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If you have CKD you already know how hard it is to adapt to your newfound lifestyle. It’s not by choice but rather, a necessity that you workout as much as you can, and carefully select what you eat. Yet, when you have CKD and diabetes, the challenge can be doubly complex.
Good sound nutrition is of course the answer, but implementing a diet takes patience, and consistency. This is why there are recommendations for your diet to help you meet those challenges, to live as full a life as you can.
Discipline and Routine
No matter what you have scheduled, try to eat three square meals a day. A general rule of thumb should be to eat a full meal every 5 hours. Keep it simple by having breakfast at 8am, lunch at 1pm, and dinner at 6pm. This should become your routine which you stick to with strict discipline.
Eating regularly will not only help you to maintain your mental wellbeing, but your body will get used to the boost in energy and take care of itself with the nutrition you provide.
Timing
Everyone lives a busy life, and surprises happen, so there are times you may not be able to stick to your mealtimes with military precision. To prepare for cases like these, always have a healthy snack in your bag when you’re detained at work, or stuck on the commute home. Ask your doctor for advice on eating patterns, and what your body needs.
Know What to Avoid
If you can, avoid simple sugars! Sugary drinks like sodas, candy bars and sweet desserts can trigger many health problems. When given the choice, honey is better than jam, but even then you want to be careful and eat very little, if any.
Although simple, processed sugar can be very hard to resist, it doesn’t help your situation. It’s better for you to try sugar substitutes. In fact, look into sweeteners that are safe for you to take regularly, and keep them with you in case you need some in coffee or tea on the go.
Stay Active
Along with your kidney disease diet, you should be physically active everyday. There is no excuse, you have to exercise or just do the minimum you can to be active. Go jogging before work, or go for a walk after work. You can find some aerobics or yoga videos on Youtube to stay active and healthy.
Use Your Glucose Meter
You should have a glucose meter to monitor your blood glucose levels. Check to see if you’re doing fine, or if you need to pick it up a little. It’s vital that you continue to use it as a reference for what you need to correct during the day.
Consistency
It’s always difficult to start something new as it takes time to adjust to that lifestyle. But it’s necessary to stick to the recommended blood sugar levels your diabetes team has set. With CKD, your low blood sugar levels increase.
Your doctor might need to lower the amount of insulin you receive as and when they feel necessary. Always report when you feel like you’re having low blood sugar levels to your doctor.
If you are on dialysis, your blog sugar levels can be helped by controlling your fluid intake and lower your level of thirst
Hints and Tips
Living with diabetes and CKD is very challenging and getting used to it is no mean feat. So we have made a list of some tips and hints that would be useful for anyone just not starting out on their new life.
- Avoid dairy! Limit the amount of yogurt, ice cream, butter, cheese, and milk you eat.
- Reduce the amount of salt you use in cooking, as this will make you thirsty and add to your fluid gains.
- If you don’t know what to eat or drink, refer back to your CKD diet instead of your diabetes diet. This way you are safe from making the other worse as CKD will have a knock-on effect.
- Never be afraid to ask questions to your dietitian and doctor. They are there to help you and they will always do their best to inform and educate you of your eating options and lifestyle choices.
You only get one body, so treat it the way it needs to be treated. It’s tough to manage with CKD and diabetes, but it’s possible! With the right exercise and diet, you can still manage to live a healthy, and happy life.
