A well-balanced diet plays a vital role in maintaining the health of the kidney as well as other systems of your body. With conditions like chronic kidney disease, the kidney does not perform to its optimum capacity. Hence, it does not excrete the metabolic wastes and balances the electrolytes. Kidney disease is known as the catabolic disease wherein it demands energy and hence it requires a well-balanced and high-calorie diet accordingly. One needs a special renal diet to maintain this balance and to optimize metabolic waste generation.

A diet for kidney patients depends upon various factors. Some of the important factors that determine the diet are the stage of the disease, activity level, presence of diabetes or another disease, Urine output, Height, Weight, and stress factors.

The Indian diet is considered ideal for kidney patients as it tends to contain a higher number of calories. A traditional Indian diet consists of various vegetables as well as plant-based cooking. Let’s talk about the Indian diet for kidney patients in detail.

Vegetables

Vegetables are considered the most important part of the diet for kidney patients. Hence Indian diet is known to be the best one for kidney patients. According to the experts, those who consume a higher number of vegetables regularly tend to have a slower progression of chronic kidney disease. Kidney patients can enjoy most of the vegetables including the ones that contain potassium. But make sure to avoid those vegetables if you have high blood potassium. At an early stage of chronic kidney disease, one can consume vegetables with high potassium such as spinach, potatoes, etc.

Bread

Indian diet is incomplete without bread. You can find different varieties of bread such as naan, roti, and paratha. Kidney patients can enjoy bread in their regular meals but make sure to avoid the one with lots of butter. If you have diabetes along with kidney disease then make sure to watch the carbohydrate intake as well.

Rice

Most of the nutritionist recommend white rice to kidney patients since it contains low phosphorous and potassium. But one can also consider adding brown rice to the diet as it is known as an excellent source of vital nutrients including fiber. Make sure to limit the proportion of rice in case of diabetes. You can replace it with vegetables.

Legumes

Indian diet involves legumes as well. It comprises of beans, lentils, and peas. These are known as excellent sources of plant-based protein and other vital nutrients like fiber, magnesium, etc. Yellow and Red lentils are the primary lentils that are highly used in the Indian diet. If you wish to go on a lower potassium diet then you can add this plant-based protein source to the diet.

Dairy

Dairy food is another vital part of the Indian diet which is high in potassium and phosphorous. You will find various forms of dairy here such as paneer, ghee, yogurt, milk, etc. Dairy food is considered to be similar to meat. Hence kidney patients need to reduce the portion.

Every food item is important for the smooth function of the kidney and overall body. Hence you do not need to change the diet completely. Make sure to make a few changes in portion and salt intake. Apart from this, you can join a support group for chronic kidney patients in India to get the right advice and tips.

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© Ruchie Verma.

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