As temperatures slowly inch above the 50s around the tristate, many of us are looking forward to gardening season. Now is a great time to start planning. No matter how much growing space you have at home, you can cultivate your own produce with any budget. Gardening is a great way for home dialysis patients to get some light exercise and stay invested in a dialysis diet. (Fueling up with kidney-friendly foods you grew yourself is much more satisfying!)

Whether you’re planning your first patio container garden or are a seasoned raised bed gardener, consider adding these kidney-friendly vegetables and fruits to your home garden this year. 

As a home dialysis patient, you likely already know how important it is to drastically reduce your sodium intake. Consuming large amounts of sodium can make high blood pressure even worse, leading to increased kidney damage.

But in a food landscape surrounded by sodium, cutting back is easier said than done. Here are a few sodium swaps to make your home dialysis diet both healthy and satisfying.  

The days get hotter. The summer sun beckons. Firing up the oven sure doesn’t seem tempting. We get it – some days you just don’t feel like cooking. As a home dialysis patient on a chronic kidney disease-friendly diet, ordering takeout was complicated even before COVID-19. But with a little research and planning, you can order food without compromising your treatment.

How safe is takeout? 

This is a common question many individuals, especially those who are immunocompromised, have about restaurants in light of the pandemic. Current guidance from the FDA suggests it’s unlikely COVID-19 can spread through food. Your primary concern is contact with other people. That means you want to choose lower risk options like contactless food delivery or ordering takeout when a restaurant is less likely to be crowded.

Ultimately, the decision to order food from a restaurant depends on your personal comfort and risk levels. If you do place an order, wearing gloves and disinfecting the bag can help reduce the risk of virus transmission. Be sure to discard your gloves and wash your hand thoroughly before eating.

February is American Heart Month. This month is all about raising heart heath awareness and adopting healthy behaviors. As a home dialysis patient, maintaining your heart health is critically important: heart disease is a leading cause of death for those with kidney failure. Even if you’ve already been diagnosed with heart disease, practicing heart healthy behaviors could prevent your condition from getting worse.