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"The main goal of DaVita Diet Helper is to help patients stay healthy asevidenced by their lab results, fluid balance and good nutritional intake,"said Sara Colman RD, CDE, DaVita(R) Nutrition Project Specialist. "DaVita DietHelper is an easy way for patients to know what they can and can't eat and inwhat portions to keep their protein, potassium, phosphorus, sodium and fluidsin check. Sticking to any diet is a challenge, but with DaVita Diet Helperit's a lot easier for our dialysis patients to stay on track."
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Diet is an integral part of the treatment for managing chronic kidneydisease and ensuring patients' overall health and quality of life. Because thekidneys can no longer filter and eliminate waste products and excess fluid,kidney diets are focused on maintaining adequate nutrition and keepingminerals and electrolytes in balance. Renal dietitians work closely withindividual patients to create customized diet plans based on treatment type,disease stage and related conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
The renal diet can be difficult for patients who are accustomed totraditional beliefs about a healthy diet. Rather than focusing on fat andcalorie intake, kidney patients need to focus on phosphorus, potassium andsodium intake, while getting adequate calories and protein, as well aslimiting overall fluid intake.
Patients are finding the tool both easy and helpful. A patient and userof the tool, Bobbi, noted on the DaVita website that, "I've been on dialysisfor four years, and food has always been an issue. This system has breathednew life in me! The recipes are not only fabulous, but there is such avariety! This makes it easy to stay on target!"
DaVita Diet Helper was developed in partnership with eDiets and took morethan a year to complete. eDiets provided the customized nutrition analysis andtracking tools. DaVita dietitians helped eDiets dietitians createcorresponding meal planning for the 24 unique renal diet prescriptionsrelating to differing amounts of phosphorus, potassium and sodium allowed indialysis patients' diets. DaVita recommends that any patients interested inusing this tool should consult with their healthcare team before changingtheir diet. DaVita Diet Helper can be accessed online atwww.davita.com/diethelper.
In addition to DaVita Diet Helper, DaVita.com hosts a robust recipesection with more than 450 current choices that make it easier for patients toenjoy a variety of tasty food options. Recipes can be found atwww.davita.com/recipes.
DaVita is a registered trademark of DaVita Inc. eDiets and eDiets.com areregistered trademarks of eDiets.com, Inc. All other trademarks are propertyof their respective owners.
About DaVita Inc.
DaVita Inc., a FORTUNE 500(R) company, is a leading provider of dialysisservices in the United States, providing dialysis services for patients withchronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita manages over 1,300outpatient facilities and acut
