Kidney Stone Diet

05/26/2026

Kidney stones are not just a little pain.

For some patients, repeated stone events can leave a real emotional mark. You may feel anxious every time your back hurts. You may worry before vacations. You may feel scared to eat. You may feel like your body betrayed you.

Let me be clear that I am not diagnosing PTSD, and this is not medical advice. But I do think we need to talk more honestly about how traumatic kidney stone events can feel, especially when they happen again and again.

Prevention is not only about food and water. It is also about helping patients feel less helpless and more informed.

Have your kidney stone events left you feeling traumatized or afraid of making another?

05/24/2026

Worried that this weekend will cause a stone? It’s quite common but I want you to read this so you understand better.

And please sign up for my newsletter because I send out articles like this every week! I’ll put the link in the comments to sign up!

When someone has a kidney stone attack, it can feel like the stone came out of nowhere. One day, you are fine. The next day, you are writhing in pain on the bathroom floor, wondering what in the world is happening to your body. But most kidney stones do not form overnight. The pain may […]

05/24/2026

Sunnday-Finnday! I am beyond happy with big brother home! Mama has an even bigger pep in her step, too! Summer is here! Brother is here! Life is so darn awesome. Happy holiday weekend! Also a shout out to my bff after brother- Hannah!!!

05/21/2026

Calcium phosphate stones are different from calcium oxalate stones, and the 24 hour urine collection often tells the story.

Common findings include higher urine pH, higher urine calcium, and low urine volume.

The goal is not to panic over one number, but to understand the pattern so prevention can be more targeted.

05/18/2026

Pairing calcium with higher oxalate foods can help lower urine oxalate because the calcium binds with oxalate in the gut before it gets to the kidneys.

This is why I teach patients not to fear calcium, but to use it wisely with meals.

05/17/2026

So Monday-Finnday: Well, my brother from another mother is BACK baby!! Here are some pics from our first day of many!!!

When mama told me to get in the car I knew we were going to pick him up! I even got out from the back seat box and drove in the front with him.

He is my everything.

I do love my mama, but nothing compares to brother. She said she understood this so I don’t have to feel any kinda way about it.

Here is to a summer of good music, many tug-a-war sessions (mama needs a break from it anyway) and lots of fun in the sun with big brother!!!

Yipppeeeeee!!!!!!!

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05/14/2026

Were you told to lower calcium for calcium based stones?

Many patients were told years ago to lower calcium if they made a calcium based kidney stones. I still hear this today.

But for calcium oxalate stone formers, too little calcium can actually backfire.

why? Because calcium from food helps find oxalate in the gut before it gets into the urine.

The goal is not “no calcium.” the goal is enough calcium, With meals, while lowering sodium, added sugar, and other risk factors based on your 24 hour urine results.

05/13/2026

Your high urine sodium is usually not coming from the salt shaker.

Most people are shocked when their 24 hour urine shows high sodium because they say, “but I don’t add salt to anything.”

And I believe you.

But the big sodium hits usually come from restaurant meals, takeout, deli meats, soups, sauces, salad dressings, frozen meals, bread, cheese, condiments, and packaged “healthy“ foods.

For kidney stone prevention, sodium matters because higher sodium can push more calcium into the urine. More calcium in the urine can raise stone risk, especially for calcium stone formers.

So don’t just look at the salt shaker.

Turn it around Buster Brown and look at the sodium on the nutrition label. That is where the truth lives! And remember whatever the label says it’s per portion!

05/11/2026

One of the most common things I see with kidney stone formers is not “bad eating.”

It’s over eating healthy foods.

Spinach smoothies, almond flour, nuts, nut butter, beets, dark chocolate, turmeric, chia, and “healthy“ snack foods can add up fast, especially when you’re eating them in great quantity and every single day.

The goal is not fear. The goal is learning your portions, rotating your foods, meeting your calcium needs, and using one reliable oxalate list so you’re not guessing all day long..

Kidney stone prevention is not about eating perfectly. It is about eating responsibly.

05/10/2026

Sunnday-Finnday: Dear mama. These past few days have been long and lonely without you. I hope you and brother had fun running around in NYC. Without me. Again.

Although you left me at a “luxury dog spa” I want to come home. I don’t care about any fancy place bc my place is right next to you. I have been very good, I think the word being tossed around here is something along the lines of “angel”, but don’t let that fool you. I have missed you terribly.

The only place I ever wanna be is right next to you. I can’t wait for you to pick me up in a couple of hours. I’m already packed and ready to go. The others here are calling me a “mama’s boy” but it doesn’t phase me a bit. As you know my sense of self is strong and I’m not lacking in the ego department.

Yours very truly,
‘lil Finn.

05/07/2026

I know it sounds counterintuitive that you need more calcium to prevent kidney stones, but you do.

In 30 years, I've never had a single patient tell me they're getting enough calcium. Not one.

You need calcium for your bones, obviously. But in kidney stone world, you need it because calcium binds with oxalate in your small intestine. When that happens, the oxalate can't get absorbed back into your bloodstream. Both go out through your colon and that's how you get rid of oxalate.

But if you eat a high oxalate food without pairing it with calcium, that oxalate gets absorbed right back into your body.

🏆 Your goal is 1,000 milligrams a day for men and women.
🏆 If you're postmenopausal, 1,200 milligrams.

👉 Share this with someone who stopped eating calcium after their kidney stone!