| Check Out the New Features of AAKP My Health™ |  |
AAKP My Health™ now offers new features to help users take charge of their health care. Users can now receive appointment reminders by email and print emergency contact cards.
AAKP My Health™ is a free, unique section of the AAKP website, www.aakp.org, that provides you with online tools to be the leader in your health care. With AAKP My Health™, you can:
· Track your lab results
· Log your medications
· List your health care team members
· Prepare information for doctor visits
· Test your kidney knowledge |
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Recipe of the Month: Blueberry Cheesecake |
 Serving size: 1/16th pie Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
- 2 packages (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 eggs
- 1 can (21 oz.) blueberry filling
Preparation: - Mix wafer crumbs, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sugar and margarine.
- Press in bottom of 9 inch (20 cm) spring form pan or 9 inch (20 cm) pie pan.
- Bake 10 minutes at 350° F (175° C). Cool.
- Beat cream cheese in large bowl. Add 1 cup (235 ml) sugar gradually, beating until fluffy.
- Add lemon peel and vanilla. Beat in one egg at a time. Pour over crumb mixture.
- Bake at 300° F (150° C) for 1 hour or until center is firm. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.
- Top with pie filling. Makes 16 slices.
Nutrient Analysis: Calories: 285; Protein: 2g; Phosphorus 40mg; Potassium 55mg; Sodium 160mg
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| Vegetarian Diet Helps Kidney Patients Keep Phosphorus in Check |  A grain-based vegetarian diet helps chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients avoid accumulating toxic levels of phosphorous in their bodies, according to new research in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. If your body can't get rid of phosphorous, it builds up and causes heart disease and eventually death. Healthy kidneys filter toxic minerals like phosphorous so they don't build up toxic levels in the bloodstream. This blood cleaning process doesn't work so well in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who have to find other ways to compensate.
One way is to follow medical guidelines that recommend low phosphorous diets for people with CKD, but since food labels don't list phosphorous content, that is easier said than done. Researchers decided to compare a vegetarian diet against a meat diet to see how they affected phosphorous levels in patients with CKD. They recruited nine volunteers with CKD and got them to follow a vegetarian or meat-based diet for a week, and then two to four weeks later, got them to follow the opposite diet. The volunteers gave blood and urine samples at the end of each week on both diets. Researchers found that despite the two diets offering equivalent protein and phosphorous concentrations, when they were on the vegetarian diet, the patients had significantly lower levels of phosphorous in their blood and urine samples, than when they were on the meat-based diet. |
| Medal of Excellence Tickets Now Available! |
 Tickets for the 2011 AAKP Medal of Excellence Award Dinner are now available for purchase. During this event, AAKP will honor Raymond M. Hakim, PhD, MD, and Allen Nissenson, MD, FACP, for their extraordinary devotion and skills in the renal field. The Medal of Excellence Award Dinner takes place March 18, 2011, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. The Dinner is being held in conjunction with the Renal Physicians Association's Annual Meeting.
To purchase tickets for the Medal of Excellence, please contact AAKP at (800) 749-2257 or click here to purchase tickets online.
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| Blood Pressure Lowered by Whey Supplements | |
Beverages supplemented by whey-based protein can significantly reduce elevated blood pressure, reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease, according to a new study. Research found that daily doses of commonly available whey brought a more than six-point reduction in the average blood pressure of men and women with elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressures. While the study was confined to 71 student subjects between the ages of 18 and 26, researchers say those older with blood pressure issues would likely get similar results. The study appears in the International Dairy Journal. |
| Tip of the Month: Limiting Calories on the Kidney Diet | |
 If you have Stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD), your doctor may advise you to make some changes in your diet. If you are not at a healthy weight, the doctor may suggest that you either gain or lose a few pounds, depending on your condition. Maintaining a healthy weight can help people with kidney disease control and prevent more health problems.
Here are some guidelines to help limit calories:
- "Eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch and a pauper at supper."
- Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Use low fat or fat free dressings.
- Have unbuttered popcorn instead of snack chips.
- Eat regular meals and snacks if you need them, to control cravings.
- Omit juices and sodas.
- Don't eat after 8:00 p.m.
- Share a meal when eating in a restaurant.
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