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5 Kidney Friendly Recipes

Updated on Leave a Comment on 5 Kidney Friendly Recipes3 min read

These recipes are not only kidney-friendly but also balanced and flavorful, catering to a variety of tastes and dietary needs. Always consult with your healthcare provider or a dietitian to ensure the recipes fit your specific health conditions and dietary restrictions.

1. Apple Cinnamon Porridge

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 2 cups water or low-potassium milk alternative
  • 1 apple, peeled and chopped
  • Cinnamon to taste
  • Honey (optional, to sweeten)

Preparation:

  1. Combine oats and water or milk alternative in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
  2. Add chopped apple and cinnamon.
  3. Cook until oats are soft and the mixture has thickened.
  4. Sweeten with honey if desired. Serve warm.

2. Baked Chicken with Herbs

Ingredients:

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Herbs (thyme, rosemary, and oregano)
  • Garlic powder and black pepper to taste

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
  2. Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and season with herbs, garlic powder, and black pepper.
  3. Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (no longer pink inside).
  5. Serve with a side of steamed green beans or your choice of low-potassium vegetables.

 3. Zucchini Noodles with Garlic and Olive Oil

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium zucchinis
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Brocolli florets
  • Salt (optional and sparingly) and pepper to taste
  • Grated Parmesan cheese (optional, in moderation)

Preparation:

  1. Spiralize the zucchinis into noodles.
  2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
  3. Add the minced garlic and brcolli florets and sauté for about 1 minute.
  4. Add the zucchini noodles and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until tender.
  5. Season with a pinch of salt (if using) and pepper.
  6. Serve hot, topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese if desired.

4. Tuna Salad on Lettuce

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (4 ounces) low-sodium tuna, drained
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (low in sodium)
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Black pepper to taste
  • Lettuce leaves for serving

Preparation:

  1. In a bowl, combine the tuna, mayonnaise, chopped celery, and lemon juice.
  2. Mix well and season with black pepper.
  3. Serve the tuna mixture on lettuce leaves.

5. Mushroom and Barley Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup pearl barley
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Thyme, black pepper to taste

Preparation:

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
  2. Add onions, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
  4. Stir in the barley, then add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until barley is tender, about 30 minutes.
  6. Season with thyme and black pepper to taste.
  7. Serve hot.
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7 Ways to Relieve Cravings for Junk Food

Updated on Leave a Comment on 7 Ways to Relieve Cravings for Junk Food3 min read
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Pesky food cravings can be so hard to ignore!

They whisper in your ear, begging you to go to the fridge, or to grab a snack from the office vending machine.

But those whispering voices are never satisifed – they always want more, and more, and more!

But don’t worry, there are little tricks you can try to confuse and calm the whispering voices in a healthy way.

Here are 7 science-backed ways to do it:

1. Stay hydrated

Thirst is often confused for hunger.

Before snacking, drink a big glass of nutritious hibiscus tea or lemon water.

One study found that drinking two cups of water before meals resulted in greater weight loss compared to a control group.

So fill up on fluids to calm those cravings.

2. Get moving

A little walk or stretch session is a simple way to burn off nervous energy that can disguise itself as hunger.

Plus, exercise releases endorphins along with hormones like irisin that suppress appetite.

Just 30 minutes of moderate activity can reduce cravings for chocolate!

3. Chew slowly

Savoring each bite tricks the mind and tastebuds, satisfying with smaller portions.

In fact, fast eaters consume up to 71% more calories per meal, research shows!

Pop in a piece of mint gum after eating to avoid feeling deprived.

4. Distract yourself

When a craving hits, shift your focus to something else uplifting.

Call a friend, play some cheerful music, or watch a comedy show.

Laughter truly helps! Studies demonstrate that our food memory and perception of taste are weakened when we’re distracted.

So keeping busy curbs cravings.

5. Go for the crunch

The urge to munch is often about texture rather than just flavor.

Snack on celery sticks, sliced bell peppers, or apples with nut butter for wholesome crunch.

Scientists suggest that the more we chew, the less likely we are to overeat. Crunchy foods force us to chew thoroughly!

6. Portion control

Allow yourself a small treat in moderation.

A little dark chocolate or a handful of nuts can do wonders! Stick to single-serve bags or containers.

Research on portion sizes shows that when given larger portions, people eat up to 30% more without realizing it. Wise moderation is key!

7. Relax and breathe

Stress drives poor food choices by increasing levels of the hormone cortisol, which boosts cravings for fat and sugar.

Make time to just sit and breathe deeply for 5 minutes when the urge strikes. It will pass!

Studies demonstrate that deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system to reduce anxiety and cravings.

So there you go.

With a few simple substitutions backed by nutritional science, you can outsmart those pesky cravings.

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7 Signs of Candida Overgrowth and How to Reverse it in 3 Steps

Updated on Leave a Comment on 7 Signs of Candida Overgrowth and How to Reverse it in 3 Steps4 min read
Photo used courtesy of Garnhami under Creative Commons License: Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

This white blob may look like spilt milk gone bad.

But it’s actually a yeast. 

A yeast called candida. 

And as disgusting as it looks, this yeast grows inside our stomach.

Yet at healthy levels, candida helps support a healthy immune and digestive system, and is actually good for us.

But if it starts to grow and spread, it can start to dominate other microorganisms. 

Symptoms like brain fog, infections and skin rashes can soon follow.

And these are only the mild symptoms of what a candida overgrowth can cause.

Candida is just one of the thousands of types of yeast, fungi and bacteria living inside our guts.

The gut is like a rainforest teeming with life. There are thousands of yeast, fungi and bacteria living down there, all competing for food, living space and survival.

Like candida, many of them perform vital roles in supporting our gut health.

But like any rainforest, if any of them start to dominate it can upset the healthy balance inside our gut.

How can this happen?

Due to years of eating too much processed carbs, too much processed sugars, too much alcohol and too much stressed – The modern lifestyle, in other words.

A combination of these factors, and others, can cause a candida overgrowth to develop. And when it does, the symptoms can include:

  1. Skin and nail fungal infections
  2. Feeling tired and irritable all the time
  3. Regular bloating, constipation, or diarrhoea after meals
  4. Skin issues like eczema, psoriasis, hives, and rashes
  5. Frequent bouts of anxiety or depression
  6. Vaginal infections, urinary tract infections, rectal itching or vaginal itching
  7. Cravings for sugar and refined carbs

Candida Overgrowths are On the Rise

You’ve likely heard of candida overgrowth before. 

Or maybe you know someone who’s struggled with it?

If so, you’re not alone. 

Because over the last few decades candida overgrowth has been steadily on the rise.

As the BBC notes: “Candida auris is responsible for increasing invasive fungal infections in hospitals”.

So candida overgrowth isn’t something to take lightly. 

What’s worse, it’s not just rashes, fungal infections and irritability people need to worry about.

Because if left to fester, candida can get into the bloodstream. And if that happens, it can damage the healthy functioning of the kidneys, heart and even the brain.

Is Candida the Same as SIBO?

Candida is often confused with SIBO.

But their causes are very different.

SIBO is short for ‘small intestinal bacterial overgrowth’.

And SIBO occurs when bacteria that normally lives in the small or large intestine starts to spread to other areas of the gut.

This bacteria then starts to ferment bits of undigested food, notably sugars, carbs, starches, and alcohol. 

This results in the production of hydrogen and methane gases triggering symptoms like:

  • Bloating  
  • Malnutrition
  • Abdominal pain
  • Diarrhea

How to Test for Candida

If any of the symptoms of candida or SIBO sound familiar, the only way to know for sure what’s causing them is to visit a doctor.

They can test your urine, blood or stool for traces of a candida yeast overgrowth.

If identified as candida, the good news is it can be reversed without dangerous drugs or stepping foot in a doctor’s office.

How Can Candida Overgrowth Be Reversed

Reversing candida overgrowth can be done in 3 steps:

  1. Reverse the habits that feed candida and cause it to spread:

Reduce intake of the processed sugars and processed grains candida loves to feast on

Reduce intake of fermented foods like Kombucha, sauerkraut, and pickles. Because eating them too much can actually feed candida and cause an overgrowth.

Adopt strategies for reducing stress

2. Eat foods high in gut enriching nutrients that can boost levels of healthy bacteria, yeasts and fungi to push back against candida’s spread and get it under control.

3. Adopt a gut healthy diet and lifestyle so you can sustain  a healthy gut balance and keep candida at a healthy level.

Now, following these 3 steps may be easier said than done.

But if you can manage to do it, it can trigger a wealth of health benefits, including a lift in energy, vitality, and mental clarity.

So what I’ve done is create a 30 day program that guides you in exactly what you need to do to eliminate the foods and habits that cause candida to spread…

while revitalising the body with the nutrients and lifestyle activities it needs for more vim and vigor in daily life.

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