Energy and meal planning

Discussions for Patients, Family, and Friends HD For Patients
1

The way kidney disease/in-center dialysis has affected us, there is an up and down appetite so we do not plan meals ahead, because we don’t know what we are in the mood for until the last minute. This affects energy levels even more, because meals are not prepared on a schedule.

When appetite improves with daily txs. do you get more into scheduled meals? Like we were thinking when we start doing daily we might plan meals for an entire week so that we always know what we are preparing for a given day and have meals on time. Hopefully, this would boost energy, too.

2

Hi Heather,
I know when Ralph was in center he had no energy and his eating habits were not great. Since he is on nocturnal his enery level has risen greatly.
He does the cooking every night so when I come home from work supper is on the table.
What a difference the nocturnala has made. He LOVES to cook.
Pat

3

In-center, always in bed… :frowning: …but still I kinda control my diet…simply I don’t want to be eating all the time and gaining weight! :stuck_out_tongue:

4

Almost every single daily person I’ve talked to says appetite has improved over conventional hemo, so, I think you might be able to plan meals more. You will almost certainly have way more foods to choose from.
Pierre

5

This is true Pierre. I think it would be true for married people too.

6

I haven’t noticed a difference in my appetite between my in-center days and my SDD days. I have always had a good appetite, even in-center.

7

I’ve noticed that lots of dialysis patients have the gaunt look, but there are also plenty who are overweight and don’t look like they have any problem eating. My albumin is always over 40, but dieititans I’ve had have told me they go by 2 other measurements of protein as well. One is total protein and the other is n-something. Anyone know about these?

8

I suspect that patients that look gaunt are not adequately nourished and beause they’re not, they’re at higher risk of infection, hospitalization, and early death. Data has shown that people that have a little extra weight seem to do better on dialysis.

Here is the link to the National Kidney Foundation’s nutrition guidelines for patients on dialysis that were published in 2000. This includes measurement of nutritional status. http://www.kidney.org/professionals/kdoqi/guidelines_updates/doqi_nut.html

It’s possible you’re thinking of nPNA. Here’s the guideline that discusses what tests should be run and at what frequency:
http://www.kidney.org/professionals/kdoqi/guidelines_updates/nut_a02.html

The NKF also has a number of other guidelines that you can find at:
http://www.kidney.org/professionals/kdoqi/guidelines.cfm

9

Beth, you are a walking encyclopedia :lol: Thanks for all the info you provide!

10

Thanks for the compliment. I think I have a knack for finding things on the Internet. Should have been a detective instead of a social worker, huh? Just kidding…I love what I do.

11

Yeeeee-hah!!! As a certifiable ‘fat b@st@rd’ , this is the first time I have EVER been given a positive on the subject ! :lol: :lol:

12

I usually plan ahead for meals and if I dont make it that night I will make it the next night. If we dont end up eating it I just freeze it, providing its freezable. I usually know in the morning if Im going to want dinner or not.
On PD I rarely planned meals as I rarely ate more than a bite. With better dialysis the appetite should improve. In my case it has improved a bit too much! :shock: