How NBA star Sean Elliott switched to a kidney-friendly diet

At the height of his career, Sean Elliott was one of the NBA’s top players: a two-time all-star who helped the San Antonio Spurs win their first NBA championship in 1999. But just two months after winning the NBA championship, Elliott had a kidney transplant — a setback that threatened to end his career. Yet less than a year later, he returned to the sport. Elliott, 56, says that both genetics and his diet — heavy on fast food, light on fruits and vegetables — probably played a role in his kidney disease. Since undergoing his transplant, Elliott has transformed his diet and become an outspoken advocate for kidney health. I spoke to Elliott to talk about the “silent epidemic” of kidney disease and the dramatic diet changes he’s made since undergoing a kidney transplant. Answers have been edited for length and clarity. How did you become an advocate for kidney health? I was 25 years old when I got struck with kidney disease. At least 1 in 7 American adults have chronic kidney disease — more than 35 million Americans. The problem is that 9 out of 10 people don’t know that they have it. Kidney disease doesn’t present itself until it’s advanced. What were your symptoms? The first symptom was trouble getting out of bed. I was lethargic all day. I had lost my appetite and didn’t want to eat. But I thought I was just depressed because we had lost in the playoffs. I also had a ton of swelling and water accumulation in my legs, called edema. It was so bad that if you pressed your fingers into my legs, it would leave an indentation for 10 minutes. It was as if my legs were made out of clay. The other thing I noticed is that when I would urinate, my urine would foam up. By the time I finished urinating it would look like a bubble bath. It was really bizarre. I’ve been told that was because I was spilling protein into my urine. You’ve said that your diet played a role. How so? I was a big drive-through guy. I was the fast-food king. I would eat any kind of burger. Double Whoppers with cheese, Wendy’s double and triple burgers, Big Macs. I ate a lot of drive-through Mexican food — carne asada tacos with cheese. A lot of french fries. I was drinking at least five or six sodas a day. At the time I just didn’t realize I wasn’t supposed to do that. But when you’re young, you think you’re invincible. Can you talk about the changes you made after your transplant? My wife, Claudia, is a dietitian. She has a website called The Diplomacy Diet, and she got me to change the way that I eat. I stopped drinking a lot of soda. I might have a Diet Coke four times a year. I stopped eating fast food. We try to eat real food that we make at home. Nothing processed. I don’t eat much dairy. I try to limit fried foods. You have to live a little. I still love french fries. Sometimes I have fried chicken as a cheat meal. But it’s not a staple for me anymore.


All data is taken from the source: http://washingtonpost.com
Article Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/20...


#newsyesterday #newstodayupdate #bbcworldnewstoday #newsworldabc #bbcnewsworld #newstodaydonaldtrump #