This week, Jill answers a listener question about store bought protein bars and snack bars and how to ensure they’re safe for the Kidney Stone Diet.
Jeff Sarris
Welcome to the Kidney Stone Diet Podcast, the show about reducing your kidney stone risk and living your best life. I’m your host and fellow student, Jeff Sarris.
Jill Harris
And I’m Jill Harris, your kidney stone prevention nurse. So my NYU hoodie, that’s my big news. My son got into early admission NYU.
So we’re super stoked, because that was his first choice. And I’m telling you when we opened that letter, and the first word was, congratulations, the noises that came out of my tiny body. Even I was, “oh, boy, that was loud.”
I’m telling you, it was crazy. So I’m in lots of NYU hoodies. We’re excited as all heck. So very happy.
Jeff Sarris
That’s big news, New York speaks to you too, because you’ve spent a lot of time there.
Jill Harris
Yeah, spent a lot. I was born there. And also, you know, did a lot of chemotherapy in New York at Sloan Kettering. And NYU is right in the village. So it’s an amazing spot. And it’s only a couple hours from here. So it’s awesome. It’s awesome.
Jeff Sarris
Congratulations to him. I know we spoke off-camera about it and I know you said it’s, it’s very much tailored sort of to like who he is as a person to, which is really exciting.
Jill Harris
Yes, yep. It is. I mean, you know, he’s, uh, he, I said, when he was figuring out all his schools for this past year, I’m like, why New York? He’s like, because, listen, Mom, if I can make it in New York, I can make it anywhere. And it’s not wrong. So I was like, okay, there we go.
So super excited about it.
Yeah. And then, you know, that’s it. That’s it for me, I’m an empty nester man, you know, meaning he’ll come back for breaks and stuff. But you know, it’s going to be a transition, obviously, for him, but also a transition for me, and I’m looking forward to it.
You know, it’s his time to fly. I don’t want to be like, I’m so cool. I’m going to be very sad. To say the least. I love hanging out with my son. So it’s a big deal.
Yesterday, we were bouldering of all things, which is a form of rock climbing, amazing time, you know? And how lucky am I that my 18 year old is like, Mom, let’s go bouldering. I mean, you know, not a lot of 18 year olds want to hang out with their mothers. So I’m super excited about that.
We had a great time. And, you know, some of my friends were like, Jill, really? Aren’t you afraid you’re gonna break a hip or something? I’m like, “Well, I’m careful.” I’m very active. And I love physical activity. It’s not like I wasn’t afraid because you got to learn how to fall. But while I have a breath, I’m going, you know what I mean?
I like trying new things. And that was my first time I brought a rock climb, but I don’t boulder. So that was my first time doing that. It was so much fun. I’m hooked. I’ll tell you right now. So we’ll see.
Jeff Sarris
So I haven’t done bouldering I’ve done sort of the rock climbing with the line and everything. But just like you say, we have a skeleton, we need to feed it. We also need some of that impact to keep everything strong.
Obviously, not hurting yourself. But yeah, it’s really good. Because you’re always active and doing the things that our bodies are intended to do and doing the things that really keeps us vibrant.
Jill Harris
Yep, yep. So look, I’m always kind of pushing myself because why not? While I can? Because when I’m like, you know, if I make it to 80, I mean, all I’m saying is, you know, I won’t be bouldering most likely. So I’m going to enjoy these. I’m going to just enjoy being as physically active as I can, with some smarts about me. But I’m just saying, you know, I’m 60. So I’m always like, well, this can be 60.
Folks, you know, eat well move, train yourself, and you’d be surprised. I’m not one for you know, I’m older, I better sit in my chair. Now of course if you have medical conditions or ailments or limitations, that’s a totally different thing. I’m just talking about people who are physically able, let’s go man, what are we waiting for?
Age is just the number. In my mind I feel 12 years old, so I’m like, let’s go. I was, by far, at least three times older than anybody in that in that rock climbing gym yesterday. And I’m proud of that. I think it’s amazing, right?
Jeff Sarris
Yeah, absolutely. You have to stay young at heart and it will bring you far. I think it’s just important to have that outlet too, because we have that childlike curiosity. And then we tend to lose that in the future. Like, as we age, and as we get a little more maybe jaded about things, and when you can keep that it really just makes makes life just open up, I think for us and the people around us. Because we have that little spark still there.
Jill Harris
It’s a spark, and it’s a curiosity. Right. And, and always wanting a little bit more, as far as challenge. Like, it’s really important for me to challenge myself. And when we’re doing those group coaching calls, I’m always pushing folks to think about things.
Well, what about this? What about this? And what is it that you want to do with your life with your 1015 20 years left? What is it that you want to do that you keep putting on the backburner? Because we all know that life goes like this. So how, again, do you want to spend your time? Who do you want to spend it with? It’s going to go fast.
Are you just sitting in a chair watching Wheel of Fortune every night at six o’clock waiting to go to bed? I just like to push people a little bit. Because I think the conversation starts stops after a certain age and use for most people, not everybody. But for most people, it kind of stops and you just kind of settle? And I’m like, no.
That’s why those group accountability calls are so amazing. We’re not just talking about low salt we’re talking about here’s your life, here’s what’s left, how do you want to live it? Are you happy where you live? Are you happy? Who you live with? Are you happy with your daily activities? Are you happy with how strong you feel mentally, physically, all of it, we’re pushing, pushing, pushing. It’s not just about, you know, losing weight and kidney stones, it’s that but it’s all these other things in life, that make us have us not improve our health, meaning, if we’re not motivated by always learning and growing and failing and learning and growing and failing and learning, trying, you know, we kind of get stuck with all things including diet and physical activity, and the next thing you know, more disease come so I don’t want to wait for more disease to come. I really want to do what I can with what I have. Absolutely right now.
And if things change for me, it changes for me, but I’ll always look back on my life and said, Wow, man, I really pushed it to the limit. You know, for me, I was always exploring, always thinking always pushing myself always, you know, just not settling. So I always I think it’s really important that people don’t or at least think about these things, you know?
Jeff Sarris
Absolutely. And completely on the same page. What do you say? Should we dive into this week’s question?
Jill Harris
Yeah, let’s go. I’m ready.
Listener Voicemail
Hi, good afternoon. My name is Lance. I’m from Oxnard, California. I am calling you today regarding food bars. I currently make a food bar Jill recommends and I love it. And I can make 24 piece batches. So I double up on her recipe.
But I don’t want to always have to be cooking them or making them so I’m looking for an alternative low oxalate food bar. There’s some recommendation that feels safe. But then my question is, you know, how do you pick?
Do you guys have a recommendation for a pure bar? Or maybe they don’t even exist? Because when you get into the ingredients, you’ve got carageenan, sucralose, I mean, there’s sunflower oil and rice, bean oil and safflower. There’s so many different components in there that that potentially aren’t good.
So how do we get around it? Is there a recommendation from Jill and I’d love to find out if there was okay. Thanks very much. Appreciate you guys. Bye.
Jill Harris
It’s a good question. I’m really so he’s saying he’s saying I don’t want to keep making my own. Here’s what I’m gonna say. I hear him. I hear him. But any sports store bought? He’s calling it food bars. A lot of people ask for protein bars. You know, just something on the go some kind of snack bar. They’re filled with so much stuff as I think his name is Lance, is that right? Yep. Yeah, it was Lance Lance. As he said, I mean, it’s filled with all kinds of junk. Absolutely. Because that’s just sitting on a shelf for for years till it sells, you know, and it also has to taste good.
So if they’re taking the sugar out, because keto people want low sugar, then they’re going to put in the fake sugars. And also, I’m not opposed to fake sugars, guys, if they work for you, they work for you. I know the latest scare research, but that was done on unhealthy people. So I’m not a fan of those studies. And anybody in the business isn’t a fan of those studies. They weren’t done on healthy people. And the bigger picture is this as far as sugar alternatives. If you’re on a weight loss journey away 400 pounds, I’m going to tell people but and your sweetie, meaning you love sugar, I’m going to tell you to use artificial sweeteners for a while until you can wean off there because at least they’re low calories, because being 500 pounds is going to kill you before some, you know equal. So again, rise above and think of the big picture.
So there’s reasons I am not opposed to artificial sweeteners. Do I want you to use them all day long? No. But they can be helpful to people with other issues. So and who are non compliant with going very low sugar? They they need something? So Lance, here’s what I’m going to say. And you may not like it, most of the food, most of the protein bars and the granola bars and the food bars as you call them. They have a very long ingredient list. Now there’s foods like there’s bars, like our x bars, you may say, well, Jewel, they have almonds, or they have peanuts, but look at all the ingredients. And I always say no almonds and no spinach. Maybe there are some you know, the peanut ones may not be as high. There will be other bars, you have to do your research based upon what you’re looking for in a bar. I’m going to say I have an eBook, a snack and dessert ebook at kidney stone diet.com. And I have low oxalate bars in there protein bars. There are granola bars free on my website under the kidney stone diet recipes.
So there’s all kinds of things on the website. Yes. Do you have to make them? Yes, but I would say, and Lance says, he makes a lot of them. But I’d really I’d make double that up. And I’d put half of them in your freezer.
So that’s what I do. My freezer is filled with protein, low oxalate protein bars and granola bars that I make. And so yes, I understand it’s annoying to make them. But I also don’t want to be eating bars that have 50 ingredients on in them. So it’s a trade off just like everything is in life.
So if you want to get the Snacks ebook, do that there’s plenty of bar recipes in there. Otherwise, Lance, if you’re like Jill, I just told you, I don’t want to make any more bars and put them in the freezer, none of it or I’ll do that sometimes. But sometimes I want to grab a bar, I’m going to tell you to go to a larger grocery store and look at all the bars and see which one will suit you. I can’t recommend just one bar because everybody has different needs because some people won’t care about the artificial sweeteners you do or it seems like all the excess ingredients and I totally get that, find the bar that works for you. And then make it your own.
And you may want to go to a health food store because they tend to have little better ones, or your grocery store or both seek turn them all around Buster Brown and seek out the one that’s going to work for you. I don’t have any off the top of my head because honestly, I make all my bars because they’re it because the other reason is when you make your bars Oh my God, there’s so much cheaper bars can be two $3 A bar. Ah, no, I’m a little I’m a little thrifty, frugal, I’m making my own bars because I know what the ingredients are. They’re delicious. The low oxalate, check out the snack ebook, but Lance for you for the quick, quick bar, just scouting your grocery store or health food store. It will take a minute the first time you do this, but then settle on the one even if you want to stay at home, look through Amazon See, which has the less ingredients the least demand ingredients and go with that that’s going to be my advice because I don’t want just everybody picking one bar, maybe, you know, we can recommend a store bar bought bar at one point but I don’t use them. So I would have to research that a little bit more. So my suggestion is what I said for Lance also guys Snacks ebook $19.95 or whatever it is. is and you have 30 different kidney stone diet safe recipes, including bars in there that are low oxalate and save yourself some money.
Jeff Sarris
And it is time consuming, unfortunately. But it’s sort of the it’s almost the price you pay sort of to balance it all out. And yeah, I mean, maybe even there’s a percentage, like still making but then happen once in a while dropping one of these that suit you and yeah. It’s, it’s sort of like the meal plans. Like it’s all inspiration, but no one needs to follow anything precisely like the letter. So it’s just inspiration to get a little better each day.
Jill Harris
But I think if he made even double the batch and put them in the freezer, he wouldn’t ever have to he would you know, because none of those recipes take more than 15 minutes to bake time could be 20 minutes. But you know, so it’s it, it. It takes less time the running to the store, that’s for sure. You know what I mean?
But I understand he wants to go to bar, you know, I get it, he’s gonna have to look through his grocery store or Amazon, which I do a lot. Which bar, you know, you could do whatever you’re looking for, and look at the least amount ingredients and see if he likes those. I mean, you know, that’s what I think.
Jeff Sarris
Yeah, I think that was a great question. And somehow we haven’t touched on protein bars, snack bars. Specifically, we talked about protein powders and drinks and all these things. So yeah, Lance, thank you so much for the question. And anyone else out there with a question the numbers 773-789-8763. And we’d love to feature you in a future episode.
Jill Harris
I want to say this one more thing for just forget about forget about this specific question Lance had, but protein bars in general, pay attention, folks to the calories, some of these protein bars have 300 calories. So it’s not a snack. I mean, that’s like a friggin meal for a small woman like me. They are, can be very caloric. So pay attention to that all my protein bars are low calorie.
And the other thing is pay attention to the salt and sugar for sure. Because if it’s a lower sugar product, they put more salt in it and vice versa. So pay attention to that. And then of course, yes, all the ingredients on the ingredient list. But I do have to I do have to not forget to talk about calories on protein bars, they can be super, super high. So pay attention to that. That’s super important. All right. Go ahead, Jeff. Yeah,
Jeff Sarris
I was just gonna say for everything Kidney Stone Diet related, it can be found at kidneystonediet.com. Right on the homepage, you can see the Work with Jill and the Do It Yourself routes.
Those are premium products. But then we have the blog, we have the email newsletter that Jill sends out every week, we have the podcast, we have the kidney stone prevention group on Facebook, which is really thriving and very great source for community.
The group coaching calls are obviously very intimate, and like a really great community setting where you work with Jill and others in the group in the group. But then on Facebook, there’s there’s a lot there as well, too. So plenty of resources, paid and free. So you can find all of that at kidney stone diet.com.
And then for those of you who’ve asked, we do have a Patreon. It’s only for people who wanted to support beyond buying the products. So it’s just patreon.com/kidney Stone diet, there’s no extra content, there’s nothing it’s purely there because people were asking how they could support the show in the platform and everything. And that’s out there.
So we appreciate those of you who have supported it really means a lot every little bit means a lot. Even the little thumbs up, like, and subscribe on these videos really goes a long way. I think with that we will wrap. Thank you all for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time.
Jill Harris
Thanks Lance.
Leave a Reply