lindafrancois

[lindafrancois]

Back to Basics: Increasing Protein Intake on Dialysis

Protein is an important nutrient that can help our bodies fight off infection, heal wounds, build muscles and increase energy. It is especially important for dialysis patients to eat plenty of protein, as some protein is lost during each dialysis treatment.

To assess protein intake, albumin levels are tracked in dialysis patients. Albumin is a type of protein in the blood that serves as a marker for a patient’s nutritional status. In dialysis patients, the desired range is 4.0 g/dL or greater. A level under 4.0 g/dL may indicate protein intake is inadequate. Low albumin may also be a marker for inflammation.

Protein Sources

Good protein sources include eggs, meat (beef, pork, poultry), fish, shellfish and some dairy products such as cottage cheese or Greek yogurt. A general recommendation for dialysis patients is to consume 8 to 10 ounces of protein per day. When estimating protein portions, 3 ounces of meat is approximately the same size as a deck of cards. Protein can also be found in plant-based sources including soy products like tofu and tempeh. There are newer plant-based proteins that look and taste like ground meat. However, these products are highly processed and may contain a significant amount of sodium. Legumes and nuts are also good protein sources; however, these foods are also higher in potassium and phosphorus. Ask your dietitian if including plant-based protein sources would be a good fit for you.

Tips to Increase Protein Intake

Add a protein-rich snack or two. Some high-protein snack ideas include cottage cheese, crackers with tuna or hard boiled eggs.

Consider trying a protein supplement. Ask your dietitian whether a protein supplement would be beneficial for you. There are many options available to fit a variety of taste preferences including protein shakes, protein bars and protein powders.

Eat protein foods first at each meal. Make protein your priority and eat your protein foods before you have the chance to get full.

Include a protein source with each meal. Including approximately 3 ounces of protein with each meal can help you achieve your protein intake goals.

Introduce some variety. Try switching up your protein sources or trying a new protein-rich recipe. Check out DaVita.com for ideas or try one of these tasty recipes to help boost your protein intake:

Sheet Pan Chicken with Green Beans and Potatoes

Easy Crock-Pot Beef Stroganoff

Easy Turkey Sloppy Joes

References:

https://www.dpcedcenter.org/news-events/news/albumin-and-chronic-kidney-disease/ Access date: July 22, 2021

https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/dietary_hemodialysis Access date: July 21, 2021

https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/getting-more-protein-while-dialysis Access date: July 21 2021

Additional Kidney Diet Resources

Visit DaVita.com and explore these diet and nutrition resources:

DaVita Food Analyzer

DaVita Dining Out Guides

Today’s Kidney Diet Cookbooks

DaVita Kidney-Friendly Recipes

Diet and Nutrition Articles                                                       

Diet and Nutrition Videos

Kidney Smart® Virtual Classes

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Consult your physician and dietitian regarding your specific diagnosis, treatment, diet and health questions.

Back to Basics: Increasing Protein Intake on Dialysis published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[lindafrancois]

What It Took for This Obese Doctor to Take His Own Health Advice

Kevin turned to food for comfort as he dealt with the death of his father. He chose a healthier path when his sister was diagnosed with cancer.

The post What It Took for This Obese Doctor to Take His Own Health Advice appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

What It Took for This Obese Doctor to Take His Own Health Advice published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[lindafrancois]

How Many Calories Do You Burn While Walking? A Hobbit’s Guide to Walking (with Calorie Calculator)

There’s two things every nerd should know:

How many calories do I burn walking a mile?

How far is it to Mordor?

Today, we’re answering both of them (and much more). 

Walking is a great form of exercise and something we often recommend to folks starting our coaching program. Some have had great success walking, including Megan, who has a daily practice to maintain her weight loss journey.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

How many calories does walking burn? (Calorie Calculator)

What are the benefits of walking?

How walking can change your life. 

How to walk properly.

Is walking enough for weight loss?

The best practices for walking (tips and tricks). 

Is a Fitbit helpful for walking? (Which fitness tracker is best for me?)

How long is the walk to Mordor? (And is it simple?)

Without further ado, let’s jump in.

How Many Calories Does Walking Burn? (Calorie Calculator)

In true Nerd Fitness fashion, we scienced the crap out of this, and even created a handy calculator for you – simply put your stats in the calculator here:

Calculate Calories Burned While Walking Calculator

Calculate Calories Burned While Walking Calculator

Your Weight (lbs)

Enter your weight in pounds.

Distance Walked (miles)

Enter the distance walked in miles. Partial miles is fine (e.g. 1.5)

Gross Calories Burned

Net Calories Burned

We used the formulas and information found on this page for this calculator

A few things to remember about the above equation:

There’s a difference between gross calories (total calories) expended and net calories (additional calories) expended! Your body burns most of its calories every day JUST by existing.

Gross calories: calories burned while walking PLUS the calories burned just existing

Net calories: ADDITIONAL calories you burned thanks to exercise.

Also, our calculation is an ESTIMATE. You’re a unique snowflake, and no box or formula can capture your awesomeness/uniqueness. This equation below is JUST a starting point!

Also, if you don’t feel like playing with our calculator (boo), here’s something you should know:

On average, a mile burns about 100 calories when walking.

ANY exercise pales in comparison to a much more important part of the weight loss equation: nutrition.

It’s what Megan credits most of her weight loss journey to.

If you’ve come this far, and you want to learn more about why walking is so amazing, continue reading.

And you’re damn right, I’ll show you exactly how to walk to Mordor too.

What Are The Benefits of Walking?

We are designed to walk. It’s in our DNA, and it’s a huge part of our emergence as the dominant species on this planet (along with opposable thumbs, big brains, and Nintendo).

Let’s get the basic stuff out of the way:

Every day, it’s recommended by the CDC that we walk around five miles, or 10,000 steps.[1]

Hence the reason why your Fitbit – which I’ll get to shortly – has that 10k step goal as its default number.

Unfortunately, we Americans tend to average HALF that: 2.5 miles or 5,000 steps.

And I’d imagine that people who work outdoors or have more physically active jobs drag that average wayyyy up.

Which leaves us desk jockeys, who don’t walk nearly enough.

We use our feet to get us from the front door, to our car, to our desk, to our car, to our front door, to our couch… where we put them up while watching four hours of TV before going to bed.

Not walking enough can be a big factor in the creep-up of weight gain over the years.

You might have questions like:

Can I walk more to lose weight?

Is walking REALLY good for me?

Do I need to do more intense exercise?

Long story short:

You should walk more and it can help you lose weight and be healthier.

Short story long, here’s why walking is important:

#1) Walking burns calories without exhausting you. If you walk the recommended mileage each day (5 miles instead of just 2.5), it can lead to a tremendous amount of weight loss over time. You’ll burn an extra 100 calories walking just ONE more mile each day than normal: When that’s multiplied out, it’s an extra 700 calories burned per week, which results in approximately a pound of fat lost every five weeks, or 10 pounds in a year.  You can scale up your distances to get your desired results!

#2) Walking doesn’t add to training stress. If you are strength training regularly, adding in more weight training or running can lead to burnout, breakdowns, and injuries. If you are trying to look like a super-hero, extra cardio sessions (or long-distance cardio sessions) might kill your gains. But you can just walk. You can walk great distances, provided you’ve built up your body’s physical ability, and not get tired or sore – walking (especially outside while soaking in some sunlight) can make you feel better, not worse.

#3) Walking is low impact. Unlike running, which can wreak havoc on people’s joints if they run improperly or are severely overweight, walking doesn’t have those impact issues. If you go for a walk and your feet or joints hurt, you’re doing it wrong – read the next section!

#4) Walking can burn fat. Because walking is low impact and low intensity, your body doesn’t need to pull much glycogen and glucose stores to fuel itself, which happens when you strength train or push yourself into “aerobic training” with higher intensity cardio. Proponents of intermittent fasting suggest walking in a fasted state in the morning before eating anything in order to help burn extra fat. It’s a little controversial, so this will have to be something you attempt and measure for yourself.

#5) Walking relieves stress. Seriously! Put on your favorite playlist, and go for a pleasant walk around your neighborhood or through the woods as the sun is going down. It’s a recipe to forget the worries of your day.

Bonus points if you can get someone to follow you with a boombox:

#6) Walking improves mental health (especially in older hobbits). Walking can improve mental health, increase brain size, improve memory, and is correlated with improved, longer lifespans.[2]

How Walking Can Change Your Life

If you are severely overweight and can’t run or strength train, walk on.

If you are building muscle and bulking up, walk on.

If you are trying to lose weight, walk on.

If you struggle with following a routine, or have failed in the past with weight loss, walk on. 

Why? I’m a HUGE fan of small habit change and tiny victories – walking is the PERFECT habit builder. If you’re brand new and starting out, go for a walk TODAY and begin your journey to Mordor.

This afternoon, go for a five-minute walk. Tomorrow morning before work, before breakfast, as SOON as you wake up, put on your shoes, and go outside for a five-minute walk. No snoozing, no lying in bed, no checking email or Twitter. Put on your headphones, pick your favorite song, go outside, and start walking.

Here’s why:

Walking for just five minutes a day is the start of a new habit.  Every morning for a few weeks, you’ll have to force yourself to walk. Initially, it will take effort and willpower to walk instead of snoozing. However, with each passing day of success, you’ll need to use less effort and willpower to get out the door. After all, it’s only five minutes, right? Once it’s something you do automatically without thinking, you can add on to it by increasing your walk time.

Walking briskly outdoors in the fresh morning air can be a great caffeine-free wake up call! If you make walking the FIRST thing you do in the morning, especially if you’re doing it before anybody else is awake, there will be zero distractions and no reason to say “sorry, I didn’t have time.” Of course, we like caffeine too (in moderation).

Walking will give you a chance to gather your thoughts and clear your head before the day begins. We’re constantly distracted at home: TV, iPads, smartphones, etc. Walking is so primal – no gadgets, just walking. Many people cite walking as the impetus for their creative or intelligent breakthroughs.   

Walking and successfully building a habit will give you a habit blueprint to follow for anything else you’d like to accomplish: “Hey, I was able to make walking a habit, what else can I tackle in the same way?” Slow and steady wins. One foot in front of the other, my friend.

How to Walk Properly

“Uhhh, Steve, I know how to walk. I do it every day!”

Welp, if you’re starting from only walking from your car to the office, we need to make sure you’re walking the right way for when you push that mileage up.

Let’s start with your feet, provided you’re not gonna glue hair to your feet and go barefoot to become a hobbit.

I recommend walking in shoes that have a wide toe box and minimal drop (height at the heel vs height at the toes), as we discuss in our monster post on healthy feet and footwear:

Low profile shoes like those from Vivo barefoot.

I trained in Vibrams for years.

Now I train in Merrell Vapor Glove 3s.

You might not be used to walking with minimal cushioning under your heels, so walk slowly and land softly. Walking on softer surfaces to start isn’t a bad idea either.

We were designed before the invention of big clunky shoes… thus, we should be able to walk without big clunky shoes.[3] If you are interested in going barefoot as a runner, get started by walking short distances first. Your feet will toughen up (though they probably won’t grow hair quite like Frodo and Sam), your joints and muscles around your feet and ankles will strengthen, and your knees will deal with less stress.

When going for a lazy stroll, focus on landing softly, which is much easier when you don’t have thick-soled shoes to cushion your stride: land softly with your heel barely touching before rolling onto the middle (ball) of your foot, and then push off. You might need to take shorter strides than you’re used to if you were a big heel striker with a long stride.

If you’re aiming to walk quickly and up the intensity, shorten your stride and aim to land in the middle of your foot while pumping your arms. This is more easily done when walking uphill (which is also a great way to burn extra calories).

Is Walking Enough for Weight Loss?

Can walking help you lose weight?

You’re darn right it can!

The above photos are from Don, one of our coaching clients. Don credits his daily walking practice with helping him lose 85 pounds!

He’s not our only example here:

Megan, who I mentioned earlier, is another client who walks daily to maintain her weight loss.

Case closed?

Of course not!

Both Don and Megan also made adjustments to their nutrition to reach their amazing results.

One of the Rules of the Nerd Fitness Rebellion is that we know “you can’t outrun your fork.” No amount of exercise can counter a bad diet, as your nutrition will be responsible for 90% (not an exaggeration) of your success or failure.

Here’s an example:

Let’s say you go for a 5-mile walk, which takes you 90+ minutes.

If you then consume a 20 oz Gatorade and a small bag of Fritos (a typical snack for many here in America), you will have already undone all of the calories burned while walking.

Depending on your nutrition and love/hatred for exercise, this is either great news or bad news!

The BAD news: you can’t eat very badly in mass quantities and then expect to lose weight with a bit of exercise every week, even if it’s strenuous.

The GOOD news: Even if you dislike exercise, you can avoid exercise and still lose weight! Instead, put ALL of your focus instead on fixing your nutrition, and then go for a walk every once in awhile.

I’d also consider reading the following:

The Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating

The 5 Rules of Weight Loss

Oh, and if you want to see if a Nerd Fitness Coach can build you a program to lose weight while doing movements you enjoy (like walking), click on the button below:

Yep, with the right program you can walk away the pounds. Learn more here.

The Best Practices for Walking (Tips and Tricks)

#1) Focus on posture! Head up! Shoulders back! Walk with a confident stroll – practice this one in the morning if you’re not used to walking like this. It’s also a great way to appear instantly more confident; we nerds and hobbits need all the confidence we can get! Look around at your surroundings with your head up, arms swinging in rhythm.

You can also do some well placed neck swings and jacket removals:

#2) Walk uphill to burn more fat. If you are walking on a treadmill, set it to an incline to increase the intensity and thus increase the amount of fat burned. Just don’t be that person who sets the incline way up, then holds onto both sides and leans their body back to be perpendicular with the incline. Keep good posture, lean forward into the incline, shorten your stride, and pump your legs.

#3) Hiking is a great way to practice walking, enjoy the scenery, and play Lord of the Rings in the woods with plastic swords and capes. Not that you should do that (you totally should). Here’s a beginner’s guide to hiking!

#4) When walking downhill, especially while barefoot (or wearing minimalist shoes), keep that stride short and be careful on how you are walking. Make sure your knee is bent when you land and absorb the impact rather than jamming the impact through your heel, knee, leg, hips, and lower back.

#5) Consider going for fasted walks in the morning. When you wake up first thing in the morning, your body has burned through most of the carb-fueled energy stores during the night. Which means when you go for a walk first thing in the morning, your body is more likely to have to pull from the only fuel source available to it: fat! This is the entire philosophy behind things like Intermittent Fasting or really low-carb diets like the Ketogenic diet.

#6) Get yourself a sturdy walking stick, if only so you can use it to battle imaginary ogres, goblins, cavetrolls, etc. It can also make you feel far more adventurous than if you’re just walking, and help you get up hills and land softly when going back down.

#7) Try Temptation Bundling. Load up an audiobook or your favorite podcast, and tell yourself that you can ONLY listen to the book or podcast while walking.

Is a Fitbit Helpful for Walking? (Which Fitness Tracker Is Best for Me?)

If you’re somebody who has been interested – or is getting interested – in walking, you’re probably familiar with step-tracking devices:

Fitbit (the Charge 4 is pretty awesome)

Garmin

Apple Watch

Polar

Personally, I’m a huge fan of fitness wearables, but not for the reasons you’d think.

For starters, you’re wearing a constant reminder that you are prioritizing movement, which can only be positive. You can even trigger it to remind you to get up and move every hour.

It can also allow you to see how many steps you normally take, and thus allow you to prioritize moving MORE.

Although Fitbit has a history of being sued for the inaccurate heart-monitor portion of its devices, I’m less concerned about heart rates and 100% accuracy of step distance, and instead think in terms of personal improvement.

Just like with tracking your bodyfat percentage or your weight, “that which gets measured gets improved,” and that carries over to your total steps. The fact that you’re tracking it means you’re going to be more aware of it, which means you’re going to be more likely to be able to improve it.

And that’s why, in a weird way, I’m not very concerned about the total accuracy of these devices. Even if your scale is off by 5 pounds, or your body fat caliper is inaccurate by 1%, as long as you use the same device and measure in the same way under the same conditions, you can track trends and paint the picture of your health and whether or not it’s improving!

And that’s what these fitness trackers should be used for: a reminder and a trend tracker!

What you SHOULDN’T do: take your fitness tracker as gospel, and use that to calculate down to the calorie and macro how much food exactly you can consume.

What you SHOULD do: track your trend over time, and see if you can improve your average. Use the technology to aid your fitness quest. Use the community portion of the band to compare your stats against friends and get some positive friendly peer pressure to get you off your ass.

Okay, if nerdy fitness technology isn’t nerdy enough for you, let’s go full-nerd.

How to Actually Walk to Mordor

Did you know it’s 1779 miles between Hobbiton to Mount Doom? [4]. We can actually determine how far Sam and Frodo walked, and then set out on the journey ourselves! It’s one thing to go for a stroll around your neighborhood. It’s another to know that, “If I take one more step, it’ll be the farthest away from home I’ve ever been.”

So let’s take a look at how far we need to walk first:

458 miles: Go from Hobbiton to Rivendell.

462 miles: Set out with the Fellowship from Rivendell, through Moria, to Lothlorien.

389 miles: From Lothlorien, down the Anduin, to Rauros Falls.

470 miles: Follow Frodo and Sam on the quest from Rauros to Mt. Doom.

535 miles: From Minas Tirith to Isengard

693 miles: From Isengard to Rivendell.

397 miles: From Rivendell to Bag End.

467 miles: (bonus!) Follow Frodo to the Grey Havens and return home with Sam.

Following this path, you need to walk a total of 1779 miles to get from Hobbiton to Mt. Doom. Then it’s time to destroy the ring and get carried to Minas Tirith by the Great Eagles.

Then you’ll walk 1625 miles back to Bag End (and an additional 467 miles if you’re interested in doing a round trip to the Grey Havens).

Obviously, you don’t need to move at the same speed as the hobbits (18 miles on the first day is no joke! Damn, those hobbits covered some ground!), but it’s still fun to track your walks and your total miles to see where you’d be on your journey.

However, like Frodo and Sam, it starts with the first step.

I’ve created a Google Doc that you can copy for yourself to track your distances to follow Frodo and Sam on your journey to destroy the One Ring.

Here’s how to do it:

Open the document, and then click on “file,” “save a copy,” and then you can edit your own copy of the document.  

Track your distances with a pedometer, Fitbit, your iPhone or Android phone.

Input your distances and work towards completing each section of the journey over months. As you input your distances, it will automatically let you know when you reach each destination so you can get you started on the next one. 5 miles a day on average will have you destroying the Ring within one year.

Oh, and if you’re curious, according to my rough gorilla math, Frodo burned at least an additional 61,0000+ calories (100,000+ gross calories) by walking “there and back again” – you’re welcome[5].

What’s that?

You want some help getting out the door?

You got it – but only cause you asked nicely.

Here are three ways to level up alongside Nerd Fitness. 

#1) Our Online Coaching Program: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.

You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:

Our coaching program changes lives. Learn how!

#2) If you want an exact roadmap on how to get in shape, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

We even have fun missions that will help you walk more, all while you earn XP! Righteous. 

Try your free trial right here:

#3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.

Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our Rebel Starter Kit, which includes all of our “work out at home” guides, the Nerd Fitness Diet Cheat Sheet, and much more!

Get your Nerd Fitness Starter Kit

The 15 mistakes you don’t want to make.

Full guide to the most effective diet and why it works.

Complete and track your first workout today, no gym required.

Alright, your turn:

What questions do you have about walking? 

How have you incorporated it into your daily routine?

And have you walked to Mordor?

Let me know in the comments!

-Steve 

Photo source: fourbrickstall Hiking in Candelario, Lego Frodo, logoboom © 123RF.com, gynane © 123RF.com, arushigakaito © 123RF.com, snehit © 123RF.com, Thad Zajdowicz Keep walking! HMM!, Frodo and Sam, 

Footnotes    ( returns to text)

You can find their recommendation here.

You can find this study on walking and all-cause mortality and this study on walking and creative thinking. The New York Times also looked at the benefits of walking and brain health.

This study found that highly running in high cushioned shoes increases leg stiffness and amplifies impact loading

Thanks to EowynChallenge.net for this crazy amount of work

You’re probably wondering about the math on this one. I followed this thread down a rabbit hole and estimated a hobbit at 3.5 feet tall would weigh 60 pounds. I then put that into the calculator to determine calories walked. Again – this is just an estimation, and probably could be even more accurate if we had the topography of middle earth to determine elevation climbed too! Feel free to get me more accurate numbers in the comments and I’ll update this!

The post Blog first appeared on Nerd Fitness.

How Many Calories Do You Burn While Walking? A Hobbit’s Guide to Walking (with Calorie Calculator) published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[lindafrancois]

Back to Basics: Increasing Protein Intake on Dialysis

Protein is an important nutrient that can help our bodies fight off infection, heal wounds, build muscles and increase energy. It is especially important for dialysis patients to eat plenty of protein, as some protein is lost during each dialysis treatment.

To assess protein intake, albumin levels are tracked in dialysis patients. Albumin is a type of protein in the blood that serves as a marker for a patient’s nutritional status. In dialysis patients, the desired range is 4.0 g/dL or greater. A level under 4.0 g/dL may indicate protein intake is inadequate. Low albumin may also be a marker for inflammation.

Protein Sources

Good protein sources include eggs, meat (beef, pork, poultry), fish, shellfish and some dairy products such as cottage cheese or Greek yogurt. A general recommendation for dialysis patients is to consume 8 to 10 ounces of protein per day. When estimating protein portions, 3 ounces of meat is approximately the same size as a deck of cards. Protein can also be found in plant-based sources including soy products like tofu and tempeh. There are newer plant-based proteins that look and taste like ground meat. However, these products are highly processed and may contain a significant amount of sodium. Legumes and nuts are also good protein sources; however, these foods are also higher in potassium and phosphorus. Ask your dietitian if including plant-based protein sources would be a good fit for you.

Tips to Increase Protein Intake

Add a protein-rich snack or two. Some high-protein snack ideas include cottage cheese, crackers with tuna or hard boiled eggs.

Consider trying a protein supplement. Ask your dietitian whether a protein supplement would be beneficial for you. There are many options available to fit a variety of taste preferences including protein shakes, protein bars and protein powders.

Eat protein foods first at each meal. Make protein your priority and eat your protein foods before you have the chance to get full.

Include a protein source with each meal. Including approximately 3 ounces of protein with each meal can help you achieve your protein intake goals.

Introduce some variety. Try switching up your protein sources or trying a new protein-rich recipe. Check out DaVita.com for ideas or try one of these tasty recipes to help boost your protein intake:

Sheet Pan Chicken with Green Beans and Potatoes

Easy Crock-Pot Beef Stroganoff

Easy Turkey Sloppy Joes

References:

https://www.dpcedcenter.org/news-events/news/albumin-and-chronic-kidney-disease/ Access date: July 22, 2021

https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/dietary_hemodialysis Access date: July 21, 2021

https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/getting-more-protein-while-dialysis Access date: July 21 2021

Additional Kidney Diet Resources

Visit DaVita.com and explore these diet and nutrition resources:

DaVita Food Analyzer

DaVita Dining Out Guides

Today’s Kidney Diet Cookbooks

DaVita Kidney-Friendly Recipes

Diet and Nutrition Articles                                                       

Diet and Nutrition Videos

Kidney Smart® Virtual Classes

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Consult your physician and dietitian regarding your specific diagnosis, treatment, diet and health questions.

Back to Basics: Increasing Protein Intake on Dialysis published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[lindafrancois]

What It Took for This Obese Doctor to Take His Own Health Advice

Kevin turned to food for comfort as he dealt with the death of his father. He chose a healthier path when his sister was diagnosed with cancer.

The post What It Took for This Obese Doctor to Take His Own Health Advice appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

What It Took for This Obese Doctor to Take His Own Health Advice published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[lindafrancois]

How Many Calories Do You Burn While Walking? A Hobbit’s Guide to Walking (with Calorie Calculator)

There’s two things every nerd should know:

How many calories do I burn walking a mile?

How far is it to Mordor?

Today, we’re answering both of them (and much more). 

Walking is a great form of exercise and something we often recommend to folks starting our coaching program. Some have had great success walking, including Megan, who has a daily practice to maintain her weight loss journey.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

How many calories does walking burn? (Calorie Calculator)

What are the benefits of walking?

How walking can change your life. 

How to walk properly.

Is walking enough for weight loss?

The best practices for walking (tips and tricks). 

Is a Fitbit helpful for walking? (Which fitness tracker is best for me?)

How long is the walk to Mordor? (And is it simple?)

Without further ado, let’s jump in.

How Many Calories Does Walking Burn? (Calorie Calculator)

In true Nerd Fitness fashion, we scienced the crap out of this, and even created a handy calculator for you – simply put your stats in the calculator here:

Calculate Calories Burned While Walking Calculator

Calculate Calories Burned While Walking Calculator

Your Weight (lbs)

Enter your weight in pounds.

Distance Walked (miles)

Enter the distance walked in miles. Partial miles is fine (e.g. 1.5)

Gross Calories Burned

Net Calories Burned

We used the formulas and information found on this page for this calculator

A few things to remember about the above equation:

There’s a difference between gross calories (total calories) expended and net calories (additional calories) expended! Your body burns most of its calories every day JUST by existing.

Gross calories: calories burned while walking PLUS the calories burned just existing

Net calories: ADDITIONAL calories you burned thanks to exercise.

Also, our calculation is an ESTIMATE. You’re a unique snowflake, and no box or formula can capture your awesomeness/uniqueness. This equation below is JUST a starting point!

Also, if you don’t feel like playing with our calculator (boo), here’s something you should know:

On average, a mile burns about 100 calories when walking.

ANY exercise pales in comparison to a much more important part of the weight loss equation: nutrition.

It’s what Megan credits most of her weight loss journey to.

If you’ve come this far, and you want to learn more about why walking is so amazing, continue reading.

And you’re damn right, I’ll show you exactly how to walk to Mordor too.

What Are The Benefits of Walking?

We are designed to walk. It’s in our DNA, and it’s a huge part of our emergence as the dominant species on this planet (along with opposable thumbs, big brains, and Nintendo).

Let’s get the basic stuff out of the way:

Every day, it’s recommended by the CDC that we walk around five miles, or 10,000 steps.[1]

Hence the reason why your Fitbit – which I’ll get to shortly – has that 10k step goal as its default number.

Unfortunately, we Americans tend to average HALF that: 2.5 miles or 5,000 steps.

And I’d imagine that people who work outdoors or have more physically active jobs drag that average wayyyy up.

Which leaves us desk jockeys, who don’t walk nearly enough.

We use our feet to get us from the front door, to our car, to our desk, to our car, to our front door, to our couch… where we put them up while watching four hours of TV before going to bed.

Not walking enough can be a big factor in the creep-up of weight gain over the years.

You might have questions like:

Can I walk more to lose weight?

Is walking REALLY good for me?

Do I need to do more intense exercise?

Long story short:

You should walk more and it can help you lose weight and be healthier.

Short story long, here’s why walking is important:

#1) Walking burns calories without exhausting you. If you walk the recommended mileage each day (5 miles instead of just 2.5), it can lead to a tremendous amount of weight loss over time. You’ll burn an extra 100 calories walking just ONE more mile each day than normal: When that’s multiplied out, it’s an extra 700 calories burned per week, which results in approximately a pound of fat lost every five weeks, or 10 pounds in a year.  You can scale up your distances to get your desired results!

#2) Walking doesn’t add to training stress. If you are strength training regularly, adding in more weight training or running can lead to burnout, breakdowns, and injuries. If you are trying to look like a super-hero, extra cardio sessions (or long-distance cardio sessions) might kill your gains. But you can just walk. You can walk great distances, provided you’ve built up your body’s physical ability, and not get tired or sore – walking (especially outside while soaking in some sunlight) can make you feel better, not worse.

#3) Walking is low impact. Unlike running, which can wreak havoc on people’s joints if they run improperly or are severely overweight, walking doesn’t have those impact issues. If you go for a walk and your feet or joints hurt, you’re doing it wrong – read the next section!

#4) Walking can burn fat. Because walking is low impact and low intensity, your body doesn’t need to pull much glycogen and glucose stores to fuel itself, which happens when you strength train or push yourself into “aerobic training” with higher intensity cardio. Proponents of intermittent fasting suggest walking in a fasted state in the morning before eating anything in order to help burn extra fat. It’s a little controversial, so this will have to be something you attempt and measure for yourself.

#5) Walking relieves stress. Seriously! Put on your favorite playlist, and go for a pleasant walk around your neighborhood or through the woods as the sun is going down. It’s a recipe to forget the worries of your day.

Bonus points if you can get someone to follow you with a boombox:

#6) Walking improves mental health (especially in older hobbits). Walking can improve mental health, increase brain size, improve memory, and is correlated with improved, longer lifespans.[2]

How Walking Can Change Your Life

If you are severely overweight and can’t run or strength train, walk on.

If you are building muscle and bulking up, walk on.

If you are trying to lose weight, walk on.

If you struggle with following a routine, or have failed in the past with weight loss, walk on. 

Why? I’m a HUGE fan of small habit change and tiny victories – walking is the PERFECT habit builder. If you’re brand new and starting out, go for a walk TODAY and begin your journey to Mordor.

This afternoon, go for a five-minute walk. Tomorrow morning before work, before breakfast, as SOON as you wake up, put on your shoes, and go outside for a five-minute walk. No snoozing, no lying in bed, no checking email or Twitter. Put on your headphones, pick your favorite song, go outside, and start walking.

Here’s why:

Walking for just five minutes a day is the start of a new habit.  Every morning for a few weeks, you’ll have to force yourself to walk. Initially, it will take effort and willpower to walk instead of snoozing. However, with each passing day of success, you’ll need to use less effort and willpower to get out the door. After all, it’s only five minutes, right? Once it’s something you do automatically without thinking, you can add on to it by increasing your walk time.

Walking briskly outdoors in the fresh morning air can be a great caffeine-free wake up call! If you make walking the FIRST thing you do in the morning, especially if you’re doing it before anybody else is awake, there will be zero distractions and no reason to say “sorry, I didn’t have time.” Of course, we like caffeine too (in moderation).

Walking will give you a chance to gather your thoughts and clear your head before the day begins. We’re constantly distracted at home: TV, iPads, smartphones, etc. Walking is so primal – no gadgets, just walking. Many people cite walking as the impetus for their creative or intelligent breakthroughs.   

Walking and successfully building a habit will give you a habit blueprint to follow for anything else you’d like to accomplish: “Hey, I was able to make walking a habit, what else can I tackle in the same way?” Slow and steady wins. One foot in front of the other, my friend.

How to Walk Properly

“Uhhh, Steve, I know how to walk. I do it every day!”

Welp, if you’re starting from only walking from your car to the office, we need to make sure you’re walking the right way for when you push that mileage up.

Let’s start with your feet, provided you’re not gonna glue hair to your feet and go barefoot to become a hobbit.

I recommend walking in shoes that have a wide toe box and minimal drop (height at the heel vs height at the toes), as we discuss in our monster post on healthy feet and footwear:

Low profile shoes like those from Vivo barefoot.

I trained in Vibrams for years.

Now I train in Merrell Vapor Glove 3s.

You might not be used to walking with minimal cushioning under your heels, so walk slowly and land softly. Walking on softer surfaces to start isn’t a bad idea either.

We were designed before the invention of big clunky shoes… thus, we should be able to walk without big clunky shoes.[3] If you are interested in going barefoot as a runner, get started by walking short distances first. Your feet will toughen up (though they probably won’t grow hair quite like Frodo and Sam), your joints and muscles around your feet and ankles will strengthen, and your knees will deal with less stress.

When going for a lazy stroll, focus on landing softly, which is much easier when you don’t have thick-soled shoes to cushion your stride: land softly with your heel barely touching before rolling onto the middle (ball) of your foot, and then push off. You might need to take shorter strides than you’re used to if you were a big heel striker with a long stride.

If you’re aiming to walk quickly and up the intensity, shorten your stride and aim to land in the middle of your foot while pumping your arms. This is more easily done when walking uphill (which is also a great way to burn extra calories).

Is Walking Enough for Weight Loss?

Can walking help you lose weight?

You’re darn right it can!

The above photos are from Don, one of our coaching clients. Don credits his daily walking practice with helping him lose 85 pounds!

He’s not our only example here:

Megan, who I mentioned earlier, is another client who walks daily to maintain her weight loss.

Case closed?

Of course not!

Both Don and Megan also made adjustments to their nutrition to reach their amazing results.

One of the Rules of the Nerd Fitness Rebellion is that we know “you can’t outrun your fork.” No amount of exercise can counter a bad diet, as your nutrition will be responsible for 90% (not an exaggeration) of your success or failure.

Here’s an example:

Let’s say you go for a 5-mile walk, which takes you 90+ minutes.

If you then consume a 20 oz Gatorade and a small bag of Fritos (a typical snack for many here in America), you will have already undone all of the calories burned while walking.

Depending on your nutrition and love/hatred for exercise, this is either great news or bad news!

The BAD news: you can’t eat very badly in mass quantities and then expect to lose weight with a bit of exercise every week, even if it’s strenuous.

The GOOD news: Even if you dislike exercise, you can avoid exercise and still lose weight! Instead, put ALL of your focus instead on fixing your nutrition, and then go for a walk every once in awhile.

I’d also consider reading the following:

The Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating

The 5 Rules of Weight Loss

Oh, and if you want to see if a Nerd Fitness Coach can build you a program to lose weight while doing movements you enjoy (like walking), click on the button below:

Yep, with the right program you can walk away the pounds. Learn more here.

The Best Practices for Walking (Tips and Tricks)

#1) Focus on posture! Head up! Shoulders back! Walk with a confident stroll – practice this one in the morning if you’re not used to walking like this. It’s also a great way to appear instantly more confident; we nerds and hobbits need all the confidence we can get! Look around at your surroundings with your head up, arms swinging in rhythm.

You can also do some well placed neck swings and jacket removals:

#2) Walk uphill to burn more fat. If you are walking on a treadmill, set it to an incline to increase the intensity and thus increase the amount of fat burned. Just don’t be that person who sets the incline way up, then holds onto both sides and leans their body back to be perpendicular with the incline. Keep good posture, lean forward into the incline, shorten your stride, and pump your legs.

#3) Hiking is a great way to practice walking, enjoy the scenery, and play Lord of the Rings in the woods with plastic swords and capes. Not that you should do that (you totally should). Here’s a beginner’s guide to hiking!

#4) When walking downhill, especially while barefoot (or wearing minimalist shoes), keep that stride short and be careful on how you are walking. Make sure your knee is bent when you land and absorb the impact rather than jamming the impact through your heel, knee, leg, hips, and lower back.

#5) Consider going for fasted walks in the morning. When you wake up first thing in the morning, your body has burned through most of the carb-fueled energy stores during the night. Which means when you go for a walk first thing in the morning, your body is more likely to have to pull from the only fuel source available to it: fat! This is the entire philosophy behind things like Intermittent Fasting or really low-carb diets like the Ketogenic diet.

#6) Get yourself a sturdy walking stick, if only so you can use it to battle imaginary ogres, goblins, cavetrolls, etc. It can also make you feel far more adventurous than if you’re just walking, and help you get up hills and land softly when going back down.

#7) Try Temptation Bundling. Load up an audiobook or your favorite podcast, and tell yourself that you can ONLY listen to the book or podcast while walking.

Is a Fitbit Helpful for Walking? (Which Fitness Tracker Is Best for Me?)

If you’re somebody who has been interested – or is getting interested – in walking, you’re probably familiar with step-tracking devices:

Fitbit (the Charge 4 is pretty awesome)

Garmin

Apple Watch

Polar

Personally, I’m a huge fan of fitness wearables, but not for the reasons you’d think.

For starters, you’re wearing a constant reminder that you are prioritizing movement, which can only be positive. You can even trigger it to remind you to get up and move every hour.

It can also allow you to see how many steps you normally take, and thus allow you to prioritize moving MORE.

Although Fitbit has a history of being sued for the inaccurate heart-monitor portion of its devices, I’m less concerned about heart rates and 100% accuracy of step distance, and instead think in terms of personal improvement.

Just like with tracking your bodyfat percentage or your weight, “that which gets measured gets improved,” and that carries over to your total steps. The fact that you’re tracking it means you’re going to be more aware of it, which means you’re going to be more likely to be able to improve it.

And that’s why, in a weird way, I’m not very concerned about the total accuracy of these devices. Even if your scale is off by 5 pounds, or your body fat caliper is inaccurate by 1%, as long as you use the same device and measure in the same way under the same conditions, you can track trends and paint the picture of your health and whether or not it’s improving!

And that’s what these fitness trackers should be used for: a reminder and a trend tracker!

What you SHOULDN’T do: take your fitness tracker as gospel, and use that to calculate down to the calorie and macro how much food exactly you can consume.

What you SHOULD do: track your trend over time, and see if you can improve your average. Use the technology to aid your fitness quest. Use the community portion of the band to compare your stats against friends and get some positive friendly peer pressure to get you off your ass.

Okay, if nerdy fitness technology isn’t nerdy enough for you, let’s go full-nerd.

How to Actually Walk to Mordor

Did you know it’s 1779 miles between Hobbiton to Mount Doom? [4]. We can actually determine how far Sam and Frodo walked, and then set out on the journey ourselves! It’s one thing to go for a stroll around your neighborhood. It’s another to know that, “If I take one more step, it’ll be the farthest away from home I’ve ever been.”

So let’s take a look at how far we need to walk first:

458 miles: Go from Hobbiton to Rivendell.

462 miles: Set out with the Fellowship from Rivendell, through Moria, to Lothlorien.

389 miles: From Lothlorien, down the Anduin, to Rauros Falls.

470 miles: Follow Frodo and Sam on the quest from Rauros to Mt. Doom.

535 miles: From Minas Tirith to Isengard

693 miles: From Isengard to Rivendell.

397 miles: From Rivendell to Bag End.

467 miles: (bonus!) Follow Frodo to the Grey Havens and return home with Sam.

Following this path, you need to walk a total of 1779 miles to get from Hobbiton to Mt. Doom. Then it’s time to destroy the ring and get carried to Minas Tirith by the Great Eagles.

Then you’ll walk 1625 miles back to Bag End (and an additional 467 miles if you’re interested in doing a round trip to the Grey Havens).

Obviously, you don’t need to move at the same speed as the hobbits (18 miles on the first day is no joke! Damn, those hobbits covered some ground!), but it’s still fun to track your walks and your total miles to see where you’d be on your journey.

However, like Frodo and Sam, it starts with the first step.

I’ve created a Google Doc that you can copy for yourself to track your distances to follow Frodo and Sam on your journey to destroy the One Ring.

Here’s how to do it:

Open the document, and then click on “file,” “save a copy,” and then you can edit your own copy of the document.  

Track your distances with a pedometer, Fitbit, your iPhone or Android phone.

Input your distances and work towards completing each section of the journey over months. As you input your distances, it will automatically let you know when you reach each destination so you can get you started on the next one. 5 miles a day on average will have you destroying the Ring within one year.

Oh, and if you’re curious, according to my rough gorilla math, Frodo burned at least an additional 61,0000+ calories (100,000+ gross calories) by walking “there and back again” – you’re welcome[5].

What’s that?

You want some help getting out the door?

You got it – but only cause you asked nicely.

Here are three ways to level up alongside Nerd Fitness. 

#1) Our Online Coaching Program: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.

You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:

Our coaching program changes lives. Learn how!

#2) If you want an exact roadmap on how to get in shape, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

We even have fun missions that will help you walk more, all while you earn XP! Righteous. 

Try your free trial right here:

#3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.

Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our Rebel Starter Kit, which includes all of our “work out at home” guides, the Nerd Fitness Diet Cheat Sheet, and much more!

Get your Nerd Fitness Starter Kit

The 15 mistakes you don’t want to make.

Full guide to the most effective diet and why it works.

Complete and track your first workout today, no gym required.

Alright, your turn:

What questions do you have about walking? 

How have you incorporated it into your daily routine?

And have you walked to Mordor?

Let me know in the comments!

-Steve 

Photo source: fourbrickstall Hiking in Candelario, Lego Frodo, logoboom © 123RF.com, gynane © 123RF.com, arushigakaito © 123RF.com, snehit © 123RF.com, Thad Zajdowicz Keep walking! HMM!, Frodo and Sam, 

Footnotes    ( returns to text)

You can find their recommendation here.

You can find this study on walking and all-cause mortality and this study on walking and creative thinking. The New York Times also looked at the benefits of walking and brain health.

This study found that highly running in high cushioned shoes increases leg stiffness and amplifies impact loading

Thanks to EowynChallenge.net for this crazy amount of work

You’re probably wondering about the math on this one. I followed this thread down a rabbit hole and estimated a hobbit at 3.5 feet tall would weigh 60 pounds. I then put that into the calculator to determine calories walked. Again – this is just an estimation, and probably could be even more accurate if we had the topography of middle earth to determine elevation climbed too! Feel free to get me more accurate numbers in the comments and I’ll update this!

The post Blog first appeared on Nerd Fitness.

How Many Calories Do You Burn While Walking? A Hobbit’s Guide to Walking (with Calorie Calculator) published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[lindafrancois]

How Can I Calculate My Calorie Needs for Weight Loss?

The basic formula for weight loss is calories in vs. calories out. But caloric needs differ from person to person. Registered Dietitian Whitney English explains how to calculate yours, and offers a few tips to maintain your healthy weight going forward.

The post How Can I Calculate My Calorie Needs for Weight Loss? appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

How Can I Calculate My Calorie Needs for Weight Loss? published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[lindafrancois]

How Can I Calculate My Calorie Needs for Weight Loss?

The basic formula for weight loss is calories in vs. calories out. But caloric needs differ from person to person. Registered Dietitian Whitney English explains how to calculate yours, and offers a few tips to maintain your healthy weight going forward.

The post How Can I Calculate My Calorie Needs for Weight Loss? appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

How Can I Calculate My Calorie Needs for Weight Loss? published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[lindafrancois]

Do Certain Foods Cause or Help Prevent Depression?

There’s no direct cause-and-effect between specific foods and depression or anxiety, but your overall diet could be shaping your mood more than you realize. Registered Dietitian Whitney English explains which diets have been linked to these conditions.

The post Do Certain Foods Cause or Help Prevent Depression? appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

Do Certain Foods Cause or Help Prevent Depression? published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[lindafrancois]

Do Certain Foods Cause or Help Prevent Depression?

There’s no direct cause-and-effect between specific foods and depression or anxiety, but your overall diet could be shaping your mood more than you realize. Registered Dietitian Whitney English explains which diets have been linked to these conditions.

The post Do Certain Foods Cause or Help Prevent Depression? appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

Do Certain Foods Cause or Help Prevent Depression? published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[lindafrancois]

Kidney-Friendly Halloween Treats

Ghosts, goblins, ghouls and candy! The first thing that comes to mind when I think about Halloween is all the candy. If you are following a kidney-friendly diet, then you might be wondering what candy you can eat. Read on to see which candies and treats are better in terms of phosphorus and potassium, and which ones you should limit or avoid.

The main ingredient in candy is sugar. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting calories from sugar to no more than 10% daily. That’s about 12 teaspoons or 200 calories for a 2,000 calorie diet. The American Heart Association recommends a stricter limit of 100 calories or 6 teaspoons sugar for women and 9 teaspoons sugar or 150 calories for men. For people with diabetes, sugar may be even more limited to help manage blood sugar levels. Keep these recommendations in mind when planning candy into your diet.

Kidney-Friendly Candy

These candies are considered kidney-friendly because they are low in phosphorus and potassium, as most people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) need to limit the amounts of these nutrients. It is still important to read the nutrition label on the candy’s package to see if it lists the amount of potassium, phosphorus and sodium. However, potassium and phosphorus are not always listed. You can look at the ingredient list to see if there are phosphorus or potassium additives. Watch this video for a quick lesson on how to spot hidden phosphorus on nutrition labels.

Here are some kidney-friendly treats to eat in limited amounts.

Sweetarts®

Jolly Ranchers®

LifeSavers®

Lemonhead® candies

Lollipops (Dum Dum Pops®)

Sugar free hard candies

Smarties®

Jelly beans

Gummy bears and gummy fruit slices

Starburst®

Mike and Ike®

Runts®

Hot Tamales®

Gumdrops

Peeps® marshmallows

Air Heads®

Laffy Taffy®

Skittles®

Sour Patch Kids®

Candy corn

Rice Krispies® treats

Candy to Limit

Candies that contain some chocolate or caramel can be eaten in moderation. These candies contain more phosphorus and potassium than the list above, so it is best to eat these in even more limited amounts than the candies listed above.

Toffee

Caramel apples

Werther’s Original® hard candy

Caramel-coated popcorn

Chocolate wafer candy bars

Chocolate-covered peppermint candies

Candy to Rarely Eat in Small Amounts

Chocolate and nuts contain high amounts of phosphorus and potassium. Candies that contain mostly chocolate and nuts are not recommended and should rarely be eaten.

Chocolate candy bars (including Hershey’s®, milk and dark chocolate)

Snickers®

PayDay®

Reese’s® Peanut Butter cups and pieces

Peanut brittle

Chocolate covered nuts

If you do wish to eat these, then consider buying the bite-size version and have one piece occasionally. You can also talk with your dietitian and nephrologist about taking your phosphorus binder with a chocolate and nutty candy.

Another great way to enjoy a kidney-friendly Halloween treat is to make your own. Check out these 16 tasty, kidney-friendly Halloween recipes from DaVita.com.

Summary

Some candies contain high amounts of phosphorus and potassium. There are candies that you can enjoy on Halloween while following a kidney-friendly diet. Your dietitian can help answer any questions you may have about your favorite candies.

Reference:

Kidney-Friendly Candy for Dialysis Patients. DaVita. Accessed on August 13, 2021. https://www.davita.com/diet-nutrition/articles/advice/kidney-friendly-candy-for-dialysis-patients.

Additional Kidney Diet Resources

Visit DaVita.com and explore these diet and nutrition resources:

DaVita Food Analyzer

DaVita Dining Out Guides

Today’s Kidney Diet Cookbooks

DaVita Kidney-Friendly Recipes

Diet and Nutrition Articles                                                       

Diet and Nutrition Videos

Kidney Smart® Virtual Classes

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Consult your physician and dietitian regarding your specific diagnosis, treatment, diet and health questions.

Kidney-Friendly Halloween Treats published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[lindafrancois]

Kidney-Friendly Halloween Treats

Ghosts, goblins, ghouls and candy! The first thing that comes to mind when I think about Halloween is all the candy. If you are following a kidney-friendly diet, then you might be wondering what candy you can eat. Read on to see which candies and treats are better in terms of phosphorus and potassium, and which ones you should limit or avoid.

The main ingredient in candy is sugar. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting calories from sugar to no more than 10% daily. That’s about 12 teaspoons or 200 calories for a 2,000 calorie diet. The American Heart Association recommends a stricter limit of 100 calories or 6 teaspoons sugar for women and 9 teaspoons sugar or 150 calories for men. For people with diabetes, sugar may be even more limited to help manage blood sugar levels. Keep these recommendations in mind when planning candy into your diet.

Kidney-Friendly Candy

These candies are considered kidney-friendly because they are low in phosphorus and potassium, as most people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) need to limit the amounts of these nutrients. It is still important to read the nutrition label on the candy’s package to see if it lists the amount of potassium, phosphorus and sodium. However, potassium and phosphorus are not always listed. You can look at the ingredient list to see if there are phosphorus or potassium additives. Watch this video for a quick lesson on how to spot hidden phosphorus on nutrition labels.

Here are some kidney-friendly treats to eat in limited amounts.

Sweetarts®

Jolly Ranchers®

LifeSavers®

Lemonhead® candies

Lollipops (Dum Dum Pops®)

Sugar free hard candies

Smarties®

Jelly beans

Gummy bears and gummy fruit slices

Starburst®

Mike and Ike®

Runts®

Hot Tamales®

Gumdrops

Peeps® marshmallows

Air Heads®

Laffy Taffy®

Skittles®

Sour Patch Kids®

Candy corn

Rice Krispies® treats

Candy to Limit

Candies that contain some chocolate or caramel can be eaten in moderation. These candies contain more phosphorus and potassium than the list above, so it is best to eat these in even more limited amounts than the candies listed above.

Toffee

Caramel apples

Werther’s Original® hard candy

Caramel-coated popcorn

Chocolate wafer candy bars

Chocolate-covered peppermint candies

Candy to Rarely Eat in Small Amounts

Chocolate and nuts contain high amounts of phosphorus and potassium. Candies that contain mostly chocolate and nuts are not recommended and should rarely be eaten.

Chocolate candy bars (including Hershey’s®, milk and dark chocolate)

Snickers®

PayDay®

Reese’s® Peanut Butter cups and pieces

Peanut brittle

Chocolate covered nuts

If you do wish to eat these, then consider buying the bite-size version and have one piece occasionally. You can also talk with your dietitian and nephrologist about taking your phosphorus binder with a chocolate and nutty candy.

Another great way to enjoy a kidney-friendly Halloween treat is to make your own. Check out these 16 tasty, kidney-friendly Halloween recipes from DaVita.com.

Summary

Some candies contain high amounts of phosphorus and potassium. There are candies that you can enjoy on Halloween while following a kidney-friendly diet. Your dietitian can help answer any questions you may have about your favorite candies.

Reference:

Kidney-Friendly Candy for Dialysis Patients. DaVita. Accessed on August 13, 2021. https://www.davita.com/diet-nutrition/articles/advice/kidney-friendly-candy-for-dialysis-patients.

Additional Kidney Diet Resources

Visit DaVita.com and explore these diet and nutrition resources:

DaVita Food Analyzer

DaVita Dining Out Guides

Today’s Kidney Diet Cookbooks

DaVita Kidney-Friendly Recipes

Diet and Nutrition Articles                                                       

Diet and Nutrition Videos

Kidney Smart® Virtual Classes

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Consult your physician and dietitian regarding your specific diagnosis, treatment, diet and health questions.

Kidney-Friendly Halloween Treats published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[lindafrancois]

How Becoming a Single Dad Prompted Jacob to Focus on His Health

When Jacob’s wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he knew his health needed to take first priority for the sake of their two children.

The post How Becoming a Single Dad Prompted Jacob to Focus on His Health appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

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[lindafrancois]

How Becoming a Single Dad Prompted Jacob to Focus on His Health

When Jacob’s wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he knew his health needed to take first priority for the sake of their two children.

The post How Becoming a Single Dad Prompted Jacob to Focus on His Health appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

How Becoming a Single Dad Prompted Jacob to Focus on His Health published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[lindafrancois]

How to Relieve Bloating Caused by Food

What can I do to reduce bloating?

The post How to Relieve Bloating Caused by Food appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

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[lindafrancois]

How to Relieve Bloating Caused by Food

What can I do to reduce bloating?

The post How to Relieve Bloating Caused by Food appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

How to Relieve Bloating Caused by Food published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[lindafrancois]

How to Handle Overeating

What should I do if I overeat or undereat one day?

The post How to Handle Overeating appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

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