what if you can't do a high protein diet?

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karran12
karran12 Posts: 11 Member
I have an auto immune disease localized to my kidneys. I'm supposed to be on a kidney friendly diet, which means low sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and protein. Do I just up the fat intake? I went to a dietitian once, but it wasn't helpful with combining a kidney and pcos diet. Any ideas? I feel like these two diagnoses combined basically say "you're screwed. Give up now"

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  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
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    Yes, up the fat! The best for PCOS (from what I've learned here) is actually low carb, high fat, adequate protein. I did low carb/low fat/high protein in the past and it did help me lose weight and reverse my prediabetes ... I ended up on a med that caused stomach problems. I upped my carbs to counteract that and ended up gaining 20 lbs over the course of a year. Then I tried LCHFAP, lost the 20 lbs in a few months and am finding this way of eating more satisfying and sustainable long-term than the high protein version.

    Personally I aim for 65% fat, 25% protein, 10% carbs. I'm on a ketogenic diet. Check out the Low Carbers Daily Forum; it's a wealth of resources and information on various low carb options and especially keto.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
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    The key to low carbing is NOT protein. It is fats. Atkins focused more on the high protein side, which is a good part of why low carb gets such a bad rap sometimes. That being said, I have a friend on these other groups that has a similar set of kidney/protein, etc. restrictions, and she still eats low carb/keto levels. I'd recommend joining these two groups for some great information. The LCD one has a stickied post with a huge number of links and data, too.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1143-keto

    Good luck to you!

    P.S. Vegetarian and even Vegan Keto (high fats) can be done, so don't let the protein issue scare you. Just means you have to plan more. (hugs) and luck!
  • Red13
    Red13 Posts: 287 Member
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    Does it matter which type of protein? Plant based are digested differently so maybe you would be ok with that? Hemp protein, pea protein, etc
  • karran12
    karran12 Posts: 11 Member
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    Thank you for the advice and help ladies. I'll look into these recipes. As you all know, there are just days where you get defeated. Yesterday was just a day where I was frustrated that this is so stinking hard, and it doesn't feel like it should be this hard.

    Hopefully this new info and groups help and are encouraging. Thanks again :)