Did avocados give me kidney stones?

In this episode, Jeff Sarris and Jill Harris discuss the relationship between avocados and kidney stones, addressing common misconceptions and highlighting the nutritional benefits of avocados. They emphasize the importance of fiber and healthy fats in the diet, while also explaining the role of oxalates in kidney stone formation. The conversation concludes with resources available for kidney stone prevention.

Takeaways

Avocados are a fruit, not a vegetable.
They are high in fiber and healthy fats.
Most people need to increase their fiber intake gradually.
Half an avocado contains less than 10 milligrams of oxalate.
Eating a variety of foods is crucial for kidney stone prevention.
Avocados can help keep you full and satisfied.
Incorporating avocados into smoothies can be beneficial.
The kidney stone diet allows for a daily intake of 100 milligrams of oxalate.
Resources for kidney stone prevention are available online.
The All Access membership offers valuable support for kidney stone prevention.

00:00 Introduction to Kidney Stones and Avocados
01:34 The Nutritional Benefits of Avocados
04:19 Understanding Oxalates and Kidney Stones
07:38 Resources for Kidney Stone Prevention

Jeff Sarris (00:00):
Did avocados give me kidney stones? Let’s talk about that.

Are avocados high in oxalate? Will they cause kidney stones? Lots of questions around avocados and it’s a frequently asked question for you. So we wanted to make sure we cover it on the show for everyone else as well.

Avocados Are an Amazing Fruit

Jill (00:14):
Yes. And so I want to tell you about avocados. They are such a wonderful fruit. And yes, they are fruit. A lot of people think they’re vegetable, but you know, they are so high in fiber. They are so, they’re such a great healthy fat. They’re caloric because they are a healthy fat, of course, but 13 grams of fiber in a medium avocado and our goal should be about 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day. If you’re trying to get fiber folks by the way you do that slowly you don’t just do it all at once your belly will not like you and your husband may think about leaving or wife or partner. So I’m just saying slowly we want to increase our fiber.

Most people are only getting about 12 grams of fiber a day and that’s only because they put some in a Twinkie somehow, okay? So I’m just saying, I’m talking to people all day long. I will get to avocado in a second, folks, but listen, I’m talking to people my aging up, “Jill. I haven’t pooped in two weeks. Jill, my God, I’m so bloated.” “Well, have you had a vegetable?” “Well, I had corn one time in 1976, Jill. We were celebrating a barbecue at the Bicentennial or some kind.”

I’m just telling you, nobody eats anything. And corn is barely a vegetable, folks. I’ll count it, but barely. So you want 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day. You’re gonna find it in fruits and vegetables. Avocado is a terrific way to get some fiber and some good, healthy fat. And why do we like good, healthy fats and fiber? Because it keeps us full.

Those two things will keep us full, of course, along with protein. And when we’re full, we’re not looking in the snack drawer for stuff. So it’s really important to eat foods that are gonna keep you filled and happy and not leaving you hungry in 10 minutes, okay?

The Real Problem: How People Use Avocados

So avocado. Many of my patients will say, “I’m not eating an avocado, Jill, there’s no way. That’s what gave me a kidney stone, spinach and avocados.” Because I was eating avocados, sometimes I ate two a day. I was on keto, I put it on everything. All right, folks, this is the main theme for people that got kidney stones because of diet. Here’s what I hear every single call. “Well, Jill, I was eating it every single day, every single day, every single day, every single day.” And then not getting enough calcium. So…

Did spinach cause your kidney stone? Or the way you were utilizing spinach in your diet, did that cause you kidney stone? So it’s the way in which we do things. So the diet industry may say “spinach is freaking healthy, have it.” Or your dietician, because you have diabetes, may have said “have almonds and spinach. Make sure you’re including them in your diet.” That’s what she said. She didn’t say to have it three times a day every single day for the rest of your life. That’s not what she said.

But we as patients tend to take advice and forward it out, meaning, well, if spinach is healthy for me, I’m going to eat lots of it because more of it will bring more health. Of course that’s what we think.

How I Use Avocados Daily

So, avocado. Half of an avocado. I probably eat a quarter of an avocado to a half of an avocado every day. It’s a food I can tolerate with my bowel issues. It provides me fiber. It’s a good healthy fat that I can tolerate because I can’t tolerate fats very well because I had to have some organs removed along with my gallbladder when I went through my cancer stuff. So I have a hard time dealing with fat. But avocado is a great healthy fat that I can tolerate. So I do eat avocado every single day. But notice I’m eating a fourth of one or a half. So even if I ate the half, it’s less than 10 milligrams of oxalate.

Now I know that I can have a hundred a day because I too follow the Kidney Stone Diet because my family has kidney stones and with my malabsorption issues I don’t want to be forming a kidney stone. I’m already at high risk with genetics and with my medical conditions. So I am very careful as you are following the kidney stone diet and I get a hundred milligrams of oxalate and that’s only taken less than ten. It’s taken about ten away. I round up. So I got 90 left throughout the day. I don’t get anywhere near 90 milligrams of oxalate. So all of you that have taken avocados away, please, it’s one of the most common foods that I bring back for everybody.

Creative Ways to Use Avocados

Please enjoy your avocado. I’ll tell you where else, especially for those people who are like “Jill. I know a lot of people lose weight on the kidney stone diet, but I’m one of those people that I have a hard time keeping weight on.” And in my smoothie ebook, I have a wonderful smoothie that incorporates frozen avocado in there. And I know you’re thinking, “That’s disgusting, Jill,” but you don’t taste it. Yeah, that’s what everyone says. I promise, I never lie. I don’t want to taste an avocado in my fruity smoothie. So I’m telling you, it provides a creaminess to your smoothies and good fat, keeps it full, lots of fiber. And I pair it with my kefir. Most people call it kefir, but it is called kefir.

That drinkable yogurt stuff and so a nice calcium product you can do whatever, oat milk, coconut milk, whatever you want and that smoothie, whatever it is in the ebook, it’s been a while, it’s delicious. So that’s a great way to incorporate because I think, let me see here, avocados are 322 calories for one medium. So if you have half of that and add that to a smoothie, that’s an extra 150 in calories. That, for my patients that are trying to gain weight, is a wonderful way to do it.

Please Bring Avocados Back

So avocados, I’m begging you folks, please bring them back to your diet. They’re a great healthy fat, they’re super high in fiber, and they’re going to give you the feeling of fullness and feeling satisfied. Because if you do it right, like adding it on a sandwich or whatever, it’s nice and creamy, turkey sandwich, delicious way to get some great nutrients in your body. Bring it on back folks, plenty of oxalate left over to use.

Jeff Sarris (06:38):
Yeah. And if you need to dive a little deeper into why are we talking about a hundred milligrams of oxalate per day, if you want to sort of get all the resources related to the kidney stone diet and prevent future stones, head on over to kidneystonediet.com where you can find absolutely everything. The free care link will bring you to all of the info, the start page to tell you what you need to know to get started today to prevent future stones. And you can also find the links all in the description of this video or podcast or wherever you are listening or watching right now.

Jill (07:09):
And Jeff, you know, we never talk about this, but now we have the All Access membership. This guys is, you could say, “Oh Jesus, I just want to know about avocados. I don’t need to listen to this,” but I’m telling you guys, I’m so proud to talk about this service. All paid services on the website are only $48 a month and you can cancel at any time. And that also includes 20% for owning members, 20% off private consults.

So you get the meal plans, the group accountability calls, all the cookbooks that I’ve written, the kidney stone prevention course, and 20% off private consultations for $48 a month, and you can cancel any old time you want, no questions asked. So you will find no deal like that on the internet in kidney stone prevention. So I gotta put that in there too. That’s it.

Jeff Sarris (08:03):
Yeah, absolutely. So yeah, just at kidneystonediet.com. And thanks for tuning in and we will see you next week.

Jill (08:09):
Bye guys.