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NKF Webinar: Navigating Menopause
Join Dominica McAndrew (MSc, AFHEA, RGN, NMP) for an insightful webinar on navigating menopause, covering its phases, symptoms, lifestyle strategies, treatment options and long-term health considerations - empowering you with knowledge while encouraging personalised medical advice from your healthcare team.
If you would like to attend the webinar, sign up for free today: www.kidney.org.uk/Event/nkf-webinar-series
NKF Webinar: Ageing Well with Kidney Disease
In just a few months, join Dr Andy Dixon, for our Ageing Well with Kidney Disease Webinar.
Andy is a Kidney Consultant and Supportive Care Lead in the Department of Renal Medicine, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Andy was awarded a PhD by the University of Manchester in 2021 for his thesis, 'Frailty Assessment and Intervention in Chronic Kidney Disease'.
Andy co-leads an NIHR Programme Development Grant that aims to understand what is important to older people living with CKD and describes care delivered to older people with advanced CKD at UK Kidney Units.
Andy is a member of UK Kidney Association Supportive Care Specialist Interest Group. As part of this role, Andy co-leads a research study exploring patient, caregiver, and healthcare professional perceptions of supportive kidney care. Andy also chairs the North West Kidney Network Enhanced Supportive Kidney Care Workstream.
To reserve your place to our webinar, sign up for free today: www.kidney.org.uk/Event/nkf-webinar-series
Find the Right Support Network for You with Our NKF Peer Support Service
At the NKF, we are dedicated to supporting individuals affected by kidney disease.
The NKF Peer Support Service connects individuals living with kidney disease with trained peers who have personal experience managing the condition, either as caregivers or as kidney patients themselves. This service provides a chance for individuals to receive compassionate support, exchange experiences, and gain valuable insights from others who have faced and overcome similar challenges.
Our peer supporters are fully trained and DBS checked and are between the ages of 20 to 80 years old with a wide range of experiences including:
• Shared care
• Peritoneal dialysis
• Haemodialysis
• Home haemodialysis
• Nocturnal haemodialysis
• Balancing employment while on home dialysis
• Studying while on home dialysis
• Managing home dialysis with a young family
• Travelling while on home dialysis
• Dealing with chronic kidney disease and diabetes
• Preparing to give or receive a transplant
• Post-transplant
• Experiencing transplant rejection
• Receiving a kidney from a living donor
• Receiving a kidney from a deceased donor
In our mission to reach more individuals who could benefit from this service, we are reaching out to ask for your support in spreading the word about our service. By sharing information about the Peer Support Service within your networks, you can help connect more individuals with the support they need.
Request a FREE NKF Peer Support booklet: Our leaflet explains what peer support is, the benefits, and more.
If you would like a hard copy of the booklet, simply email your name, address, and the quantity of leaflets you would like to receive to helpline@kidney.org.uk.
Call our Peer Support Service today on 0800 169 09 36 or email helpline@kidney.org.uk or visit: www.kidney.org.uk/peer-support.
World Kidney Day
For World Kidney Day this year, we launched a new joint campaign with our friends at Kidney Care UK, Kidney Research UK, PKD Charity, Kidney Wales, Popham Kidney Support and the UK Kidney Association.
The campaign called Don't Kid Yourself, is all about challenging the myths about kidney disease and shining a light on the true facts.
The World Kidney Day website is full of downloadable materials including a poster with myths and facts to share with friends and colleagues, an A4 factsheet on kidney disease, World Kidney Day logo and printable yellow kidneys and so much more!
We would like to say a big thank you to all those who got involved in World Kidney Day this year, it was amazing to see so many dedicated volunteers and staff get involved with the day and raise awareness of such an important cause. Our NKF Ambassador, Hattie Stiff, shared her kidney journey far and wide with the press and we also featured on Suffolk Radio, a station with over 52,000 listeners to raise awareness on the day. Below are a few Kidney Patient Associations that have shared a few words on what they got up to:
Sheffield Area Kidney Patient Association (SAKA)
Phil,
Treasurer on the SAKA Stall for World Kidney Day and one of the buses promoting organ donation.
To mark this year's World Kidney Day, SAKA collaborated with the renal research team at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to put on a display at the Northern General Hospital. They gave out leaflets highlighting the day and gave out information about SAKA. In the evening they held an online event with speakers, including health care professionals and a kidney transplant recipient with his living donor.
Another initiative was funding an advertising campaign with SAKA posters on the backs of local buses promoting organ donation. These will appear for four weeks in March on various bus routes in Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and North East Derbyshire and have already sparked a lot of interest.
Pictured:
SAKA
Coventry & Warwickshire Kidney Patient Association
On Saturday in Asda Leamington Spa, Coventry & Warwickshire KPA chatted with shoppers, raised awareness surrounding World Kidney Day, provided kidney information and gave out freebies.
Bradford Kidney Patient Asscoation
Bradford at St Luke’s Hospital the KPA team Sofia, Michaela, Doreen and Kym manned a tombola stall and a display board explaining what kidney disease is.
Kernow Kidney Patient Asscoation
Bristol Kidney Patient Association
Mike and Sharon from Kernow KPA attended Royal Cornwall Hospital
John and Vicky Gardner with Anne and Andy Strange of Bristol area KPA promoting World Kidney Day at Southmead hospital.
"Our stress kidneys were a real highlight for those who visited our stand and staff can’t resist a pen!"
We would love to know if you celebrated World Kidney Day, please send in your photos and a brief description to nkf@kidney.org.uk.
Keep an eye out for our Summer issue of Kidney Life where we will share more about your World Kidney Day activities!
And visit the World Kidney Day website: www.worldkidneyday.co.uk
Remember to also post your photos on your preferred social platform along with the following hashtags: #WorldKidneyDay #DontKidYourself #KidneysMatter
in Truro for World Kidney Day.
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Support When You Need It
Our Helpline advisors and peers are always ready to offer guidance support. There are no waiting lists, just a friendly and experienced voice on the other end of the phone when you call.
Your Contributions Matter
Your donation enables the NKF to maintain a comprehensive library of educational leaflets. Our leaflets are written by healthcare professionals, providing patients, carers, and renal units with essential information free of charge.
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Help us address kidney health challenges and advocate for real solutions in parliament.Your donation helps the NKF to advocate for policies that ensure everyone in need benefits from innovative treatments and care.
Discover Exclusive Member Benefits
Explore the benefits available to NKF Members today. Make a difference by joining us: www.kidney.org.uk/member.
NKF Privacy Policy Update
The NKF is committed to protecting your privacy. We value the trust our supporters, patients, and donors place in us, and we are dedicated to handling personal data responsibly and securely.
This policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
For more information visit: www.kidney.org.uk/privacy-policy
- 0800 169 09 36
Healthy Eating for People with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Stages 1 to 3
How does a healthy diet help my kidneys?
Healthy eating is good for everyone. Some aspects are especially important for people with early-stage CKD.
One of our kidneys jobs is to get rid of the waste products from food breakdown. When you have CKD, your kidneys are not able to do this well. A healthy diet makes less waste and puts less stress on the kidneys.
Healthy eating can help manage diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. Controlling these conditions can help protect the kidneys too.
The information in this leaflet is suitable for you if you are living with diabetes, obesity or high blood pressure.
What is a healthy diet?
A healthy diet has a good balance of different foods and nutrients each day to keep you healthy and well. Healthy eating is not about restricting your intake. It is about choosing a variety of different foods each day; in the amounts you need to keep you well.
The Eatwell Guide helps to explain what a healthy diet looks like. You can find more information about the Eatwell Guide here: www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-guidelines-and-food-labels/ the-eatwell-guide/
Eat more of these:
• Fruit and vegetables are a key part of healthy eating. They provide vitamins, minerals and fibre to keep you and your kidneys well. Aim to enjoy 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, or more if you can. Choose a variety to ensure you get different vitamins. This can be from fresh, frozen, dried or canned fruit and vegetables. One portion is approximately one handful.
• Starchy foods like bread, potatoes, pasta, rice and other grains are part of a healthy diet. These foods are a key source of energy for the body.
• If you can, choose wholegrain products like wholemeal bread, brown rice, wholewheat pasta, oats and potatoes with skins on to ensure you get more fibre, and vitamins. Beans, lentils, chickpeas and other pulses provide protein. They are also high in fibre and low in less healthy fats.
• Regularly replacing some of your meat with these pulses may help to slow the loss of kidney function.
Eat some of these:
• Animal protein foods like fish, eggs, meat, milk, yoghurt and cheese provide a range of vitamins and minerals. They can be part of a healthy diet when eaten in moderate amounts. However, it is best to eat more plant sources of protein such as lentils, pulses, legumes, tofu or nuts and less meat, especially red meat.
• Oily fish like salmon, mackerel or sardines provide a source of omega-3 (a healthy fat). Enjoy one portion of fish per week. Or you can obtain Omega-3 from rapeseed oil, walnuts or seeds (hemp, chia or flax/linseeds).
• Dairy foods provide protein, calcium, B vitamins and iodine. It is best to go for lower fat and lower sugar versions (for example natural yoghurt) most of the time. If you use a plant baseddairy alternative, choose one that is fortified with calcium. It is best to limit plant milks and dairy alternatives (such as yoghurt) to 300 ml (half a pint) a day if they have phosphate additives listed in the ingredients.
Eat small amounts of these:
• We need fats and oils in small amounts. It is best to choose fats like olive oil, nut, seed or healthy vegetable oils, such as rape seed oil. Limit less healthy fats such as coconut and palm oil, butter, lard and ghee.
• If you can, it is best to keep processed foods to a minimum. Foods that are pre-packed, or have added fat, salt, sugar and / or additives are processed. Ready meals are processed. This also includes meats or fish that are salted, cured, smoked, coated, breaded or battered.
Eat less of these:
• Food or drinks that are high in less healthy fats, salt and sugar are best eaten only occasionally. These items include chocolate, cakes, biscuits, pastry, crisps, fried chips and sugary drinks. Try to keep portion sizes small.
Note: It is advisable to avoid star fruit. Star fruit has a toxin that can build-up in the body and become harmful to those with kidney disease.
Reducing salt:
Reducing salt is helpful for everyone with CKD. Most of us eat more salt than we should. Salt is added to many foods before we buy them as part of the food manufacturing process,
Eating salt and salty foods increases your blood pressure. Limiting the amount of salty foods you eat can help keep blood pressure under control and reduce further damage to kidneys.
Salt can also make you thirsty and makes fluid retention worse.
It is recommended to have less than 5g (one teaspoon) of salt per day. Most of this salt is likely to be naturally occurring in the foods you eat. Your taste buds will adapt to less salt, but this may take about 3 weeks.
Tips to reduce salt include:
• If you can, limit processed or convenience foods and takeaways. If you do eat these, check labels and choose versions that are lower in salt.
• Cook meals from scratch wherever possible.
• Try not to add salt in cooking or at the table. This includes all types of salt, e.g. Lo Salt or other lower sodium salts, rock salt, sea salt, Himalayan pink salt, garlic and kosher salts etc. Salt substitutes such as Lo-salt or other low sodium salts contain a lot of potassium and are not always suitable for people with kidney disease.
• Use reduced salt stock cubes in your cooking, rather than standard cubes. These are available in most supermarkets. Flavour food using a variety of fresh or dried herbs, spices, garlic, ginger, onions, vinegars, lemon or lime juice. Be careful with seasoning mixes as these can contain a lot of salt.
Understanding food labels:
Reading and understanding food labels can look complicated and time consuming, but gets easier with practice. If you shop online, this information is available on the supermarket websites.
Having less salt:
Some foods may be labelled “reduced salt” but could still be quite high in salt.
Remember to look at the “Traffic Light Symbol” on the front of the packaging. It will look something like this.
Choose foods that are green or amber for salt. Have less of these that are coloured red.
If there is no traffic light symbol, check the nutritional information on the back of food packaging. This may tell you the amount of salt per 100 g of the product, or per portion.
If the label provides the salt per 100 g, compare with the table below:
If the food label only says how much is in a portion, consider how much of that food you are planning to eat. The manufacturer’s portion size might be different from yours. Check the portion size on the label and compare it to your own. Picking a larger or smaller portion can have a big impact on the amount of salt you consume.
Phosphate:
Avoiding phosphate additives in your food can be helpful if you have CKD. Too much phosphate from additives can be harmful to your heart, kidneys, and bones.
Many processed foods contain phosphate additives. The good news is you can usually find a similar product without these additives. You can check in the ingredients list on the label. Most people find the easiest way is to look for “phosp” as part of a word on the list.
However, sometimes a label only shows “E numbers”. Here is a list of E numbers to watch out for. Some people find it useful to carry a credit card-sized list while shopping, or you can save the numbers on your phone.
Cooking from scratch more often will help to reduce the amount of additives you eat.
Note: You can enjoy foods that naturally contain phosphates unless your kidney care team tells you otherwise. Our bodies don’t absorb natural phosphates as easily as phosphate additives. If you need guidance on your diet, a kidney Dietitian will assist you in choosing the right foods, including those without additives.
Special Diets
Many people with CKD won’t need to follow special diets. However, those with more advanced CKD may be advised to make changes to their potassium, phosphates, protein, or fluid intake.
The advice you receive about limiting these nutrients will depend on your CKD stage, blood results, medications, and how you like to eat. If you’ve been told to make dietary changes, a kidney Dietitian can help you create a healthy, balanced and enjoyable diet while taking your condition in to account.
You should not restrict your diet unless you have been advised by your Kidney Doctor or Dietitian to do so.
Poor Appetite
If you’re in the advanced stages of CKD and find yourself often not feeling hungry, it’s a good idea to speak with to a kidney Dietitian. They can provide assistance for issues like not wanting to eat much, changes in taste, feeling sick, vomiting or losing weight without meaning to.
Vitamin and mineral supplements
If you are eating well and enjoying a varied diet, there is no need to take a vitamin and mineral supplement. If you do want to take a supplement or herbal remedy, discuss this with your kidney Doctor first. They can help to ensure it is safe to take.
Other lifestyle guidance
Alcohol
General guidance is to try not to exceed 14 units of alcohol each week. If you do drink, spread your drinking evenly over three or more days and have several alcohol-free days per week (always check alcohol consumption is safe with your medication).
Exercise
Staying active is key to staying healthy. Exercise not only strengthens your bones and muscles but also helps you manage your weight, blood pressure, and diabetes.
Aim to do 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity each week. For example, you can take a 30-minute walk five times a week. However, any exercise is better than none at all. Start slowly and gradually increase your activity based on your current fitness.
Smoking
If you currently smoke, then it is advisable to stop. There are special services to help you stop smoking. You can find out more about this at your GP practice.
Summary
• Enjoy a varied healthy diet, rich in vegetables, fruits, wholegrains and pulses each day.
• Eat regularly and try not to miss meals.
• Eat less salt, foods that are high in salt and processed foods.
• Check food labels to cut down your intake of phosphate additives.
• Good control of blood pressure, diabetes and keeping to a wealthy weight are helpful to slow the progression of your CKD down.
• Discuss any over the counter supplements with your kidney Doctor before taking them.
• Only follow a special diet for your kidneys if you have been advised to by your kidney Doctor or Dietitian.
This information written by The Renal Nutrition Group © September 2023
The National Kidney Federation cannot accept responsibility for information provided. The above is for guidance only. Patients are advised to seek further information from their own doctor.
Call the NKF Helpline on 0800 169 09 36 or alternatively email helpline@kidney.org.uk. The Helpline is open Monday to Thursday 08:30am - 5:00pm and Friday from 08:30am12:30pm.
Providing All Website Users with An Inclusive Online Experience
Our online accessibility tool is becoming increasingly popular each month, and we take great pride in offering a user-friendly website accessible to everyone, regardless of language, abilities, or impairments.
Key Features of Our Accessibility Tool
Our website has several features designed to enhance user experience. The most used features include:
• Screen Reader: Assists users with visual impairments by reading text aloud.
• Translation Services: Offers translation into multiple languages, this month our top three translated languages are Bengali, Serbian and Armenian.
• Styling Tools: Allows users to customise the appearance of the website for better readability.
• Reading Aids: Provides support for easier text comprehension.
We are committed to providing information and support in a variety of languages, ensuring access to the resources everyone needs.
Try Our Accessibility Tool
Experience our accessibility tool firsthand by visiting our website. Explore its features and see how it can assist you: www.kidney.org.uk
For a detailed guide on using the accessibility tool, visit our online tutorial: www.youtube.com/watch?v=A10Xva5xuzs
Change a Life with a Gift in Your Will
This March, in celebration of Free Wills Month, we've teamed up with FreeWills.co.uk to provide all our supporters with the chance to create their own fully comprehensive Will at no cost.
Creating a Will is a deeply personal decision, and family will always come first. Once you've provided for your loved ones, even a small gift or a percentage of your estate can make a significant impact.
Contributions of any size help us continue supporting kidney patients and their families for years to come through our free Helpline and Peer Support Service, as well as advocate for better kidney care.
You can have your Will written or updated for free through the National Kidney Federation, and consider leaving a gift to help individuals with kidney disease live informed and empowered lives at every stage of their journey.
Building your personalised Will online is straightforward and can be completed with live assistance from Will specialists.
To learn more visit: https://freewills.co.uk/charity/nkf
What is a Kidney Patient Association (KPA)
Kidney Patient Associations (KPAs) are independent charities within hospital renal units, providing local support, guidance, and community assistance to kidney patients at all stages of the disease. As members of the National Kidney Federation Council, they ensure accessibility and aid for those pre-dialysis, on dialysis, or post-transplant.
KPAs are doing some fantastic work in their local areas, working hard to support their patients, staff and units. Each KPA is unique in what they offer. Some KPA’s even have their own holiday home, such as Humberside KPA.
Supporting Kidney Patients in Humberside
Humberside KPA provide vital support to local patients and carers across the region, working closely with renal units in Hull, Bridlington, Grimsby, Scarborough, and Scunthorpe.
They also have a 6 berth caravan on the Skirlington Holiday Park at a reasonable price for patients, family and staff.
To find out more about Humberside KPA or to join the KPA contact:
Mike May, Chair of the KPA:
Tel - 07411 730737
Email - mike-may@live.co.uk
NKF KPA Members
Currently there are 51 Kidney Patient Associations (KPAs) who are members of the NKF. Please find the details below of the KPA's available or for more information please contact the NKF office on 01909 544 999 or email chris@kidney.org.uk
Addenbrooke's KPA
Barts Renal Patients' Association
Bradford KPA
Bristol Area KPA
Chesterfield KPA
Colchester KPA
Coventry & Warwickshire KPA
Doncaster and Bassetlaw Kidney Association
Dorset KPA
Dudley KPA
Dumfries & Galloway KPA
Exeter & District KPA
Friends of Derriford Hospital Kidney Unit
Gloucestershire Kidney Patients' Association
Guy’s & St.Thomas’ KPA
Heart of England KPA
Humberside KPA
Ipswich & District Kidney Association
Isle of Wight KPA
Kent KPA
King’s KPA
Kernow KPA
Leicestershire KPA
Lister Area KPA
Liverpool KPA
Manchester Royal Infirmary KPA
Manx KPA
North East Kidney Patients' Association (NEKPA)
Northamptonshire KPA
North Staffs & South Cheshire KPA
Nottingham and Notts KPA
Orkney KPA
Queen Elizabeth Hospital KPA
Royal Derby KPA
Royal Free Hospital KPA
Royal London Hospital KPA
Sheffield Area Kidney Association (SAKA)
Scottish Kidney Federation
Shropshire KPA
Six Counties KPA
South Eastern KPA
South East Scotland KPA
Southport Kidney Fund
St Helier and Surrey KPA
Tyneside KPA
United Norwich KPA
Wessex KPA
West London KPA
West Riding KPA
Wrexham Maelor KPA
Ysbyty Gwynedd KPA
Associate Members
British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Danielle's Flutterbyes
K.D.A.R.S
Kidney Cancer UK
If you are a Kidney Patient Association that would like to become an NKF member please contact chris@kidney.org.uk or call 07908 845713.
