If you have kidney disease - which is common among people with high blood pressure - you may at some point have to be on kidney dialysis to enable your body get rid of waste. A good meal plan can improve your dialysis and your health by reducing the amount of waste your body produces.

There are special eating plans for people on dialysis. Here are some tips for what to expect:

• You'll need to restrict your fluids. Besides drinking, that includes foods which are liquid at room temperature, including soup, gelatin and ice cream. Many fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water, including melons, grapes, applies, oranges, tomatoes, celery and lettuce.

• You'll need to watch your potassium intake, since your kidneys are no longer balancing this mineral in your bloodstream. Foods such as avocados, bananas, kiwis and dried fruit are high in potassium. You can remove some of the potassium from potatoes and other vegetables by peeling them and then soaking them in a large amount of water for several hours before cooking them.

• Similarly, you need to watch your phosphorus intake. For this reason, people on dialysis are usually limited to only a half cup of milk a day. Your doctor may recommend that you take a phosphate binder; it controls phosphorus by binding to it in the stomach, preventing it from entering your bloodstream.

• People with early kidney disease are told to limit their protein intake. But people on dialysis are told to eat a high-protein diet to improve nourishment. High-quality proteins such as those in meat, fish, poultry and eggs are best because they produce less waste than others.

Related information: Basic Facts - Disease risks | Lifestyle changes - Eating well

Source:  NIH, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Eat right to feel right on hemodialysis.