Rationale possibly...
- Drank zero water before... now a gallon a day which flushes my system many times a day
- My nephrologist told me to avoid all medications best as possible which i do and have done. When I must take meds then in my monthly to bi-monthly CMP (comprehensive metabolic panel labwork) i see my kidney function go down albeit temporarily. For example I took a new drug recently out on the market and it dropped my function to under 60% in Nov/Dec last year. Back to 75% as of my last test received this week. Prior test showed function was 82%.
- I ate beef (steak) many times a week prior and lots of fried food (cut that down to once or every other month)... i still eat out always at Cava (simple rice and chicken bowl), grilled nuggets at Chic Fil A and a fruit cup with unsweet tea/splash of lemonade, salads at Panera (Fuji Apple), pasta (spaghetti with marina from local pizzerias), maybe a Chix/rice burrito from Chipolte or a mini turkey and provolone sub from Jersey Mikes... for breakfast if I eat it at all healthy cereal with no preservatives or egg whites with potatoes and wheat toast (no bacon or pork) at a local diner.
- I weigh myself daily and count my calories in my head. I recently been enjoying using chatGPT to do so, as it knows calories of all the places i go, counts them up and remembers them so i can add more later. I keep it between 1500 to 1800 calories a day(eat two meals a day and healthy snacks here/there) which i think isnt a lot for a dude my age (late 40s) and my size (5'11 170 to 175). I almost never drink calories ... unsweet tea and splash of lemonade for flavor is minimal.. water is zero. Rarely drink alcohol maybe one or two gin and tonics in a month.
- Ive always been obsessed with fitness prior to kidney function diagnosis as i enjoy looking my best I can on the beach and elsewhere :) So im doing some type of exercise almost daily (hike, bike, gym, swim laps, weights)
I think the amount of water i intake, changing my diet as noted above, maintaining my lifestyle of fitness ive always had & avoiding all/any meds are the keys to my kidney function success. My nephrologist who i still see a year later or so changed her tune and now advocates for the lifestyle i live to help with kidney function health.
I see people here talking about fasting and im not eating a ton a day. Maybe that's an overall good thing for our bodies not eating a ton ant things that aren't healthy/natural (processed foods are really bad i thnk).. not stressing it to break down more stuff (just a thought/guess).
My lifestyle isnt for everyone and the fitness portion is something ive always done to try and be the best I can be as well look the best i possibly can. Again im a bit obsessed with such and is a driver to my lifestyle.. ive never dieted i guess my lifestyle is a diet to others.