2017 Volume 63 Issue 1 Pages 22-28
An appropriate dietary intake is critical to sustaining health and performance in chronic disease patients and highly active individuals such as athletes. Research has shown that chronic renal failure patients benefit greatly by complementing traditional medical treatments with medical nutrition therapy (MNT). The role of MNT is to reduce the risk of complications in pre-existing conditions as well as ameliorating any existing conditions. For highly active athletes it serves as preventative care.
Yabuki hospital has created an original MNT system for renal failure patients, high school athletes and a local restaurant. The MNT program involves a nutritional assessment of patient’s or athlete’s dietary patterns coupled with results of laboratory testing. Other aspects of the program include conducting daily or monthly one-on-one consultations with patients, serving low-salt, low-fat meals, and hosting cooking classes for renal patients and their families in the in-hospital restaurant and kitchen. For athletes, those with problematic assessments are counseled by a dietician with their parents present.
One result of the program is that renal patients who eat MNT meals provided by the in-hospital restaurant are less likely to gain weight. As well, both athletes and renal patients are more likely to comply with their recommended diets on their own.
