The CKD non-dialysis diet

People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are not yet on dialysis may be given a special diet to follow. The purpose of the diet is to help prolong kidney function and to keep patients feeling their best by preventing buildup of fluid and wastes. Learn about the CKD non-dialysis diet and how it helps people in the earlier stages of kidney disease.

The hemodialysis diet

The peritoneal dialysis diet

Balanced nutrition

What is albumin?

Donna Swartzendruber is a registered nurse and a member of DaVita’s Clinical Education Team. In this article, she discusses albumin, the most common protein found in the blood. Albumin is used by the body for growth and tissue repair. Learn the recommended albumin level and how to achieve it.

Nutrition and chronic kidney disease

It seems all of America is on a diet, whether it’s low carb, low fat or high protein. But if you’ve been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), awareness of your food choices and how these choices can affect your kidneys is important.

The ABCs of vitamins for kidney patients

The fact that vitamins are good for our health has been taught to us from the time we were children. Learn about vitamins, the role they play in keeping us healthy and how chronic kidney disease (CKD) changes vitamin requirements.

The diabetic dialysis diet

Exercise

The transplant diet

Working with a dietitian

Fluid control for kidney disease patients on dialysis

One part of the renal diet that many kidney disease and dialysis patients find difficult is controlling fluid intake. Learn about how what you drink and eat affects your health and your dialysis treatments, plus get a few tips on how to control thirst.

Dietary protein and chronic kidney disease (CKD)

When it comes to protein, the saying, "you are what you eat" is entirely true. Most of the body—skin, muscle, tissues, nails, hair—is made of protein. In fact, every cell in the body has protein. But what is protein? And if it’s so important for our health, why can some kidney disease patients eat it, while others have limited amounts? Learn about protein and how different stages of CKD affect the amount of protein in your diet.

Sodium and chronic kidney disease

Sodium is important to our health. It has an active role in many of the body's functions. However, if you have been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), too much sodium can cause complications. Learn more about sodium, what it does and how it affects patients with renal disease.

Potassium and chronic kidney disease

Potassium is a mineral found in many of the foods we eat. People with advanced stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) or are on dialysis need to limit the amount of potassium in their diets. Learn about potassium, what it does in the body and why it is important to keep potassium levels in a safe range.

Calcium and chronic kidney disease

Calcium is one of the well-known minerals; responsible for strong bones and teeth along with other important body functions. For people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) their calcium requirements are different from the general population. Find out about calcium, how it affects people with kidney disease and what to eat.

Phosphorus and chronic kidney disease

Potassium, phosphorus and the dialysis diet

Maybe it’s because both minerals start with the letter “p” that people find it confusing to distinguish between potassium and phosphorus. This article, written by DaVita renal dietitian, Helen Dorrough, will try to help you understand the difference between the two, and explains why both are limited in the dialysis diet. In addition to identifying “double jeopardy” foods high in both potassium and phosphorus, you’ll find a list of low potassium and low phosphorus food alternatives to help you do well on the kidney diet.

Phosphorus binders (or phosphate binders) and the dialysis diet

High levels of phosphorus in the blood can be dangerous for people with end stage renal disease (ESRD). The dialysis diet alone cannot control phosphorus. That’s why your doctor and renal dietitian may recommend following a low-phosphorus diet combined with taking phosphorus binders (or phosphate binders) to help keep phosphorus in a safe range. Phosphate binders prevent your body from absorbing phosphorus from the food you eat.

Reading labels to control phosphorus in the dialysis diet

High levels of phosphorus in the blood can be dangerous for people with kidney disease. However, phosphorus is found in nearly all of the foods that people eat. Figuring out what to eat and what not to eat can be tricky. Learn how to read labels to find hidden sources of phosphorus in foods and other ways to keep your phosphorus level in a safe range.

Vitamin D and chronic kidney disease

Ask any school-age child, “What vitamin do you get from the sun?” and you will likely hear the correct answer, “Vitamin D.” Vitamin D is so critical for good health that nature designed a way for us to get it without much effort — directly from the sun.Yet, to be used in the body vitamin D needs to be activated in the kidneys, so people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) tend to be deficient in vitamin D and may need medicines to get their healthy dose of vitamin D.