To help control diabetes, you need to keep your blood sugar at the right level. This helps prevent or slow down other possible health issues, like kidney disease. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease in the U.S.¹

VillageHealth connected with the American Diabetes Association® (ADA) to help members better understand how their different health conditions impact each other. The ADA's online experience —at diabetes.org/kidney—offers diabetes and kidney health information, health and food tips for both conditions and much more.

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Healthy Eating with Diabetes

Choosing less-processed foods, certain cooking methods and eating on a regular schedule can help manage diabetes and improve kidney health. Eat diabetes- and kidney-friendly foods by following these tips. Choose:

• Low-sodium/salt foods (like whole grains and fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables).
• Carbohydrates made without a lot of added sugar or fat (like whole grains, fresh or frozen fruit and starchy vegetables such as potatoes).
• Heart-healthy fats (like olive and avocado oils).
• Plant-based proteins (like beans/lentils, quinoa and tofu).
• Baking, broiling, roasting, air frying or grilling instead of frying.

Talk with your doctor or registered dietitian (RD) about foods that are right for you. These tips are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for medical advice. Consult your dietitian or physician for the specific diet that is right for you as diet guidelines vary for each individual based on health condition, diagnosis and many other factors.

You may have high blood pressure and not know it. If high blood pressure is not treated, it can damage your blood vessels including small ones in your kidneys. If the blood vessels in your kidneys are damaged, your kidneys can’t work as well.

To avoid this:

1. Regularly check your blood pressure with a doctor or nurse.
2. Maintain a healthy weight.
3. Do not smoke.
4. Exercise often. Even a short walk helps. Talk to your doctor about the right amount of exercise for you.
5. Limit salt and alcohol.
6. Take prescribed medicines as your doctor tells you to.

People with kidney disease often have a heart condition, too. A healthy diet is an important part of managing both health conditions, but foods that are good for one condition may not be good for the other.

Your VillageHealth care team can help you with:

• Tips for a diet that is good for your heart and kidneys.
• Recipes that are good for your health conditions.
• Help finding a local dietitian.

Diabetes and high blood pressure are the main health problems leading to kidney failure. But other common health problems can damage your kidney, too:

• Heart disease affects the heart and blood vessels. Symptoms:
• Chest pain
• Unsteady heartbeat
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling
• Pain and numbness in arms and legs
• Congestive heart failure happens when the heart cannot pump enough blood. Symptoms:
• Shortness of breath
• Tiredness
• Swelling in ankles and legs
• Fluid build-up in lungs
• Lung disease includes several health problems that may come on slowly or suddenly:
• Asthma and emphysema (lung diseases that make breathing hard)
• Chronic bronchitis (swelling in lungs which causes a cough that won’t go away)
• Lung cancer
• Pulmonary arterial high blood pressure (high blood pressure in your lungs)

As kidney function gets worse, you may also have:

• Swelling in legs and feet
• Trouble breathing
• Feeling sick or tired
• Loss of appetite
• Too much or not enough urine
• Itchy skin

People can have different symptoms. If you feel any of these, talk with your doctor or your VillageHealth care team right away.