One of the latest diet fads is the blood type diet. Although this approach is based on our blood types, it lacks scientific evidence. This diet, recommended by Peter J. DAdamo, is based on the theory that different blood types A, B, and O react differently to the food you eat.

In fact, they react differently to various factors such as stress and anxiety. DAdamo claims that people with a particular blood type are susceptible to certain diseases or health conditions.

Antigens A, B, and O are genetic markers and are present everywhere in our body. These markers bind with certain food ingredients such as lectins (a protein) and cause agglutination of blood.

This leads to various skin conditions and digestion issues. Also, our gut bacteria or the normal flora in our body, which aid in digestion, differ with each blood type. This factor also seems to influence the way our food is digested.

Hence, DAdamo recommends eating food suitable for our blood type. A person with blood type A, for example, would not flourish on a blood type O diet.

But do these diets really work? Does your blood type really influence the way your body processes food? In this article, well examine the blood type O diet, outlining the blood type O diet foods to eat. A breakdown of the blood type O diet food list may help you figure out whether the diet will work for you or if it even works at all.

As we previously noted, all of the blood type diets have different dietary directions. The idea is that you eat right for your blood type.

In the case of blood type O diets, the theory is that those of blood type O have hunter ancestors that ate a lot of meat and fish that could be hunted or caught. These ancestors also only ate certain types of vegetables and fruits. This also revolves around what might help ailments that people of blood type O may suffer from.

When speaking in these broad terms, it sounds like it makes sense. However, when you start breaking it down, much of it does not.

Theres not a lot of science to actually back up any of this and more and more, the science is pointing to how this doesnt make sense for everyone. Just because someone may be blood type O, doesnt mean they have the same background or issues as another person of blood type O.

The blood type diet considers ancestors in the broadest of strokes. A native Canadian, for example, may be of type O blood like his friend who is from South Africa, but that doesnt mean they have the same ancestorsnot by a long shot. This can be completely shown in the diets various food lists.

For the type O diet, you are supposed to go heavy on the proteins but not so much on the vegetables, and processed foods are not allowed. It doesnt sound like a bad idea until you start dissecting it a little more.

In terms of meats, you are supposed to stick with lean meats. Lean cuts of beef, mutton, veal, venison, and meats of other animals that the blood type O ancestors would hunt and farm are featured on the list.

Fish would include cold water types like cod, herring, and mackerel. Seafood is recommended as it can help with thyroid issues that can occur within people of blood type O but not all seafood.

Octopus, caviar, smoked salmon, and catfish are allowed and recommended. Vegetables are very limited on a blood type O diet as most are to be avoided. Kale, broccoli, spinach, dandelion, garlic and a few others are allowed, but most vegetables are to be eaten on a limited basis or not at all.

The main flaw in the blood type diets is that while it looks kind of cool, it doesnt account for something as simple as all blood types not sharing the same ancestors.

The diet above fits fine if your background is European, but what about someone with blood type O of South American heritage? Many of food products listed above may have never been available to that persons ancestors. If thats the case, does the diet work? Do any of the blood type diets work?

Thats not to say that this diet is bad for you. Lean meats are a good idea as is plenty of fish in the diet.

But lean protein is important for a good diet in general and has nothing to do with blood type or ancestors. After you see the selection of food you arent supposed to eat, we can delve a little further.

For the O type blood diets, you are supposed to go heavy on the protein and meat, but there are some meats that are off limits. All versions of pork (bacon, ham, pork chops, etc.) are not allowed. Goose is also off the list. All processed meats (like luncheon meats) are also not accepted.

Most seafood is not allowed as well as many vegetables. Eggplants, potatoes, corn, and all sorts of mushrooms and sprouts are to be avoided. Most fruits are off the list, especially melons, most berries, oranges, and coconut.

The theory, once again, is that if your ancestors could not have hunted it, then you shouldnt be eating it. And once again, blood type diets dont take into account the diversity of heritage.

Now that weve debunked much of the blood type dietespecially the blood type O diet there should be a few things noted. While the science is inconclusive, the blood type O diet does have some good ideas to it.

Lean meats, for example, should be eaten over more fatty cuts and types. Eating a lot of fish is also a good idea. Not eating processed meat is also a pretty good tip as processed meat tends to have higher sodium levels and arent as good for you as a cut of meat.

That being said, adding more vegetables to your diet than what the blood type O diet recommends would also be a good idea, especially anything high in fiber. Once again, it should be noted that benefits of this diet are not proven to relate to blood type.

Related:

Sources: Watson, S., The Blood Type Diet, WebMD, http://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/blood-type-diet Braverman, J., Blood Type O Positive Diet Foods, Livestrong, April 13, 2015, http://www.livestrong.com/article/237156-blood-type-o-positive-diet-foods/ DAdamo, J., Blood Type and Your Health, Dadamo; http://www.dadamo.com/txt/index.pl?1001 Blood Groups and Red Cell Antigens, National Center for Biotechnology Information; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2267/ Leech, J., The Blood Type Diet: An Evidence-Based Review, Authority Nutrition, https://authoritynutrition.com/the-blood-type-diet-review/

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Blood Type O Diet: Does It Work? - Foods4BetterHealth

Elizabeth Renstrom for TIME

Want to keep your heart and cardiovascular system healthy for years to come? Keep these meals and snack items away from your cart and out of your regular diet. Save them for occasional indulgencesat mostand replace them with heart-healthy swaps whenever possible.

Fast-food burgers The science on whether saturated fats are truly linked to heart disease isnt entirely clear . When consumed in moderation, high-quality, grass-fed beef may even have some heart-health benefits, says Dr. Regina Druz, associate professor of cardiology at Hofstra University and chief of cardiology at St. John Episcopal Hospital in New York City.

But in general, Druz says, saturated fats from animals, especially when combined with carbohydrates, appear to have a deleterious effect on heart health." Avoiding fast-food restaurants, which tend to use lower quality ingredients and unhealthy cooking methods, is always a smart way to cut back, she says.

Processed and cured meats Cold cuts and cured meats (like bacon and sausage) can be high in saturated fat. But even low-fat options tend to be very high in salt. Just six thin slices of deli meat can contain half the daily recommended level of sodium, according to the American Heart Association.

The majority of people should be on a salt-restricted diet because of sodiums link to high blood pressure, says Dr. Laxmi Mehta, director of the Womans Cardiovascular Health Program at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Not everyone needs medication to make big strides, she says. Sometimes my patients with elevated blood pressure are able to make significant improvements just by adjusting their diet."

Deep-fried foods Several studies have linked the consumption of fried foods, like French fries, fried chicken and fried snacks, to an increased risk of heart disease. Conventional frying methods create trans fats, a type of fat shown to raise the bad type of cholesterol and lower the good kind.

If youre making a veggie stir-fry at home and youre preparing it with olive oil and coconut oil, theres certainly nothing wrong with that, says Druz. But what most people understand as typical fried food, the kinds you dont prepare at home, should certainly be avoided.

Candy For many years, fat was branded as the biggest dietary cause of heart disease. But a report published last year in JAMA Internal Medicine revealed that studies funded by the sugar industry were largely responsible for pushing that belief. Now, experts say that diets high in added sugar may be just as big a threat by contributing to obesity, inflammation, high cholesterol and diabetes, all of which are risk factors for heart disease.

The debate in cardiology has pivoted from saturated fat and cholesterol to sugar, says Druz. If there is one ingredient I would say anyone with heart disease or risk for heart disease must avoid, its added sugar in any form.

Soft drinks and sugar-sweetened juices For many Americans, the largest source of added sugar in their diets isnt from food, but from beverages. Recent government reports found that more than 60% of children, 54% of adult men, and 45% of adult women had at least one soda or sugar-sweetened drink a day between 2011 and 2014.

Sugary cereals Even foods that seem like part of a balanced diet, like breakfast cereals, can be loaded with sugar. Eating refined carbohydrates and sugars in the morning is going to produce inflammation and make blood sugar go up and down, so youll crave more sugar throughout the day, Druz says. Instead, she recommends having fruit along with an egg or avocado on whole-wheat toast.

Cookies and pastries Most baked goodsespecially those that are commercially producedare full of sugar and are likely made with saturated fats (like butter or palm oil) or trans fats (like partially hydrogenated vegetable oil). You have two ingredients that work with each other to give somebody the worst possible nutritional profile," Druz says.

Margarine There may be room for debate about the cardiovascular risks associated with saturated fats, like butter. Whats more certain is that diets high in trans fats appear to definitely raise a persons risk of heart disease.

Trans fats are common in sticks of margarine that are solid at room temperature, which are often marketed as a healthier alternative to butter. To be safe, choose a soft, spreadable margarine that contains no partially hydrogenated oils, or stick with olive oil instead.

Meat-lovers pizza After cold cuts and cured meats, pizza ranks second on the American Heart Associations list of salty six foods. (Other salt bombs to watch for include soups, condiments, and salad dressings.) Pizzas sodium contentas well as its saturated fatgoes way up as you pile on extra cheese and meat-based toppings. When eating out or getting delivery, limit yourself to one or two slices, and opt for veggie toppings instead.

Diet soda It may be fat-free and zero-calorie, but diet soda has a dark side. People are under the impression that theyre healthy, and theyre really not, says Druz. Research continues to mount linking the cola to the development of heart-disease risk factors like obesity and diabetes.

Some studies show that people who drink diet sodas tend to overcompensate and consume more calories than they otherwise would, while other research suggests that chemicals in diet soda may actually alter gastrointestinal bacteria and make people more prone to gaining weight. While it may have no sugar, its not a heart-healthy choice, says Druz.

Read the rest here:
The 10 Worst Foods For Your Heart - TIME

A month ago, five Washington Post staffers embarked on a 30-day diet, each looking for a way to reset their eating habits. Now, they're turning the page, but this is much more than a tidy endpoint: It's the beginning of making their new, healthy habits stick.

This month-long challenge wasn't a contest per se, and there is no one winner; all the staffers made their chosen plans work for them, and each has good results to show for it. Collectively they've freed themselves from unhealthy habits and adopted positive ones; they have been enjoying more nutritious foods and less hyper-processed, sugary stuff; they have been eating more sensible amounts more mindfully; and they feel better and have lost weight.

But, predictably, life also got in the way of some of the goals they set - with house moves, IRS audits, traffic jams, travel and irresistible parties interfering with their best intentions. I spoke with each of them to get their main take-aways from this diet experiment, and help them strategize all-important next steps. I also managed to convince them to let me check in with them next January to see how they have fared a year later.

If you started a diet on Jan. 1 like they did, or otherwise made resolutions to live healthier, this is an invitation to pause, reflect on your successes and, perhaps, dreams dashed over the past month and recalibrate your plan so you can keep moving forward. Hopefully, the insights shared here will inspire and inform your own next steps.

Kendra Nichols: The Whole30

Kendra's wise words to those thinking about the Whole30 diet is to be smart about planning when to start. For her, this challenge was smack in the middle of a move, making it more stressful and difficult than it otherwise would have been. Being between homes and unable to locate the right cookware amid all the boxes, she found it nearly impossible to achieve one of her main personal goals: trying an array of new recipes. She also told me she was "crankier than usual," to the point where her co-workers dubbed her diet persona "Whole30 Kendra." But she admirably stuck it out, and lost 9 pounds in the process. Along the way she learned, among other things, that it suits her to eat a hearty breakfast so she isn't hungry again until lunchtime, and that she can live happily without a vending-machine sugar fix or the 20-ounce diet soda she had been drinking daily.

Kendra has done Whole30 before, and does well with a strict set of rules to follow. The downside has been that when the diet is over, she is left rudderless and winds up returning to her old habits. Last time she did Whole30 she skipped the reintroduction phase (in which you gradually add back the forbidden foods) and went straight to cake. This time she is thinking more long-term. She's going to view the suggested reintroduction as an extension of the rules, following the specific 10-day transition the book offers. Even more, "I'm going to make myself a little rule book" to follow thereafter. This personal, formalized structure will go a long way toward helping Kendra achieve what she called her ultimate goal: "making moderation the new normal."

Tom Sietsema: Weight Watchers

Tom sees food though a somewhat different lens after following the Weight Watchers program for the past month. The plan "makes you aware of the consequences of different choices," he says. Having been allotted 36 points a day, Tom quickly learned that some foods, like what became his go-to snack, almonds and clementines, offer more satisfaction for fewer points than, say, peanut butter-filled pretzels. And that sometimes you have to choose between a cupcake and a second glass of wine.

While he won't continue to track his points, he says, "Doing it a full month, it gets drilled into you. . . . Now I know what to do." Besides making smarter choices, he also knows that exercise is a key component, and he is committed to keeping it up regularly.

He also knows it's okay to go off the rails a bit once in a while. Confronted with some fabulous restaurant meals (as he frequently will be as the Post's food critic) and a once-in-a-lifetime charity event, he indulged, but even did that mindfully, choosing oysters instead of prosciutto and staying conscientious about portions. In alignment with the Weight Watchers philosophy, he says: "You can splurge - just get back on track right after. Enjoy it, mindfully, then forget about it. Don't feel guilty." Sure, Tom could have lost even more than seven pounds this month without those splurges, but I believe the experience of being able to get back on track, and the knowledge that you can continue toward your goal weight and indulge, is an even more valuable achievement in the long run.

Joe Yonan: Buddha's Diet

Joe is the only one of the five who plans to continue his diet indefinitely, a testament both to the flexibility of Budda's Diet - with its only limitation a nine-hour time-window for eating - and Joe's balanced approach to it. I worried he would be weak from hunger at his morning workout (so he could eat a later dinner) or eat a 5 p.m. dinner alone at his desk rather than with his significant other, or get pulled over for speeding and try to explain to the officer that he had to rush home to eat on time. But although Joe did skip eating before his workouts, he felt fine doing it, and although he had to pass on grabbing a late bowl of ramen with friends one night, he found it easy enough to plan ahead so as not to sacrifice the social pleasures of mealtime. His sage advice: "The overarching philosophy is to have a mindful relationship with food, so don't get too anxious about a few minutes here or there. The worst thing would be to let the deadline make you scarf your food down."

In the past 30 days, he has broken the habit of mindlessly munching after dinner, has realized he doesn't have to grab for food at the slightest twinge of hunger and has lost five pounds. "I couldn't have done this without tea," he says. Tea helped slow his pace and calm him as he sipped, and because it is allowed outside the nine-hour window as long as it doesn't have sweeteners or milk.

Another key strategy was preparing food ahead, stocking his refrigerator on the weekends with "building block ingredients such as blanched and roasted vegetables," so he could quickly pull meals together on the weekdays. Once Joe reaches his goal weight (he has another 25 or so pounds to go), his maintenance plan is to add a second "cheat day." From what I can tell, Joe has landed on a sustainable way of life that fits him perfectly.

Bonnie S. Benwick: SouperGirl 'Cleanse'

Bonnie is officially "sold on soup." "The words 'soup diet' sound a little crazy," she says, " but it's a food that everyone should eat every week - it's a good go-to." This month has helped Bonnie reach her main goals of eating more vegetables and getting portions in check. At first she worried the soups wouldn't be enough, but found the opposite to be true. (The volume of vegetable-based soups and the fact that their heat slows you down make them especially filling.) The big takeaway is her realization that she can be satisfied without overeating, and she now is more in touch with how food makes her feel. She also has stopped eating past 9 p.m.

Her long-range plan is to make soup every week so she always has it on hand. She is also going to pay attention to how she feels as she eats, savoring slowly, and tuning into her level of satiety rather than continuing to eat just because her mouth wants more. Bonnie wasn't weighing herself this month, but she recently bought a scale so she can track her weight as an incentive and an indicator - and if she gets off track, she will do another week of the SouperGirl "Cleanse" to reorient her. She also has an exciting event to inspire her to maintain these healthy changes: her son's wedding in October.

Adam Kilgore: Offseason reset

The notion that you can "slip up and then move on" gives Adam's plan the potential for longevity. He did that a few times this month, with restaurant meals and vacations that drove him off-plan. But his core changes - focusing on healthful whole foods, limiting alcohol and exercising more - still led the way, and he has dropped 16 pounds as a result. His positive attitude of embracing the good choices you are making rather than yearning for what you are missing also goes a long way toward his success.

Adam told me that the realization that it doesn't have to be all or nothing - that he can see results even if he dips off his plan here and there - gives him a good template for how to keep this going after April, when he typically returns to his weight-gaining spiral. I pressed him to come up with specific strategies to put into place at that time, and he outlined this sensible three-pronged approach: 1) weigh in at least once a week; 2) exercise at least twice a week; 3) avoid alcohol for at least two days a week. Adam's overall advice to those embarking on a healthier way of life is simple but profound. It's something we could all make our mantra year-round: "Whatever choice you are making, make it a good choice. Then do it again."

Author Information:

Ellie Krieger writes a healthful-eating column for Local Living and a weekly Nourish recipe for Food. She is a registered dietitian, nutritionist and author and hosts public television's Ellie's Real Good Food. Her most recent cookbook is "You Have It Made: Delicious, Healthy, Do-Ahead Meals."

@Ellie_Krieger

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The 5 Diets Project: Everyone lost, and everyone gained - MyAJC

THE food evolution has become quite a revolution (especially at RJs Margate).

Consider this: Once upon 200,000 years ago, our early ancestors lived on a cavemen diet.

Approximately 65 percent of their diet consisted of plant-based foods.

Apparently, they ate wild fowl, fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts, seeds, roots and depending on the availability, wild animals.

There were no domesticated animals at this stage, so they didnt have access to milk and eggs.

It is thought that cavemen made their own flour which in turn they used to make bread and soups.

Fast forward to the present- February 2017.

Want your eggs easy over, sunny side up or scrambled, we can do that for you, in just 10 minutes.

Add to that a sizzling steak with one or two of our mouth-watering sauces, garnished with our golden brown onion rings BUT WAIT, theres more.

The restaurant not onlyboasts alarge open-plan seating area, but also hasa private dining area which can be booked for special functions and parties.

RJs Steakhouse Margate is a privately owned family-friendly restaurant that has become well known for its sizzling and succulent steaks, delicious ribs and burgers as well as for being a placewhere families and friends canenjoy a memorable meal.

Fresh vegetables are delivered and prepared daily, and we pride ourselves on ourquality control checks, starting with our produce suppliers which ensures that you as a valued diner always get a quality product, sourced locally.

The eatery includes one of the largest fun-filled outdoorplay areas, known as The Playzone.

While mums and dads sit and enjoy a tastymeal, the kids can play safely nearbyunderRJs trained supervision.

RJs Margate has two convenient and affordable party packages for parents tochoose from to make their little ones day just perfect, and hassle-free.

Option #1Awesome Party Package:

Party bucket, soda, balloons and a selected kids meal (choice of regular burger beef or chicken, hot dog, fish fingers or nuggets all served with chips) R59.95 per child.

Option #2 Super Party Package:

Party bucket, soda, popcorn, lucky packet, ice cream, balloons and akids meal of your choice (served with chips) R76.95 per child.

RJs Margate also offers a variety of platters, sufficient for between six and eight people, at affordable prices. These are perfect for the adults attending your childs party or for private bookings and events.

RJs offers the following daily specials which are prepared to perfection:

Mondays: Buy any single burger and get another one absolutely FREE (beef, rib, chicken) with your choice of starch.

Tuesdays: Kids eat price one child per dining adult.

200g (rump or sirloin) steak special R79.95.

Wednesdays: Rib Night 400g R92.95 | 600g R122.95 | 1kg R145.95.

Bottomless Ribs R169.95.

Thursdays: Ladies Night selected main meals R92.95 includesa free glass of wine.

Silly Sunday Nights: 25 percent off all main meals (from 5pm).

Legendary Sunday Lunch Buffet: R129.95 per adult, R64.95 per child under 12.( Last Sunday of every month)

Daily breakfast special: Local is lekker breakfast at R 19.95 Add bottomless filter coffee for only R 10.

Regardless of the season, we want to be the reason for your next food celebration and with specials like this youwould be crazy not to visit!

Opening hours: Mon Fri 9am til late; Sat and Sun 8am till late.

Call 039 312 0632 or email Rjs@rjsmargate.co.za to make a reservation.

Visit RJs Margate for amazing food at affordable prices + FREE Wi-Fi and off-street private parking at the back.

Read more here:
RJ's Margate welcomes YOU to the Food Revolution - South Coast Herald

WisContext

What Infants Need As They Transition To Solid Food WisContext Learning what to feed an infant can be a confusing process filled with different information from multiple sources. But parents just want to find the right information to safely provide their babies with a nutritious diet. The American Academy of ...

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What Infants Need As They Transition To Solid Food - WisContext

Forget chocolates and roses this Valentine's day. Instead, cook up a Mediterranean-inspired meal with lashings of virgin olive oil to win and protect your lover's heart. New research reports that a Mediterranean diet rich in virgin olive oil may boost the cardioprotective effects of "good" cholesterol.

Montserrat Fit, Ph.D., was the senior author of the new research and coordinator of the Cardiovascular Risk and Nutrition Research Group at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain, as well as the Ciber of Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition, also in Spain. Fit and team's findings were published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.

There are two types of molecules called lipoproteins that carry cholesterol in the blood: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

LDL is known as "bad" cholesterol, since having high levels of LDL can bring about plaque buildup in the arteries, which can result in heart disease and stroke. HDL is known as "good" cholesterol; HDL absorbs cholesterol and carries it to the liver where it is flushed from the body. Having high levels of HDL reduces heart disease and stroke.

A growing body of evidence supports the theory that the Mediterranean diet protects against the development of heart disease. Studies have also shown that the Mediterranean diet improves the lipid profile of HDLs.

"However, studies have shown that HDL doesn't work as well in people at high risk for heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular diseases and that the functional ability of HDL matters as much as its quantity," explains Fit. "At the same time, small-scale trials have shown that consuming antioxidant-rich foods like virgin olive oil, tomatoes, and berries improved HDL function in humans. We wanted to test those findings in a larger, controlled study," she adds.

The research team aimed to determine whether eating a Mediterranean diet enriched with virgin olive oil or nuts over a long period of time would improve the beneficial properties of HDL in humans.

Fit and collaborators randomly selected a total of 296 individuals who had a high risk of heart disease and were participating in the Prevencin con Dieta Mediterrnea study. The participants had an average age of 66 and were assigned to one of three diets for a year.

The first diet was a traditional Mediterranean diet enriched with around 4 tablespoons of virgin olive oil per day. The second, a traditional Mediterranean diet supplemented with a fistful of nuts each day. The third diet was a healthful "control" diet that contained a reduced amount of red meat, high-fat dairy products, processed foods, and sweets.

Both Mediterranean diets emphasized the inclusion of fruit, vegetables, legumes (such as beans, chickpeas, lentils, and whole grains), and moderate amounts of fish and poultry.

Blood tests were conducted at the start and end of the study to measure LDL and HDL levels.

The researchers found that total and LDL cholesterol levels were only reduced in the healthful control diet. While none of the three diets significantly increased HDL levels, the two Mediterranean diets improved HDL function, and the improvement was more pronounced in the group enriched with virgin olive oil.

The Mediterranean diet enriched with virgin olive oil improved HDL functions, such as reversing cholesterol transport, providing antioxidant protection, and enabling vasodilation.

Reverse cholesterol transport is the process in which HDL removes cholesterol from plaque in the arteries and takes it to the liver. Antioxidant protection is the ability of HDL to counteract the oxidation of LDL. Oxidation of LDL triggers the development of plaque in the arteries.

Lastly, vasodilator capacity - which relaxes the blood vessels, keeps them open, and keeps the blood flowing - is improved by the Mediterranean diet with virgin olive oil.

Although the control diet was rich in fruits and vegetables like the two Mediterranean diets, the diet was shown to have an adverse impact on HDL's anti-inflammatory properties. This negative impact was not observed in the Mediterranean diets. A reduction in HDL's anti-inflammatory capacity is linked with a greater risk of heart disease.

As expected, the researchers only found slight differences in results between the diets, because the variation between the two Mediterranean diets was modest, and the control diet was healthful.

"Following a Mediterranean diet rich in virgin olive oil could protect our cardiovascular health in several ways, including making our 'good cholesterol' work in a more complete way."

Montserrat Fit

This research could contribute to the development of novel therapeutic targets, such as new antioxidant-rich foods, nutraceuticals, or new drug families that may improve HDL function, conclude the study authors.

Learn how the Mediterranean diet may protect against ADHD.

See more here:
Mediterranean diet enriched with virgin olive oil may protect the heart - Medical News Today

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Pet Q&A: Kidney disease and special diets

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NorthJersey 9:00 p.m. ET Feb. 13, 2017

Laura Eirmann, DVM, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Nutrition(Photo: Oradell Animal Hospital)

Q. My cat was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and her veterinarian recommended a special diet. How will this food help her?

Chronic kidney disease is common especially in older cats and dogs. Nutrition is an important part of the management of your cats condition. Clinical trials show pets with kidney disease eating specialized kidney friendly diets feel better and live longer than pets eating regular maintenance foods. When the kidneys dont function properly, phosphorus builds up in the blood stream and can cause further damage to the kidneys. So these specialized foods available by prescription youre your veterinarian are restricted in dietary phosphorus. They are also often supplemented with extra potassium, B vitamins, and fish oil for overall patient and kidney health. Animal protein is relatively high in phosphorus compared to other ingredients so, you will notice these foods often contain less meat and are lower in protein compared to over the counter pet foods. The lower protein may also help the pet with kidney disease feel better because when the body processes protein, the waste products of metabolism normally secreted by healthy kidneys builds up in blood stream and can make the cat feel ill. These foods are formulated to still provide enough protein to meet the cats needs as long as the pet eats the recommended amount. If your cat doesnt like the first diet your veterinarian prescribes, ask to try another since there are currently over a dozen specialized foods for this condition that come in different flavors and textures. Before introducing the new food, make sure you cat is feeling well. Your veterinarian will want to make sure she is well hydrated and not feeling nauseous. Then slowly introduce the new kidney friendly food. Its OK if it takes several weeks to get her to switch over but monitor her weight to make sure shes eating enough during and after the transition. You veterinarian can give you other tips to help with the transition to this new food.

--Laura Eirmann, DVM, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Nutrition, Oradell Animal Hospital

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Pet Q&A: Kidney disease and a special diet - NorthJersey.com