People with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) often struggle to make necessary diet and lifestyle changes to keep their kidneys healthy. These kidney cysts can trigger many health problems like back pain, headaches, blood in your urine, kidney infections, and stones. You can’t prevent kidney cysts, however, making some changes in your diet and lifestyle can help you protect your kidneys and lower the risk of cardiovascular problems (which further can boost kidney problems). Learn the 6 best diet and lifestyle changes for better kidney health in this article. If you want to know more about urological health, visit us at Doral Health and Wellness Urology Center and consult with the best nephrologists and urologists in East New York.

6 Diet and lifestyle changes for better kidney health

There’s no direct way to prevent kidney cysts; however, making certain diet and lifestyle changes helps you protect your kidney health and lower the risks of other problems like high blood pressure. So, you should adopt these changes to keep your kidney healthy, including:

1. Cut back on salt:

Limiting your salt intake to 1500 milligrams per day is recommended for people who have ADPKD. This is because salt is made of sodium and chloride, and sodium can speed up the progression of ADPKD and increase blood pressure, which is a common risk factor that damages your kidneys. Study reveals that people who stick with the recommended salt intake don’t notice a decline in kidney function when compared to the people who don’t follow the recommendations. People who consume more salt also get an increase in kidney size over time. That’s why you must consume salt in limit. Here are some tips that help you lower your salt intake:

• Buy fresh food and avoid packaged or canned foods, as they add a high amount of salt to preserve the foods.
• Aim to consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day.
• Cook your meals yourself to manage your salt intake yourself.
• Use herbs and spices to add flavor to the food.
• Avoid foods that have hidden salt, like bacon, bread, breakfast cereal, ham, sausage, and ready-to-eat foods.
• Check the food labels before buying and avoid foods with a daily value of sodium of 20% or higher.
• If you are going to use canned vegetables, beans, fish, and meat, make sure you rinse them before you eat or cook them.
• Try to avoid restaurant food and takeout food because they add a lot of salt.
• Stay hydrated:

Kidney experts don’t know exactly how drinking fluids affects kidney cysts, however, drinking more fluids keeps your kidney working well. It also lowers vasopressin, a hormone that promotes the growth of kidney cysts. So, it is recommended to drink around 2.5 to 3 quarts of water if you can. And if you sweat a lot or have diarrhea, you should drink more.

You should be careful not to drink sugary drinks because they can cause tooth decay and contain many calories. People with ADPKD can drink caffeine, however, some researchers believe it affects cyst growth, which is not proven. However, a high amount of caffeine intake can harm your cardiovascular health. So, you should consume caffeine within limits. In a day 2 cups of coffee or 4 cups of tea is enough.

•  Consume a healthy diet:

There is no recommended diet plan for people with ADPKD. However, choosing foods that help keep your heart healthy and maintain a healthy weight is a good choice for your diet because it helps to reduce your blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease. For that, you should consume fresh fruits, fresh or frozen vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat and fat-free dairy products. Here are some tips for making healthy food choices to keep your kidneys healthy:

• Consume 5 portions of fruit or vegetables a day.
• Choose veggie toppings like spinach, broccoli, and peppers for your pizza.
• Add starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice, or pasta to your meals.
• Consume dairy-free products in your diet like soya drinks.
• Instead of frying meat, chicken, and fish, try to bake or broil them.
• Consume foods without gravy or added fats.
• Try to choose foods with little added sugar.
• Consume more plant-based proteins like beans, pulses, etc. than animal-based proteins like eggs, meat, and fish.
• Have small amounts of food that are high in salt, sugar, and fat, and choose unsaturated fats.
• Consume whole grains like whole wheat, brown rice, oats, and whole grain corn every day.
• Try to consume foods with no/ little (not more than 10% of total content) added sugar.
• Read food labels to choose foods that are low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars.
• Make changes in your snack time like eating low-fat popcorn instead of a slice of cake. Eat some fruit instead of drinking juice.
• Keep a record of what you eat for a week to check when you overeat or eat foods high in fat or calories.
• Use fresh ingredients to lower the amount of processed and ready-made food you eat.

You can talk with your doctor to find the best dietary requirements based on your condition or work with a dietitian to create a meal plan that meets your needs.

• Maintain a healthy weight:

Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce kidney disease progress and the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems. Being both overweight and underweight can make you unwell. Because your body isn’t getting the optimal amount of nutrients it needs. You should talk with your doctor to know the ideal weight that is healthy for you. The common way to check your weight is to calculate your body mass index (BMI) and compare it to the healthy range. A healthy BMI range is between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2 for most people. If you are over the range, then you are overweight and less than the range means you are underweight.

You should check with your doctor if:

• Your kidneys or liver are larger than normal, which affects your working out routine.
• If you come from South Asian, African American, or minority ethnic origin then your ideal BMI may be slightly lower than the range mentioned above.

You should talk with your doctor or dietitian for advice and support to manage your weight.

• Exercise regularly:

Regular exercise offers many benefits like managing your weight and blood pressure and building muscle strength, and stamina. Reducing blood pressure can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and protect kidneys from damage. There are no special guidelines for people with ADPKD on the minimum amount of exercise they should do.

It is suggested that moderate to vigorous physical activity 5 days a week is a good choice. You can choose any activity you like- for example, brisk walking, swimming, dancing, cycling, vigorous gardening, and housework. Try to avoid riskier sports like horse riding or contact sports that can cause damage to your kidney.

• Quit smoking:

Smoking tobacco can raise your blood pressure and smokers with ADPKD have a higher risk of getting a heart attack or stroke. Smoking also boosts the amount of protein in the urine which makes the damaged kidney worse. So, it’s time to quit smoking to keep your kidneys healthy. If it is difficult for you, seek help from a doctor to get a referral to communities that help people to quit smoking.

These above-mentioned diet and lifestyle changes help to keep your kidneys healthy and lower the risk of cardiovascular problems.

If you have any issues implementing these changes or need help with kidney issues, visit our urology clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us to book your appointment now!!!! At Doral Health and Wellness Urology Center, our team of urologists will work with you in managing your disease and your quality of life. We also offer services, such as renal and bladder ultrasound. To schedule an appointment, please visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212 or call 1-347-384-5690. You can also visit our website at https://www.urologistbrooklyn.com/.