How can I prevent kidney stones if I don’t cook?

How can I prevent kidney stones if I don't cook? Let's talk about that.

Welcome back to the Kidney Stone Diet podcast, the show about reducing your kidney stone risk and live your best life. I'm your host and fellow student, Jeff Sarris.

And I'm Jill Harris, your kidney stone prevention nurse and chef! Chef!

Yeah, now that's a little a little tick on your list of things, but that wasn't always the case.

Okay, you guys, come on, come here, come here. Gather on over here, come here and listen, listen. Guys,

Jeff, do you know how old that meal plan is? How long have we been doing the meal plan?

Oh, that's a good question now.

Three years, maybe?

Yeah, at least like two to three, like two and a half, three, probably somewhere around that time.

Okay, so here's the deal. When I got a divorce, I didn't know how to boil an egg, folks. But I'm like, holy braciole, I better learn, cause my partner did the cooking.

And I and I cleaned and kept things tidy, you know? So, it was just a division of labor, which I loved. So,

Jeff came to me at one time, and he said, "We should do a meal plan." I'm like, "Have we met?" I'm like, "I don't just I don't know about that." But, anyway, and I put him off for quite a bit. He was probably annoyed, as he always is annoyed with me, until he'd say, "Let's try this. Let's try this." I'm like, "I don't know.

How am I going to do it? Blah, blah, blah." And then I do it.

And he knows what to say. He knows how to work me. We're a good team that way.

But anyway, when I got divorced, I was like, "Oh, shit, I got to learn how to make stuff for my kid here."

And what I did, I've told the story a million times, a friend of mine said, "If you can read, you can cook." And then I said, "If I can read, I can cook." And so I took those words that I know she doesn't even remember,

And I really did it. I was just like And listen, guys, when I was first learning how, if the recipe said chives and I didn't have them, "Oh, I can't make that recipe. Okay, so let me turn the page, let me go on the internet and find something else I don't have chives." So, I would do whatever the recipe said.

I was sweating bullets, measuring,

Saying prayers to Jesus, whatever, praying, crossing myself. I mean, I was just If I didn't have the ingredients, I wouldn't make it. I didn't think about anything.

I didn't know how to add a spice. I didn't know, "What about this? What about this?

Let's try this." No. I was just reading recipes, cause if I can read, I can cook.

Then I really started loving it. And I know everybody who doesn't cook is like, "Screw you, Jill. I don't love it." I know, I know, I know.

But listen to me, just listen. And you don't have to cook, you don't have to make gourmet meals.

Hold on, hold on, I don't want to lose you with this one. Because if I can do it, just a regular jabroni walking down the road, if I can do it, anybody here can do it, because if you can read, you can cook. And that's where you start.

So, if you're like me, you kind of, you know, I'm Here I am, a middle-aged woman, I don't know how to cook. I can make a sandwich and an egg, and that's about it. So, and my kid pancakes.

So, I really was like, "You know, if I'm going to do this, I'm going to do this. I'm all in." So, I really started, I got I would go look at some recipes, and I would just start cooking,

And my kid really liked my cooking, and I just got I was like, "Oh, my god!" I was feeling so proud of myself. So, then a few years in, you know, Jeff at some point said—I wasn't talking to him about cooking, he just threw out, "How about we do meal plans?" And I was resistant at first, cuz I was an old bird and I was set in my ways,

And I still felt a little insecure, but I was more open. I'm like, "You know what? Okay." It was the It was COVID at that time.

I think we started it in like 2021. So, it was still COVID. I remember being stuck in the house.

And so,

If I didn't have something, I'd be like, " let me look in my spice rack. Let me see what I'm going to add." I would be like, "You know what? I don't have that, but I'm going to add that." I would think, "What does a restaurant Does this look like something that would be

On a menu?" Or I would ask—I'm going to whisper it—Alexa. I'd ask Alexa, "Hey, old girl, what goes with what? Does nutmeg go with pork?

Does parsley go with this, or what kind of things taste good with chicken?" And, I mean, that was it, and I just started rolling with it.

So, then the next time, maybe a year later, he's like, "Jill, Jill, maybe we want to think about a recipe service." And I still was hesitant, cuz I'm an old bird, and I was set in my ways, and I still felt a little insecure, but I was more open. I'm like, "You know what? Okay."

It was the It was COVID at that time. I think we started it in like 2021, so it was still COVID. I remember being stuck in the house, and so I just started making meals.

And based upon And all the meals that I was already making before this meal plan service is food that I would like,

Which is going to be low in sugar and low in salt, good protein, getting my calcium needs met, cuz the things I ask you guys to do, I live that lifestyle. So, I follow the Kidney Stone Diet cuz my family has kidney stones, but even if they didn't, it's just a healthy lifestyle.

Anybody who happens to be watching this video, you don't need to make kidney stones. You need to get your calcium. You need to get enough fluids.

The oxalate part, not so much if you don't make kidney stones. Doesn't mean you should be hogging down on spinach and almonds, though, cuz you could make kidney stones.

You know, watching how much you eat of meat, okay? Eating normal portion sizes, lowering sodium, not eating a lot of added sugar. This is just how I always live my life.

Well, 40s, 30s and above. I was a little rebel in my 20s, folks. I wasn't the healthiest person then.

But, so, I'm just telling you, it just took off. He really pushed me to do it in a very kind way. Like it was pushing me.

I had to push myself to do this because I still was learning as a cook, but, my god, it pushed me into Now I take pictures. I'm like, "Oh, my god, I got to go get different placemats. Let me get a camera.

I need lighting."

Now I think I'm, you know, Annie Leibovitz, and I'm going to have a coffee table book of food any minute. So, what I'm telling you is—

Hey, don't write that off. I like the idea.

I know you will put it on the list. Coffee table KSD. Coffee table with Jill.

What I'm telling you, if somebody in their mid-50s, maybe I was 56 at that time, and I'll be 61 next month.

At that time, to learn a whole new thing, and feeding a lot, like hundreds of people on this meal plan now,

I am so proud of myself for getting out of my comfort zone. I'm so proud of myself because I listen to Jeff, you know. I'm so proud of myself that people are eating healthy.

But not only that,

I'm really proud of myself because it has been it has inspired people to get their apron on and get their ass in the kitchen. And all the things that I make, people are like, "I don't have time." You know I don't have time for much!

I really don't. That's Every time Jeff says, "Can we do?" "I don't have time!" But then somehow, I make the time. I make the time because it becomes a priority, because I know for the greater good of things, it's going to be good, right?

So,

We don't make time for things or we don't think we have time, until something becomes a priority. And kidney stone pain will make eating healthier your number one priority, because you never want to go through that again. What I'm making here, folks, simple.

Basic ingredients, simply, not a lot of time. I don't think there's anything more. Typically, my food is 20 to 30 minutes.

But what I'm telling you is, you don't have to be a big chef. You're putting together simple dishes for a healthy life. Now,

I want to tell you this, too. I have worked with people that they just have a hot plate and a microwave, like college students that are making kidney stones. They don't have access to a full kitchen.

There are ways Now, now, that's a full That's a consult with me to get that. "How do I do it with this?" I mean, we got to really brainstorm, because people have to tell me what they like, what they don't like,

But I have so much knowledge with foods that maybe you can't cook. He can't be making a stir-fry with what he's got going, you know, really, or, you know, making a roast or something. He's limited.

So, but I'm thinking of a certain person. But honestly, just start where you are. A simple stir-fry, folks,

I mean, you're putting a pan on the stove on medium heat, putting some oil on it, olive oil or avocado oil. You're warming that up. You're throwing some onions, garlic, veggies, warming it up, your meat protein if you want that, tofu if you want that, and that's it, 10 minutes.

We

Get overwhelmed with what we don't know. At least I do. I'm not going to speak for you, but, you know, I have had thousands of patients, so that's what they tell me.

When we don't know something, it's very overwhelming, and we think the learning curve is going to be this huge, laborious task, but it isn't. And if you have the motivation, and you have a really great reason why, in this case, it's not making kidney stones,

You will learn how to throw some stir-fries together, 10 minutes. You'll be eating quicker than it takes you to order online to get it, and then for sure delivered. And, guys, it's a hell of a lot cheaper in today's food, in today's inflation.

So, you know, DoorDash and Uber Eats and all that, the service charge on that stuff is over the top. So, yes, I know groceries are expensive, but y'all are ordering all these people to bring your food in. That's really expensive.

So, cooking, I promise you, please, please, please. I actually have an article on my blog, "How to Cook for the Kidney Stone Diet," because that was like when I was first starting to cook and those were It was just a simple recipe. My friend Natalie taught me how to grill some chicken on the stove, so I put that recipe in there.

But these things are really simple. Try the meal plan.

More importantly, I want you to try it just to get your confidence up, cuz these are things I eat, I've made. They're all really simple, but they're really nourishing, and also, they're really delicious. You're going to find all kinds of things with fresh herbs that you've never thought about putting together and it's going to be great.

And that kind of stuff is really important when you're trying to lower your salt, because you need to get some flavor in your food. So, when you don't know something,

It is overwhelming. I'm giving you the tools to start. Get the meal plan.

Try it for a month. It's only $24. It's cheaper than the out to eat meal you're going to order tonight, and you'll get over 100 recipes a month.

You can't beat that. Cancel it at any time. But I really look forward to you Please put in comments if you've tried my meal plan and you are

Getting more confident cooking. I really want to know that because if we can inspire more people to cook at home and really enjoy it, I mean, that would really tickle me. You don't got to get your camera out and take pictures of it, but we certainly do that on the Facebook page at the Kidney Stone Diet with Jill Harris Facebook page.

We do a lot of taking pictures with things we've made, so check that out, too. But, boy, it would really make me happy if you tried to do some cooking at home,

Get used to it like any habit you're trying to start, and before you know it, you're going to be calling yourself a chef, too. I can't wait.

I love it. Yeah, and if you have any questions that you want answered on the show, the number again is 773-789-8764. But I think that's a perfect spot to wrap.

I love the motivation. I love the inspiration, and

I love it.

We will see you all next week.

Everybody have a great day!