What Can You DO?
Improving Kidney Health Through Diet and Exercise

by Will Mitchell

Did you know that March is National Kidney Month?  According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, it a time to raise awareness about kidney disease.  What better way to raise awareness than to discuss ways to achieve a healthy lifestyle for years to come regardless of a Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) diagnosis.  The following information and recommendations of preventative tactics for health management are meant to provide education to achieve that healthy lifestyle.

Follow The Roadmap To Success To Lower Chronic Kidney Disease Risk Through Lifestyle Modifications. (2021, February 17). NephU. https://nephu.org/follow-the-roadmap-to-success-to-lower-chronic-kidney-disease-risk-through-lifestyle-modifications/.

Chronic Kidney Disease – A breakdown

Roughly 37 million people in the United States have CKD which is about 15% of the population, and 90% do not know they have it.  Impaired kidney function can result in anemia, bone and mineral disorders, cardiovascular disease, hyperglycemia, diabetes, hypertension, and malnutrition.

Incorporation of Healthy Foods

Three of the hardest things for an impaired kidney to control are sodium, potassium, and phosphorus.  We have put together a list of what to avoid and the alternatives.

• Phosphorus foods to avoid – Dairy, Beans, Lentils, Nuts, Bran Cereal, Oatmeal, Sodas, Iced Teas, Beer.
• Lower Phosphorus Alternatives – Fresh Fruits, Vegetables, Unenriched Rice Milk, Bread, Pasta, Rice, Fish, Corn and Rice Cereals, Soda without Phosphate additives like Root Beer, Home Brewed Iced Tea.
• Potassium Rich Foods to Avoid – Honeydew, Cantaloupe, Bananas, Oranges, Tomatoes Tomato Sauce, Dried Beans, Cooked Greens Spinach Kale Collards.
• Sodium Rich Foods to Avoid – Salt do no use Salt while cooking, Ham, Bacon, Hot Dogs, Lunch Meats, Chicken Tenders, Garlic Salt, Onion Salt, PreSeasoned Meats.
• Sodium Alternatives and Options – No Salt Added Canned Vegetables, No Salt Added Peanut Butter.

Healthy Cooking Recipes

We know it can be difficult to avoid fast foods, but if you visit https://www.freseniuskidneycare.com under the eating well drop-down menu you can find deliciously healthy recipes. The website has options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Some of the yummy breakfast options include blueberry muffins and stuffed breakfast biscuits. The lunch and dinner options include herb-roasted chicken and bourbon-glazed skirt steak. 

Did you know that techniques such as blanching or boiling remove up to 80% of the unwanted minerals such as sodium? When using frozen or canned goods wash them before cooking to remove excess minerals.

Finding The Ingredients

We challenge you to shop locally and support our local farmers.  Not only does shopping local help so many people, but fresh produce is also a healthier alternative to frozen goods. Where can you get these goods? There are several local farmers’ markets and roadside produce stands available throughout Polk County.  The vendors at these markets are your neighbors and friends providing you with healthy food options and community involvement.

Another option for getting healthier foods is to visit the Lakeland Volunteers In Medicine Mobile Food Pantry twice a month, the second and last Tuesday of the month. Located on 600 W Peachtree St Lakeland 33815 this free supply of food can sustain a healthy diet for weeks. Be sure to arrive by 11 am for registration, food will be distributed from 12 pm – 2 pm. 

Healthy Lifestyle

Choosing to eat better is a huge step in the right direction! Yet more than one approach is needed to deal with CKD. Getting out and walking for at least 30 minutes a week can reduce the need for dialysis or kidney transplants. Other options for exercise include swimming or biking, anything that requires consistent motion is beneficial. 

Another component to a healthy lifestyle is to not smoke. Smoking has been linked to the acceleration of kidney disease, as well as other ailments. A helpful tip to quit smoking is to know why you are addicted. When you are thirsty a signal goes off in your brain telling you to drink water. The addiction to nicotine is similar to the need for water, a signal tells us to smoke because it can reduce stress and anxiety. In order to quit, you must find ways to supplement that need for stress relief. A great supplement for the need to smoke is to exercise. Many people find that exercise has the same effect on stress relief as smoking.

Infographic—National Kidney Month 2021. (2021, March 2). NephU. https://nephu.org/infographic-national-kidney-month-2021/

February marks LVIM’s 20^th anniversary of providing FREE, high-quality, and compassionate outpatient medical, dental and mental healthcare to the underserved and indigent, specifically the working uninsured.

At LVIM, the treatment is free.  The care is priceless.

Help us celebrate our 20 YEARS and join us for a Virtual Travel Auction!  The auction is LIVE and will close at 7 PM on Saturday, February 20th.  Click here to bid TODAY.

What if we give YOU the opportunity to support LVIM’s mission and you could bid on a trip of a lifetime?  What if we told you that you had THREE YEARS to book and NO blackout dates?

Check back every day this week as we reveal the special opportunities you will have to support LVIM’s mission of providing FREE healthcare to the working uninsured of Polk County over the past 20 Years.

Many are missing the joys of travel during the pandemic. If you could travel anywhere, where would you like to go for your next vacation?

We are going to have some fun in February celebrating our 20th anniversary and we have some surprises planned! Save the date, February 17th, and check back often for clues about what we have planned.  Updates will be posted here or you can follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

         

February 2021 Update

In March of 2020, LVIM became a Mobile Food Pantry site twice a month thanks to the George W Jenkins End Hunger Initiative in partnership with United Way of Central Florida and Feeding Tampa Bay.

Since then, we have provided over 150,000 lbs of fresh food to 5,757 Households including 19,159 people, of which 6,468 are children and 1,514 are patients of LVIM. This would not be possible without the above-mentioned partnerships, volunteers, and staff who work hard twice a month distributing food to the community.

LVIM will continue to host the Mobile Food Pantry on the SECOND and LAST Tuesdays of each month.  Registration begins at 11 AM and distribution is from 12 PM – 2 PM or until supplies run out.

To ensure we are good neighbors to those who live around us and to enable us to serve as many households as possible, please make note of the items listed below.

• Registration will not begin until 11 AM.
• NO parking on Peachtree prior to the registration time.
• Please do not block driveways to homes and businesses.
• Limit of 2 households per car and a member of the household must be present.

 

The 2020 Julius Rhian Volunteer of the Year began volunteering with LVIM a few years ago during her summer breaks from the University of Central Florida.  She graduated in December of 2019 with her undergraduate degree and came back to volunteer on a full-time basis in early 2020. She stayed with us throughout the entire COVID situation, during which time she was often the only clinical volunteer onsite. She was cross-trained and easily transitioned from the clinic to the pharmacy to the lab, sometimes all in a single day. She has been such a blessing to LVIM, especially during these difficult times.

She is currently applying to PA school, to become a physician assistant, and also has an externship with a physician in Orlando beginning soon which means her time with us is drawing to a close. She is an intelligent, confident, and highly motivated young professional who will go far both in life and her career.

The 2020 Julius Rhian Volunteer of the Year goes to….Laura Roth!!!

Thank you, Laura, for your dedication to LVIM and to the field of medicine.

In the spirit of the holidays and in the era of COVID-19, our End of Year Celebration is Virtual this year!

There are two virtual links below. Our End of Year video highlights our 2020 achievements.  Our segment of Holiday Cooking with LVIM allows you to join us in your kitchen for a Thanksgiving Reboot using your leftovers.

To view the End of Year Celebration video, click below.

To join us in your kitchen for our segment of Holiday Cooking with LVIM, click below.

Click here to view the Thanksgiving Reboot Recipes.