According to the World Health Organization, Kidney Health is at the forefront of the current health agenda. CKD or Chronic Kidney Disease is often undiagnosed and therefore untreated.

Kidney function is closely related to heart disease and can affect heart health. When your kidneys are not functioning properly waste builds up in your blood, this includes waste products from food. Kidney disease in each person is unique, so it is important to speak to a medical professional if you plan to modify your diet plan. There are some nutrients that kidneys do have difficulty processing, such as sodium (under 2300mg/day), potassium, phosphorus, and certain proteins, limitation amounts vary according to each individual. Likewise, there are foods that help to repair kidneys and prevent future damage. According to dieticians here are some of the top foods to include in your meal planning in order to fight kidney disease;

• Cauliflower - Garlic
• Blueberries - Olive Oil
• Sea Bass - Shitake Mushrooms
• Red Grapes - Cabbage
• Egg Whites - Chicken, skinless
• Bell Peppers - Onions
• Macadamia Nuts - Arugula
• Radishes - Turnips and other Root Vegetables
• Pineapple - Cranberries

Here are a few recipes to try with some of these foods. Special thanks to Ms. Eve Dove for suggesting this kidney health topic, in doing my research I found it is much more relevant than most are aware.

Greek Spinach Pie with Cauliflower

(Adapted from an Eating Well recipe)

• 2 medium heads cauliflower (I could easily see using cabbage for this recipe as well)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 11-ounce package baby spinach or about 2 cups
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• ½ cup ricotta cheese
• 6 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Arrange racks in the middle and upper third of the oven, preheat to 450 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking pan with foil.

Remove any outer leaves from cauliflower, but keep stems intact. Place on a cutting board, stem-side down. Using a large chef's knife, cut two 1-inch-thick slices from the center of each head to make 4
cauliflower "steaks." (Reserve remaining cauliflower for another use.) Place the steaks on the prepared
baking sheet. Brush both sides with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with salt.

Roast, turning halfway through, until the cauliflower steaks are tender, 30 to 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 1 minute. Add spinach in batches and cook, stirring, until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in dill, parsley, garlic and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Transfer the spinach mixture to a large mixing bowl. Stir in ricotta and feta.
Turn the broiler to high. Top each cauliflower steak with 1/2 cup of the spinach mixture and 2 tablespoons Cheddar. Broil the cauliflower until the cheese melts and starts to lightly brown, about 2
minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 4, each serving contains; Calories 305, Fat 22 g., Carbohydrates 13 g., Sodium 576mg., and Protein 17g.

Greek Style Stuffed Bell Peppers

• 6 large bell peppers, any color
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 small zucchini, diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced, you can buy shredded carrots and chop them up
• 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• 3 cups cooked brown rice
• 5 tablespoons no-sodium-added tomato paste
• ¾ cup chopped fresh dill
• 1 lemon, juiced
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Sea salt to taste
• Optional, crumbled feta for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut around stem of peppers to provide opening for the stuffing, keep the stem top, remove seeds and wash and dry thoroughly. Place peppers upright in an oven safe baking dish an put tops back on. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. While peppers are baking, sauté onions, zucchini and carrots in broth for 5-6 minutes. Add rice and tomato paste, stir well to combine. Add dill, lemon juice and pepper; stir to combine. Season to taste with salt. Remove peppers from the oven, remove the top, spoon filling into each pepper. Place tops back on peppers and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until peppers are tender. Optional, remove tops and sprinkle with crumbled feta if desired.Serves 6, each serving contains; Calories 230, Fat 22 g., Carbohydrates 47g., Sodium 320mg., Fiber 8g., and Protein 7g.

Waldorf Style Red Grape Salad

• ¼ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• 1 cup halved seedless red grapes
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup chopped apples
• 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts, or macadamia nuts

Whisk together yogurt, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper until combined. In a separate bowl, combine the grapes, celery, and apples. Stir in the dressing. Top with the nuts. Serves 4, each serving contains; Calories 257, Fat 20g., Carbohydrates 48g., Sodium 1mg., Fiber 84., and Protein 7g.

Colorful Radish Salad

(This is a beautiful and tasty salad. If you cannot find all of the radish varieties, double up on your favorite)

• 1 watermelon radish, sliced very thin
• 1 purple daikon radish, sliced very thin
• 1 green meat radish, sliced very thin
• 4 small red radishes, sliced very thin
• 2 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, or less to taste
• 2 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
• 2 tablespoons microgreens, your choice, the pea or broccoli will work great Pinch of black pepper

Combine all of the radishes, and toss them with olive and sea salt. Let them sit for about 5 minutes tomarinate. Arrange the radishes in a low serving bowl or large plate. Toss in the Parmesan, then sprinkle withpistachios, microgreens and pinch of pepper. Serves 4, each serving contains; Calories 190, Fat 9g., Carbohydrates 9g., Sodium 832mg., Fiber 8g., and Protein 8g.

Baked Shitake Mushrooms

• 4 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried Thyme
• 1 pound fresh shitake mushrooms, rinsed and dried, stems removed or not, stems can be tough
• 1 tablespoon fresh Thyme, chopped, for topping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with high heat resistant parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and dried Thyme. Add the mushrooms and toss to coat. Transfer the coated mushrooms to the prepared baking sheet. Bake the mushrooms until tender, for about 20 minutes. Garnish with the fresh Thyme and serve. Serves 4, each serving contains; Calories 185, Fat 14g., Carbohydrates 17., Sodium 285mg., Fiber 2g., and Protein 2g.