This professional can devise a personalized eating plan that takes into account specific treatment goals and health status.

It can be tricky to balance good nutrition with dietary restrictions necessary to support kidney health in diabetes.

Others come in different forms (such as fats) that should be chosen carefully.

woman eating salad

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Sodium

Sodium is a vital mineral in the fluids that surround cells.

It works in tandem with potassium to regulate blood pressure and the amount of fluid in the body.

It also helps maintain pH balance and is vital to the proper function of the muscles and nervous system.

When your kidneys are not healthy, extra sodium and fluid build up in your body.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming less than 2,300 mg per day.

People withchronic kidney disease (CKD)typically are advised to consume even less sodium.

But sodium also shows up in a wide variety of foods.

The rest comes from store-bought and restaurant foods.

This can happen when the kidneys are diseased.

Phosphorus also helps build strong bones.

When healthy and functioning normally, the kidneys filter excess phosphorus out of blood.

When the kidneys are diseased, this process is impaired and phosphorus can accumulate.

Excess phosphorus pulls calcium from bones, causing them to weaken.

The condition usually doesn’t become evident untilstage 4 chronic kidney disease.

To avoid phosphorus additives, look for the letters “phos” on the ingredients list.

There are two types:

Excess carbohydrates of any kind can also be converted to fat.

A person’s age, weight, height, and activity level also factor in.

However, you should be extremely picky about thetypesof carbs you eat.

There are 20 naturally occurring amino acids.

The human body relies on protein for just about everything.

Skin, hair, muscles, organs, and hemoglobin are made of protein.

The enzymes that break down food and spark chemical reactions are proteins as well.

And many hormones, including insulin and other metabolism-regulating hormones, are proteins too.

The immune system depends on protein to make antibodies.

Protein molecules also aid the transfer of messages between neurotransmitters in the brains.

To determine how much protein you should take in every day, multiply your weight by 0.36.

Plant sources of protein include beans, lentils, nuts, peanut butter, seeds, and whole grains.

Plants proteins offer the additional benefits of being low in saturated fat and high in fiber as well.

Fat

Healthy fat plays a vital role in overall health.

Certain types of fat are unhealthy.

Less than 7% of daily calories should come from saturated fat.

Most people should also aim tolimit cholesterol intaketo less than 300 mg/day.

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National Institute of Health.Potassium fact sheet for health professionals.

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.Dietary guidelines for Americans eighth edition.

American Diabetes Association.Get smart on carb counting

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National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.How to lower cholesterol with diet.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Nutrition for advanced chronic kidney disease in adults.