Nutritionist helps choose best foods

Dear Dr. Roach: In a recent column, you wrote “nearly everyone can reduce their heart disease risk by having a diet with very little meat but high in vegetables, legumes and nuts, along with whole grains and fruits.” Because of poorly functioning kidneys, my kidney doctor has told me I need to stick to a diet low in potassium, which means avoiding legumes, nuts and whole grains. I also have diabetes. What advice have you for me? — R.S.

Your best bet is the personalized advice that will come from a visit with a registered dietitian nutritionist, who has training and expertise to work with you.

Your kidney doctor can help guide how much potassium you can take in. Apricots, bananas, mangos and oranges are among the fruits higher in potassium. You should avoid them or eat them sparingly. Apples, berries and cherries are lower in potassium.

Dear Dr. Roach: I have been concerned I might have a medical condition. When looking up specific diseases on the internet, there is usually a site that will state the 10 or so symptoms or signs of that ailment.— Z. O’B.

There are a variety of online tools to help people understand their symptoms. Some of these, usually called symptom checkers, are pretty thoughtful, and can make a reasonable list of possibilities to be concerned about. However, they don’t replace a skilled doctor. Communication isn’t always so easy as asking a question.

There is a great deal of information that needs to be collected and interpreted to help a doctor formulate a “differential diagnosis,” a list of the most likely conditions the doctor thinks you might have. From there, a physical exam and appropriate lab testing can help narrow down.

Internet symptom checkers are particular helpful with less-common conditions.