A lot of people ask me whether I have to take precautions when eating. I think they ask me because they have noticed I have put on weight and they must be wondering what am I eating and whether I am following the guidelines for kidney patients!! (haha)
Well, yes of course we have guidelines to follow, but then again doesn’t everyone? Of course the common misconception is that if you are healthy you can eat ANYTHING. Anything? Really? You better be sure about that! Because most of the things we eat are generally not good for us at all. Humans have a very distinct habit of eating things which are inherently bad for us. Ever notice how diabetic patients love sweet things? Cancer patients too? And how people who cannot eat a lot of salt or red meat, are people who have hypertension? Generally, I have noticed this in people, and despite my earlier article, friends I know continue to consume alcohol. Maybe they think one glass (or two) won’t hurt. I say, you never know when something is going to hurt you. Something you did 10 years ago could hurt you, you just never know. So why take chances?
So back to our discussion about food. Basically, anything processed is bad for us. Us meaning you and me and not me specially. Ironically, my diet is easier to manage as an end stage kidney failure patient versus being an acute kidney failure patient. The difference is that if your kidneys are damaged let’s say 20%, you still have 80% to protect and with 80% you can pretty much still function normally. In order to protect the remaining functions, and delay or prevent the onset of further deterioration, you have to be extremely careful about your food. But when you are end stage like me, and your kidneys do not function or function too little for it to matter, you are back to being like everyone else, where all you need to do is eat sensibly and in moderation and watch certain key things like Phosphate & Potassium which I will go into later. So I was saying processed food is bad. Processed here means anything that is changed too much from it’s natural and original form. The change can be through a processed of preserving the food or it could be through the process of cooking the food. The simplest form of cooking that requires little enhancements is best. Example, steaming and grilling. If the dish takes a long time to cook, this probably means it is going to take your body longer to break down and digest the food. This therefore is not good for you. Food in it’s natural forms are the best for our bodies. Anything with a lot of herbs and spices and sauces, not good. This leave us with very bland food. Booooringgggg. But what to do, even staying healthy is an effort especially resisting temptation to eat all the delicious Malaysian food we find at hawker stalls and the like. So I think striking a balance is important. The nurses always tell me, eat whatever you like, but don’t eat a lot of it. Like chocolates, take 1 or 2. Don’t sit there and finish them all in one sitting! (which as a choc addict I am most prone to do!)
I know this is such a basic guideline, but I am no food guru and I don’t make the rules either. I think if we follow this basic guideline of not eating too much processed food and when we cook we try to keep things simple and basic, that would be best.
Living Differently 