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On hot, sunny days it seems like you can’t get enough ice cold water to cool you down. On cold, blustery days, steaming cups of coffee and tea help you stay warm. So what do you do when limiting liquids is part of your kidney diet? 

Controlling fluid intake is a very important part of keeping yourself healthy, especially since fluid intake has such a big impact on your heart and blood pressure, and excess can cause swelling and difficulty breathing. Drinking too much fluid can make your body fill up and hold on to fluid, which makes it harder to walk around and sleep at night if the fluid moves into your lungs. Eating salt and high-sodium foods can cause more trouble by making you feel thirstier and causing your body to retain the fluid you drink.

Your doctor and dietitian can provide guidance for how much fluid to drink and sodium to consume daily to maintain your health. In general, it is smart to limit or avoid fast foods, soups, salted chips and snacks, or adding salt to foods at the table.

Patients I speak with have shared their own ways to reduce their fluid intake. Try one or all and see how good you’ll feel as the weather warms up for spring!

1. Freeze slices of lemon and suck on them to cool down and moisten your mouth.
2. Freeze grapes and berries for the same purpose as the lemons for a variety of refreshing flavors.
3. Use a water bottle with measurements to keep track of how much you’re drinking. Fill a 32 ounce bottle with water and sip from it throughout the day. When you drink a cup of coffee, juice or low-sodium soup, pour out the same amount of water so you don’t over-drink.
4. Use a variety of to flavor your food instead of relying on salt or soy sauce for flavor.
5. Fill a spray bottle with cold water and mist your face, arms, or legs to cool down on hot days.

For more thirst quenching tips read "10 Low-Sodium, Thirst-Quenching Foods for the Kidney Diet" on ÑÇÖÞÎÞÂë.com.