Renal Dietitian

Experience as a Renal Dietitian

For over a decade Katie has worked with hundreds of people with kidney disease in both clinical (Katie holds the Senior Renal Dietitian position at one of Perth's leading tertiary hospitals) and private practice setting. Katie has provides the highest quality education on chooseing the right foods to consume to optimise  chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Katie has managed patients with a wide variety of acute and chronic kidney disease, including but not limited to; Polycystic Kidney Disease (PCKD), Lupus nephritis, diabetic nephropathy (CKD caused by diabetes), kidney stones, hypertensive nephropathy, FSGS, nephrotic syndrome, IgA nephropathy, aHUS, cystinosis, Minimal change disease, Glomerular disease, Fabry disease.

Katie's experience in renal dietetics is comprehensive. As well as completing her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Diploma in Dietetics and graduating as an Accredited Practising Dietitian, Katie has completed the advanced Renal Nutrition Program . Katie has also published several articles on renal nutrition and presented at numerous national and international conferences such as at the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology (ANZSN) annual conference and the Renal Society of Australasia (RSA) information nights.

Katie is the chair of the Dietitians Association of Western Australian’s Renal Dietitians Interest Group. As the state convenor, she organises meeting with other renal dietitians across WA and meets regularly with other renal dietitians at a national level.

Katie is passionate about helping people with kidney disease to live better lives.

The Renal Diet

It is important to know there is no standard “renal diet”; it depends on several factors such as your age, weight, stage of CKD, treatment mode and blood results.

There is a lot of misinformation on the internet about the best foods to consume for your kidneys and a lot of lengthy lists of foods that are “harmful” for your kidneys and must be avoided. This can lead to an overly restricted diet that is not nutritionally complete and can cause a level of stress and fear around eating. As a renal dietitian, Katie can equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to navigate a lot of the misinformation out there. With Katie's support and guidance, you will be able to eat a balanced and varied diet that is not overly restrictive.

Dialysis

If you are undergoing dialysis (haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis), Katie can provide education around the best diet to follow to improve health outcomes, assist with weight control and manage symptoms such as nausea, poor appetite, dry mouth.

Certain nutrients such as folate and amino acids are lost during dialysis, so it is important to ensure you are eating adequate amounts of these nutrients.

Healthy Eating Recipes

Katie understands that cooking for someone with CKD can be hard. Katie can provide delicious and kidney-friendly recipes tailored to your nutritional needs and food preferences. If you would like an individualised meal plan, you can add that when booking or ask about it during your appointment.