Kidney Health Clarity

12/24/2025

If building a healthy plate when you have CKD starts with half a plate of vegetables, wouldn’t that cause your meal to be too high in potassium? Let me share something with you. A well-conducted 2021 randomized controlled trial—published in Nutrients and involving patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease—carefully compared a higher-potassium diet (roughly 4000 mg) to a lower-potassium one (1600 mg). The results were reassuring: serum potassium rose by just 0.21 mEq/L on average with the higher intake, and hyperkalemia was uncommon, affecting only a couple of participants.This evidence highlights how effectively the body can maintain balance, even with moderate kidney changes, giving us solid ground for a more flexible, nutrient-rich approach to eating—one that supports overall health without undue worry. In addition, many people think that a diagnosis with CKD requires an automatic potassium restriction, and that’s just not true. Removing potassium from your diet by cutting out vegetables removes fiber, antioxidants, and most importantly for kidneys, alkalinity. So go ahead and fill your Christmas dinner plate with as many vegetables as you can and enjoy without any guilt! If your doctor has told you to restrict potassium intake, skip the mashed potatoes and the pumpkin pie. But don’t fear the veggies.

12/23/2025

Building a holiday plate shouldn’t be much different from building an everyday plate. Your vegetables are the main event because they promote alkalinity, provide fiber, and they’re the least likely to be high in sodium. Next, about 1/4 of your plate should be a healthy carb like sweet potatoes, rice, or even a fruit. Finally, 1/4 of your plate should be your protein source…roast turkey or chicken preferably. If you’re contributing to the meal, bring something you know you can eat that might also be a crowd pleaser. Maybe a plant based protein like a quinoa salad, or some kind of lentil dish that’s tried and true. If you eat this way, you’ll avoid the puffiness and the blood pressure spikes that can result after a high sodium meal.

12/20/2025

The holidays are sort of like traveling. You can use them as an excuse to eat whatever you want, be terrified that you’re going to eat too much and cause immediate kidney function decline, or you can try to do the best you can, knowing you’re probably going to eat some things you normally wouldn’t but that it’ll be ok. Having an attitude of moderation is the key to enjoying the occasion without going hog-wild. Try to stick with lower sodium options and avoid processed meats as much as possible. Try having some meatless days during the holiday season as well…just be sure to replace the meat with beans, lentils, nuts, or tofu. But give yourself some grace too!

12/19/2025

The holidays can bring extra stress around food and drinks, especially for people with CKD. Here’s what you really need to know about three common concerns: ham— the main issue is sodium, although it’s also high in protein. Keep portions small and try not to eat all the leftovers 😊. Turkey is a better option. Potatoes are high in potassium but whether you need to limit them depends on your lab values. Boiling potatoes and draining the water can help lower potassium if needed, and portion size matters more than avoidance. Alcohol can affect blood pressure, hydration, and blood sugar, all of which impact kidney health, and it also impairs your judgment. While the question of whether to consume these (and other foods and drinks) may be on your mind, remember this is one day. The patterns you follow day in and day out are far more impactful on your kidney health.

12/18/2025

Being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease can be scary. It may be totally foreign to you, and if you didn’t think of your questions before you left the doctor’s office, you might be left to wonder what’s next. But there is help available and there is hope. Click the link in my profile to learn more.

12/16/2025

High level CKD nutrition support is not just about a meal plan. It’s about slowing disease progression, reducing complications, and making day-to-day decisions feel manageable again. When you work with a dietitian who specializes in CKD, you gain clearer guidance, fewer unnecessary restrictions, and support that adapts as your labs and life change.

12/11/2025

It's soup season! One of the most important strategies for eating well for your kidneys is to meal prep, and soup is an easy place to start.

Make a pot of soup, and eat it for a meal. Then freeze in individual portions to have on hand when you don't know what else to eat. If you do this with multiple soups, you will end up with a variety to choose from in your freezer.

We all know that canned soup generally has wayyy too much sodium, but homemade soups don't have to. This one is moderate in sodium, potassium, and protein when eaten in the serving size given in the recipe.

If you decide to make it, let me know! I'd love to know what you think.

https://app.thatcleanlife.com/shares/1e77b910-fbac-451a-b638-37933afdf0c1

12/08/2025

I recently received this question from a reader:

"What is the safest bread to eat with stage 3a CKD?"

Maybe you've wondered the same thing, especially if you've done any research of your own about diet and kidney disease.

Online searches and even handouts provided by some doctor's offices can contain outdated information concerning bread and other foods that people with CKD should and should not eat.

For years and years, we recommended refined grains (white bread, white rice, Rice Krispies, corn flakes, etc.) over whole grains (whole wheat bread, brown rice, shredded wheat, etc.)

The reason for this was the relatively high phosphorus (and potassium) content of whole grains.

But we now know that the phosphorus in whole grains (and other whole foods like beans and nuts) is only absorbed into the bloodstream at about 30%. Because of this and the realization that limiting whole grains and other whole foods was causing people to miss out on important nutrients, the guidelines changed in 2020.

We now recommend whole grains over refined grains.

With that said, let me answer the question about the safest bread for CKD3a.

Here are some things to look for to find the best bread:

less than 175 mg sodium (Bread is a significant source of sodium in the standard American diet.)

3 or more grams of fiber

no phosphate additives

less than 5 grams of added sugar

100% whole ingredients (100% whole grain wheat, 100% whole grain rye, etc.)

The bread available where you live may be different from the bread available where I live, but here are some examples:

Dave's Killer Whole Grains & Seeds Bread

Ezekiel Sprouted Whole Grain Bread

Arnold Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat bread

I hope this is helpful!

Do you have a question about diet and CKD? Comment below. If you have a question, there are probably many other people with the same question.

God bless!

12/05/2025

A client of mine with IgA nephropathy who completed the Kidney Health Clarity program several months ago continues to improve his GFR as time goes on. It increased from 15 to 18 in the past few months, indicating at the very least, stable kidney function. Even in late stage 4, kidney function can stabilize for many years with the right interventions and lifestyle change. I was so happy to get this good news from his wife 😊

12/04/2025

There’s no such thing as a one size fits all kidney diet. Everyone’s situation is so different and there are so many variables in what you can do for the health of your kidneys.

12/03/2025