Oxalate. A word you’d never heard before your kidney stone encounter. It is such a small word, but boy does it bring about a lot of confusion and anxiety with my patients.
I understand. But here is some excellent news…
Oxalate is the LEAST important part of the Kidney Stone Diet® once you stop eating a few foods on repeat and meet your calcium needs!
First, download this list of the highest oxalate foods that you should avoid—everything else is back on your table. Even some of the foods on this list can still be enjoyed if eaten in a smaller portion and paired with a calcium source.
Patients always focus on oxalate after a stone diagnosis but it’s the easiest goal to reach. What I always recommend instead is to work on the other Kidney Stone Diet Goals. Water being the most important among them, with salt a close second. Too much salt increases urine calcium and decreases urine output. The same is true with too much added-sugar.
Speaking of calcium, this is the next place to focus because you won’t lower your oxalate if you don’t get your daily calcium needs met—this is super duper important. See my article on calcium to learn how much you actually need each day and the role it plays in stone prevention. For the non-dairy folks, check out this article for 16 non-dairy calcium sources you can use to meet your daily goal.
The meat protein goal is easy—click here to see how much you can eat daily.
So remember, the Kidney Stone Diet has six components. The oxalate is the least important. Your primary focus is water, salt, calcium, and added sugar. Take away spinach, chia seeds, rhubarb, almond, and cashew products, and meet your calcium needs.
You got this!
Your friend,
Nurse Jill
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