Mistakes Were Made...

Lab Tests & the Fear Factor

I've been aware of my kidney issue for at least 7 years. Before it was a matter of "keeping an eye on things". When my labs started to look good, I only needed to see a nephrologist if things went wonky again. Well, things were pretty good for a while, then up-and-down-iffy for another little while, then they started looking more-iffy-than-not.

And there I was, feeling a little panicked and scrambling to get on top of my diet on my own until I could get back in to see a nephrologist. 

Why Guidance & Research Is Important

Now here starts the story of how I was probably doing more damage than good - without meaning to. I want to encourage other people to do their research before they go off trying to solve a problem they might not understand. That's what I did. 

So my lab numbers were not looking good at all. I wanted to take charge of putting things right.

The first thing was to go through my kitchen fridge and pantry to see what I was working with. Answer: Too much healthy food.

Not All “Healthy” Food Is for Everyone

You read that right. I had way too many of the things that might be healthy for most people while being a little dangerous for me. And that happened because I didn't do my research.

Last year, when I took the initiative to "eat healthier" just because that's what we should all be doing, I switched out my whole way of preparing and eating meals.

I gave up processed meats - no more delicious garlic roasted deli turkey of smoked ham. I gave up (for the most part) my beloved smoked neckbones and smoked turkey legs and wings. I stopped drinking anything that wasn't coffee or water or fruit juice. I gave up orange juice because I'd been warned that that was a no-no. I cut back on eating cheese.

SO healthy - for most folks

My new diet consisted of lots of plain Greek yogurt (I'd drizzle a tablespoon of natural honey on it), fresh collard greens (minus the smoked neckbones or turkey and cooked with olive oil instead of "drippings"), and lots of spinach and sweet potatoes. I started eating a lot of shrimp and salmon (going damn near into debt to do so). I stocked up on bags of frozen mixed berries to blend into chia and flaxseed smoothies. 

I was doing so well (and actually enjoying it) that my family got me a bread machine for Christmas. I was making whole grain bread. I made bread with raisins, bread with sesame seeds and pine nuts,  bread loaded up with flax and sunflower seeds.

This list here should
come with a warning!

My new favorite "comfort sandwich" was toasted whole wheat bread with avocado, sweet onions, tomatoes, with a smattering of flaxseed and a tiny bit of mayo.

Further in, I started swapping out my sugary-sweet coffee creamers for half-and-half or plain Coffee-Mate. If I was not feeling well or just more tired than usual, I would whip up some bullet-proof coffee - using some grass-fed butter in place of coconut oil or anything else. I even found ways to, at times, drink my coffee black.

When Greens Can Be Mean (to your kidneys, that is)

My most loved collard greens (and many other leafy greens) are apparently "rich in potassium". I could Google that phrase and get millions of verbatim results. 

Now, at this point, I have not met with the nephrologist or a dietician yet. It's possible that I don't have to cut back on my collards and their friends. It's possible - but I don't want to chance it.

When trying to research what I should or shouldn't be eating with CKD, I went on a Googling marathon. I searched for "CKD-friendly foods", "foods safe for the CKD diet", "is ____ bad/good for the CDK diet", etc.

The results were confusing. There is quite a bit of contradictory information out there. There was no way I could come up with a decent grocery list. I had information overload and my brain couldn't hang. 

Then I tried just coming up with the specific nutrients and ingredients to watch for. What I found is that all of us - CKD'd or not - are getting way too much of certain possibly harmful things in our diets. 

But back to me. What could I use to come up with a grocery list and eating plan?

The Big Three

I decided there are 3 main things to monitor in my diet:

1. Sodium
2. Potassium
3. Phosphorus

Do some research on how those 3 things can affect CKD'd people. I was rather shook...

All that "healthy" food I was putting on my credit cards? Yeah, most of that was potential trouble for me.

Where the Big Three Hide

My problem is not being able to adequately track the Big Three in my diet - at least, not from reading nutrition labels. First of all, labels can be tricky and confusing. I think that, in some cases, they are meant to be.

What I needed, I realized, was help. There are a ton of apps and programs out there to help track your diet and fitness and blah-blah-blah. I needed something to not only track the Big Three but to find them in my foods.

by the way, there are things on the "Enjoy" part

of this chart that I have to avoid for other reasons:

potassium in bananas; grapefruit messes with BP meds; etc.

Just about everything that I LOVE is on the no-no list.

Thankfully, I found an app that does help me track and visualize the Big Three - along with a bunch of other stuff. Also good is that I can use the app on both my phone and computer. 

Cronometer (and, no, I'm not being sponsored)

In the past, I have used My Fitness Pal and a couple other apps - all really, really good. I even played around with the basic version of Cronometer back when I was just trying to lose weight. What I didn't like about it then is what I love about it now: it goes into a lot of detail.

I will probably do a separate post on Cronometer. For now, go check it out for your phone (Android and iOS) or online. I am paying (just under $10 a month with tax included) for the Gold Plan. I cut out another subscription I had in order to the money toward Cronometer. This is my health we are talking about here, right?

Not only can I track my nutrition in high detail, but I can print out reports to share with my doctors. There is also a way to let your medical team sign into your information (?) or something like that. I haven't gotten to that point yet. 

In case I don't do a post about the app, let me share this photo of the different plans.

So What Now?

Currently, I have an upcoming appointment with the nephrologist. I should have a better idea of my situation after that. I will keep you posted as I can.

Peace

--Free