{"id":62,"date":"2023-05-03T15:49:53","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T15:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kidneychef.com\/realistic-resolutions-for-continual-health\/"},"modified":"2023-05-12T23:23:28","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T23:23:28","slug":"realistic-resolutions-for-continual-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kidneychef.com\/realistic-resolutions-for-continual-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Realistic Resolutions for Continual Health"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Marika Wamback, R.D.
\nRenal Dietitian |<\/p>\n

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Happy new year!\u00a0 As we welcome in 2018, many of us will want to start the year off with healthy goals; the top ones being losing weight, and quitting smoking.\u00a0 These are admirable goals, but often, people quit just as they\u2019re getting started.\u00a0 This is because they have not set realistic goals for sustainable change.\u00a0 With kidney disease, it can be even more of a challenge, due to the constant monitoring of kidney function.\u00a0 Kidney disease can often feel like a lifestyle in and of itself.<\/p>\n

Realistic resolutions will help you, whether or not you have kidney disease. Making them work for you in the long term is key.\u00a0 With food costs increasing in 2018 and increase cost in dining out, and with constantly increasing demands on our time, making small, effective changes is essential to achieving our goals.\u00a0 Below are 10 ideas on how to make realistic resolutions based on common challenges amongst patients.<\/p>\n

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  1. Make S.M.A.R.T. goals: Regardless of what your goals are, S.M.A.R.T. goals are key. For example, \u2018I want to eat better\u2019 is a goal, but it is very vague. How is that going to be achieved?\u00a0 What actions needs to be done to accomplish the goal?\u00a0 Over what period of time?\u00a0 A better, more effective goal might be: \u2018I am going to pack my lunch to work 4x\/week rather than eating out.\u2019\u00a0 This is a specific goal that is measurable, attainable, and realistic.\u00a0 The change from eating out to a pre-planned meal will help improve your nutrition, as it reduces your portions and calories, and may even improve your blood work.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    1. Sleep: Everyone, regardless of their health situation, requires adequate sleep. Some of the effects of poor sleep include increased stress, poor mood and concentration, and disrupted appetite leading to poor food choices, poor mental health, and poor chronic disease management overall. Keep your sleep area calm and quiet; no gadgets.\u00a0 Dim the main lights 1-2 hours before bed to enhance melatonin production-the sleep hormone.\u00a0 Go to bed at the same time each day.\u00a0 An example of a goal may be: \u2018Five times per week, bedtime is 10 pm\u2019, rather than \u2018I need more sleep.\u2019<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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      1. Pre-planning: In this day and age of convenience, eating out has become the new norm. Up to 50% of the Canadian household grocery budget is spent on eating out. In the USA, this is even higher. Why?\u00a0 The perceived lack of time for cooking.\u00a0 Yet cooking does not need to be time consuming or complicated.\u00a0 A little pre-planning goes a long way.\u00a0 For overall health, it reduces calories, hidden fats, sodium, sugar, and portion sizes.\u00a0 For kidney disease, it can improve blood work, as home cooking with kidney diet requirements (if necessary) will lower sodium, potassium, and phosphorus intake, and increase fiber, nutrient, and protein intake.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Make a weekly menu of supper meals, as leftovers can be used for lunch (pre-packed work meals accomplished!).\u00a0 Take a sheet of paper, write the weekly meals on the bottom, and the list of groceries with ingredients on top.\u00a0 Like anything, it comes with practice.\u00a0 After a few times, you\u2019ll find you have your list done very quickly, and your week taken care of.\u00a0 If you need ideas, or are unsure about what you can eat, see your dietitian.<\/p>\n

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        1. Reliable information: There is a vast amount of accessible information that is convenient and confusing at the same time. Some of it may even be outright false. Reliable information often comes from your health care team, consisting of university educated, medically trained professionals.\u00a0 Any website making \u2018claims\u2019 about health by taking one food or following one diet, eliminating one specific food, taking one specific supplement, or following one regimented exercise routine, to name a few, are likely unreliable and can even be dangerous.\u00a0 With university training, come the skills and abilities to interpret and disseminate the evidence for your<\/em> best possible care.\u00a0 Use your health care team and develop a goal to enhance your knowledge of your<\/em> specific health care needs.\u00a0 A simple goal could be \u2018reading one evidence- based medical article per month\u2019.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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          1. Exercise: Exercise helps with so many aspects of our health: sleep improvement, mental and physical health improvement, blood sugar management, weight control, aerobic improvement; the list goes on. Instead of saying \u2018I\u2019m going to exercise more\u2019, make a more realistic goal of \u2018I\u2019m going to exercise for at least 30 minutes, 3-5 days per week.\u2019 Safety and consistency are the important things to consider.\u00a0 If it has been\u00a0 a while, start slow.\u00a0 Do 3-10-minute blocks if you need and do the exercise you enjoy.\u00a0 Be realistic.\u00a0 Remember, no matter what you do, you cannot out-exercise a bad diet.\u00a0\u00a0 With diet and exercise, it is the 80\/20 rule; 80 percent healthy diet, and 20 percent exercise.\u00a0 Be sure to see your doctor if you haven\u2019t exercised for a while, particularly if you have cardiovascular issues related to kidney disease and\/or diabetes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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            1. Water: One way to cut unnecessary calories and electrolytes from the diet is to replace sugary drinks with more water. Twenty percent of the average person\u2019s calorie intake comes from beverages.\u00a0 This is due to the vast amount of sugary drink choices, as well as very large portion sizes.\u00a0 A large smoothie, even though it has fruit in it, contains a lot of calories, potassium, and sugar.\u00a0\u00a0 Portion size for drinks is key; 1 cup for most of them.\u00a0 Keep in mind, pop, iced-tea, lemonade, and other sugary drinks all have about the same amount of sugar and calories per serving.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              If you want to drink more water but find it boring, try adding some fruit slices to it.\u00a0\u00a0 If you really need to watch your potassium, use berries instead of tropical and\/or citrus fruits.\u00a0 Coconut water is not advised for renal patients with uncontrolled potassium levels.\u00a0 Dark \u2018cola\u2019 pop is high in phosphorus, which can also be risky for renal patients.\u00a0 Plain, unenriched rice milk can be used if phosphate needs to be closely controlled.\u00a0 The 80\/20 rule is just as important with fluid choices as it is with food.\u00a0 Of course, if you\u2019re on a fluid restriction, choose your fluids wisely.\u00a0 Anything sugary or salty will cause you to drink more, which can affect your blood pressure, cardiovascular system, and dialysis regime.<\/p>\n

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              1. Half of your plate: We know we need to eat more fruits and vegetables for our health. An easy way to achieve this goal is to put the vegetables on your plate before you add the other foods, at both lunch and supper, and then eat the vegetables all first. This little trick makes you fill up on the vegetables, and helps increase vegetable intake, manage portion size, increase fiber and nutrients, and reduce calories and overeating.\u00a0 Have your vegetables in any format you wish.\u00a0 The most effective way is the way that will make you enjoy them the most.\u00a0 If you have restrictions, use the vegetables you can have, and don\u2019t focus your energy or time on anything else.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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                1. Vegetarian: Trying more vegetarian and vegan meal ideas can improve health and decrease food costs. They are high in antioxidants, fiber, and nutrients. Lentils, beans, tofu, textured vegetable protein, nuts, and seeds are economical, nutrient dense foods\u00a0.\u00a0 Meatless Monday may be a goal or fish Friday if you\u2019re pescatarian.\u00a0 Vegetarian proteins can be used in place of meat, poultry and\/or fish in many meals.\u00a0 Set a simple goal such as \u2018I will try one vegetarian dish weekly\u2019 if you\u2019re just getting started.\u00a0 If you\u2019re a practicing vegetarian or vegan, be sure to get adequate protein at each meal.\u00a0 If you have renal disease and are vegetarian or vegan, be sure to monitor your electrolytes and take your medications as prescribed.\u00a0 Despite their health benefits, vegetarian and vegan diets are higher in phosphorus.\u00a0 If your phosphate levels are difficult to control, a vegan or vegetarian diet may not be right for you as the cardiovascular risk from high phosphate levels with renal disease outweighs the health benefits of vegetarian or vegan eating.\u00a0 See your dietitian!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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                  1. An All or Nothing Mindset: After you set your goal, practice will be important until your goal is achieved. People often stop before they get started because they expect too much too soon, or because a setback happens.\u00a0 The 80\/20 rule can apply to this.\u00a0\u00a0 Having a more balanced approach may help with achieving your goals.\u00a0 For example, if lunch at work is usually late due to meetings, then instead of skipping lunch and overdoing it at supper (and getting discouraged), a more balanced approach may be to pre-pack a mid-morning snack in anticipation of a delayed lunch, or to have lunch earlier. \u2018I will have lunch a half hour earlier 3x\/week due to meetings\u2019 or \u2018I will pack an extra snack with my lunch 3x\/week due to meetings\u2019 helps meet your goals without an all-or-nothing approach, and helps you maintain your focus despite setbacks.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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                    1. Relationship with Food: Explore your relationship with food. Are you living to eat, or are you eating to live?\u00a0 It is a tough subject, but without a healthy relationship with food, things may not change.\u00a0 Ask yourself:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                      Am I eating because I\u2019m physically hungry?\u00a0 Or am I eating because I\u2019m bored, upset, stressed, or simply because it\u2019s there?\u00a0 Emotional eating is a challenge but one that can be overcome.\u00a0 Perhaps a goal may be to \u2018schedule snacks most days of the week at 10 am and 3 pm\u2019 or to \u2018schedule daily meal times of 8 am, 12 pm, and 5 pm,\u2019 to help reduce the temptation to emotionally eat.\u00a0 Seek help from your team.\u00a0 It will help meet your goals of better overall health.<\/p>\n

                      Small, simple goals often lead to other positive health outcomes.\u00a0 Seek your team, be realistic, stay focused, and be flexible.\u00a0 You\u2019re on your way to success!<\/p>\n

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                      The content of this article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. KidneyChef urges you to seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding any medical condition. KidneyChef advises you to never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Website.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

                      If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or local emergency service immediately. KidneyChef does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the website. KidneyChef does not guarantee the accuracy of information on the Website and reliance on any information provided by KidneyChef is solely at your own risk<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                      Marika Wamback, R.D. Renal Dietitian | Happy new year!\u00a0 As we welcome in 2018, many of us will want to start the year off with healthy goals; the top ones being losing weight, and quitting smoking.\u00a0 These are admirable goals, but often, people quit just as they\u2019re getting started.\u00a0 This is becau …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kidneychef.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kidneychef.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kidneychef.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kidneychef.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kidneychef.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kidneychef.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1371,"href":"https:\/\/kidneychef.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62\/revisions\/1371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kidneychef.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kidneychef.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kidneychef.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}