Renal Dietitian
Renal dietitians are experts in food and nutrition for people with kidney disease. They have undertaken additional training, and have subspecialised experience in providing dietary advice to patients with kidney disease. For patients with kidney disease, your dietitian is an important member of your care team and they work closely with the other members of the team such as your nephrologist or GP.
A renal dietitian gets to know your food habits and choices, and can work with you to create a meal plan that you will want to follow when at home or out and about. Keeping to the food, fluid and nutrition plan developed by a renal dietitian is very important to manage kidney disease and kidney failure. Renal dietitians provide education to help you understand what is healthy for your body.
A renal dietitian can guide you about various aspects of your diet that are important to manage your kidney disease including :
- Adjusting your diet so it is appropriate for your stage of kidney disease
- Incorporating requirements for a diabetic diet or other diet with your renal diet
- Comprehensive assessment of your protein, salt, phosphate, potassium, carbohydrate and fat intake
Renal dietitians monitor your overall health including your weight, blood test results, and medications so they can make recommendations during your visit. For example, if you have too high an intake of certain salts like phosphate, they can recommend changes to your food intake that will help control your phosphate levels, or they will speak to your nephrologist or GP about changes to some of your medications, like binders, to control your levels.
Why should I see a Renal Dietitian?
Our Renal Dietitian at Forum Specialists work closely with your nephrologist and GP to help manage your kidney disease. If you have chronic kidney disease, and would like additional information on managing your diet, speak to your GP or nephrologist for a referral to a renal dietitian. Contact our team today to schedule a consultation with a renal dietitian in Sydney who can address your specific needs with expertise and compassion.
