Blog - Kidney Stone Diet with Jill Harris

When to go to the ER for kidney stones

Hi! Here is an essential post on when to go to the ER during a kidney stone incident. Believe it or not, some stones pass without incident. But for many of you, there were clear warning signs that something was wrong in your body. Running off to the emergency room…
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Kidney Stone Pain Tool Kit

Here is a list of recommended items from kidney stone patients to have on hand when traveling if you have current kidney stones.
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Kidney Stones and Fear of Traveling

I have wanted to write this for a long time, and I am happy that today is the day. A widespread fear for my students and patients is going on vacation. Whether it be by plane, train, or automobile, you have anxiety that your current stone will pass or you…
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How to Pass a Kidney Stone

Not too long ago, I asked my private Facebook group members to tell me what has helped them pass their kidney stones. There were nearly 200 responses, and here are the most common at-home remedies for kidney stone patients from kidney stone patients. They are not in any particular order, but I…
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Kidney Stone Risk Factors

A recent study shows who is at risk for kidney stones and why. It’s a lengthy study, so I thought I would summarize it and save you time. 🙂 Abstract Summary IntroductionKidney stones, a common urological condition, have been recognized since ancient times. Despite advances, the global prevalence of kidney stones is…
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28 Most Common Kidney Stone Myths

Here you will hear all the kidney stone prevention myths I’ve heard over the past 25 years, which have been interesting and frustrating to say the least. If these potions, pills, wives’ tales, etc, worked, millions of people would not be making kidney stones!
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Is Tea Safe for Kidney Stone Formers

Today, we discuss the oxalate levels of tea. I have written about tea and other beverages on Dr. Coe’s website from the University of Chicago, but not on my website. It’s a common question from my students and patients, so let’s dive in.
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The Oxalate Level of Beans

I hear from people all the time who say they miss eating beans. Most of the vegans and vegetarians I have worked with over the years were eating too many beans to get their protein needs met, along with never getting enough calcium into their diet. It’s a perfect mixture for making…
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The ABC’s of Kidney Stone Prevention

This post is a refresher on why each part of the Kidney Stone Diet is important and how each goal can lower your stone risk. If you forget the goals, here is a pretty infographic to put on your phone. Drink Your Fluids Students ask me all the time, “How much do I…
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Salt-Free Seasoning Recipes for Kidney Stone Formers

As you know, lowering salt in your diet is essential in preventing new stones. When we overeat sodium, we pee less, and more calcium can end up in our urine. Both of these problems can increase your kidney stone risk. I have been on a low-sodium diet (1,500 mg/day) for…
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Patient-Recommended Kidney Doctors (by state)

I’m compiling a new resource—patient-recommended kidney doctors listed by state. These referrals come from stone patients on my Facebook page and are highly rated. You will see, however, there are no referrals for Montanna, Nevada, or West Virginia. If you live in these states and love your doctor, email me…
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My Favorite No-Salt Seasonings

Students in my prevention course always want to know…“What no-salt seasonings should I use?” I have used many over the years and here is my list of favorites. From Penzey’s NO SALT: *For whatever reason, it just says “spices” on the ingredient list, but after digging for what the spices…
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What Tests Exactly Should My Doctor Order for the 24-Hour Urine Collection?

This is a common question for stone formers and, frankly, many doctors are unsure of what exactly to look for—below I list the values most typically ordered. Remember to read this article to understand the importance of getting a urine collection ordered.
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The Kidney Stone Diet Is Healthy for All

One of the most common things I hear from patients and students is, “There is nothing left to eat between my diabetes, heart disease, and kidney stones!” There are many reasons I keep doing the work I do—the most important being to help people change habits and improve their health. The Kidney Stone Diet does just…
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Choosing Kindness Over Shame

My daily calls with patients focus on devising individual plans to change unhealthy habits. Change is hard for most people because habits have been formed over decades. My job is to listen to each person’s story to understand their lifestyle habits and help them create a plan for success that…
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Do I Have to Give Up My Favorite Foods?

I have been helping patients understand how to prevent kidney stones for a long time. It never gets boring because each person comes with their own set of unique lifestyle challenges and changing habits is rarely easy. A concern I often address (several times a day) is the need to…
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Giving up on the Kidney Stone Diet

This is the time of year when people get frustrated with their lifestyle changes and begin to give up and ditch the whole damn thing. My job is to make sure that doesn’t happen. Every January 1st, people make unreasonable promises to themselves. For instance, here’s a list of promises…
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10 Ways to Break the Cycle of Stress Eating

The Kidney Stone Diet is much more than the goals I teach you, and changing lifestyle habits requires more than simply lowering sodium and drinking more water. Before I introduce students and patients to the KSD goals, we have a conversation about WHY they’re choosing to overeat unhealthy foods in the…
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