Why You Can't Manage What You Don't Measure
Understanding Nutrient Gaps with Real Meal Data
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned while living with Chronic Kidney Disease is this: if you don’t track what you eat, you can’t manage your health.
I often hear people talk about potassium like it’s the villain — “just eat low-potassium foods” — but that’s not how it works. You only need to limit potassium if your lab results show high levels. In fact, only 3% of Americans get the recommended daily potassium intake. The vast majority eat too little, not too much.
And yet potassium is essential. It supports nerve and muscle function, keeps your heartbeat regular, helps balance fluids, and even reduces the effects of sodium on your blood pressure.
Let me show you what I mean.
Over the last 30 days, I’ve logged almost all of my meals using the MetaSano app. It’s been eye-opening. Even though I eat tons of vegetables, and even some potassium-rich foods like bananas and potatoes, I still didn’t hit my potassium goals. I don’t eat junk food, I just eat healthy, real meals.
Take a look at my numbers:
📊 Potassium –I haven't reached my daily goal
📊 Protein – it is my best numbers. I’m vegetarian who eats a lot of cheese and plant-based protein.
📊 Phosphorus – also low on most days
I don’t follow a strict “diet.” I eat when I’m hungry, but I choose whole, healthy foods. Still, without tracking, I wouldn’t know how much I’m missing, or if I was getting too much of something I should avoid.
That’s why meal tracking matters.
✅ If you want to understand how your diet is affecting your kidneys, you need data.
✅ You need to compare your meals with your lab results.
✅ You need to stop guessing and start tracking.
Start simple: take photos of all your meals for the next 3 days using the MetaSano app. You'll immediately start to see patterns — and you might be surprised by what you find.
📱 Download MetaSano here – and take control of your health.
Below is a snapshot of one full day of my meals — specifically, July 10.
What you’ll see isn’t just a list of foods. It’s a reflection of how I’ve been aligning my diet with my lab results, using the MetaSano app.
Here’s what makes MetaSano different: it analyzes your lab values and creates a list of ingredients that are ideal for you. When you take a photo of your meal, it compares that meal with your recommended list — giving you instant insight into how close you are to eating what your body actually needs.
On that day, I had a diverse mix of ingredients — mostly healthy, mostly in line with what my kidneys need.
My current challenge: Undereating the nutrients I need
Many people with CKD worry about eating too much of things like potassium or phosphorus. In my case, I have the opposite problem: I don’t get enough. That’s why I track — not to restrict, but to optimize.
For example:
✅ My protein intake is now nearly perfect (I am vegetarian)
⚠️ But my potassium is still consistently low
So, starting now, my next personal challenge is to improve my potassium levels — with the right foods, not supplements. I’ll be adjusting my meals, and in 30 days, I’ll share another update showing whether I’ve made progress.
Why This Matters: Fatigue, Sleep, and Mineral Deficiencies
If you’ve been feeling tired, sluggish, or struggling with poor sleep, you might be missing some essential nutrients — especially potassium and phosphorus.
Here’s how deficiencies in these minerals can affect you:
Potassium
Fatigue: Crucial for muscle function and nerve signaling. Low levels mean weaker muscle contractions → more fatigue.
Sleep Disruption: Muscle cramps and general fatigue can make it harder to fall or stay asleep.
Phosphorus
Fatigue: Vital for the energy production inside your cells. A deficiency can drain your energy, leading to constant tiredness.
These aren’t just numbers on a chart — they impact how you feel every day.
And stay tuned — in 30 days, I’ll report back on my potassium progress. Let’s take this journey together.
Our newsletter comes out every Sunday and Wednesday, bringing you insights, tools, and personal experiences to help you live better with CKD. In the next edition, we’ll dive into a topic that causes a lot of confusion: how your eGFR is calculated. We’ll break down the different formulas and methods used, and discuss their pros and cons so you can better understand your lab results — and make more informed decisions about your health. Stay tuned!
Have a great Sunday!
Ewerton Lopes - Living with CKD since 2016
CEO of MetaSano
Integrative Nutrition Specialist
Kidney Health Coach
Member of the Quebec Nephrology Society
Gerontologist