In exchange for my honest review I was given a free copy of Susan Zogheib’s book Renal Diet Plan and Cookbook through her publishers Callisto and Rock Ridge Press and I won this book on Goodreads. The opinions I express are my own and in no way influenced.
Kidney disease also known as CKD is becoming more common in the United States. In fact, I know someone who recently passed away from kidney disease. She was getting dialysis weekly. That is why I wanted to read Renal Diet Plan and Cookbook by Susan Zogheib. I’m sorry that I will not be able to share this information with her. I hope that I will be able to help others with this information.
As I read through Zogheib’s book I learned how important the kidneys are and how I should take care of mine. I have Wegener’s and Rheumatoid Arthritis. I take chemo drugs in order to keep me in remission. I also have high blood pressure and diabetes all things that can contribute to me getting kidney disease. I get blood work done every 6 months to keep a check on my kidneys. Thankfully I have not contracted kidney disease, thank you Jesus. I never realized the important work our kidneys do. I will now be more watchful of my kidney’s and other organs of my body. According to Zogheib’s book the kidneys:
Filter waste materials from the blood
Remove extra fluid or water from the body
Release hormones that help manage blood pressure
Stimulate bone marrow to make red blood cells
Make an active form of vitamin D that promotes strong, healthy bones
Another fact that made my mind reel with the importance of taking care of my kidneys is the fact that one in three Americans are at risk for kidney disease because of hypertension. So everyone check your blood pressure. It’s important. Also keep track of your blood sugars too because diabetics get kidney disease too. I’m going to share the symptoms of kidney disease, not to scare you, but so you can keep track and get your kidneys check as part of your blood work. It is important especially for those of us with chronic illness, both men and women. It matters. Blood work from our doctor matters. It is a blueprint on how our bodies are doing and how our lifestyle changes are doing. If you are African American, Indian, or Hispanic please go to the doctor and get regular checkups. You are at a higher risk for kidney disease because of your risk of high blood pressure and diabetes. You all matter too.
Here are the symptoms:
Anemia (low red blood cell count)
Blood in urine
Bone pain
Difficulty concentrating
Difficulty sleeping
Dry and itchy skin
Muscle cramps especially in legs
Nausea
Poor appetite
Swelling in feet and ankles
Tiredness
Weakness
Weight loss
Enough of the scary stuff, let’s talk about food and how to eat well with kidney disease. I found a recipe I wanted to try on page 161 egg fried rice. I bought 5 dozen eggs so I wanted to try this recipe out. I had the ingredients and didn’t need to go shopping for the recipe. I love that aspect of this cookbook. Most of these ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard or fridge. The recipes are simple and I love that they have all the nutritional information at the bottom of each recipe. The author also has some great tips at the bottom of each recipe to help you live well. At the beginning of the book she even has some meal plans.
Egg Fried Rice:
Delicious, I added a tbspoon of rice vinegar to add a bit more flavor to this recipe. I also added mushrooms, since I had some that I needed to use. That is what I like about following recipes, you get ideas so you can be creative. I left out the jalapeno and the cilantro since
Here are some links I’d like to share:
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