New Years’ Resolutions for CKD Patients

Chronic kidney disease, also known as CKD, is a long-term condition that affects the kidneys and hinders their regular function. It’s a common condition that is often associated with growing older. It can affect virtually anyone, but it’s most common in people of African or South Asian descent. Its symptoms usually don’t appear during the early stages of the disease. Instead, it manifests at a more advanced stage as tiredness, swollen ankles, sickly feelings or blood in the urine. If you notice any of these symptoms, then you may want to speak to your doctor unless you have already been diagnosed with CKD. While there’s no cure for patients with CKD, there are treatments available that can help you relieve symptoms and prevent it from getting worse. The most common way to treat CKD is to change your lifestyle and stay as healthy as possible. This can involve taking certain types of medication, changing your diet and consuming less unhealthy foods to give your kidneys an easier time. We’ve prepared a couple of resolutions for all CKD patients which could help motivate them to live a happier and healthier year.

1. Switch to a CKD Diet & Monitor

A good CKD diet involves plenty of home-cooked meals that are low in sodium and high in protein, fat and carbohydrates. You should also be limiting nutrients such as potassium which can be found in bran products and certain fruits and vegetables such as avocados and artichokes. You should also consider speaking with your doctor about how much you need to limit fluids. Overall, being more aware of your nutritional intake and how certain foods affect your body should be your goal as a New Year’s resolution. You can always use a CKD diet plan as a foundation, but you’ll be much happier about your diet if you take notes and examine how your body personally reacts to certain foods. Always consult with your Nephrologist about changing your diet.

2. Exercise more often

Staying fit with CKD can be challenging, but it’s a fantastic way to be more physically healthy and improve your overall well-being. It offers benefits such as better sleep, control of your body weight, improved muscle strength and better blood pressure control. It’s important to speak to your doctor to create an exercise plan together. It’s better to choose continuous low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming and bicycling. However, simple strengthening exercises that involve light weights and many repetitions can also be great for patients with CKD.

3. Adopt better lifestyle choices

Both a CKD diet and regular exercise can be considered better lifestyle changes, but there are a number of other things you can do to improve your lifestyle and keep the symptoms of CKD at bay. For starters, emotional care is important and it’s vital that you identify stress triggers and reduce them as much as possible. This will have a huge impact on the effects of CKD and could drastically change your well-being. It’s also vital to get plenty of sleep so that your body has time to rest and recharge. By combining these lifestyle habits with a CKD diet and regular exercise, your health will greatly improve and many of the symptoms of CKD will become far less common during your daily life. Have a safe and happy New Year!