Hemodialysis and Diabetes
What you need to know about management and diet
Chronic Renal Failure - Why do you need hemodialysis?
Here is a quick video to help explain hemodialysis further!
How to continue to control your diabetes:
While having diabetes mellitus Type 1 and receiving hemodialysis, it is still very important to continue to take insulin as prescribed by your doctor. The recommended blood sugar to maintain would be 90 to 130 mg/dL before meals and less than 180 mg/dL after meals. This goal should be reviewed and discussed with your doctor. However, with kidney disease, diet also plays a major role in diabetic management.
Diet for kidney disease management:
It is important to eat high-quality protein, fruits, vegetables, and starches. It also is beneficial to bake, roast, or grill meat instead of using a deep fryer. Choose foods that are low in fat and use healthy fats such as olive oil. Patients receiving hemodialysis should limit their intake of potassium, phosphate, sodium, and fluids. These substances can sometimes build up in your body when kidney function is impaired. Your body may not be able to get rid of these waste products and can be harmful if not restricted. FLUID RESTRICTIONS will be discussed with your doctor, as well as carbohydrate intake which will vary due to Type 1 diabetes. Below are food choices that will help you with a diet designed for hemodialysis and diabetes!
Phosphorus:
- Can cause muscle aches and pains and can do damage to your heart, skin, and blood vessels if not restricted.
- Foods to avoid: milk, cheese, beans, dried fruits, soda, chocolate, refrigerated doughs.
- Foods low in phosphorus: soy milk, egg whites, all vegetables, cream cheese, sour cream, english muffins, pasta, corn flakes.
Potassium:
- Too much potassium can negatively affect the heart and consumption should be lowered.
- Foods to avoid: spinach, banana, dried beans and peas, dates, figs, all bran, yogurt, prune juice, chocolate, squash, potato chips, collard greens, green leafy vegetables.
- Foods low in potassium: bagels, graham crackers, cucumbers, onion, apples, blueberries, cranberries, pineapple, sour cream, cheerios, rice cakes.
Sodium:
- Excessive sodium will increase your blood pressure and increase thirst.
- Foods to avoid: canned meats, bacon, biscuits, baked beans, spaghetti sauce, pickles, pudding, snack mixes, canned vegetables.
- Foods low in sodium: all meats that are not cured, boiled eggs, cream of wheat, all fresh vegetables, all fruits, low sodium soups. Look at labels for low sodium!
Lifestyle management:
Resources:
- The Diabetic Dialysis Diet. (2016). Retrieved April 02, 2016, from https://www.davita.com/kidney-disease/diet-and-nutrition/diet-basics/the-diabetic-dialysis-diet/e/5313
- Dietary Guidelines for Adults Starting on Hemodialysis. (2015). Retrieved April 02, 2016, from https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/dietary_hemodialysis
- Kidney patient guide - How will dialysis affect your life? (2012). Retrieved April 02, 2016, from http://www.kidneypatientguide.org.uk/affect_life.php
- Pellico, L, (2013), Focus on adult health medical surgical nursing, (1st ed.), Wolters, Kluwer Health/Lippincott, Williams, & Wilks: Philadelphia.