DaVita Inc. has announced a new promotion to give away free, kidney-friendly recipe card sets on the company's kidney disease educational website. The promotion is to help people who follow a renal diet enjoy a variety of tasty foods that are healthy for their condition.

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There are five stages of chronic kidney disease as defined by the National Kidney Foundation. The stage is determined by a person's glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Because chronic kidney disease generally progresses slowly over time, knowing a person's stage of kidney disease will indicate how the person should be medically treated including their recommended diet. DaVita.com features a GFR Calculator that can calculate a GFR, as well as information about the stages of chronic kidney disease.

For those with chronic kidney disease that are not yet on dialysis (stages 3 and 4), their prescribed diet would generally be lower in protein and sodium to help prolong kidney function. People with end stage kidney disease (stage 5) who are on dialysis must follow a prescribed renal diet, which in most cases includes significantly reduced amounts of phosphorus, potassium and sodium, which are no longer filtered and removed by the kidneys, and restricted amount of fluids, while still getting enough protein and nutrition.

The free recipes on DaVita.com are designed for people at every stage of kidney disease including those on the "diabetic dialysis" diet. Because both the dialysis diet and the diabetes diets have different food restrictions, the recipes are helpful in providing tasty solutions and adequate nutrition, while being mindful of the restrictions of both diets.

In addition to giving away the set of 20 kidney-friendly recipe cards printed with full-color pictures on durable, high-gloss card stock, DaVita.com also features over 250 recipes in the Recipe Section of the website. Visitors will find categories including: Breakfasts; Appetizers & Snacks; Salads & Salad Dressings; Meat, Poultry & Seafood; Rice, Pasta & Breads; Vegetables; Sauces & Seasonings; Desserts and Beverages.

The Recipe Section is one of the most popular on the site along with the Diet and Nutrition Section.

"The incredible feedback we've received regarding DaVita.com lets us know people are using the information and the tools we are providing to help them improve their quality of life," states Kent Thiry, DaVita's CEO. "We want to meet their expectations and be the preeminent source for kidney disease and dialysis information on the web."

DaVita.com provides comprehensive information about kidney disease, dialysis and diabetes with detailed overviews including: definitions; causes and symptoms; controlling diabetes and high blood pressure to prevent kidney disease (diabetes and high blood pressure are the top two causes of kidney disease); prolonging kidney function; how treatments work and much more. In addition to the Diet and Nutrition and Recipe sections of the website, there are articles dealing with emotional and lifestyle issues to help enhance the quality of life for those with kidney disease.

About DaVita

DaVita is a leading provider of dialysis services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney failure. DaVita serves over 965,000 patients in 41 states and the District of Columbia from approximately 1,233 affiliated outpatient dialysis centers. DaVita also provides acute inpatient dialysis services in approximately 850 hospitals across the country.

About DaVita.com

DaVita.com is the premier online resource for information on dialysis and chronic kidney disease. From informative articles and animated learning modules to recipes for the renal diet and other useful tools, DaVita.com is always adding to the wealth of information it offers website visitors. You are invited to discover how kidneys work and how dialysis works, plus take advantage of special features including a: Discussion forum, Find a dialysis center locator, Insurance consultation, GFR calculator and more.

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SOURCE: DaVita Inc.