Diabetic Protein Leak Diet and Ways to Limit Salt Intake for Blood Pressure Control
First Steps
When diabetes is not controlled properly, excess glucose or sugar circulates in the blood. This excess blood sugar can lead to kidney damage. The first course of action then to prevent a protein leak is to manage your diabetes properly.
To avoid kidney damage, your doctor may also prescribe a common blood pressure medication called ACE inhibitors. These drugs mitigate damage by preventing fluid retention through excretion of salt. Swelling is one symptom associated with protein leaks, explains the Renal Unit at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Diet also gives you a measure of control.
Preventing Protein Leaks
A diabetic protein leak diet has similar goals to a diet to control high blood pressure, which is also a risk factor associated with diabetes. Salt restriction is imperative. When you consume excessive amounts of salt, your body retains water to maintain equilibrium between the concentration in your blood and in the surrounding tissues.
To reduce salt in your diet, you should limit processed foods which tend to contain high amounts of sodium. The recommended daily intake for sodium is less than 2,300 milligrams (mg). Yet, Americans average 3,436 mg each day, warns the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Diet to Control Sodium
To avoid excess sodium, your diabetic protein leak diet should focus on nutrient-dense foods which contain minimal amounts of sodium. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins give you a solid foundation for a good diet.
While the foods themselves are healthy choices, you also need to pay attention to additions and preparation. Condiments such as soy sauce, barbecue sauce, and Worcestershire sauce contain high levels of sodium per serving. Certain barbecue sauces may also contain high levels of sugar, a major concern with a diabetic diet.
Homemade Is Best
Most of your sodium intake will come from processed and prepared foods, explains Mayo Clinic. Your goal then is to take control of your diet which can do by enjoying home-prepared foods rather than restaurant meals. Consuming salt may feel like an addiction. However, you can break your salt habit just like your sugary food habit. It takes time and a reliance on making good choices.
You may not even miss the salt. Mayo Clinic estimates that less than 25 percent of your salt intake comes from cooking and natural sources. If you avoid processed foods, you can easily get your salt intake under control. This factor is important because the more salt you consume, the higher your blood pressure will soar. This can worsen kidney disease rapidly, warns the American Diabetes Association.
Your diet therefore, should limit salt intake while providing healthy choices so you can maintain a normal weight. In this way, you can prevent a protein leak or slow kidney damage. Through diet, you have control over your health.
References
American Diabetes Association: Kidney Disease (Nephropathy) – www.diabetes.org
Mayo Clinic: Sodium: How to Tame Your Salt Habit Now – www.mayoclinic.com
Renal Unit at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh: More Info on Nephrotic Syndrome - www.edren.org
