Chronic Kidney Disease Treatment: How I increased my GFR & improved my kidney function Part 1

Episode 30: Chronic Kidney Disease Treatment: How I increased my GFR & improved my kidney function Part 1. Just 6 months ago today I was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease stage 5 and was told there was "Zero" chance of improving kidney function and that there was nothing I could do to lower my creatinine levels and increase my GFR. The doctors had no recommended chronic kidney disease recovery treatment for me - only dialysis. The doctors where wrong! In just 6 months I have changed my life and increased my GFR, lowered my creatinine levels, and improved my kidney function from Stage 5 to Stage 3. In this video, part 1 of 2, I share what I feel are the 10 most impactful things that helped me improve my kidney function, lower my creatinine level, and avoid dialysis. Let this video inspire you to take an active role in your kidney disease treatment and push for better care. Let me help you in your chronic kidney disease stage 5 recovery!

To learn more about the strategy and treatment I used in fighting and beating Chronic Kidney Disease, visit https://www.DadviceTV.com/

IMPORTANT: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. Patients should always be under the care of a physician and defer to their physician for any and all treatment decisions. This video is not meant to replace a physician’s advice, supervision, and counsel. No information in the video should be construed as medical advice. All medical decisions should be made by the patient and a qualified physician. This video is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE.

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1. Built an amazing health team.
The first part of a good kidney disease treatment program is building a health team. My #1 support is not my Nephrologist – it is my Primary Care Physician. He is very positive, straight forward, and is there to help me get better. My Nephrologist mostly keeps an eye on my improvements, but really gives me little support or details. My Endocrinologist and Urologist have put my worries to rest of other serious issues. My Dietitian is the #2 player in my team. She is amazing at listening and giving me real advice – including exactly HOW to do things. I had to go through a lot of others to get this team built, but strong communication and a dedication to getting better like no other has been critical.
2. Manage my blood pressure
I made this a priority. It took some trial and error, but I take my blood pressure at home multiple times a day and pushed my doctors to change my meds quickly if I didn’t see positive results. It took about 1 month to find the right combo of kidney friendly meds to get my blood pressure down to under 130/80 consistently.
3. Eat a low inflammation kidney friendly diet.
Check out my video on how to shop for foods at the grocery store and download my list of low inflammation kidney friendly foods that I eat. The list is pretty massive – the largest I’ve ever seen. Yet it is missing a number of foods you may have heard are ok to eat which I have not included in my diet. Such as potatoes – even leaching potatoes is not acceptable to me. Following this renal diet and never cheating got me from Stage 5 to Stage 3 in about 5 months. At stage 3 I modified my diet – it is a different strategy to get from Stage 5 to 3 than going from Stage 3 to 2. I also strongly encourage everyone to see a Renal Dietitian. They will customize your diet and set the daily min and max for key nutrients like Water, Calories, Protein, Potassium, Phosphorous, Calcium, and Sodium.
4. Used supplements to support my body.
The word “supplement” scares a lot of people because they don’t understand the word, but supplements are a key part of my kidney disease treatment program. There are good and bad supplements. The ones which have really helped me the most are Fiber supplements (like Benefiber and Chitosan capsules), Vitamin D3, Vitamins B6 and B12, Omega 3, and a lot of other vitamins and minerals. As the right balance was figured out, I was able to replace a lot of different tablets with less – mostly thanks to a Renal Multivitamin called Pro-Renal+D w/Omega3. I also take CoQ10 to support my heart and blood pressure.
5. Avoided things which could slow or stop my recovery
I removed all NSAIDs from the house and only take medications or supplements approved by my health team. I drink plenty of water – started out at ½ my body weight in ounces and adjusted as I lost weight. Avoided all sodas and juices – I stuck with only drinking water from Stage 5 to 3. At stage 3 I added 1 small cup of coffee in the morning without any additives except MCT oil. I avoided all Artificial ingredients, preservative, and I read all food labels for everything I purchased. I stopped eating out except for an occasional treat and always stuck to the diet.