Blog - Page 4 of 10 - Kidney Stone Diet with Jill Harris

The Silent Stone Maker

If you’ve had a 24-hour urine test that shows high calcium, and you’re still forming stones despite following the Kidney Stone Diet®, you need to know about Primary Hyperparathyroidism (PHPT).
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Uric Acid Stones: What They Are, Why You’re Making Them, and How to Stop Them

These stones are different from the more common calcium-based ones. But here’s the great news: uric acid stones are one of the most preventable stones.
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How to Manage Calcium Phosphate Stones

Why Am I Making Calcium Phosphate Stones? You may feel frustrated and confused if you’ve been told you have calcium phosphate stones. Most kidney stone advice is for calcium oxalate stones, which are more common. Calcium phosphate stones are different and don’t always respond to the same prevention strategies. In…
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The Silent Weight of Care

I lost my mother a couple of years ago, and I’m lucky enough to have my father still. I also have other people in my life who I regard as parents and who are well into their 80s. Some of these loved ones are well, and some are not. I…
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The Pros and Cons of Protein Powders

Many plant-based protein powders can contain ingredients like spinach, beetroot, and other high oxalate ingredients. They are a hard no. Look at the one you are using and check your oxalate list.
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Potassium Citrate: Miracle Stone Stopper or Medical Myth?

Potassium citrate—many are on it, many more might benefit from it. To see if this little pill is a good addition to YOUR kidney stone prevention tool kit, get a 24-hour urine collection—it’ll tell you everything you need to know. What does potassium citrate do? When you take potassium citrate,…
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Kidney Stone Prevention: What Most People Get Wrong

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…
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Who Is Nurse Jill?

If you’re new here, allow me to introduce myself… I’m Jill Harris—Your Kidney Stone Prevention Nurse I’ve been a nurse since 1998, starting my career at the University of Chicago. Early on, however, I realized I wanted to do more than care for patients AFTER they landed in the hospital—I…
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How Much Oxalate Is Too Much? Simple Ways to Reduce It.

You made kidney stones (if your oxalate was the reason) because you overate spinach, almonds, cashews, chia seeds, and gobs of peanut butter every day without getting your calcium needs met—the end.
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A Guide to Eating Healthier Fast Food

Managing a diet while on a road trip is challenging for anybody, but especially for kidney stone patients. That’s why I created this little guide for choosing healthier options at popular fast food restaurants. Key points to remember: This guide features: Remember to always confirm ingredients when ordering because menus do…
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How to Read a Nutrition Label

First, let’s talk about the fine print on those nutrition labels—you know, the part where it says something like: “Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.” Sound familiar? If your eyes usually glaze over when…
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Pro Tips for Creating an Active Lifestyle

Here we are, two weeks into January. How are your fitness goals coming along? Are you still going strong or have you started waning yet? I help people prevent kidney stones and lose weight. I love my work and I can’t tell you how rewarding it is to watch people change…
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25 Ways to Eat More Fruit

I’ve talked about the many ways to add more vegetables into your diet—now it’s time to tackle your fruit intake. This list is for you if you need increase the amount of fruit in your diet, but don’t have diabetes or other medical conditions that require you to limit natural sugars. If you…
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How I maintain my weight and fitness

I get a lot of questions about how exactly I maintain my weight. Today, I will share what I do daily to keep my weight healthy, my body fit, and my mind clear of negative self-talk, which so many people struggle with.
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No more excuses. Eat your darn veggies!

As you may have noticed, I am on a mission to get you to eat more fruits and veggies this year. So many of my patients tell me they don’t eat vegetables because they don’t know what to do with them! If I’m being honest…I was in the same boat…
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Change Is Hard. Here’s How To Do It.

Today’s letter is specifically for working women raising children while still managing most household tasks.
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Eat Smart, Stay Full

I’m asked often what a plate should look like that’s geared toward weight loss. We need to know how many fruits and veggies we should eat per day (the goal is one fruit per day and three cups of veggies per day), how much meat, etc. Today, I am going…
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Understanding Common Kidney Stone Medications

Today, we’re taking a brief look at the most commonly prescribed medications for kidney stone prevention, why doctors choose them, and the medical conditions that can make them necessary. Here’s how each medication works, the conditions it treats, and how lifestyle changes can enhance its effects.
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