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Understand your kidney labs - without panic or confusion

CKD Labs 101 helps you make sense of your eGFR, kidney function, and common lab results so you can ask better questions, make more informed food choices, and feel more confident about your next steps.

YES, THAT WOULD BE AMAZING

LET ME GUESS...

  • Your doctor told you that you have CKD, but didn’t give you much guidance beyond “watch your salt.”

  • Your eGFR is moving in the wrong direction, but your doctor keeps saying, “You’re doing fine.”

  • Your potassium, sodium, or calcium levels are “normal,” so you assume that means you’re eating the right amount of those nutrients.

  • You’re trying to be proactive, but it feels like you need a medical degree just to understand what’s happening in your own body.

  • You keep hearing conflicting advice about potassium, protein, phosphorus, and sodium — and you’re tired of trying to piece it all together from Google searches, outdated handouts, and Facebook groups.

  • You’re worried about your kidneys getting worse and want to feel confident you’re doing what you can to protect them.

Imagine you can...

  • Look at your lab report and finally understand which numbers matter most for your kidney health.

  • Understand why your eGFR can move around — and why a drop is not always the bad news it appears to be.

  • Spot which important kidney-related labs may be missing from your bloodwork — and know what to ask about next.

  • Understand what “normal” potassium, sodium, or calcium levels may actually be telling you.

  • Ask better questions at your next doctor’s appointment — and leave with more clarity instead of more confusion.

  • Understand why nutrition advice for CKD is not one-size-fits-all.

  • Feel more confident sorting through conflicting advice about potassium, protein, phosphorus, and sodium.

  • Know when food changes may help — and when you need more individualized guidance.

  • Feel like an informed participant in your care, instead of just waiting for someone else to tell you whether things are getting worse.

Your labs should help you understand what’s happening — not leave you more confused.

But without the right context, kidney labs can be easy to misinterpret.

 

 

A “normal” potassium, sodium, or calcium level doesn’t always mean you’re eating the right amount of those nutrients.

A drop in eGFR isn’t always the bad news it appears to be.

And a routine lab panel may not include every marker that matters for kidney health.

That’s why understanding your labs is so important: it helps you ask better questions, avoid unnecessary restrictions, and make decisions based on what’s actually happening in your body.

INTRODUCING...

Kidney foodie academy

Your all-in-one guide to understanding, planning, and enjoying kidney-friendly eating—without the overwhelm. 

YES, I NEED THIS

By the end of Kidney Foodie Academy, you'll have learned:

  • Clear, evidence-based strategies to support your kidney health through food—so you can stop second-guessing every bite.
  • Practical steps you can take to start seeing real results in how you feel and in your lab work—so you can move forward with confidence and hope.
  • How to build balanced meals that not only support your kidneys, but also help manage conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, gout, and osteoporosis.

*PLUS* We provide you with a collection of our favorite kidney friendly recipes, designed to be simple, flavorful, and packed full of kidney boosting ingredients and nutrients CKD.

*AND* we put these recipes into sample mealplans so you can see how eating even the "off-limits" foods is not only possible on a CKD diet, but may even make it easier to meet your goals of lower sodium, lower protein, and lower potassium eating.

HERE'S WHAT'S INSIDE:

You're going to

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 this

video tutorials

Over 20 hours of clear, easy-to-understand video lessons, that are packed with practical, expert guidance you can start applying right away.

Practical Strategies

Simple, actionable tweaks to how you shop, plan, and prepare meals—so kidney-friendly eating becomes second nature. 

Grocery & Meal Planning Guides

35+ shopping guides focused on what you can eat—no more label-reading confusion or endless “do not eat” lists. 

Sample meal plans

Flexible meal plans for every lifestyle—including options for microwave-only meals, cooking for one, or those ready to do a little more in the kitchen.

Recipes & Recipe Tweaks 

Kidney-friendly recipes, plus strategies for modifying everyday recipes you already love to better support your kidneys.

expert led

Created and led by a registered dietitian and board certified specialist in renal nutrition that has over a decade of experience helping people thrive with kidney disease.

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The Kidney Foodie Academy has been a game-changer. My labs improved, my weight improved, and my knowledge on ways to manage CKD improved significantly. My nephrologist has been so complimentary about the positive changes and he has predicted that with my current path, I will probably never need dialysis.

~Barb
kidney foodie academy member

And just who will be teaching you in Kidney Foodie Academy??


Me! I'm Lauren Gleason

Registered Dietitian nutritionist, Board Certified Specialist in Renal Nutrition, wife, mother to two, and firm believe that food should be both nourishing and enjoyable.

Before launching Kidney Foodie, I was the Senior Director of Nutrition at Fresenius Kidney Care, where I supported over 2,000 dietitians working with 200,000+ patients nationwide. Today, I run my own virtual practice and share real-world kidney nutrition strategies with a community of over 15,000 people through my YouTube channel and newsletter.

As a mom of two, I get how chaotic life can be. I know you don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen—or the energy to decode every food label. That’s why I created Kidney Foodie Academy: to give you the real-life tools you need to eat well with CKD, without sacrificing your time, your sanity, or your enjoyment of food.

I’ve seen firsthand how confusing and overwhelming kidney nutrition advice can be. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Inside this course, I’ll show you how to make confident food choices that support your health and fit your life.

"The best thing I could have ever done for my health! I wouldn't be where I am today without Lauren's help."

My doctors are thrilled with my test results. My A1C is now below pre-diabetic stage. My kidney function numbers are better. My cholesterol and triglycerides are better. My endocrinologist just said I don't have to see him for 6 months. I had been seeing him every 3 months for years!

~Marie
kidney foodie academy member

Let's Talk Content

The breakdown
All About

Potassium & CKD

 

  • Understand how potassium works in the body and why a potassium restriction isn't always necessary in kidney disease.
  • Simple, actionable steps you can take to reduce your risk of high potassium levels.
  • Strategies for building meals and eating plans that give you flexibility while helping you stay on track.
All about

Protein 

  • Understand the impact that different types and amounts of protein have on your labs and risk of kidney disease progression
  • Learn how to calculate the recommend amount of protein based on stage of kidney disease
  • How protein may increase your risk of high potassium, insulin resistance, and uremia
ALL ABOUT

Sodium & Blood Pressure

  • How sodium can negatively impact your blood pressure medication's kidney protecting benefits
  • Practical tips for reducing your sodium intake, while maximizing salty flavor in your meals
  • Navigating dining out and other foods prepared outside the home to stay on track with sodium
All about

Phosphorus & CKD

  • Understand why foods historically considered "too high in phosphorus" may actually be kidney boosting superfoods
  • What to look for in your labs to understand if phosphorus is an issue for you
  • Additional steps to take beyond reading food labels
ALL ABOUT

Vitamins & Supplements

  • Understand which vitamins are potentially harmful for your kidneys
  • Which vitamins and supplements can help protect your kidneys, bones, and immune system
  • How to determine when certain supplements are needed and what the right amount is
All about

Meal Planning & Grocery Shopping

  • 35+ Grocery Shopping Guides to help you find kidney friendly options without endlessly reading food labels
  • Sample meal plans to show you what a day of kidney friendly eating looks like - whether you're an amateur chef or a microwave maven
  • Done-for-you kidney friendly recipes - plus tutorials on how to find and adapt non-kidney recipes to suit your needs

The guidance I've received from Kidney Foodie has been crucial. What I've learned from her is so much more than the nutritional information from my general practitioner and nephrologist.  I'm one of the more fortunate ones, being able to dramatically slow things down with this help.

~jack
kidney foodie academy member

After learning I had CKD I was super discouraged and didn't know how to shop for groceries that would be fine for myself and tasty for my husband as well. Lauren has wonderful seminars and excellent information. Now, I'm not so freaked out in going to the grocery store. Most of my lab results are improved plus I feel better as I am eating more healthy.

~ Margie
kidney foodie academy member

I am a retired RD and I thought I knew a lot about the renal diet and kidney disease, but I didn't. I had the advantage of knowing about the kidneys, what they do and some of the foods to avoid, but after joining the Foodie Kidney Academy I realized how little I know. The information has been and will continue to be valuable to me. My albumin has improved from 3.8g/dL to 4.5g/dL in 5 months. My creatinine has improved from 1.29mg/dL to 0.84mg/dL and my GFR improved from 46mL/min/1.73m2 to >60mL/min/1.73m2.

~ Karen
kidney foodie academy member

I'm an 82 year old widow. My husband was always the cook. The Academy gave me realistic options for things I could do to protect my kidneys. My GFR went up 8 points and my hemoglobin went from 10.3 to 11.8. I'm finally not exhausted all the time.

~ Lynn
kidney foodie academy member

Kidney Foodie Academy

Nutrition for kidney disease shouldn’t feel like a part-time job. Kidney Foodie Academy gives you the clarity, tools, and support you need to confidently nourish your body and protect your kidneys—without the overwhelm.

  • 20+ hours of research-backed guidance and step-by-step video tutorials with a kidney nutrition pro
  • More flavor and flexibility in your meals
  • No more feeling hungry and deprived after eating
  • Step-by-step expert guidance on how to build kidney friendly meals
  • Kidney friendly recipes with photos and nutrition to get you started today
  • Sample Meal Plans to see the big picture for the day
  • Ingredient Nutrition Guides to help you mix-and-match to suit your needs
  • Digital downloads like our Superfood Salads for CKD or 100+ Microwave Meals- yours to keep forever
  • Instant access to all content - plus anything new added while you're a member!
one year of access - $397

Because it's never "just kidney disease".


Let's really fast-track your success!
  • BONUS 1 --> Anemia Deep Dive   - This 3 hour series takes a close look at anemia related labs, explains common causes of anemia, identifies nutritional strategies you can take to prevent and treat specific kinds of anemia, and talks about supplements that can help improve (or in some cases make worse!) your anemia.  
  • BONUS 2 --> Gout & CKD - Do you suffer from gout or have high uric acid levels? In this focused bonus module, you’ll learn what dietary strategies truly make a difference (hint: it’s not just about high purine foods) and how to support both kidney and joint health without guesswork.
  • BONUS 3 --> Diabetes & CKD - Managing both diabetes and CKD can feel like walking a nutritional tightrope. This bonus breaks down how to build balanced meals that support blood sugar and kidney health. You’ll learn how protein, carbs, and potassium interact—and how to simplify your food decisions without compromising on either condition.

I'm ready to join for $397

I'M IN

Still Got Questions?

MY LAST PIECE OF ADVICE

It’s never too late to take control of your health.

If you’ve made it this far, you already know how important it is to take care of your kidneys—and that the right nutrition can make a big difference.

And the sooner you start, the more power you have to protect your kidney function and avoid complications down the line.

But if you’re not quite ready to jump in, that’s okay too. You don’t have to rush this decision.

When you’re ready, Kidney Foodie Academy will be here for you.