Latest Dietitian's Blog Posts
Happy World Kidney Day!
The theme of the 2010 World Kidney Day is Diabetes – the leading cause of chronic kidney disease worldwide. March also happens to be nutrition month so I want to talk a bit about nutrition and diabetes. I have been away from work for the past several weeks and as I returned this week I was asked if it would be inappropriate to celebrate World Kidney Day at our hospital by giving out cookies – since …
Happy New Year!
It’s hard to believe that it’s 2010! I wish all of you a healthy and happy New Year. The last decade has brought some very welcome changes for nutrition: trans fats have been identified and are being phased out of most foods; the public, government, and industry have identified the need to reduce sodium in packaged foods; and most importantly there is a real focus on eating local and fresh foods. This makes following a …
New Recipe Resource Online and Holiday Recipes!
I have been a renal dietitian for over 10 years and many patients tell me that the diet is one of the most depressing parts of their disease. I have heard patients say: if it tastes good it must be bad for you! This is why the cookbook series that I worked on is one of my favourite projects ever! These books are filled with recipes that are wonderfully tasty and flavourful for anyone to …
What about phosphorus?
The past few weeks have been very busy ones for me. I have been working on a new project about hidden phosphates in foods. Healthy kidneys help regulate the amount of phosphorus in your blood, and if you have impaired kidney function your healthcare team may recommend you limit your phosphate intake. High phosphorus levels in the blood can lead to bone and cardiovascular problems in kidney patients. Almost all foods contain some phosphorus so it …
Eating out on a renal diet
Going out to eat can be a fun social outing, a break from cooking or a necessity while away from home. Eating out at a restaurant while following your diet is a serious challenge but it can be managed with some careful planning. Don’t be afraid to check out the menu online and call ahead to ask questions. Review your renal diet before you go out or bring your food lists with you. Plan Ahead If you …
Happy Thanksgiving!
While I am unable to provide personal nutrition advice to the readers who come to this blog I want to encourage those of you with questions about your own diet to contact your dietitian for a meal plan that is personalized to YOU! There is no “one size fits all” renal diet and the best advice is always tailored to your own needs. I thought I would devote this blog to the holiday weekend that is …
Label Reading for Sodium
I had an excellent question recently from someone who is struggling with label reading for a low sodium diet and I thought it very likely applies to everyone. Here it is: “I have a sodium question for you. If the sodium intake for a healthy adult is between 1500mg to 2300mg per day, why is the nutritional information labels on our food based on the intake of 2400mg of sodium per day? It drives me crazy …
Shake Up your BBQ without a Salt Shaker
It’s hard to believe that September is here and summer is almost over! I thought I’d spend a bit more time talking about salt and sodium since it is such an important issue. When we talk about eating “renal-friendly” limiting salt is the very first thing that comes to mind! I recently had several questions about using different rock salts for their healing properties. Some types of salts are being advertised as “cures” for various …
Welcome to my blog!
I am very excited to be involved in the new Kidney Foundation of Canada Website! What a wonderful resource for Canadian kidney patients and their families. I have been a renal dietitian for 10 years and I can honestly say that the “renal diet” is one of the most challenging diets there is. There is no simple diet sheet that we can hand out to everyone with kidney problems – every diet must be individualized to …