with Jill Harris, LPN, CHC
Kidney Stone Diet
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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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Naturally Occurring Salt and the Kidney Stone Diet
A friend of mine in the Facebook group asked if she was supposed to count all the salt that occurs naturally in foods like fruits and veggies. She also mentioned that she was dealing with a lot of stress and that the thought of counting salt in produce was overwhelming.…
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How to Stay Kidney Stone Diet-Compliant Through the Holidays
Let’s talk about how to stay compliant with your Kidney Stone Diet goals over the holiday season, because I don’t expect you to forgo your favorite treats. What would the holidays be without your customs and favorite family festivities? I want you to enjoy your favorite foods because the only…
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The Kidney Stone Diet Philosophy
When people ask me what the kidney stone diet is, I tell them the goals and share my thoughts about diet in general. There is much more to this lifestyle than just paying attention to the goals. Lifestyle change is more about the mind than it is the food. And changing the…
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How Meat Protein Fits Into the Kidney Stone Diet.
Let’s discuss the meat protein part of the kidney stone diet—it has always confused people, so let’s see if I can clarify this. The first thing patients usually say to me is, “I don’t eat red meat, Jill!” But, when we ask you to lower your meat protein, we also talk about ALL…
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Where Do I Start?
Whether on social media or speaking with private patients and students, I hear these words everyday—“I am overwhelmed and have no idea where to start!” I’ve compiled this list of resources that will make you feel better and provide you with a foundation on which to start your path to prevention. …
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Using Lemons to Prevent Kidney Stones
I wrote this post because I get some form of this question every single day. “Jill, I have been drinking lemon water, but I’m still making stones. Why is this happening?” First off, those of you who have been with me a while will know what my first question will…
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A new shortlist of grab-and-go snacks
Today I want to make snacking easier with some new “grab-and-go” snacks and recipes that any kidney stone patient can safely throw in their backpack or purse on the way out the door?
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Oxalate Content of Plant-Based Milk
This is a quick but essential update on milk. Plant-based milk, that is. A new study takes a look at the oxalate content in various brands of milk—you can see the results in the pretty little graph that we created below.
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16 Non-Dairy Calcium Sources for Kidney Stone Formers
In all my years of talking with patients and students about kidney stone prevention, not one of them has said to me, “Oh Jill, don’t worry. I get plenty of calcium each day.” Most adults don’t get anywhere near the amount of calcium they need. The National Osteoporosis Foundation “recommends…
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Protein Sources for Vegan and Vegetarian Kidney Stone Formers
This article is for you, my dear vegan and vegetarian stone formers. I know you’ve been using soy, tofu, beans, and nuts to meet your daily protein goals. In the meantime, however, you unknowingly overate some of the highest oxalate foods, which in turn leads to your kidney stone(s). I…
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Doing What You Can To Stay in Control of Your Health
Hi! I write this from the hospital while waiting to get my six-month CT scan done to see if my cancer has returned. Needless to say, these scans always put me on edge. For those of you who don’t know, I was diagnosed with stage 4 rectal cancer in 2016.…
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Focus On Wellness, Not On Weight Loss
Well, we all know what time it is, don’t we? It’s that time of year when the diet industry starts promoting all its weight loss programs. Diets that don’t work long-term because they simply aren’t sustainable—they’re not designed to be sustainable. After all, how could the marketers create a new…
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Fixing the Binge-Purge Cycle
Over the years, I’ve had many patients confide in me about their daily diet habits. I always feel so honored that people trust me and feel safe enough to discuss their routines – this can be difficult. One typical unhealthy pattern I find people stuck in is the binge-purge cycle.…
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Are Your Smoothies Causing Kidney Stones?
Let’s talk about smoothies and the role they play in your stone formation and overall health. Of course, there are many dietary reasons that we form kidney stones. Today, however, we’re going to narrow our focus to smoothies because they are a popular option for stone formers. Smoothies and Kidney…
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What Is The Kidney Stone Diet?
Every year nearly one million Americans suffer through the severe pain of kidney stones, yet most kidney stones are completely avoidable. The Kidney Stone Diet® will not only decrease your likelihood of taking a ride in an ambulance due to a kidney stone, but it may also help you with…
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How to Prevent Kidney Stones by Lowering Your Sugar Intake
From my personal experience, I can tell you that most of my patients do not understand the role that sugar plays in their kidney stone disease. There are two reasons sugar is a problem. One reason is that too much sugar can leach calcium from the bone and into the…
“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