Food battle: 6 foods to repair your kidneys
If you are set to repair your kidneys, there’s one matter you should be taking very seriously: the foods you eat.
if you have kidney disease, you should be very SELECTIVE with what you eat.
Not all foods are going to be healthy for you,
you only want the best.
So, today’s video is going to be a little different than usual: it’s a food battle!
We will have two foods competing against each other and the healthiest will be winner!
My name is Katherine and I’ve been working with kidney disease patients for 7 yearsnow.
And, if this is your first time here on 00Kidney, welcome to our journey together to a better kidney health!
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Today’s video is going to be really interesting!
It’s a food battle! In a food battle, I take two staple foods or two very healthy foods and I put them one against the other.
Our first battle is Blueberries VS Blackberries!
Both these superfoods are incredibly healthy. They’re full of anthocyanins, polyphenols with almost magic health benefits.
But which one is healthier for you: blueberries or blackberries?
Now, to decide a winner, I’ve made a special comparison table, here, which will show us a comparison between the healthy properties of these two superfoods.
There are three rows: health benefits, nutrient content and toxins. After filling in all the spaces, we will clearly see which food is the best.
So, let’s start.
First, let’s see which one has more health benefits.
Blackberries contain ellagic acid, which has been shown to slow the growth of malignant tumors.
They can also lower cholesterol, can help fight off colds and gout and promote cardiovascular health.
Yes, really healthy. But when it comes to heart health blueberries too are very interesting.
Blueberries have benefits for cardiovascular health and can decrease blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Really important for people with kidney disease.
They can also decrease cancer risk, promote the health of the urinary tract and improve digestion.
This makes blueberries our winner for this category. One point to Griffindor! Ehm no, I mean blueberries.
Now, second row is nutrients. The winner of this category will be the food with more fiber but also healthy micronutrients such as vitamins, calcium and magnesium
This is a tough one, because blackberries are richer in vitamin C and fiber, while blueberries are richer in vitamin B1, B2 and B6.
So, while for the general population I would call this a draw, people with kidney disease really need the vitamins of the b group: they are really special when it comes to fighting kidney disease.
So, blueberries are the winner again, even if just for a small margin.
Let’s fill in the last space and declare a winner: none of these foods really has any toxins you know, but blackberries have twice the potassium in blueberries.
So, there you have it, the first winner of the day is blueberries!
These are probably the healthiest berry out there for people with kidney disease.
So now you know which berry is the healthiest for your renal diet.
Now I want to ask you ONE THING: did you like this video so far?
Let me know in comment section if you want to see more videos like this one!
Ok, time for our second food battle of the day! These are two staple foods most people cannot live without!
But let’s not waste another second, Let’s see what’s inside!
Oh, white bread and whole wheat bread! True staple foods of our diet!
Bread provides us with energy. It’s almost impossible to plan a diet without including some form of bread.
But, choosing the right bread can be really confusing for people with kidney disease.
Now don’t worry, today I’ll show you exactly which one is best for you:
Which will it be: White bread or whole wheat bread?
Let’s see immediately which one has most health benefits.
this may look like an easy choice: whole wheat bread is usually recommended over refined, white flour bread.
It has a lower glycemic index, good for people with diabetes, and it’s also rich in fiber, to support your digestion.
Whole wheat bread has definitely more health benefits than white bread.
It’s the clear winner in term of health benefits.
Let’s take a look at the next row: nutrient content.
White bread doesn’t have a lot of Essential Nutrients, while whole wheat bread has some.
It can be a better source of vitamin C, folate, and other nutrients.
And, most of all, fiber.
Fiber is a really important part of your diet because so many people are not able to get enough this essential nutrient.
And, you know, lack of fiber can cause a long list of health problems, including irregular bowel movements but also weight gain and higher blood sugar levels.
So, whole wheat bread is the best when it comes to nutrient content.
Now the most important row: the toxins.
Because, you know, these foods have some ingredients you really don’t want in your diet.
I’m mainly talking about the phosphorus and potassium content of these foods.
While most kidney disease patients have to limit potassium intake, all of them need to stay even lower on phosphorus intake.
This is very important.
Now, while whole wheat bread looks healthier, the more bran and whole grains in the bread, the higher the phosphorus and potassium contents.
For example, a 1-ounce (30-gram) serving of whole wheat bread contains about 57 mg of phosphorus and 69 mg of potassium.
In comparison, white bread contains only 28 mg of both phosphorus and potassium.
Also, manufacturers usually add phosphate when processing foods.
This added phosphate is something you absolutely don’t want in your diet.
It’s very easily absorbed by the body and very dangerous.
So, while whole wheat bread may look healthier, white bread is the wise choice here.
White bread is the winner!
Don’t underestimate this staple food, it can still be useful even just as a source of plain carbs.
Because you will always need some carbs in your diet.
So, in moderation, white bread can be enjoyed as part of a healthy renal diet.
Also, you can still get the fiber you need from one of the next superfoods!
Almost time for our last food battle. There’s just one more thing I want to show you before.
A lot of kidney disease patients are using this program to improve their kidney function and lower their creatinine levels.
There are some very inspiring success stories here on 00kidney,
people are reversing their kidney disease thanks to what they learned here.
This is why, if you’re serious about improving your renal function, you should consider downloading this program.
I’m leaving a link down in description if you want to know more!
Ok, let’s see our last food battle!
OH, Kale vs spinach!
We’re talking about two of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet, here.
Both are rich in antioxidants – compounds that help prevent oxidative damage to your cells and protect against chronic diseases.
These benefits would make the two cruciferous vegetables absolutely great for the diet of people with kidney disease.
In addition to their stellar nutrient profiles, both kale and spinach have been linked to impressive health benefits.
But this is a food battle, so, which one is healthier for someone with kidney disease?
Let’s fill in the first row: health benefits.
Both these vegetables have shown to positively impact heart health:
A 12-week study in 32 men with high cholesterol showed that drinking kale juice with meals improved cholesterol levels and increased antioxidant status.
Meanwhile, a study in 27 people found that eating a soup made with about 9 ounces (250 grams) of spinach for just 7 days improved blood pressure.
This is a draw, in my opinion. They’re both healthy.
Now, what about the nutrient content?
kale is packing an insane amount of vitamin A and vitamin C. In fact, just one cup of chopped kale contains 133 percent of the recommended daily intake.
And in case that wasn’t enough, kale is also a good source of calcium, fiber and folate, AND it’s super low in sugar and calories.
What about spinach? one cup of spinach is only packing seven calories, but still meets half your daily requirements for vitamin A and nearly twice the daily requirement for vitamin K
Which does wonders for blood, bone, and tissue health. Plus, it’s loaded with vitamin C and folate.
Yes, kale and spinach are pretty similar but kale has more vitamin C and A than spinach, and spinach edges out kale for folate, vitamin K, and iron.
Now, iron is especially important for people with kidney disease and spinach has almost twice the iron present in kale.
This, coupled with all the vitamin c spinach packs, essential to absorb the iron, makes spinach the winner here.
It really contains more minerals.
But there’s one thing that can hinder these beautiful benefits.
Unfortunately, when foods are rich in minerals, they’re often also rich in potassium. Ok, I truly hate potassium.
Now, while some kidney patients can have both these incredibly healthy superfoods, for most limiting potassium is a must.
One cup, or a bit more than 20 grams, of spinach has about 110 grams of potassium, while one cup of kale has just 70 grams.
Kale also has another advantage: you can eat it raw and you will still have most of the benefits.
Spinach, on the other hand, is healthier when cooked.
And while leafy vegetables shrink to a smaller serving size when cooked, the potassium content remains the same.
So, for example, one-half cup of raw spinach will shrink to about 1 tablespoon when cooked.
Thus, eating one-half cup of cooked spinach will contain a much higher amount of potassium than one-half cup of raw spinach.
Too much potassium.
So, kale is our winner here, undoubtedly.
Ok, this was our last one for today. I hope you enjoyed this video and that you’ve also discovered something useful to improve your diet.
A new video is coming next Friday, as usual, don’t miss it!
This is all for today, see you next time!
About the Author
Michaelw Hi, my name is Michael and in this blog I'm gonna share the story of how I got off kidney dialysis for good. Getting off dialysis isn't easy at all, and that's why I'm trying to help people as much as I can.
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