cereals, cocoa, ice cream, milk and milk products, sardines, and dried beans.
What You can Eat in Renal Diets for Diabetes
Renal diets for diabetes should still consist of carbohydrates, proteins, and fast. The key is to limit the portion sizes. For carbohydrates, you can eat white bread, unsalted crackers, cornbread, flour tortilla, fruits canned in unsweetened juice, corn, peas, asparagus, beets, summer squash, and turnips. You can also take milk and non-dairy products, provided that the portions of dairy products in your renal diets for diabetes are limited to four ounces only.
As for protein, your diet should contain lean cuts of meat, fish, poultry, seafood, and eggs. Fats can include margarine low in trans fats, cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise. Beverages for renal diets for diabetes include water, diet clear sodas, homemade tea, and lemonade with artificial sweetener.
Just like a regular renal or diabetic diet, renal diets for diabetes should limit or totally avoid foods that are salty and sweet, such as candies, syrups, regular sugar, honey, pizza, soy sauce, and canned foods.
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