Hi all. Please assist my brother in law who is on dialysis. He has been advised by his dietitian to eat white bread, white rice, and it is ok for him to have diet soda!! I am concerned that this advice is incorrect. Help!!
Hi. I avoided dialysis through live donor transplant but did an awful lot of research in preparation.
My mother has been on dialysis since back in the 70s (when the NHS advice was to eat a high protein diet!!!) save for a 9 year period with a transplanted organ. She doesn't eat much these days but never eats rice. She avoids foods with high potassium (bananas, avocados and other high potassium fruits an veg...and limits the amount of spuds) and is supposed to avoid those high in phosphorus (processed meats, fish, dairy products)...but they also tend to contain the protein needed too. it's about limiting portion size really.
There is absolutely no reason at all why a dialysis patient has to eat white bread or white rice. I agree with
@catapillar that it is probably said to steer patients way form brown bread and brown rice...and that - if a Type 1 with insulin involved - the right kind of balance will allow for some higher carbs. Is this dietitian a specialist renal dietitian? With a good understanding of diabetes? That said, I would bear in mind that most of the advice we get generally as diabetics is the basic "healthy" non individual specific rubbish.
We all know that cutting carbs helps whatever some less than up-to-date health professionals are saying. My advice would be not to eat any bread or rice at all. I would say he should limit portion size (if he even has the appetite), avoid sugar and very obviously starchy foods.
I would also completely avoid the soda for two reasons 1] the sugar or sugar replacements in them will cause spikes in the blood sugar (dialysis or not) and 2] more immediately relevant - dialysis patients have very strict limits on fluid intake per day so make it water or tea...and if needs be some very very diluted no sugar juice (bear in mind the limit is on all fluids in foods not just in drinks).
Finally, it is important to remember that dialysis can be pretty brutal really and quality of life is of some significance. I would say that it is dependant on just how bad his sugar levels are (is he self-testing)..and whether he is on other meds for diabetes. I got diabetes from steroid treatment after my transplant! I think if I had had that and the prospect of dialysis, I would have probably toned everything down but still allowed myself to breathe. I suggest he draws up a list of what he thinks he can handle and asks for approval, while keeping an eye on his levels so he can modify things if he has to. He also needs to enjoy his days "off" from the damned machine.
