Getting the Right Amount of Calories With Chronic Kidney Disease
Getting enough calories is important to your overall health and wellbeing.Calories are found in all the foods you eat. They are important because they:
*give your body energy
*help you stay at a healthy weight
*help your body use protein for building muscles and tissues.
Because your recommended diet may limit protein, you may also be cutting down on an important source of calories. As a result, you may need to get extra calories from other foods. Your doctor can refer you to a registered dietitian who will help you plan your meals to get the right amount of calories each day. Your dietitian may recommend using more simple carbohydrates like sugar, jam, jelly, hard candy, honey and syrup. Other good sources of calories come from fats such as soft (tub) margarine, and oils like canola or olive oil, which are low in saturated fat and have no cholesterol.
You should talk with your dietitian about the best way to get the right amount of calories and keep your blood sugar in control if you have diabetes. Maintaining a healthy weight is also important. People who have chronic kidney disease often need to gain weight or remain at their current weight. If you need to lose weight, your dietitian will teach you how to lose it slowly and carefully without risking your health.
Steps to Take
*Ask your doctor about a referral to a registered dietitian who specializes in diets for kidney patients.
*Ask your dietitian to help you plan meals with the right amount of calories.
*Keep a diary of what you eat each day. Show this to your dietitian on a regular basis.
*Ask your doctor and dietitian what your ideal body weight should be, and weigh yourself each day in the morning.
*If you are losing too much body weight, ask your dietitian how to add extra calories to your diet.
*If you are slowly gaining too much weight, ask your dietitian for suggestions on how to safely reduce your daily calorie intake and increase your activity level.
*If you gain weight rapidly, speak to your doctor. A sudden increase in weight, along with swelling, shortness of breath and a rise in your blood pressure may be a sign that you have too much fluid in your body.
i always make sure that i am on a Low Calorie diet. i avoid foods with high carbohydrate load because it would just cause more fats on the body. a low calorie diet is also associated with longer life span.