PKD nutrition, without the noise.
Five short, research-backed videos from nutrition professionals who specialize in PKD - not generic kidney disease. Watch them all. No email required.
From a PKD nutrition expert - who has
PKD
Skip the videos - get the downloadable guide + our most requested resources →
You've read the conflicting advice. Let's clear it up.
If you've searched 'PKD diet' and walked away more confused than when you started... Or been told there isn't much to do other than drink gallons of water and watch your salt and that doesn't feel right to you - that's not a you problem. Most of what's out there is generic kidney disease advice dressed up as PKD guidance. It's not the same thing.
Nutrition has become one of the most exciting areas of PKD research. These modules help you separate promising science from speculation and translate the evidence into practical next steps.
Most "kidney diet" content is written for late-stage CKD. The two diverge on potassium, phosphorus, protein, and the role of cyst-specific metabolic levers. Module 1 starts there.
Watch the videos here, revisit them whenever you like, or download the printable guide if that's how you learn best. We've also included information about the RISE program below for those interested in deeper support, practical implementation, and connection with others living with PKD.
- New to PKD nutrition or feeling lost in the basics?
- Want the PKD-specific why and how much for fluid and sodium?
- Curious about carbs, sugar, or keto in PKD?
- Wondering how much oxalates should matter in your PKD plan?
- Thinking about intermittent fasting and want to start safely?
Take the Jumpstart Guide with you.
The fundamentals of PKD nutrition in one printable guide - plus five practical resources to get started with confidence.
- Grocery Essentials List
- Simple Meal Inspirations
- PKD-Friendly Convenience Meals
- Understanding Your GFR
- Alcohol & PKD Handout
You've done the research. Here's what comes next.
If you already know what to do but struggle to put it into practice, RISE gives you the support, structure, and strategy to make PKD nutrition work for your real life.
A PKD nutrition expert - who has PKD.
"My journey with PKD started in my twenties and has been filled with challenges - including a significant decline in kidney function after contracting COVID twice. But it was the discovery of how nutrition could positively impact PKD that led me to the RISE program - a decision that changed my life."
"As a dietitian with over 20 years of experience, I was accustomed to managing symptoms rather than preventing them. Joining RISE gave me hope and a sense of control - offering a strategy different from the textbook kidney diets. The program not only helped stabilize my kidney function as I awaited a transplant, but it also kept me free from the typical side effects associated with low GFR."
RISE: Research-Based Intervention with Support to Empower Change
A 15-week PKD nutrition program with an assigned 1:1 dietitian, weekly group classes, and a cohort of people living with PKD. The longest-running nutrition program built specifically for PKD, not generic kidney disease.
- 1Evidence-based nutrition drawn from PKD, metabolic, and plant-focused ketogenic research.
- 21:1 dietitian guidance with weekly monitoring and answers between sessions.
- 3Practical tools including 6 weeks of menu plans, Cronometer Gold, and bonus modules.
- 4A peer cohort - described by past participants as one of the program's most valuable elements.
Kelly explains RISE - in her own words.
What's inside the program, who it's for, and how the cohort actually works. Press play.
“GFR went from 45 to 67 in 4 months. Lost 35 pounds. Blood pressure medication was lowered.”
“Largest cyst reduced from 4.3 cm to 3.1 cm - almost 50%.”
"Is RISE for me at my stage?"
The discovery call is exactly the right place to find out. 15 minutes. No pitch, no pressure.
"Why do I need to pay if you're giving free content?"
Knowledge isn't the gap most people hit. Implementation is. RISE is the structure that turns what you know into what you actually do.
Join the next RISE cohort - Fall 2026.
RISE cohorts run twice a year - September and January. The next one starts September 2, 2026. If now's the time, the next step is the enrollment page or a free call with our team.
The same RISE program described above - Fall 2026 cohort. Built around the truth that PKD nutrition is its own field, and the patient is the one who has to live it.
Use it every day - the PKD Knowledge Hub.
If the videos pulled you in, the Knowledge Hub is the next step that doesn’t require a full program. Same standards - PKD-specific, research-backed, built for the patient who actually has to cook the meals and read the labels.
- Monthly PKD nutrition power-ups, deeper than the videos
- A growing mini-class library on PKD-specific topics
- Low-oxalate, low-carb, PKD-friendly recipe database
- Seasonal 7-day meal plans with recipes and macros
- Nutrition guides and quick-reference cards
- Gold-level Cronometer access for tracking food, labs, and trends
- Live monthly support group and Q&A with the dietitian team
Three ways in - $47/month (cancel anytime), $125 for 90 days, or $297 lifetime.
See what’s inside the Hub.
The honest answers.
No. We're explicit on this: nutrition won't cure PKD. What the research suggests is that specific, evidence-based dietary levers may support kidney function and slow what's slowable. If you read anything on this page or in the videos that reads like a magic bullet, that's a mistake on our end - tell us.
Kelly Welsh is a Registered Dietitian with 20+ years of clinical experience, the RISE Program Coordinator, a former RISE participant, and a PKD patient herself. The team behind RISE runs the longest-running nutrition program built specifically for PKD - not generic kidney disease.
A lot. Standard "healthy eating" often centers spinach, almonds, almond flour, and high-protein patterns that can work against PKD specifically. Generic kidney disease nutrition often over-restricts potassium and phosphorus in ways that aren't appropriate at the PKD stage. Module 1 explains the divergence; Module 4 (oxalates) is where the "but I eat spinach!" moment usually happens.
We ran the math on email-gated content for this audience and decided the friction wasn't worth it. The videos are free because we'd rather build trust with the people they're meant for than chase a higher email volume from people they aren't. If RISE is for you, you'll know it after watching. If it isn't, the videos still gave you something useful.
No. The Knowledge Hub is a low-cost membership ($47/month, $125 for 90 days, or $297 lifetime) for the patient who wants daily-use tools - recipes, meal plans, mini classes, Cronometer Gold, and a monthly Q&A - without the structure of a full program. RISE is the 15-week cohort with an assigned 1:1 dietitian. Different commitment, different price, different fit. Many people start with one and move to the other.
Almost never - and where it goes deeper than what a nephrologist had time for, that's the gap we're trying to close. PKD nutrition is a specialty most nephrologists don't have bandwidth to teach in a 15-minute visit. Bring anything you learn here to your care team. We work with patients alongside their doctors, not around them.
No, and Module 1 opens by drawing that line clearly. PKD diverges from late-stage CKD on potassium, phosphorus, protein, and the role of cyst-specific metabolic levers. Most "kidney diet" content online is written for late-stage CKD and doesn't apply.
Skip around. Each module stands alone. The "Not sure where to start?" guide above and each card's "Perfect for…" tag are there exactly so you don't burn 10 minutes on the wrong one. You can always come back - the page remembers where you left off.
Yes. A lot of the actual cooking, shopping, and label-reading decisions get made by partners and family. The videos work just as well for you, and Module 1 + the recipes are particularly relevant.
Yes, and Module 2 will be particularly interesting to you: tolvaptan targets the vasopressin pathway, and hydration + sodium choices act on the same lever. The medication and the nutrition work in the same direction.
Not ready for a call or a program? At least leave with the free Jumpstart Guide →