Well, we have we have a few things, right? Of course, part of the Kidney Stone Diet is there's a lot of different components, five. But here's the one that I know that people really have a hard time with, and it's limiting sodium.
And you really have to do that. One of the reasons I like—the only reason I like that people get kidney stones is that they're motivated to change their diet, cuz they never want to go through that pain again. Bottom line.
So, often when I say, "Well, you know, sodium can be a precursor for kidney stones," I can't tell you, probably nine out of 10 people, "Oh, Jill, I don't I don't eat any salt. I don't use the salt shaker." The salt shaker may not be on your table anymore, folks, but salt is present in all the foods you eat unless you're just eating raw veggies and fruit, okay?
And there's even a little sodium in those things, too, just because they grow in the ground. Like veggies grow in the ground, there's sodium in the ground. But it's so important.
Salt, I always say, water is first. You can't prevent kidney stones unless you're going to drink more water. And second, you can't prevent kidney stones if you're not going to lower your sodium.
The average person is eating 3500, 4000 milligrams of sodium a day, and the Kidney Stone Diet goals say we want you to be around 1500. I always give people a little 1500 to 2000. I say that because when I say 1500, people are like, "Henry, let's go down to 300!
She said 1500, let's go lower!" Don't do that. You'll get dizzy, you'll pass out, that's not healthy, okay? So, 1500 to 2000.
Now, why? Why do we care about that in kidney stone prevention? Number one, the more sodium you eat, the less you're going to pee.
We all know that we're bloated and our dungarees don't fit that well if we're eating too much sodium, and then water stays in our body. We don't leave—the water doesn't leave our body because it's holding onto the salt. Salt is holding onto water.
Our body holds onto the excess fluids when we eat too much salt. So, number one reason. Number two reason, and there's a few goals of the Kidney Stone Diet that we want you to do because we want to lower urine calcium.
"How do I know if my calcium's high, Jill?" You get a 24-hour urine collection. It is only that test that will tell you if your urine calcium is high, and it is very common in kidney stone formers. Also, you can really prevent bone disease if you find out now if your urine calcium is high.
Many patient patients come to me, and one of when I'm asking their medical history, I do ask about osteoporosis or osteopenia, which is the beginning of bone disease, because a lot of stone formers already have bone disease, because they're eating too much sodium, it's pushing calcium out of the bone, dumping it into the urine.
When we have too much calcium floating around in our urine, oxalate, phosphate, these kidney stone crystals, these stone crystals are looking for calcium, so they join together and form stones. But even more importantly, it's pulling calcium from your bone. Because people will say, "What the hell, Jill, I ain't eating no calcium!
Why do I have all this calcium in my urine?" In many cases, this is excess coming from your bone because you're eating too much sodium, added sugar, and meat protein, the other parts of the Kidney Stone Diet. But today we're just focusing on sodium. You must lower sodium.
And I'm extra with people, because, like I said, I'm taking a medical history. They're coming to me, they have stones, they have they're prediabetic, they have high blood pressure, they have cholesterol. So when we start following the goals of the Kidney Stone Diet, a lot of those other medical conditions people get off meds, or at least lower meds, because now they're paying attention because that kidney stone cause them so much heck that they're worried about the pain coming back and they will listen.
They'll be like, "Okay, I will I will lower my sodium." Here's another thing while I'm at it. People will say when I'm asking their medical history, "Oh, I have high blood pressure, Jill, but it's fine with medications." Ideally, we don't want to be managing medical conditions with medications. That's always my goal for you.
So, people don't worry about their chronic disease states because they're on medications that is taking care of it, but I say, cuz we all know I'm very annoying, why wouldn't we be taking why wouldn't we be doing things in our diet so we don't have to be on these medications? Because typically one med begets another med because of side effects or whatever else.
So, I'm never thrilled when a doctor just says for kidney stone prevention, "Oh, just put them on a diuretic," because a diuretic will help lower the urine calcium. How about, Doc, we start with lower the sodium, lower the added sugar, stop overeating meat, the Kidney Stone Diet goals. Start there.
"Why, Jill? It's easier if I just put them on a med." Because sometimes the urine calcium is super high. We try to lower it through diet, and maybe we won't get exactly where we need, and they do have to go on a medication, the patient, but at least they can go on a lower dose.
You know, guys, I'll tell you what. I've been on a lot of medications, I've had a lot of radiation and chemotherapy, all the things I've been through. All of those things had major side effects.
I don't have cancer now, because I had surgeries, but I have a lot of bowel issues because of the side effects from those surgeries. Meaning, you know, you don't want to get sick, that's all I'm saying. And managing a chronic disease with medication is many times necessary, of course.
But also do your part in diet. People will say, "Well, I don't have to worry about my hypertension, it's managed by a medication." But that medication has to work extra hard if you're not lowering your sodium. And you may be on a really high dose medication when you don't need it because you're still eating a high-sodium diet.
Don't get me started, Jeff. Don't get me started. So, we want to lower sodium in kidney stone disease because, number one, you'll pee more when you lower sodium.
You ladies out there that are like, "God, I just wish I had a quick fix to lose 5 lb." Lower your sodium. You'll lose water weight like that, 3 lb will come off. But then you got to maintain that low-sodium diet, okay?
And so, then you lower your sodium, you'll pee more, which is awesome, very great for kidney stone prevention. And then the other thing, the calcium will stay in your bone, which will save you from osteoporosis and also save you from new kidney stones. We don't want to be losing calcium.
So, the You got to stop You've got to stop eating so much sodium. And don't tell me that you don't use the salt shaker, as I started this video. It's not about that.
It's about things like this. These are real-life examples. "Well, Jill, I don't know how I don't know how that sodium's so high," cuz I can tell by a urine collection how much sodium the person ate that day.
"I'm eating I'm even eating low-salt corn chips, Jill." But, Bobby, when you eat the whole bag, they ain low salt no more, okay? So, portion matters, too. You can eat a low-sodium product, but you still got to maintain a portion size, because that sodium adds up like that, okay?
Here's the other thing. "Everything tastes like junk, Jill. I hate it, no low salt." Give yourself two weeks.
I've been doing this almost 30 years. Give yourself two weeks and you are going to notice in that short of a time, "Oh, my god, Jill! I have been doing what you said for two weeks.
It was two weeks and a day. I went out to eat. I went to Panera, had a bread bowl, and I couldn't even swallow.
It was so salty. I can't believe it. I didn't even like it." So, I'm telling you, it doesn't take long.
Does everything taste like rocks and leaves at first? Okay? Yes, it will.
It's going to be a huge difference. It's going to be a huge change for your taste buds, but you will acclimate. You will.
You must be patient. You did not get a stone overnight. You are not going to make these lifestyle changes overnight.
Be kind to yourself. You're going to screw it up here and there. And it's not even screwing up, it's just living your life.
You're going to go out to eat still. I don't care about that. Yes, it's going to be salty.
The next day, you get right back to work. "Well, what am I going to do, Jill? The people my family goes out for pizza every Friday.
They have pizza. It's so salty." Have one piece and a side salad. Do that.
No one's saying you can't have pizza again, but no more for five pieces! So now, we've got to reign it in. We've got to stop eating like we're going to a 12-year-old's birthday party.
We are grown up. Our body is getting older, and it wears out over time. So, it is our responsibility to eat better.
Do you have to be perfect? No, that's way too boring, and it always leads to people getting off track, okay? You can't deprive yourself every day.
You're going to have your favorite foods, you're going to get right back on track. Have your treat, get back on the streets, okay? But sodium, it's hidden everywhere.
You like those dry martinis? That's because it's filled with olives that are very salty. That's why.
It's everywhere. So, when you go to the grocery store, I want you to turn it around, Buster Brown, look at your nutrition label, and look at per serving how much sodium is in that product you want. Look to the left, look to the right, look to the look all over, because there's going to be other cans, if you're looking at like something like tomato sauce, that will have lower sodium.
Compare them. Don't just look at the label on the front of the package. They'll all say all kinds of cock-a-doodle-doos.
You got to look at your nutrition label. That's where you're going to get the real information. You could look at chicken broth, and it will say low-sodium.
You'll have five different boxes of chicken broth. They all say low-sodium. Turn them around, because one will still have 400, one will have 30 per cup, 30 mg, one will have 200.
Look for the lowest. That's how you start this. "Ketchup, mustard, I love it, Jill.
It's delicious. But it's like a vegetable, Jill. Ketchup is like a vegetable." Turn it around, Buster Brown.
There's so much sodium in ketchup, that's why it's delicious. Otherwise, you'd just slice a tomato and put it on your sandwich. It's the salt.
So, it's hidden everywhere. Is it going to be annoying at first to go to the grocery store and turn around your labels? Yes.
Is it horrible and disgusting and petrifying to have kidney stone pain? That would be yes. Stents, that would be yes.
Lithotripsies, ureteroscopies, way more petrifying than going to the grocery store and turning it around. I promise. Do what I'm asking you to do and you will lower your stone risk.
You can't get away from preventing kidney stones without lowering your sodium. Sodium.
