Kidney Health Gourmet

07/30/2025

07/15/2025

Physical Activity Shown to Benefit Kidney Function Decline in Older Adults
Published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
3 groups of exercises were studied - control group, moderate exercisers and high intensity exercisers. Group with less than 20 minutes exercise per week experienced a sharp decline in kidney health. Those who exercised more than 20 minutes per week had a higher preservation of kidney function.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33704426/

07/10/2025

Enjoy Olive Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar, 2 Beneficial Nutrition Sources in 1 Place
I have lately discovered how sauces really bring same old food to life. Many middle eastern restaurants have wonderful creative sauces that I go back just for them. I began to experiment and came up with what I think is a pretty good copy cat recipe.
I like to use it on grilled vegetables, but you can use it as a marinade as well.
Honey Aleppo Sauce
Ingredients
1/4 cup Aleppo pepper ( use less if you prefer less heat)
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon plain yogurt - optional
1 tsp garlic powder
dash of salt and pepper
( I have also been daring and add bunches of basil, mint, cilantro to the mix)
Put in blender or a nutra bullet type of appliance and process until smooth. Taste and adjust adding more olive oil garlic or herbs or vinegar for tartness

07/09/2025

Olive Oil Benefits the Kidneys
(keep reading for a fabulous salad dressing recipe)
A 9 week study on the impact of extra virgin olive oil on renal function, body composition, oxidative stress, and inflammatory state, After the 9 weeks the researchers observed an improvement of renal function biomarkers (estimated-glomerular filtration rate, albuminuria, azotemia, uric acid), lipid profile, oxidative stress, inflammatory parameters (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein) and in body composition at T1. These healthy effects were greater and persisted over time.
Note from Nina-> to preserve the phenolic compounds and maximize their benefit in oxidative stress its best to use olive oil in an unheated form. I love using olive oil in salad dressing. Here is a great recipe for a fabulous vinaigrette:
Ingredients
1 shallot finely diced
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar ( i sometimes use balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 cup extra virgin olive oil - look for first press and only 1 country of origin
1-2 tsp honey
Directions
put all ingredients except the olive oil in a large bowl, add olive oil in a slow stream or a bit at a time, whisking often.
I taste and adjust -> more tartness add acid, more sweetness add more honey.
Keep refrigerated for 1 week.
1-2 tsp dijon mustard
dash of salt and pepper

07/07/2025

Baked Oatmeal; Eating All The Good For You Foods In One Place
I try to eat with purpose but its hard to fit in all the things that "are good for you".
Chia seeds provide almost half you dose of fiber in 1 serving and lots of micronutrients. Flax seeds also a good source of fiber and an excellent source of Omega fatty acids. Both stabilize blood glucose levels, improve metabolic syndrome and provide antioxidants which have shown anticancer protection as well as heart disease.
Oats lower cholesterol, promote GUT health and also contain antioxidants.
Putting all 3 together in baked oatmeal is a great and easy way to start your day.
Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
3½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats- do not use steel cut oats
⅓ cup light brown sugar or 3 tablespoons maple syrup or omit both
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup light flavored olive oil
3 eggs- optional I usually skip using
1½ cups milk- can use oat milk
1 cup craisins or raisins optional- can use 1-2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries instead
3 tablespoons ground chia seeds
3 tablespoons ground flax seed
if potassium not a problem I like to add 2 ripe mashed bananas
Directions
pre heat oven to 350 F, use olive oil or avocado spray to spray 10 inch pan.
Place all ingredients in the pan, mix well
bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges.
When ready to eat customize with fruit on top, if you didn't use sweetener drizzle with honey or maple syrup.
Keeps well refrigerated for a few days just take out, microwave adjust toppings and enjoy.

07/03/2025

Plant Based Meat Alternatives Shown to Lower Cholesterol and Plant Based Diets Benefit Progression of CKD.
Numerous studies are touting benefit of plant forward diets for our health. One study looked at plant based diet for CKD
Participants with the highest adherence to overall plant-based diets and healthy plant-based diets had a 26% lower risk of all-cause mortality
While a standard American Diet including ultra processed food and beverages was associated with a 14% and 11% higher risk of CKD progression and all-cause mortality

11/20/2024

Chronic Kidney Disease and Phosphorus Restriction
The kidney is responsible for excreting excess phosphorus in the diet. In the setting of kidney disease this process may be disrupted allowing excess phosphorus to build up in the blood. This leads to a lower conversion of vitamin D to its active form, calcitriol, causing a disruption in bone and mineral metabolism such a reduced bone density and blood vessel calcification.
One strategy to keep phosphorus from getting too high is a low phosphorus diet.
Over the years this diet has evolved based on how efficiently the phosphorus is absorbed. The most efficiently absorbed source is from processed and ultra processed foods. Processed meats (cold cuts, bacon, sausage, hot dogs) , processed cheese products, coke and Pepsi are examples of phosphorus containing food additives which are absorbed at 100%. While legumes (beans, lentils) nuts and whole grains are examples of poorly absorbed phosphorus. In addition, restricting these foods reduced healthy nutrient and fiber intake.

11/10/2024

GUT Microbiome altered by PFAS Contributes to Kidney Damage
Researchers from Keck School of Medicine at USC have linked polyfluoroalkyl ( PFAS) exposure to impaired kidney function. PFAS also known as forever chemicals are found in non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, water-repellent clothing, cosmetics, food packaging, and personal care products. These forever chemicals once inside our body breakdown very slowly and have been linked to heart disease, cancer and now kidney disease. The PFAS are thought to affect kidney function in 2 ways, one is by disrupting the GUT microbiome altering the metabolites that circulate in our blood. The second pathway is through inflammation and oxidative stress.
This remedy to this may sound overwhelming but dietary measure can be used to restore the GUT biome, reduce oxidative stress and improve kidney function.

11/08/2024

FASTING MIMICKING DIET IMPROVES KIDNEY FUNCTION
Hot off the press research... Patients who followed a fasting mimicking diet (FMD) showed reduced levels of protein in the urine a very positive sign in improved endothelial kidney function.
Fasting mimicking diet is the brainchild of Dr. Valter Longo. Dr. Longo is the Edna M. Jones Professor of Gerontology and Biological Sciences and Director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California –Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Los Angeles, one of the leading centers for research on aging and age-related disease.
The plan is to follow this FMD for 5 days a month for 3 months and then quarterly thereafter.
The plan is very strict on calories days 1 and then days 2-5. The amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates is also carefully calculated. This plan can be purchased as Prolon or a dietitian well versed in the plan can calculate it. Message me if you are interested in calculating this for you.
FMD has shown very positive results in breast cancer as well as other cancers. Inflammation, oxidating stress, metabolic markers and longevity.

10/28/2024

In honor of breast cancer month this kidney page will post results of a beneficial breast cancer study.
A study published in the American Journal of Medical Association Oncology. Over 2400 women who were diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer were followed for 11.5 years. Their dietary pattern was assessed. Patients were screened for breast cancer re-occurrence or new diagnosis of breast cancer. The results found women who had 13 hours between dinner and breakfast the next day had a 36% lower cancer re-occurrence than women who fasted less than 12.5 hours. Fasting more than 13 hours was associated with better survival for breast cancer and other diseases. Researchers also observed lower HgA1c in the longer fasting group. HgA1c is a measure of average glucose readings over 3 months. Studies have found higher HgA1c levels increases risk for breast and other cancers.

10/24/2024

Predicting A More Rapid Loss of Kidney Function
Anyone diagnosed with CKD must wonder what their future kidney health might look like. One of the most useful tests is a urine test which looks at protein levels in the urine or albumin. There are even useful equations, protein-creatinine ratios.
The absence of protein in the urine is a very positive sign, and the opposite is true as well. The more protein in the urine the possibility of faster kidney disease progression is also a possibility. How might diet help to reduce proteinuria or albuminuria? A study was published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, which tried to answer this question. 3348 participants were enrolled in this study and were followed for 11 years. All the participants had some laboratory markers indicating protein in the urine. The findings: The greatest GFR decline, and increased albuminuria was in the group with a high sodium diet. A high animal protein diet, specifically red meat was also associated with faster progression of CKD. A benefit was noted in diet high in beta carotene. Richest sources of beta-carotene are yellow, orange and green leafy fruits and vegetables. Examples: carrots, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cantaloupe and winter squash. The more intense the color, usually has a greater amount of beta carotene.

10/22/2024

Choosing a Healthier Cheese Option for Kidney Disease
There are many varieties of cheese options available, how to determine with is best for CKD. A general rule is the harder the cheese, the more sodium and phosphorus it contains. For example, per a 100 gram serving, a hard cheese Asiago, gruyere, chaddar can have over 600 mg phosphorus and 1230 mg sodium. Comparing this to a soft cheese, such as ricotta which has 155 mg phosphorus and 281 mg sodium. There are also semi hard cheeses which fall right in the middle. An example of these: baby Swiss, Colby, Monterey Jack and Muenster. These cheeses contain approximately 400 mg phosphorus and may have up to 1000 mg of sodium. That is still a fair amount so a smaller serving size may be the way to go.