Health & Wellness: The Cooking Doc

In this interview Nat discussed staying healthy with world renowned Kidney Expert Dr. Blake Shusterman and he suggested some really great health improvements to keep your kidneys healthy and also to energize your life.

• • Make gradual habit changes rather than overhauling everything at once. Pick one unhealthy habit, like a daily soda or fast-food stop, and work on substituting it with a healthy alternative over a six-month period
  • Gradual adjustments over a few years are much more likely to last than quick fad diets
  • Change your buds” to crave healthier options. Retrain your taste buds to associate nutritious, flavorful foods with positive, nostalgic feelings, helping you break away from the reliance on fast food and heavily processed items
  • Adopt a whole-food, kidney-friendly diet. Focus on eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while monitoring your animal protein intake and keeping your sodium low

He suggested some wonderful recipes from his book Kidney Healthy Cooking which can be found here: https://www.thecookingdoc.co/cookbook/

• The DASH diet is an excellent model for this, as the foods that benefit your kidneys also support your heart, brain, and gut health
• Rethink your fluid intake. Instead of obsessing over drinking exactly eight glasses of water a day, focus on replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water, unsweetened tea, or black coffee
• Studies show that black coffee is actually beneficial for your health and your kidneys
• Treat exercise as a “miracle drug.” Aim to exercise five times a week
• Even if it does not lead directly to weight loss, regular physical activity is incredible for improving your mental health, protecting your joints, and building physical strength
• Get screened early for underlying conditions. Because kidney disease often shows no symptoms until its late stages, it is critical to get screened early with a blood or urine test
• This is especially important if you have a family history of the disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes, as these conditions are the leading causes of kidney problems