Do salt caves increase my sodium level?

The following is designed to entertain and inform, not provide medical advice. Always consult your doctor before starting any treatment.

Welcome back to the Kidney Stone Diet podcast. This show about reducing your kidney stone risk and living your best life. I am the land-dwelling Jeff Sarris, your host and fellow student.

I swear to God, the stuff I think. I mean, you know, I know that a lot of you listen to these, but you should watch them on YouTube because there's always something you're missing. But I'm just happy you're here.

I don't care what you do. And I am Jill Harris, your kidney stone prevention nurse.

Yeah, the music cut off–

Look at my baby, Finn. My baby Finn.

He's got his orange bandana, too, matching the colors. Actually, the two of you together really match the brand colors.

Yeah, they– don't they? Yeah. Yeah, by this time, because we've recorded five or six of these shows in one afternoon, and so by the time we're almost done, which this is the last one, he's like, "Come on, I want to go outside.

I want to play." All right, I'm ready.

Yeah, you're ready to dive right in? Have fun with Finn in just a minute. But first, we have a question from Donna.

Donna. Hi, Jill and Jeff. This is Donna.

I'm from Midland Park, New Jersey. You guys are wonderful. I was so happy to find Jill after a year ago when I found out that I had a kidney stone and was doing all the wrong things that I thought were right.

But, anyway, my question was I recently went to a sound healing in a salt cave. And it wasn't until after, you know, I left, you know, my nasal passages felt, you know, clearer, but I thought to myself, " am I inhaling salt?" And I know, you know, that we have to watch our salt and our sugar, among other things, on the Kidney Stone Diet.

So, I just was wondering if you guys had any information about that. Thank you so much. Have a great day.

Bye-bye. Donna from New Jersey! I love your question because it's different.

And I'm not judging any questions. I love all the questions, but I just, "Ooh, that's a good one, Donna." So, I like it.

Yeah, I had never thought of that. I– like as soon as– we both just gave that one a look right now, and I was like, "Oh, this is a really good question."

Yep, it's fun. It's something different. So, here's what's funny to me.

Well, here's what's not funny, and this is what I hear, too, what Donna said. "Jill, I thought I was doing everything right, and me changing my diet caused a kidney stone. What the hell?" So, it's very disconcerting, frustrating, all of the things when you're trying to make lifestyle changes and you get a medical condition after you change it.

That's really frustrating. For somebody like me who's sick a lot with my cancer stuff, believe me, I get it. You know, here I am healthy and I still get something, what the hell?

That's very frustrating. But I– just as a reminder, a lot of people, 99.9% of the people I've spoken to, they change their diet and they were overeating the highest oxalate foods and not getting enough calcium and still not getting enough water, things like that. That's why they form the stone, is that darn oxalate.

But once you stop overeating those products, life will get easier. Then you're like, "Oh, but what about salt and sugar?" So, Donna went to– she's doing some work, right? Some alternative work, and I love that.

Cupping, acupuncture– going tomorrow for my acupuncture and cupping– salt caves, sound therapy, there's saunas, there's so many things, infrared light, all kinds of things. Cold, freezing baths that we're plunging into these days, all kinds of stuff. Why wouldn't we try all kinds of stuff?

So, she went to a salt cave. And it's a salt cave, so there's lots of salt in there, and it's supposed to do a lot of things for you. Is that salt cave, her breathing that in, is that going to increase her bodily sodium?

Is that going to increase– is that going to affect her body sodium level? Nope, it will not. Not a problem, Donna.

Don't worry about that at all. So, enjoy your salt caves. You're not going– if you got tested for sodium right after that, it's not going to be higher.

Doesn't mean you can eat all day because you just had a ton of salt in that cave.. It's not going to affect it at all. I think it's wonderful you're trying alternative therapies, and I'm a big advocate of it.

Like I said, acupuncture and cupping I do, it really helps my stress level. That's what I've been going for because after– during my mother dying and going through all that, it was a lot of stress for me, and really affected my illness. So, I've been working on my stress ever since then.

So, I think it's– and it's getting so much better. I think it's wonderful that you're doing it. It's not going to affect your blood sodium level, nor will it affect your urine sodium level.

So, keep on keeping on, sister. I love to hear that you're doing it. And we love the question.

Was something out of the ordinary and we're all for it. So, and it just goes to prove, too, if you think you have, "Oh, shit. I've never heard this on her YouTube channel, or Jeff's YouTube channel, what the heck?

Should I ask it?" Yes, you should! Because let's have– let's have it all, folks. It doesn't always have to be how much oxalates in a sesame seed.

Ask whatever. If you have a question, could be any lifestyle thing, by the way, please ask. We're here.

Yeah, absolutely. And you had mentioned, too, before, like people have asked you about, say, being in the ocean even, like the salt water and things like that. So, it's a really– it's a really good question because those are the sort of right around the– the edge of what we're already talking about, but it's a different way of thinking and looking at, like, sodium and salt consumption.

So, it's a very valid question 'cause I honestly just I had no clue like what how you were going to respond because, like, you know this, I have no idea on this side of things.

You know what's interesting, too? Here we are in the world, just human beings trying to human every day. And one day you get a kidney stone, and your whole life falls apart 'cause it could be just that traumatic for a lot of people.

And you didn't think about twice– you didn't think about salt ever. You don't have high blood pressure, you don't have any medical conditions that tells you to lower salt, so you're just going on your way. She said she changed her lifestyle.

She maybe wasn't even paying attention to salt, but she was eating healthier foods, maybe, but she wasn't paying attention to salt, maybe. Now, all of a sudden, Donna gets a kidney stone, she's like, "Damn, what about a salt cave?" Okay? I mean, I just I have people that say, "Jill, I never thought about salt before, now I'm wondering should I swim again?" I mean, that's how scared people are.

That's how diligent they are. That's how frightened they are about making another kidney stone, because they will– they will turn you upside down, man. They will.

I mean, they're– they're just– people go septic, people have lost kidneys, the pain is out of this world, scares the hell out of you kind of pain. So, yeah, you're going to worry about a salt cave and swimming in the ocean, as well. Absolutely.

Yeah, great question.

Yeah, so thank you, again, for that question. And for anyone out there who has another question, whether it's directly related to everything or if it's something that you're like, "You know, this has always been a curiosity of mine," like, we would love to hear all of them. So, the number, again, is 773-789-8763.

Or you can send a voice memo to [email protected]. That's mostly for anyone who's outside of the US, so you don't have to worry about being able to call in or not. So, thank you, again, everyone, for tuning in.

Thank you, Jill, for your time today. And like, I love doing the whole batch of episodes like this. We touched on a lot of different topics, so this was a fun one.

I think this was a really good collection that we're putting out. But, yeah, we're wrapping for today. And anyone out there who wants to dive deeper, kidneystonediet.com, you can find everything.

Weekly email newsletter I highly recommend. That's just that little dose of inspiration every week, absolutely free, but straight from Jill to your inbox, just to help keep you on track. And then, of course, to dive deeper and work directly with Jill, there's the group calls where you can work in a group setting and really build the habits that you need to improve your life, to live a better life.

I mean, the second half of this podcast, really, which is something that speaks to both of us very deeply. So, again, thank you again.

Yes, and also I want to say I have been– my kitchen has been– I have been cooking, folks, so there's a lot of new great recipes in the meal plan. As a matter of fact, I came up with a diabetic Kidney Stone Diet compliant new bread that I have been eating for my– just for me, because I can't really– carbs are tough for me.

So, this has been what I've been tinkering with a bit, and so there's a lot of great new recipes in the meal plan. Check it out, kidneystonediet.com/mealplans, where you'll find a whole week of– every week you get new recipes, and it's going to give you Monday through Sunday, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack ideas and inspiration.

Doesn't mean you have to make all those recipes every day, but really simple recipes, all the nutritional info, including oxalate figured out. You're going to love it. It's an amazing program.

Yeah. So, thanks again, everyone, and we will see you next week.

Thank you, guys. Bye, Donna. Loved your question.