My sister just went through the very painful procedure of having to pass kidney stones. It's not even quite over for her, they broke up a large stone in one kidneys and then saw a smaller one in the other kidney!!!
She has already suffered so much with this... I wish for her to feel better fast.
What causes kidney stones?
I decided to look it up and educate myself on the subject to help myself and others prevent kidney stones.
Our diet is one of the culprits
Apparently there are different types of stone build up. One of the common stone is calcium-oxalate. These are caused by oxalate and calcium bonding together in the kidneys and urinary tract. (Image source.)
One could think that foods with high contents of oxalate should be avoided to stop these types of stones from forming. It's a good theory for prevention, but not so much for an overall health.
Here are some oxilate-rich foods:
- Peanuts
- Rhubarb
- Spinach
- Beets
- Chocolate
- Sweet Potatoes
Of course they're all things I like to eat!!! I'm sure you like most of these too...
While cutting down on some of these food may help someone prone to calcium-oxalate build up, the best thing to do (according to the National Kidney Foudation would be to eat calcium-rich foods at the same time.
In other words, let the calcium and oxalate bond in the stomach and intestines instead of the kidneys and urinary tract.
This is kind of like a permaculture move if you think about it... the problem is the solution?
Sweating Forms Kidney Stones Too
What... sweating? Yeah well, you know exercising, working in hot conditions, stepping into a sauna or sweating in a sweat lodge... (Image source)
The more you sweat the less you pee. The less you pee, the more stone causing minerals can form and bond.
You can sweat, don't worry, but don't forget to drink lots of water!
Reduce Sodium, not Calcium
Remember what I found out about calcium bonding to oxalate in the stomach and intestines? You can dramatically reduce the amount of sodium intake by cooking, though also try to cook without salt. All that mineral build up can't be any good. Think of you kindey mechanics, remember that stone causing minerals can bond... again, drink lots of water! (Image source)
Fruit and Juices with natural citrate
Potassium citrate is often given to treat chronic kidney stones. Fruits that contain high levels of natural citrate can provide the same prevention benefits. So drink up or eat lots of fruit but make sure it is with little to no sugar… it can increase the risk, and you don't want to bring on any other discomforting health hazards!!! Sugar: Bad (Image source)
There other types of stones (also common)
Uric Acid Stones, seem to be caused by eating foods that contain too much purines.
Red meat, organ meat and shellfish have a high concentration of a natural chemical compound called purine.
A friend tought me to eat less meat by only having happy meat. Meaning that you can chose to eat only what you are sure doesn't come from industrial meat farms. It is more expensive or more difficult to harvest, therefore I eat less meat! (Image source)
The human body really is an incredible machine that can do amazing things, but it must be cherished and cared for. Next time you here people say that the body is a temple remember what this vehicle is capable of doing when it is fed correctly.
I recently heard some interesting conversation on genes passed down to us through our DNA. Weather good or bad, they aren't always awakened, but they can be triggered by certain events, habbits and diets. So when a chronic disease runs through generations, perhaps one needs to change the typical family diet.
Please don't take my researching this stuff as medical advice. If you're concerned, seek out a professional... natural or pharmaceutical is your choice!
Embrace both your strength and weaknesses as they knitted into one you, and you are knitted together with one another. Like in an ocean of planktons, red fish, dolphins and whales, all are knitted to form the ecosystem. So embrace your own life.
