Low Potassium Diet

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My kidneys are failing and I need to eat a low potassium diet. Any recommendations?

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  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,015 Member
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    Yeah, that requires specific nutritional guidelines from your medical team.

    Here's a National Kidney Foundation site's nutrition section (I just Googled that, talk to your doctors):

    https://www.kidney.org/nutrition
  • Lady_Grell
    Lady_Grell Posts: 103 Member
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    I've been through kidney failure and a transplant. You really need to speak your doctor, and they will usually get you in touch with a dietitian. That's the best recommendation. A low potassium diet requires a good amount of vigilance. I know I once gave into temptation and ate a few too many tomato slices and shot my potassium through the roof. Things like tomatoes and bananas are two to watch carefully. You also need to soak your potatoes before fixing them. There's a lot of other foods to watch, so speak to your doctors.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,969 Member
    edited July 2019
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    Another vote for getting a referral to a registered dietitian (not a nutritionist) from your doctor.

    Also, potassium is currently being phased in as a requirement on food labels so a lot of the entries in the MFP database won't include it, so this is not the best tool for tracking your potassium intake.

    However, if you eat a lot of whole foods, the USDA database does include potassium.
  • maureenseel1984
    maureenseel1984 Posts: 397 Member
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    Registered dietitian here who votes...make an appointment with a registered dietitian.
    They will follow your labs, your weight, etc and make recommendations for common micronutrients that are problematic with renal failure (ex: potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus and chloride).

    Are you currently on or will you be on dialysis? Most dialysis centers have their own dietitians that follow their patients routinely when they come in.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
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    Do you have an appointment with a dietician?

    This.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
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    A renal diet is very specific and requires guidance if you have a medical condition. See a dietician under guidance from your doctor