Hi there, I’m Kate!
I’m a Registered Dietitian and the owner of Your Kidney Dietitian: a virtual nutrition practice based out of the windy city, Chicago, IL.
Working together I’ll help you implement diet changes to improve your metabolic health, improve your labs, slow disease progression, and help you feel better.
Why I Help People with Kidney Disease
In 2017, I began working as a renal dietitian in a dialysis clinic. In that role I helped hundreds of patients understand how to feel their best on dialysis with the power of food. However, I was very sad to learn that very few of these folks had the chance to see a patient pre-dialysis. In fact, only 10% of patients on dialysis meet with a dietitian before beginning treatment!
As a big advocate of preventative nutrition, I started to feel a calling to support patients in the earlier stages of kidney disease. I wanted to help CKD patients slow disease progression while still enjoying food.
Today, I help patients with CKD and other kidney-related nutrition concerns using a plant-focused approach. I also love to assist patients in managing overall metabolic health – better blood sugar, blood pressure, lipids, and achieving a healthy weight. I know that good nutrition has the power to transform your life. I’d be honored to help you along in the process!
My Approach
Patients appreciate my signature approach, based on three core principles:
Knowledge = Power
Understanding the link between the kidneys & the foods you eat will foster confidence and a sense of control over your health. Expect many “a-ha” moments ahead in our work together!
Make Peace With Food
If kidney disease has you feeling afraid to enjoy the foods you once loved, we’re going to tackle that head on. Helping you develop and maintain a healthy relationship with food is fundamental to my approach.
Rooted In Reality
As your dietitian, I’ll guide you in making sustainable diet and lifestyle changes, to help your kidneys function more efficiently and slow further kidney damage. No overnight overhauls or crash diets around here.
More About Kate
Kate Zalewski, RDN, CSR, LDN has over a decade of experience in the field of nutrition. She has worked with all types of patients, but eventually found her passion of supporting people with kidney disease.
She graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Medical Dietetics, and went on to work as a WIC dietitian, an inpatient and outpatient dietitian in a 200-bed community hospital, a retail dietitian for a large grocery store chain, and finally, as a renal dietitian with one of the nation’s largest dialysis providers. She is a Board Certified Specialist in Renal Nutrition. In 2022, Kate opened her private practice, Your Kidney Dietitian.
In her free time she enjoys running on the Chicago lakefront, tending to her houseplant collection, reading books, and spending time with her husband and their three feline companions.
Professional Credentials
- Bachelors Degree in Medical Dietetics, The Ohio State University
- 1200-Hour Dietetic Internship via Medical Dietetics Coordinated Program, The Ohio State University
- Registered Dietitian with the Commission on Dietetic Registration
- Licensed Dietitian in the States of Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee
- Board Certified Specialist in Renal Nutrition
- Member, National Kidney Foundation
