Post-Transplant concerns with diet and weight gain
As you start to feel better after your transplant, you may be struck by the sudden return of your appetite. After being sick for a while, it can be a great feeling. For the first time in ages, you really enjoy eating again.
But as great as that feeling is, eating a lot has that well-known downside: weight gain. And unfortunately, the steroids that you're taking can both boost your appetite and make it harder for your body to use carbohydrates. The result can be excess fat.
"We have a lot of transplant patients who get overweight," says Jeffrey D. Punch, MD, chief of the Division of Transplantation at the University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor. "It's pretty common."
It's key that you try to prevent weight gain or -- if you're past the point of prevention -- lose some of the excess pounds. While keeping a healthy weight is important for everyone, it's especially important for people who have had a transplant because it lowers the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
What Kind of Diet Should I Eat?
There is no magical "Transplant Diet." In general, you should just eat the kind of diet that would be healthy for anyone. It should be low in fat and sugar and high in complex carbohydrates like cereals, vegetables and grains. Of course, it all depends on your individual case. You may need to take special precautions. Stick to the diet your doctor recommends.
In many cases, eating is a lot simpler after a transplant.
"Before people get a kidney transplant, they often have to avoid foods with high magnesium and phosphorous, and they have strict fluid restrictions," says Richard Perez, MD, PhD, the director of the Transplant Center at the University of California Medical Center at Davis. "After a transplant, a lot of those restrictions are lifted and they can eat a normal diet."
As you start to feel better after your transplant, you may be struck by the sudden return of your appetite. After being sick for a while, it can be a great feeling. For the first time in ages, you really enjoy eating again.
But as great as that feeling is, eating a lot has that well-known downside: weight gain. And unfortunately, the steroids that you're taking can both boost your appetite and make it harder for your body to use carbohydrates. The result can be excess fat.
"We have a lot of transplant patients who get overweight," says Jeffrey D. Punch, MD, chief of the Division of Transplantation at the University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor. "It's pretty common."
It's key that you try to prevent weight gain or -- if you're past the point of prevention -- lose some of the excess pounds. While keeping a healthy weight is important for everyone, it's especially important for people who have had a transplant because it lowers the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
What Kind of Diet Should I Eat?
There is no magical "Transplant Diet." In general, you should just eat the kind of diet that would be healthy for anyone. It should be low in fat and sugar and high in complex carbohydrates like cereals, vegetables and grains. Of course, it all depends on your individual case. You may need to take special precautions. Stick to the diet your doctor recommends.
In many cases, eating is a lot simpler after a transplant.
"Before people get a kidney transplant, they often have to avoid foods with high magnesium and phosphorous, and they have strict fluid restrictions," says Richard Perez, MD, PhD, the director of the Transplant Center at the University of California Medical Center at Davis. "After a transplant, a lot of those restrictions are lifted and they can eat a normal diet."
Gaining Weight
So how do you stay healthy and avoid gaining weight after a transplant? The experts have some ideas.
Talk to your health care team. "Dietary counseling is very important," says Perez. "Most of the time we have patients consult with a dietitian, sometimes even before the transplant so that they can get ready."
Stay away from fad diets. Punch recommends that people avoid diets that they read about it magazines or hear about on TV. Instead, he says, focus on the basics. "I tell them not to think of it as going on a diet," says Punch. Instead, he emphasizes that you should make sensible changes to the way you eat that you can live with permanently.
Resist temptation at the grocery store. "Try to buy things at the grocery store that are healthy," Punch says. "That way, you only need to exercise your willpower once a week instead of every minute. If you don't have the doughnuts and cookies around the house, you can't eat them."
Drink plenty of water. This is advisable as long as your doctor says you don't have to control the amount of fluids you drink.
Try healthier ways of cooking. Instead of frying, try baking, broiling, grilling or steaming foods.
Pay attention to portion size. Keep in mind that restaurants often serve enormous portions. Don't eat the whole thing. Instead, cut it in half and eat the rest for lunch the next day.
Read food labels. Take note of just what's in the foods you buy. Watch for the amount of fat and calories.
Watch out for interactions. Make sure you know if any of your medicines interact with foods. For instance, some medications used to suppress your immune system can interact with grapefruit juice.
So how do you stay healthy and avoid gaining weight after a transplant? The experts have some ideas.
Talk to your health care team. "Dietary counseling is very important," says Perez. "Most of the time we have patients consult with a dietitian, sometimes even before the transplant so that they can get ready."
Stay away from fad diets. Punch recommends that people avoid diets that they read about it magazines or hear about on TV. Instead, he says, focus on the basics. "I tell them not to think of it as going on a diet," says Punch. Instead, he emphasizes that you should make sensible changes to the way you eat that you can live with permanently.
Resist temptation at the grocery store. "Try to buy things at the grocery store that are healthy," Punch says. "That way, you only need to exercise your willpower once a week instead of every minute. If you don't have the doughnuts and cookies around the house, you can't eat them."
Drink plenty of water. This is advisable as long as your doctor says you don't have to control the amount of fluids you drink.
Try healthier ways of cooking. Instead of frying, try baking, broiling, grilling or steaming foods.
Pay attention to portion size. Keep in mind that restaurants often serve enormous portions. Don't eat the whole thing. Instead, cut it in half and eat the rest for lunch the next day.
Read food labels. Take note of just what's in the foods you buy. Watch for the amount of fat and calories.
Watch out for interactions. Make sure you know if any of your medicines interact with foods. For instance, some medications used to suppress your immune system can interact with grapefruit juice.
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