ALKALINE FOODS
Choose locally grown, organic, in season, raw, & ripe

ACORN SQUASH	ALMOND	AMARANTH	APPLE sweet	APPLE JUICE fresh
APRICOT	ARROWROOT	ARTICHOKE sunchokes	ARTICHOKE GLOBE	AVOCADO
BAMBOO SHOOT	BANANA	BEEF TEA	BEANS GREEN WAX	BEETROOT
BITTERMELON	BOK CHOY	BOYSENBERRY	BOYSENBERRY	BRASSICA
BREAST MILK	BROCCOLI	BRUSSEL SPROUTS	BUCKWHEAT	BURDOCK ROOT
CABBAGE JUICE	CARDOON	CARROT	CAULIFLOWER	CELERY AVOID
CHARD	CHERRIES	CHESTNUTS	CHICORY	CHINESE PEAS
COCONUT FRESH	COLLARD GREENS	CORN FRESH	CORN SALAD (nuesli)	CRUCIFORM VEGETABLES
CUCUMBER	CURRANTS	DAIKON RADISH	DANDELION GREENS	DATES FRESH
DELICATA SQUASH	DRUMSTICK PLANT	EDIBLE FLOWERS	ENDIVE	ESCAROLE
GARLIC	GOBI	GOLDEN DELICIOUS APPLES	GRAPE JUICE	GUAVA
HIMALAYAN CRYSTAL SALT	HONEYDEW MELON	JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE	KALE	KIWI
KOHLRABI	KUMQUAT	LAND CRESS	LEMON JUICE	LETTUCE AVOID iceberg
LIME	LINDEN FLOWER	LOQUAT	MANDARINS	MANGO
MELON	MILK THISTLE	MILLET	MULUNGAI	MUSHROOMS
MUSTARD GREENS	MYER LEMONS	NASTURTIUM	NECTARINES	NETTLE
NETTLE EXTRACT	NETTLE LEAF	OKRA	ONIONS	ORANGE
OREGANO FRESH	OYSTER PLANT	PAPAYA	PARSLEY	PASSION FRUIT
PAW PAW	PEACH	PEAR	PEAS	PERSIMMONS
PINEAPPLE	POMELO	PUMPKIN	QUINCE	QUINOA
RADISH	RADISH SPROUTS	RASPBERRY	RASPBERRY BLACK	RICE SYRUP
ROMAINE LETTUCE	ROSEHIPS	ROSEMARY AVOID elevates BP	RUTABAGAS	SAFFRON . . . .
SAFFRON TEA	SALSIFY	SESAME	SOBA	SORREL
SPELT	SPROUTS BROCCOLI	SPROUTS LENTIL	SPROUTS RADISH	SPROUTS SPELT
SQUASH	SQUASH SUMMER	SQUASH HARD SHELLED WINTER	SUNCHOKE	SWEDES
SWEET POTATO	SWISS CHARD	TAHINI	TANGERINE	TARO
THYME	TUPELO HONEY	TURMERIC	TURNIP GREENS	TURNIP
VERONICA TEA	WATER CHESTNUT	WATERCRESS	WATERMELON	WHEAT Barley or SPELT GRASS JUICE
WILD RICE	YAMS	YELLOW SQUASH	ZUCCHINI

Are there any beneficial diets that will help create a long life with cystic organ disease PKD and PLD?

Beneficial Diets include:
High potassium
High in alkalinity
Low in salt
Without animal proteins
Heart beneficial diets
Low phosphorus
As we uniquely adjust to cystic organ disease or Polycystic Kidney Disease or Polycystic Liver Disease the requirements of the body change. For this reason, diets are personalized. Ask to see your renal dietitian. Foods prepared raw, broiled, steamed (in patypar paper) are best. Limit fat or oil to about a tablespoon per day. A rule of thumb is to eat foods as close to freshly grown as possible, while avoiding animal proteins. Locally grown is best. Organic is second. Fresh and raw produce is third. Frozen is fourth. Avoid canned, fast foods, and prepared microwaved foods. These are too high in sodium, contain preservatives, have diminished nutrient content, and other chemicals.

ALKALINE DIET - very useful 80% alkaline foods and 20% acid foods is a good ratio. In several studies Dr. Tanner showed that Potassium Citrate, an effective alkalizer, added to the drinking water of research animals, had a very beneficial effect on Polycystic Kidney Disease. He carefully performed several painstakingly exact experiments that proved alkalinity in the diet was the main constituent that gave the most beneficial effect. Alkalizing solutions or an alkaline diet is exceptional in maintaining kidney function in the PKD animal model. The sooner in life this is started, the better in terms of kidney functioning. To date there have not been any published human clinical trials with PKD and potassium citrate. There are several papers showing an acid diet is harmful to bone strength. There are small human clinical trials with potassium citrate showing it to be useful to lower blood pressure and useful for athletes to increase sprinting times. I have found that by eating an alkaline diet and consistently remaining alkaline, I do not spill protein in my urine, my blood pressure remains low, my kidney functioning remains good, my liver functioning remains excellent. I have had no new cyst growth in almost ten years. Others may wonder if this is good diet for performance training? Download an article that talks about improved performance while remaining alkaline.

By increasing our alkaline foods (fruits vegetables) and decreasing acid ash foods (proteins) some of us have managed to thwart the rapid downward progression of kidney failure. It may in part be the luck of the draw, that we have inherited the PKD1 gene or the less aggressive PKD2. This runs along familial lines.

Many of us experience the alkaline diet lifestyle benefits' in lowering blood pressure. Optimal blood pressure control between 100/70 – 110/80 can add 15 years onto the healthy life span of cystic kidneys. By keeping blood pressure tightly controlled this can delay the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant. If interested in further blood pressure lowering techniques, read about blood pressure for further details. Currently underway is a 5 year HALT PKD blood pressure study. The number one cause of death from polycystic kidneys is left ventricular hypertrophy, enlarged heart, or heart disease. We generally do not die from failing kidneys. Our kidneys do fail, but more deaths occur from heart disease than from kidney failure.

This change toward diseased heart tissue can come about through heart detrimental diet and lifestyle. Left ventricular hypertrophy can also come about by allowing persistent unchecked anemia to exist. When anemia is present, the heart must pump harder to get the dilute blood throughout the body. This added strain causes the heart ventricle, a muscle, to become enlarged. An enlarged heart ventricle is less functional than a normal sized heart. It becomes floppy and can no longer effectively pump. The blood backs up and we experience swelling and possibly shortness of breath. The blood slows down its circulatory path around the body and eventually can form micro-clots that block tiny blood vessels within the heart itself. This can result in starving the heart from much needed nutrients. This is a heart attack. Sometimes kidney cysts and liver cysts expand and push against blood vessel walls slowing the blood further and preventing it from circulating throughout the body. This can be another mechanism slowing the blood supply way down, and allowing for the micro clot formation. The moment is now to try these changes •a healthy diet • an easy lifestyle • daily exercise • a quiet moment with beauty.

ALKALINE ASH foods are vegetables and fruits (with the exception of cranberries, plums, prunes, blueberries, huckleberries, and lingonberries - though when taken in medicinal proportions i.e. an ounce or less –these are alkaline producing). Alkaline ash foods are high in positivity [ K+ potassium, Na+ sodium, Ca+ calcium, Fe+ iron, Mg+ magnesium cations]. The cells need alkaline minerals to perform buffering process. The body is active on the cellular level busily keeping the body alive. I think that nanobacteria are helpful in this. Nanobacteria have been viewed under a high power electron microscopic and thought to be perhaps among the first living things. Perhaps a cross between mineral and bacteria - an element between rocks and living beings. I see nanobacteria as a living buffering system. It accomplishes this goal by crossing over between bacteria and its mineral form. The body sometimes creates too many acids. At this point I believe nanobacteria spring into action. They bind with acidic minerals forming a crystal stone like structure that has the effect of neutralizing the acids and once again bring the body back into alkalinity, a very very slight alkalinity. Stones such as kidney stones, gallbladder stones or hard plaque on the walls of blood vessels are but the body's reaction with the help of nanobacteria to keep the body alive just a little bit longer by balancing alkalinity. For the moment, the body is safe from becoming too acidic. The body obtains these positively charged alkaline minerals from many of the fruits and vegetables that we eat. We can also supplement with potassium citrate or another alkalizer to assist the body to neutralize these acids.

SUPER ALKALINE FOODS - very useful

apple	banana	cabbage juice	cucumber	lemon	dates	figs
melon	mango	orange	papaya	pear	pineapple	vegetable juices

ALKALINE FOODS - useful

ALKALINE VEGETABLES

CRUCIFORM VEGETABLES- useful

BROCCOLI, CABBAGE, BRUSSEL SPROUTS, RUTABAGA, CAULIFLOWER These are all alkaline and highly beneficial for the body, particularly the kidneys and liver. Cut back on these about two weeks before any anticipated surgery for they are high in vitamin K, a clotting factor. I eliminated these from my diet two weeks before my liver resection. I also stopped ginger root and vitamin E, both which can cause an increase in bleeding. All are high in calcium and contain all the essential amino acids. Vegetable protein sources create lactic acid which is easily neutralized by the lungs through breathing. If you have thyroid problems, these vegetable family are to be avoided. Cruciform vegetables are loaded with DIMs, an effective agent for lowering our risk for developing cancers. It was calculated that we would have to eat about 2 pounds of these vegetables every week to receive this therapeutic effect. This can be easily accomplished by drinking cabbage juice daily. To juice a quarter of a cabbage, I first juice an apple. I do not clean the juicer. I juice the cabbage and throw in about 7 almonds. I drink the cabbage juice down followed by the apple juice chaser. If this is not appealing to you, then you can try broccoli sprouts rolled in a corn tortilla with a slice of avocado. To release their digestion, take the sprouts with an acidophilus tablet. New Chapter vitamins makes BroccoLive® Plus a tablet of compressed cruciform sprouts.

BROCCOLI. This is an especially useful vegetable when ones kidneys have taken a sudden downward turn. The vitamin K in broccoli is a powerhouse nutrient for aiding ailing kidneys. I ate broccoli three times a day for two weeks. I coupled this broccoli binge by drinking seven full glasses of mineral water daily. Broccoli is a potent anti-oxidant and helps to flush out an overabundance of acids from the body system, especially uric acid and oxalic acid. This aids the kidneys further in completing its job of purifying the internal body. I ate it raw. I ate it cooked. I made it into a pie. I ate it puréed into a soup.

CABBAGE This is my favorite vegetable, not for its taste but because it makes me feel so good when I drink it juiced. It is highly alkaline. It is the vegetable highest in the element called boron. Boron is super for maintaining bone strength. Cabbage relieves kidney and liver pain by activating the body's natural endorphins. I take about an inch wedge of cabbage and juice it with 5 almonds. Cabbage contains a cancer-fighting phytochemical called indole-3-carbinol. One cup of cooked cabbage delivers 100 mg of this ingredient.

Cabbage makes a lovely addition to a garden, blooming like a giant green rose coming up from inside the earth. Even more gorgeous to behold is a purple cabbage unfolding amongst the flowers. Cabbage contains high amounts of vitamin C, mostly concentrated in the core of the plant. This Vitamin C is not destroyed in storage, by moderate cooking or in the making of sauerkraut. Garlic, carrots, the cabbage family and some other vegetables contain sulphuranes which expel worms and intestinal parasites. Cabbage maintains the integrity of DNA, very important for PKD'rs due to the second hit theory—that there are things in the environment which alter DNA and cause cells to mutate beginning the process of cyst formation. Cabbage will keep the endocrine system stimulated. It makes carbonates more useful to mix with minerals and vitamins in the body processes. The most important buffer pair in the extracellular fluid is the bicarbonate -carbonic acid pair. There are two other extracellular buffers that contribute to buffering—these are inorganic phosphates and plasma proteins. Cabbage juice aids this process. Cabbage increases the metabolism of estrogen. Excess hormone of any kind triggers liver cyst growth. Daily cabbage juice seems to keep my hair its natural color and diminishes gray.

KALE This vegetable is the second highest in boron. It is very high in calcium. All raw leafy vegetables are very alkaline.

RUTABAGAS I bake this for dinner with other root vegetables.

NIGHTSHADE VEGETABLES - AVOID:

TOMATOES, POTATOES, PEPPERS, EGGPLANT, BELLADONNA, & TOBACCO These increase purines, uric acid, solanine, and oxalates. Eggplant (aubergine) and tomatoes have teeny tiny seeds. Many of us PKD'rs get diverticuli, (little outpouchings of the intestinal wall) and the indigestible seeds can get stuck in these outpouchings and cause pain, inflammation, and infection. These vegetables release solanine which interferes with calcium absorption. With a rise in phosphorus, calcium sometimes diminishes as the kidneys begin to lose their functioning. If you choose to eat these vegetables, try them fresh from the garden, in season, and not from a can, bottle, or frozen and no more frequently than once a week.

POTATOES are high in solanine. Solanine creates acids within the body. Potatoes, high in potassium. Potassium is sometimes restricted as one approaches the need for dialysis. If you really love potatoes then perhaps no more often than once a week have one roasted with the skin. I used to eat only the potato skins. I never enjoyed the white fleshy part of the potato, only the crispy dried baked skins. Potato skins are known to be very high in magnesium and manganese, both nutrients are said to be essential to keep ones hair its natural color and to also help maintain a full head of hair. When potatoes are fried the heated oil becomes altered chemically and causes a depleting the body's antioxidants and Vitamin E. If one is interested in gaining weight then eating a potato with a protein such as meat will facilitate this. It has to do with different digestive enzymes released by the body in response to different things eaten. Before the early settlers came to the Americas, the nightshades never existed for Europe. Germans often roasted chestnuts to enjoy with game foods. The sunchoke is very healthy, easy to grow, and a delicious substitute for potatoes. The sunchoke provides inulin, a carbohydrate, that is beneficial for the pancreas, livers and kidneys. Another useful vegetable are turnips, truly wonderful with lamb. I peel the turnips, then soak them in a bowl with lemon juice and ice, while I finish peeling all the turnips. This adds to the flavor so when they are steamed, they taste delicious. The sweet potato and yams are both high in B vitamins something we are oftentimes low in with PKD. Sweet potatoes, yams, and winter squash are all healthy substitutes for the potato.
TOBACCO There are several articles on tobacco's effect of speeding up end stage renal disease of PKD. Smoking while on dialysis lessens the life of the shunt. Tobacco causes lung cancer. See habits.
BELLADONNA
drops are used for infants to lessen diarrhea episodes. Its name is derived from medieval women using it to create a beautiful sparkle to their eyes.
PEPPERS, chili peppers increase the body's circulation. Occasionally I will have a fresh chili pepper from the garden. I especially craved these following my liver resection. I needed to coax my body to lay down new blood vessels for my remaining liver remnant.
EGGPLANT I have not found a way to remove all the little seeds. These can become lodged in diverticuli, a common finding with PKD. So I just leave the moussaka aside and try something else on the menu.
TOMATOES I grew these in my first garden. I have avoided all nightshades. In addition to being high in solanine and oxalates, they cause my joints to ache. I am much healthier and pain free since I have stopped the nightshade plants.

RADISH - useful I wash about five a day and just munch these. Highly beneficial for the kidneys. These also keep the thyroid functioning optimally. Radish sprouts are a great addition to salads giving it a bit of zest.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES, SUNCHOKES USEFUL - Have one, once a week. I sometimes have them raw or baked like potato, highly beneficial for the kidneys. They contain inulin that is very good for the body. I have planted them in the garden. They are easy to grow and shoot up like weeds. A beautiful golden sunflower reaches for the sky. When the flowers die back, dig the roots, scrub well, and eat. These were among the first root crops shown to the first English settlers by the Native American Indian tribes along the East Coast of North America.

SPINACH - caution Spinach-apple juice is a great intestinal cleanser. Stick close to a bathroom the day you drink this juice. It does not cause any cramping but cleans similar to a scrubby, pulling debris from the intestinal walls so it can be easily evacuated. Spinach is high in oxalates. Careful, in some this may cause a slight arthritis of the gouty variety. Others have reported that eating spinach can cause an increase in kidney stone formation. I have noticed that when I drink raw spinach juiced with apples, my great toe sometimes tends to ache; a symptom of gout that uric acid crystals have formed.

PARSNIPS - USEFUL I steam these or roast in parchment paper and drizzle with the sauce that has formed.

TURNIPS - USEFUL make these into tians, steam them, make them into a soup with turnip greens floating in the top. I have turnips several times a week.

BEETS - USEFUL These are great for the liver. I have a recipe for Beets that is fabulous. Steam about 4 beets so they are soft. Allow to cool. Slice into cubes. Core and cube 2 apples. Chop 1/3 of an onion. Toss together and squeeze lemon juice over all. Bake in the oven for about an hour until the flavors totally meld. Raw beets are problem for some individuals.

CELERY AVOID I avoid celery for I found it caused my kidney cysts to enlarge. Celery is one of the vegetables prone to retain pesticide sprays.

GARLIC, ONIONS, GLOBE ARTICHOKES, PARSLEY - USEFUL Garlic, onions, and parsley are three foods which help to lower blood pressure. Artichokes taste very nice and help with the liver.

ASPARAGUS* - USEFUL for clearing old toxins . Please note* that asparagus has often been thought of as an acidic vegetable. Each year during the fresh asparagus season, my urine pH changes to a pH of 5.5 from my eating bunches of newly grown spring asparagus. The reason for this change is the alkaline asparagus releases long standing acids from within the body. This takes place even if I am sure to flush the body by drinking 2-3 liters of water daily. Eating asparagus will keep the body in an acidic range due to its potent alkalizing effect. This can be balanced by taking a dropperful of nettle extract in a cup of warm water or by drinking some extra lemon water or orange juice or cabbage juice. *listed here though will make one acidic.

ALKALINE NUTS - USEFUL

CHESTNUTS - USEFUL In November many trees throughout Virginia have an abundance of chestnuts. Some individuals eat these raw. I prefer them roasted or boiled. Before the potato was brought over to Europe, chestnuts were a valued staple food. Chestnuts are healing for the liver. It is a nice treat to eat warmed chestnuts roasted over coals. They are one of the nuts considered alkaline. Chestnuts sauteed with pearl onions is a valuable addition to a winter meal. The Italians grind chestnuts into a meal or a flour and use it as an addition to festival cakes.

ALMONDS - USEFUL Another nut which is alkaline producing. I soak these in boiling water. The skins will slip easily off. Then I soak almonds overnight to rid them of phytic acid. These can be blended with spring water to produce almond milk, a very nice replacement for cow's milk. I mix one cup of soaked almonds with three cups of mineral water. Put it into a high speed blender. Then I strain this through a double layer of cheese cloth, pulling the corners together and squeezing the remaining meal. Almond milk made by this method will keep in the refrigerator about three days.

COCONUTS - USEFUL An alkaline nut. I have this raw and shredded over tropical fruit salad. I am now living in Hawaii, twice weekly I go to the farmer's market and have a cold refreshing young coconut drink. The end is sliced open; I dip in my straw made from a hibiscus plant, and drink. Once the liquid is finished, I bring it back to the vendor who slices it open and fashions a spoon for me from the coconut husk and it this soft spoon meat from inside that I really enjoy. It is very soft coconut meat, much softer than a mature coconut. I use coconut milk for flavoring curries and for making smoothies. The water within the coconut is said to be similar to the electrolyte balance of human serum and was often used in the tropics to treat cholera epidemics in children.

ALKALINE FRUITS eaten before each meal gives the body the benefit of their natural digestive enzymes. If your dessert is fresh fruit, I really do advocate having your dessert before your meal.

LEMONS - USEFUL This is another highly alkaline great pain reliever! I have two of these juiced each morning then wait 20 minutes before having anything else. Great cleanser for the liver and helps to keep the kidneys supplied with alkaline minerals.

If you are experiencing the pain of kidney stones, it is said that alternating lemon juice and apple juice, freshly squeezed, will help to alleviate the pain. If you are having kidney stones ask your doctor if potassium citrate would be of benefit to prevent future attacks.

For a hot lemon drink I will juice a half a lemon and add a full teaspoon of tupelo honey. Stir with a wire whisk and heat together slightly to dissolve the honey, otherwise the honey sticks to the bottom of the cup.

APPLE - USEFUL Use sweet golden delicious or gala apples for juice. For a refreshing lemonade, juice two apples along with a half a lemon; pour over crushed ice! Apples are highly alkaline if sweet. Here's a recipe for a drink known as BLOOD: Juice 1/6 of a beet juiced, 1/2 lime juiced, 2 pounds apple and a very small piece of ginger, chill and drink  This is great alkalizer, liver cleanser, and purifier. It reminds some of pink lemonade.

ORANGE - caution with oranges if you must restrict potassium. Oranges are one the super-alkaline foods and will easily assist in the transition toward alkalinity.

PEAR - USEFUL Pears are delicious alone by themselves or in a salad with a few roasted almonds tossed with baby greens in a salad for lunch. Highly alkaline.

BANANA  -caution Be careful with these if you must watch your potassium. If they are speckled, they are alkaline, if green they are acid forming. I have these for breakfast every day. Mosquito's like to bite people who have just eaten bananas.

KIWI - USEFUL Very alkaline when sweet, ripe and in season.

MANGO - USEFUL Highly alkaline. When not in season they are picked green and sprayed with ether gas to ripen during transport. The season for these in India, Philippines, Mexico, Florida, Hawaii is May, June.

GRAPEFRUIT - caution Highly alkaline Grapefruit can alter the absorption of certain medications, among them immunosuppressive drugs. Tell your doctor if you are taking any medications whose action will be diminished by eating grapefruit.

PAPAYA - USEFUL I really enjoy these too. These are always in season. It is the enzyme papain in papaya which breaks down meat. It is found in meat tenderizers. This helps to digest proteins. Eaten when sweet and ripe they are highly alkaline. The green papaya is cooked as a vegetable in the Philippines and eaten with mulungai leaves from the drumstick plant.

PINEAPPLE - USEFUL Contains bromelain, very good for helping to detoxify a heavy protein meal; it has strong anti-inflammatory qualities. If you have ever mistakenly marinated beef in pineapple overnight, do not be surprised if by morning that meat has attained the consistency of chopped liver, so strong is the enzymatic action of pineapple.

Bromelain helps to digest proteins. It is useful in relieving joint pains. When one ingests too many acidic foods such as animal proteins, the bromelain helps to dissolve the crystals formed from this process. In this way, it relieves joint and back pains. Pineapple alone also contains very potent anti-inflammatories.

A surgeon had a patient who had a bezoar, a sort of a hair ball of undigested food stuffs that sits in the stomach. It had to be surgically removed. This person did not want surgery, so this innovative surgeon placed the person on pineapple and papaya juice for a week. This dissolved the bezoar without the need for surgery! Bromelain is such a good proteolytic agent that there is a caution on packages of gelatin to be sure and not use fresh pineapple for it will dissolve the protein of the gelatin.

STARFRUIT - AVOID There are recent reports of neurological symptoms from individuals with kidney disease who ate starfruit.

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ACID foods are high in negatively charged elements [ P- Phosphorus, Cl- Chloride]. Acid foods are proteins such as grains, rye, corn, nuts, seeds, and animal products, dairy, milk, butter, cheese, eggs, meat, poultry, pork, beef, lamb, fish. By decreasing our protein we decrease the amount of acid ash that needs to be buffered by the cells. Grains are normally acid forming with the exception of quinoa, millet, amaranth and spelt. By soaking grains, nuts, beans, legumes, and seeds overnight this helps to eliminate phytic acid. Soaking grains so they sprout eliminates most of the phytic acid. Bulgur can be made by drying the soaked grains in the oven and grinding this into flour. It is the elimination of phytic acid that converts most of these foods toward the alkaline. Most nuts are acid forming except for almonds, chestnuts, & coconut. I have read that cultures which eat beans in great quantities have a high incidence of gallstones. I wonder if this is due to their indigestibility and high phytic acid content? Cultures which are predominantly vegetarian have almost zero incidence of appendicitis.

ACID ASH FOODS

Neutral foods with acidifying effect:

ANIMAL PRODUCTS Animal protein sources must be neutralized by the kidneys and requires large quantities of minerals for this process to occur. Eating animal products puts a heavy workload on the kidneys and over time may contribute to kidney decline. Recent studies have shown that by eliminating nitrogen rich animal proteins this can reduce a rising BUN blood urea nitrogen.

DAIRY - AVOID Many dairy cows in the United States have been given bovine growth hormone to make them produce 20 times more milk than a normal milking cow would produce. I do not know if it is the bovine growth hormone, or the high elevation of insecticides in the grasses which the cows eat that are then stored in their fatty tissue, but dairy makes my liver cysts swell. It is also a food which is high in estrogen. Since estrogen makes my polycystic liver grow, I avoid it. If you must absolutely have dairy, try a very small amount of cultured dairy from time to time, such as buttermilk, yogurt, crème fraiche, organic sweet [made from crème fraiche) butter, butter from cows who have eaten the first new blades of grass of spring. It simply tastes sweeter and if it tastes sweeter it is more alkaline. Dairy is acid forming, but by using cultured dairy, food break down and assimilation are enhanced.

BEEF - AVOID beef. It is hard on the kidneys. Modern day beef producers attach a hormone tag to each animal.  The tag ensures a steady supply of growth hormones so the animal will gain weight faster.  With mad cow disease and farmers feeding a vegetarian animal, animal protein, it has created the formation of a strange prion within the cow that may reside within its marrow

LAMB - useful  

BROTH - useful Slow cook animal bones, squeeze lemon juice to start a chemical reaction which leaches the calcium from the bones and deposits it into the broth. Add to the simmering stock turnips, parsley, thyme, carrots, onions, garlic. Strain all the meat, vegetables, and fresh herbs and sip the broth.

FISH- flat white fish useful high in selenium, high in silica. Silica and selenium are often missing from soil that has been overworked and from produce which is grown by mass farming methods. Orange roughy, cod, perch, any of the non-oily fish are wonderful additions to the diet in very small portions. The fish is best grilled, broiled, steamed or roasted in paper. Frying heats oils and breaks down anti-oxidants depleting the body of needed vitamin E. As dietary transitions are being made, fish is an excellent alternative to other animal products. I avoid fatty oily fish such as tuna, mackerel, trout, catfish, sardines, and cod liver oil products.

EGG YOLK - useful  

EGG WHITE - AVOID I also avoid fried eggs. When the egg is poached, there is a balance of lecithin and cholesterol in the correct proportions. If the preparation has been fried or scrambled, the heated oils and fats break down depleting the body of needed Vitamin E and anti-oxidants.

BEEF JUICE BEEF TEA - useful This is not beef broth or beef consume or beef soup. It is a distilled concentrated beef juice. I have noticed when animal proteins are prepared this way, and taken in very small almost medicinal quantities, they are alkaline especially for someone who is sick and ailing. An ancient recipe for distilled concentrated beef juice or beef tea. Round steak is trimmed of all visible fat and cut into little cubes. These cubes of meat are placed in a glass container. Add to the jar a clean rock or heavy spoon for balance. Place this glass jar inside a big pot of water and loosely cover the jar and the pot, each with their own cover. Allow it to simmer for about 2-4 hours. This will make a distilled broth. Press the meat and liquid through a strainer. Toss the meat. I notice, when cooked in this fashion,the broth solidifies as a gelatin when cool. Sip slowly about 1 tablespoon per day of this super concentrated distilled broth. It is wonderful when you are recovering from surgery or an illness and gives immediate strength. It will keep for 3 days refrigerated. The French call this method of making a broth a restoran. It means to restore. This was the origin of the word restaurant. It was a place individuals went to drink a small sip of beef juice for weary travelers to restore themselves.

OTHERS

ORGANICALLY GROWN FOODS - useful Foods grown organically have higher amounts of potassium, selenium, and silica, all of benefit to maintaining health with Polycystic Kidney Disease, Polycystic Liver Disease, and cystic organ disease.

YEAST - AVOID foods which contain a form of vinegar yeast, alcohol, yeast or bread type of yeast. I have found that biscuits, scones, cakes, pancakes, waffles, bottled vegetable juices, bottled or frozen citrus juices, pickles, bottled jalapeno peppers, store bought salad dressings, wine, ale, beer, distilled liquors, baking soda, baking powder, and yeast in all its forms causes liver cysts to grow. Yeast causes bloating. This bloating is a fermentation process within the intestines. The end product of this fermentation is alcohol. This is reabsorbed into the adjacent organ, the liver. Once this gets started it is difficult to shut off. I was left with pain, discomfort, and enlarging organs. Flat breads such as tortillas, essene bread, manna bread, crackers, parathas, chapattis, crepes, made without yeast or wheat are fine to eat and do not cause this reaction.

POTASSIUM - useful Foods high in potassium have a beneficial effect on Polycystic Kidney Disease. The healthy ratio of sodium to potassium is one (1) sodium to four:(4) parts of potassium. The high potassium diet is of benefit to individuals with Polycystic Kidney Disease. CAUTION: If the disease progresses to the point where the kidneys are not capable of clearing potassium, then potassium in the diet may have to be restricted.

SALT - AVOID Most people regularly eat 4 times as much sodium to potassium foods. A 4:1 ratio of sodium to potassium, is a high sodium diet. A high sodium diet is detrimental to polycystic kidneys.

CAFFEINE - AVOID Caffeine has a detrimental affect on Polycystic Kidney Disease. Caffeine causes hypertension in the animal model (published by Dr. Tanner). Individuals have noted this same affect. After eating chocolate sometimes blood pressure stays elevated for three days. In another article published by Dr. Grantham caffeine triggers cyclic AMP which triggers cyst formation and growth. Other individuals have noted that caffeine makes their kidneys ache. Filters that are used to brew coffee are bleached. This excess of chlorine is cumulative over a lifetime and raises the dioxin level very high.

LOW PROTEIN - useful Protein intake which is calculated for each individual body at 0.6 grams per kilogram has a beneficial effect on Polycystic Kidney Disease. Once dialysis begins this amount increases to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

SOY- AVOID Soy causes liver cysts to grow. Too many friends have attempted eating soy, only to give it up due to intense bloating, foul smelling gas, and increasing abdominal girth. My sweet gardening friend (she is healthy and beautiful) had thought she had found a way to give herself added energy hopefully while achieving a daily weight loss. But alas, she too had to put the soy powder away after experiencing a miserable gas filled evening.

Soy is high in phytoestrogens. I have experienced growth of my liver cysts following eating soy and even cultured organic soy (i.e. tempe, even cultured organic soy ice cream). I am not sure of the reason. In the USA the soy bean has been genetically altered by Monsanto Pharmaceuticals. The reason for this is that during their growth process these genetically altered soy plants can be sprayed with weed killer (also produced in large quantities by Monsanto). The weed killer kills all weeds in the area while allowing the genetically altered soy bean plants to withstand the spraying of this toxin. Once farmers agree to purchase genetically altered soy seeds, they sign a contract to only plant genetically altered soy beans and to purchase Monsanto weed killer. This assures the company a continued partnership with the farmer. Literally tons of deadly chemicals are sprayed onto these soy plants in the course of their short lives. The Germans became very upset with this for soy lecithin is used extensively in many food products— chocolate, bread, cake mixes, baby foods. Soy marketers in the United States were asked to separate the unsprayed organic soy and the sprayed genetically altered soy, the US refused. Now in Germany and other countries, the labeling must clearly say when a product contains genetically altered plants. However, this labeling is not mandatory within the United States. Soy is incredibly high in phytic acid and this puts an undue hardship on kidneys which contain cysts. The workload of the kidneys is increased by this added burden of additional phytic acid introduced into the body by eating foods such as soy. The phytic acid can be lowered by multiple soakings and rinsing of the soy beans continuous over several days. In mass producing products for quick sale this time consuming process is rarely, if ever, undertaken.

hemp seed - useful if you have cystic organs. It lowers cholesterol, balances metabolism, regulates blood sugar, contains all t essential fatty acids. By balancing the hormones it is said to help keep bones strong. I am experimenting with hemp seed bread, hemp seed butter and drizzling a teaspoon of hemp seed oil over my vegetables or salad. Email if you have any experiences with hemp seed. CAUTION flaxseeds contains phytoestrogens. Please send an E-mail if you find it increases liver cyst growth.

AVOID Flaxseed if you have liver cysts. I have tried in every form made. Each time it has caused my liver to ache and grow. I am sorry to say but quite a few individuals have reported that flaxseed increases their liver cysts. I thought perhaps it was from freshly ground flaxseed. I was taking a tablespoon of freshly ground flaxseed daily and I too noticed that my liver started enlarging. I was determined to get my omega 3 essential fatty acids, I tried flaxseed oil gel caps (organic Barleans). I tried these daily and this too made my liver grow and ache. I even tried the golden flaxseed with the same results. The golden had a better taste, to me. Perhaps it may be the phytoestrogens in flaxseed that causes this growth in liver cysts? Liver cysts have estrogen receptors. Exposure to estrogen, phytoestrogens or xenoestrogen triggers the growth of these cysts.
Other sources of daily omega 3 essential fatty acids are sesame seeds (tahini), borage oil, and almonds. I have found that fish oil supplements and eating oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, and catfish triggers liver cyst growth,aches, and pains.

BENTONITE CLAY- useful when kidney functioning declines. The largest organ, the skin can assist the detox workload of the kidneys. Bentonite clay made into a soap by the addition of olive oil and a teaspoon of raw honey is useful for this. Shake it up together and put a bit on your hands and rub it over the body, especially the face and any dry patches. I follow this by washing with a bit of extra olive oil over the face. I take a half a lemon and rub this over my face, arms, or one can rinse with baking soda or more olive oil. Leave the clay on the skin for a moment, then rinse with plenty of water. The smoothness of the skin is rapidly seen using the alternative made- by-you-soap.The entire body can be dipped into a clay or mud bath. Clay when used in this fashion has pulled out the system acids in an equal value to their elevations in the body's blood. A clay spa treatment is a wonderful experience at Michele Guérard's at Eugenie-les-bans in the Pyrenees mountains of France near Lourdes. Some have noted this clay contains aluminum. I have used this clay externally for many years and have observed its wonderful effects upon dry skin. It was first discovered by a trapper named Pascal who used it treat frost bite with Bentonite Clay (Montmorillonite) named Pascal clay in honor of the trapper. For external use it is the calcium form of this clay that is preferred.

The colon has also been utilized to assist the kidneys when it can no longer clear potassium from the blood stream. An old medical remedy for life threaten elevations in potassium were coffee ground enemas. Through osmosis, this treatment would return potassium to near normal within the hour.

VITAMINS B 12, B6 , FOLIC ACID, B COMPLEX - useful for lowering homocysteine and cholesterol, helps overcome tiredness. These vitamins are water soluble. For optimum benefit take three times a day with food. Complete taking all B vitamins by 3pm otherwise it may keep you awake at night.

SAFFRON, STINGING NETTLE, MILK THISTLE - useful herbs

 

HOW DO YOU GET ENOUGH PROTEIN EATING THE PKDIET?
According to the PKD cure website limiting protein is good thing for PKD'rs. I take in a neutral amount of protein, what I eat is equivalent to what I lose. This is 0.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. I weigh 115 pounds. This is 52 kilograms or 31 grams of protein for the entire day. The latest research shows that by eliminating nitrogen rich animal proteins and dropping the protein intake to 0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight and supplementing with an alkalizer and EAA essential amino acids, the downward progression of kidney can be halted. See Saving Failing Kidneys.

I find it difficult to eat dairy, animal proteins, eggs and maintain a neutral protein balance. I achieve protein balance by juicing vegetables and fruits throughout the day. I limit meats or other animal proteins. I just feel best; have more energy, when I eat mostly fruits and vegetables with a small amount of grains.

PROTEIN

Meat	3 ounces	23 grams of protein
Broccoli	5 Stalks	21 grams of protein
Carrots	20 juiced	15grams of protein
Cottage Cheese	1/2 cup	15 grams of protein
Cabbage	1/2 juiced	10 grams of protein
Bagel	1	12 grams of protein
Brick Cheese	1 ounce	7 grams of protein
Spinach	10 ounces frozen	7 grams of protein
Egg Poached	1 egg	6 grams of protein
Cream Cheese	3 ounce	6.5 grams of protein
Cress Leafy	1 cup	5 grams of protein
Artichoke	1 medium	4.5 grams of protein
Avocado	1/8 of an avocado	4 grams of protein
Spelt Toast	1 Slice	4 grams of protein
Almond Butter	1 Tablespoon	3 grams of protein