Updated 5/7/2022: As you read the first paragraph, I am still in the process of updating my Kidney Coach classes. I have so much going on with other things, I have not had the time to do it yet. Once I do, those blog posts will be edited, and then I will continue with the updated information. The Stur drinks mentioned, in this post, are really very good. I find they do have a little bit of an after taste, so I only use partial packages for each serving of water I have. They are small, light, and easy to carry.
Good morning! Before I start I want to share some exciting things that I will be doing in the very near future. The American Kidney Fund offers a Kidney Health Coach program that I will be taking, and will begin teaching about Kidney Disease and preventing it. Also, Leslie Sansone, my favorite walking coach, offers a Walking Coach education program. So, I will be doing that as well. Hopefully, by the end of summer I will have these both completed. How exciting!
As I continue my weekly posts covering the topic of Hurricane Prep, with kidney disease, today I will discuss drinks. Be sure and check the archives for the first post in this series. Obviously plain water is the best option, but water can be heavy, and boring. If you have to evacuate hauling bottled water can be cumbersome. Anyplace you would be evacuating to, if away from the hurricane area, will obviously have running water, and a local store where you can buy filtered water. Filtered water is always best. So bringing small packs of drink mixes would be much easier, and convenient. There are many different brands, and options now. The most obvious one that comes to mind is Crystal Light. However, if you want to avoid fake sugars, I found this brand, Stur. They use all organic sugars, and real fruit extracts. I will be buying some of these for my own prep kits. If you are on dialysis you have to be sure you are not buying sports drinks, of vitamin waters. These can very easily cause you to have buildups of potassium. Also check the sodium levels in whatever drinks you do choose, and watch for hidden phosphorus. A lot of these powdered drinks may have the word Phos as part of the ingredients. Use this in small amounts only, like maybe only part of the packet, or every other drink. Also remember if you are on dialysis, and you are going to have to miss dialysis, not to over hydrate. See first post for details. If you have diabetes, obviously choosing a sugar free, or lower sugar option would be needed. You could also pack, tea bags in your kit, and then use filtered water after you are where you are going to make some cold-brewed tea, bring stevia or sugar packets to sweeten it. Avoid coffee if you can, as caffeine can dehydrate you. No dark colas. If you are evacuating to a storm shelter, remember to follow their directions as to what to bring with you. They all have different requirements.
Do you live in a hurricane-prone area? Have you started preparing yet? If not you need to get going. Hurricane season starts June 1st. Do you have CKD or another chronic illness? It is even more important to be prepared if you do.
Sign up for my mailing list and receive my weekly newsletter.
Living Life With CKD 