8 Tips for Staying Healthy Through the Holidays When You Have Kidney Disease

Navigating the holidays can be a challenge when you have kidney disease. The season is filled with desserts, parties, fabulous meals with family and friends, and gifts of food — all things that make it difficult (if not impossible) to stay on a kidney-friendly diet.

Kidney care specialist Deon Middlebrook, MD, offers advice and guidance that help you enjoy the holidays without risking the health of your kidneys. Here are eight essential tips from our team at Deon D. Middlebrook MDPC.

Tip 1: Get help from a kidney specialist

Meeting with a specialist is important for everyone with kidney disease because diet significantly impacts kidney health. However, guidance is crucial during the holidays if your kidney disease has reached an advanced stage.

As kidney disease progresses, your dietary needs change. You must limit some nutrients while increasing others, depending on the stage.

Your kidney specialist teaches you about your needs and can give personalized tips for staying healthy during the holidays.

Tip 2: Be mindful of your meal plan

The holidays wouldn’t be the same without your family’s traditional dishes and the meals shared with friends. Even if the menu strays from kidney diet guidelines, you can still stay mindful of your nutrition needs and make the healthiest choices.

Tip 3: Watch your portion sizes

You don’t have to turn down the dishes lovingly prepared by family and friends. Instead, limit the amount you eat and enjoy the meal. If you overindulge, make up for it the next day by adjusting your diet.

Tip 4: Be aware of unexpected salt

Reducing salt is essential for people with kidney disease. Salt makes your body retain water, which forces your kidneys to work harder. Too much salt also raises your blood pressure (hypertension), which aggravates kidney disease.

You expect foods like bacon, ham, lunch meat, and smoked products to be high in salt. But you may not know that broth, bread, pizza, and processed foods like chicken nuggets also contain more salt than you should have.

Choosing as many whole foods as possible, limiting appetizers, and skipping side dishes like dinner rolls and dressing will help keep you on track.

Tip 5: Eat regular meals

You’re more likely to overeat and eat foods that aren’t good for your kidneys if you’re hungry when you go to a party or meet others for dinner.

In addition to following your usual meal plan (small, regular meals throughout the day), eat before going out. Have a light, healthy snack if your plans include a meal, or have a full meal before leaving if your plans only include hors d’oeuvres and desserts.

Tip 6: Bring a kidney-friendly dish to dinner

Ask your host if you can help out and contribute to the meal. Then, make your favorite, most festive, kidney-friendly dish. No matter what other foods are on the menu, you’ll know you can offset some of the choices with a healthy option.

Tip 7: Limit alcohol

An occasional drink is usually safe. However, drinking too much alcohol is dangerous for your kidneys. Alcohol reduces kidney function, worsens kidney disease, and raises your blood pressure.

The critical question is this: How much alcohol is safe for you? Can you have one or two drinks over the holidays? Or enjoy one or two drinks every Friday and Saturday throughout the season?

The only way to know for sure is to check with your healthcare provider. They know the extent of your kidney disease and whether it’s well-controlled or progressing. Based on that information, they can guide your alcohol choices.

Tip 8: Find time for self-care

Don’t let the busyness of the season stop you from making time to take care of yourself. Keep up with the habits that support your kidney health and your overall well-being, such as getting regular exercise and taking quiet time to relax, destress, and re-energize.

Call Deon D. Middlebrook MDPC today or complete the online appointment request form if you need help managing kidney disease.