with Jill Harris, LPN, CHC
-
Kidney Stone Myths Debunked
I wish I could tell you that kidney stone myths eventually disappear, but they do not. The same home remedies keep showing up online year after year, usually with a confident promise that one food or drink can dissolve a stone, flush it out, or cleanse the kidneys. Some of…
-
How the Kidney Stone Diet® Fits With Other Medical Conditions
Kidney stone prevention is not a separate diet. That is one of the first things I wish more patients understood. Dr. Fred Coe and I intentionally built the Kidney Stone Diet® as a set of goals. We designed it that way so it could be worked into whatever else a…
-
Ten Common Mistakes that Increase Your Stone Risk
You already know about spinach and almonds. Most of the people who follow me are well past the beginner-kidney-stone advice. You know water matters, sodium matters, and oxalate is only one part of the story. But there are other mistakes I see all the time, and they are easy to…
-
GLP-1 and Kidney Stones: What You Need to Know
There are an estimated 30 million (1 in 8) Americans who are taking GLP-1 medications now. You may know them by names like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound. And because I work with kidney stone formers every day, the question naturally comes up: Do these medications increase kidney stone risk?…
-
A Bad Combination: Low Citrate and High Urine pH
Most kidney stone patients hear a lot about water, sodium, calcium, oxalate, and protein. But there are two numbers on the 24-hour urine collection that deserve more attention together: citrate and urine pH. Citrate is one of the natural substances in your urine that helps protect you from kidney stones.…
-
The Kidney Stone Fear Factor
Living longer is a gift. Living better is the goal. We are living longer than people did generations ago, and that is something to be grateful for. Many of us are alive because of better surgeries, medications, screenings, treatments, and doctors who knew what to do when our bodies needed…
-
A Pill Is Not a Plan: Understanding Your Kidney Stone Prevention
Kidney stone patients are often told to take a medication to prevent more stones before they fully understand why that medication was prescribed. Medication is not the enemy. Guessing is. I want to be very careful here because I know many of you trust me, and I take that seriously.…
-
From Crystal to Crisis: How Kidney Stones Form
When someone has a kidney stone attack, it can feel like the stone came out of nowhere. One day, you are fine. The next day, you are writhing in pain on the bathroom floor, wondering what in the world is happening to your body. But most kidney stones do not…
-
You’re Just a Stone Former
One of the most frustrating things I hear from patients is this: “My doctor told me I’m just a stone former.” Sometimes the patient says it about themselves, too. “I guess I’m just a stone former.” They say it like it is a diagnosis, a personality trait, and a prison…
-
Calcium and Oxalate: The Rule Most Stone Formers Get Wrong
If you are a calcium oxalate stone former, you have probably heard that calcium can help lower how much oxalate gets into your urine. That part is true, but this is also where people start to panic. Patients often ask these same few question: This is where kidney stone prevention…
-
Can You Dissolve a Kidney Stone?
Kidney stone patients all ask the same hopeful question: “Can I dissolve this stone!?” An understandable question. If you have ever passed a kidney stone, had surgery, worn a stent, or sat in the ER scared and uncomfortable, of course you want a gentler answer. Of course, lemons sound better than…
-
The Right Way to Do a Urine Collection and Stop Making Stones
If you’ve had a kidney stone, there’s a good chance someone told you to drink more water and left it at that. But if you really want to know why you are making stones, a urine collection matters. This is one of the most useful tests we have. It can…
-
The Herbs and Spices Mistake Almost Everyone Makes
When people first learn about oxalate, it often becomes the center of everything. Every food gets judged by a number. Every meal starts to feel like a math problem. And before long, people are avoiding foods that were never the issue in the first place, like herbs and spices. This…
-
Why Added Sugar Matters for Kidney Stone Formers
Before we talk about sugar, we need to understand how kidney stones form in the first place. There are always new people here, and it helps to remember the basics! Also, here are the goals of the Kidney Stone Diet®. Kidney stones form when there is too much “stuff” in…
-
Toxic Foods and Kidney Stones
If you’ve ever had a kidney stone, you know the feeling. You’re in pain, real pain, the kind that makes you say, “I will do anything to never go through this again.” So you start searching, trying to figure out what to eat, what to avoid, what caused it. And…
-
Hair Loss, Brittle Nails, and Collagen
Hair thinning. Brittle nails. More breakage than you remember from ten years ago. Many kidney stone formers are at an age when these changes start showing up. For women especially, postmenopausal hormone shifts can quietly alter hair texture, growth patterns, and nail strength. It’s frustrating, it feels visible, and it…
-
Infection Stones (aka Struvite): What Kidney Stone Patients Need to Understand
Most kidney stones people hear about (calcium oxalate or uric acid stones) are related to urine chemistry, hydration, and diet. Infection stones, also called struvite stones, are different. They form because of specific bacteria in the urinary tract. These stones are less common than calcium oxalate stones, but they can…
-
Chew Your Vitamins: Immune-Supporting and Gut-Healthy Foods for Kidney Stone Formers
Walk into any pharmacy, and you will see shelves full of “immune support” supplements—vitamin C, zinc, vitamin D, elderberry, antioxidant blends, and powders that promise to strengthen your immune system. It can make immunity seem complicated. In reality, the immune system does not run on one miracle nutrient. It works…
“The Kidney Stone Diet is far more than just a diet; this plan is life-altering!”
“The group calls will transform you physically and emotionally. Once you start this journey, your health naturally improves. I have lost a total of 40 pounds and have consistently kept it off. The group calls are such support; this is more like family than a zoom meeting to stay accountable. Jill is far more than a nurse; she is a life coach. Her platform is invaluable.”
Kim J. | Kidney Stone Prevention Course
“The best decision I’ve made has been to join this group.”
“I have been working on weight loss for many years. This group has kept me on track and has helped my continued success with my weight loss.”
Kate L. | Group Calls with Jill
“I have been following the Meal Plan for about 6 weeks and I feel amazing.”
“Eating healthy has also encouraged me to go to bed earlier, so I am also getting more sleep. Because of that, I have been able to get up before work and exercise! So yes, the positive effects are spilling over into all areas of a healthy lifestyle.”
Jerry T. | Meal Plan Subscriber
“I have been a part of the group calls with Jill for the last 14 months, and they are essential to being so successful with the Kidney Stone Diet Prevention Plan.”
Sarah B. | Group Calls with Jill
“These calls are the gold of this program!!”
“I can’t say enough about how Jill knows just the right questions to ask us or how she prods us to think about what is going on in our lives.”
Monica K. | Group Calls with Jill
“I took the course with Jill, and my second 24 hour urine was MUCH better than the first.”
“She gives very practical information, and it WORKS. I was totally overwhelmed at first. I got very poor diet information from my doctors. Jill made it easy for me to understand, and I took it one day at a time. I still watch her videos when I need a tune-up. Jill is the best, and she really cares about all of us. Take the course—it will help you!!!”
Mark J. | Kidney Stone Prevention Course