Renal (Kidney) Disease

[ozwaldp]

I was recently diagnosed with Stage IV Renal Failure after having been at Stage III for more than four years. When asked to state what my diet looked like, I answered 3 very small protein based meals (1-2 protein drinks) followed by a larger, more diverse meal at the end of the day -- usually containing lots of fibrous vegetables and small amounts of starchy carbs.  On all my blood tests, I score within Normal range -- with the exception of potassium and creatinine. The high potassium level is a result of eating plant-based green food with limited renal function. The high creatinine level is due to eating meat/fish/whey protein. Obviously, the current meal trend is healthy to my body, but affects renal performance. My doctor thinks I would be better off consuming vegetable-based protein because it would lessen wear-and tear on the kidneys and could spare me going on dialysis.  I have also had Type II Diabetes for almost 30 years and take insulin to control blood glucose levels. Does anybody have an opinion on what I should do to keep my kidneys from deteriorating?

[Dano3000]

You could try limiting your protein consumption to one meal a day. Do you know what percentage of protein your diet is?
We dont really need a lot of protein, especially when following the warrior diet, and especially when IF'ing. While its good for kicking hunger in the ass, it can tax your kidneys.
Hell, you might want to try going vegan for a while.
I've also heard of a girl, who upon completing an all day long bike ride (10 hours) while fasted, end up in the hospital with acute renal failure. The adrenal stress from riding so long without eating taxed her kidneys into complete failure. You may want to try eating a little more during the day (still less or no protein, think low fat raw vegan [fruits and veggies]) to ease up the adrenal squirts of cortisol and adrenaline that keep you going when undereating. It can wear you down.
I'm not a doctor, I just eat like Ori H. way. From what I've read, protein on kidneys works like sugar on teeth; its not so much the total amount, but also the frequency. Limiting protein to one meal will greatly reduce frequency, and as a matter of practicality reduce the amount.
Protein drinks are especially taxing on kidneys. There is no easy release from the gut into the blood stream, its a super quick WOOSH that the kidneys have to deal with.
Let us know what you decide.

[ozwaldp]

Thanks, Dano 3000.  You gave me some very worthy suggestions to consider. The idea of becoming a vegan from this point was already on my mind.  I am supposed to have 70 grams of protein per day -- based on a bodyweight of 70 kilos or 154 pounds.  I am 5'6" tall and currently weigh 100 kilos or 220 pounds -- so it's a hefty goal to reduce 30 kilos or 66 pounds on relatively bad kidneys.  But I am not discouraged.
All the medical literature I've read says not to abandon protein in exchange for more carbohydrates. But I can still get good protein from vegetarian sources without adding too many carbs to my diet. Because of diabetes I was following a low-carb diet, but it was killing my renal function while controlling blood sugar levels.
Reducing protein to one meal a day, while eating frequent small meals based on fruits and vegetables is a great idea -- and it fits in with the Warrior Diet. I wish I had known more about protein drinks before using them -- Defense Nutrition's Warrior Whey is my all-time favorite -- but someone like me should refrain from using it anymore.  Are you familiar with The Ultimate Meal? It's vegan-based and has 17 grams of protein per serving -- not too taxing on the kidneys.  Protein is derived from greens and superfood like blue-green algae.
Again, thank you.  I will begin following your suggestions today and keep you posted.

[Dano3000]

I prefer whole foods while undereating. I've seen the ultimate meal before and it just seemed like another tub with marketing all over it.
One serving of the ultimate meal contains 170 calories, 16 grams of protein, and 12 grams of effective carbohydrate.
A huge salad of 200g lettuce, 1 medium tomato, 2 sticks of celery, a grated carrot, and 2 chopped up egg whites contains ~130 calories, 13 grams of protein, and 13 effective carbohydrate. And is probably a lot more satisfying.

[ozwaldp]

Well stated!  Thanks again.

[ozwaldp]

Hi, Dano 3000.  Just a brief update -- Began using the suggestion to eat more frequently during the day (fruit and vegetable based) and find that it indeed gives me more energy and is less taxing on my kidneys. I limit protein altogether to one 4-6 ounce serving of flesh food a day.  Most days I have a small grapefruit and green tea within an hour of rising, followed by a mixed green salad with 1/2 cup of legumes (beans, peas, lentils) marinated in herbs/spices with a teaspoon of olive oil three hours after breakfast. My third meal of the day is usually an apple or two rye crackers with a teaspoon of almond butter. My fourth (and usually final meal) is the protein accompanied by a serving or two of green or cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, country greens, or cole slaw) also prepared with a teaspoon of olive oil. I am getting ready to go into this more deeply by removing some of the fat and eventually going full blast vegan.  My blood and urine tests will show my progress or lack thereof.  I will be tested again in late October ... so we will see what additional adjustments I need to make.  What I am really hoping for is letting go of all my blood pressure and diabetic medications within the next six months if I go full vegan. Please provide feedback if you feel it's necessary. Thanks!

[Dano3000]

Hey man, glad you're feeling better.
Going vegan can be weird at first, but this video might help:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHWMAF92n1E
It's a literal addiction.

[ozwaldp]

Hey man, glad you're feeling better.
Going vegan can be weird at first, but this video might help:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHWMAF92n1E
It's a literal addiction.

Hi, Drano 3000.
Wanted to give you an update and it’s not too good. Going on a plant-based diet and limiting my animal protein to once a day or less made me an overall healthier individual. Almost all my health markers came under control, including glucose which was the key issue with Diabetes Type II. But two markers showed very abnormal numbers, potassium and creatinine. This means two things: (1) because all plant foods are high in potassium the kidneys really struggle to balance sodium/potassium levels and avoid a heart attack; (2) my relatively high muscle mass makes it difficult for the kidneys to flush out wastes from nitrogen metabolism. A plant based diet will lower your body mass, but protein from lost muscle can back up those clogged critters if they don’t filtrate well.
So, overall my GFR or Glomerular Filtration Rate further decreased: from 29% to 21%. I’m inching slowly to renal failure which is 15 or below. My physicians are now tell me to eat a “normal, low potassium diet” with eggs, fish and low amounts of meat. But they are also warning me that all foods eventually create stress on an already taxed filtration system.
So other than becoming a breatharian (living on air), the picture doesn’t look good.
Your comments are always appreciated ... Thanks.

[Theo]

Hey bud,

Sorry to hear about your situation, sadly nothing I can do to change but as you mentioned you have diabetes i thought it was worth a mention.

Blood pressure meds can cause high potassium levels.

You on any?

Otherwise listen to your Doc, 

All the best

Theo

[ozwaldp]

Hey bud,

Sorry to hear about your situation, sadly nothing I can do to change but as you mentioned you have diabetes i thought it was worth a mention.

Blood pressure meds can cause high potassium levels.

You on any?

Otherwise listen to your Doc, 

All the best

Theo

Hi, Theo.
To answer you - yes, I am on high blood pressure meds and one does increase my potassium a lot. It’s called Losarten or Coozar. I am being told to keep taking it because it is the only med really helping to control blood pressure. Everything else gives me terrible side effects. My low filtration rate causes my BP to rise and remain out of control.
It’s obvious that after 30 years of being a diabetic i was bound to suffer organ damage. So nothing is a surprise. I try to follow doctor’s orders, but even they are stumped as to what I can do. Other than a transplant, there aren’t many options. Dialysis is not one. I prefer to put myself in hospice care before I accept dialysis for the remainder of my life.
I believe that the body can still heal itself and regenerate cells if given the right opportunities. It’s a challenge.
Thanks for the support. OZ

[Theo]

Hey OZ,
Diabetes is far from a strong subject for me but is it possible to lower your blood pressure by manipulating other lifestyle factors so that you could come off the medications?

Is it the meds that are causing the problems or did they exist prior?

DO you have bodyfat % and waist:hip ratio measurements etc?

I don't really know anything about you but having a high body fat, central adiposity and a waist wider than your hips are all markers for health problems.

I've dug up a link, you may have read it already while researching but it's worth a look.

It basically says that diabetes can be reversed with a low fat, primarily plant food diet which sounds in line with what your doctor said.

My sister has type 1 and she had some strange blood readings for a while, they seem to change a lot with different lifestyle patterns (aswell as glucose intake lol) but there may be something to it.

Anyway, I hope it helps.

Theo

[ozwaldp]

Hi Theo.

I wanted to update you on my last visit to the renal specialist on May 29. The doctor found all my markers actually under the healthy guidelines, except for the ones mentioned before: potassium and creatinine. My blood sugar levels as measured by the Hemoglobin A1C test were 6.8 (normal is under 6). Not too bad there either. GFR (filtration rate) went up a point to 22. Not good, but better than two months ago. Potassium is still high probably because of the strong plant-based diet I eat. I am eating less though, especially foods like beans and fruit. Protein is lean and eaten once or twice a day with salad or green vegetables. I’ve lost 10 pounds in two months.

The biggest issue I am having is taking the blood pressure medications. Even though all dosages were reduced, whatever I take gives me blurred vision and dizziness. I started taking them when the diabetes could not be controlled several years ago and my vitals began showing regular increases in BP. If I stop taking them, my BP goes up to stroke levels!

I have been reading about certain herbs that can revitalize the kidneys back to a relatively normal function. I would be happy if there was something that would increase to the filtration rate to double where it is now. Here is the link that I was reading: http://www.planetayurveda.com/kidney_failure_article.htm

As you can see it’s a hefty price to pay on a monthly basis. But if it worked I wouldn’t hesitate a second. Has anyone out there improved their kidney function by taking herbs alone? I know Ori sells a product that does that (which I have taken), but it doesn’t seem strong enough to handle my situation.

Anyway, thanks always for your input and hope to hear from you soon. OZ

[Theo]

Hey OZ,

Ayurveda's concepts are excellent but I've never tried any preparations. I would be careful, maybe show it to your doctor first.

If it brings your health back i'd say it's a pretty reasonable price but it's claiming to do something that modern medicine currently can't. I did have a read on some forums for you a while back. Again i'm sure you've read a lot of it but basically the consensus among many of the members was that due to advances in technology the life expectancy is similar to that of non diabetics and that that that carried more fat tended to suffer more and die younger but those that too care of themselves seemed to do okay.

I honestly haven't got a clue about the supplements you're looking at, the only solutions that come to my mind are these.

Perhaps a BP drug that works by a different mechanism to altering salts in the body. I don't know if these exist but might help if they do

Also in vitamins and minerals, some cause effects and others balance the effects of others. is it possible that you are deficient in some other untested mineral and this is causing your kidney problems?

Perhaps it could be a structural problem? Maybe a partially blocked renal artery? Then perhaps surgery may be able to help.

I hope that the preparation helps you

Theo

[Dano3000]

If you're open to it, I've known people who've gotten off of BP meds and diabetes meds with the following: www.drmcdougall.com
It's legit. Of course, being into the WD, you'll want to stick to whole foods only.

If you aren't open to it, I'm out of ideas that have science to back them up. All the best, man.

[OriHofmekler]

Being diabetic and grossly overweight are typical markers of metabolic syndrome. My suggestion is to create a viable plan. As a first step you must lose weight!

Concentrate all of your effort on getting rid of your excess body fat. Eliminate all simple and refined carbs, exercise intensely for 15-30 minutes per day and have one main meal at night. If you manage to restore a healthy bodyweight, good chance you’ll be able to improve your insulin function and gradually restore metabolic integrity including hopefully renal function. You’ve got to do something other than speculating. There is no doubt that loosing weight will benefit your condition, so start with this.