Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stones + Diabetes

[TracyP]

Hi,

Looks for suggestions on eating a balanced diet while managing both Diabetes and propensity to Calcium Oxelate kidney stones. My boyfriend and I think his brother should do the Whole30 but there are so many Paleo staples that are not allowes on his food list. Anyone have suggestions on how they balance these health concerns with the Whole30? A few other notes: We have suggested he drink more water and also stop smoking. He is also recovering from back surgery so he wont be very active for the next 6-8 weeks.

Thanks in advance!

[Tom Denham]

Ordinary paleo eating could be a problem for someone trying to avoid calcium stones, but the Whole30 diet properly followed would be a good approach. Let me lay out the issues and then comment upon the Whole30 and how to adjust it for this special purpose.

 

According to http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/Kudiseases/pubs/kidneystonediet/index.aspx, drinking water is important for everyone and there are four more issues for those dealing with Calcium Oxalate Stones: 1) reducing sodium, 2) reducing animal protein, such as meat, eggs, and fish, 3) getting enough calcium from food or taking calcium supplements with food, and 4) avoiding foods high in oxalate.

 

During a Whole30, we recommend that participants drink 1/2 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. So, for example, a 200 pound man should drink 100 ounces of water or roughly 1.5 gallons. 

 

By eliminating ALL processed foods, the Whole30 menu eliminates a large amount of sodium from the diet. By eating only real, whole, fresh foods, participants actually need to cook with salt in order to make sure they get enough.

 

The Whole30 meal planning template recommends eating a palm-size portion of protein at three meals per day: http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf  This amount of protein is actually quite modest and varies so that bigger people eat more and smaller people eat less.

 

Advertising has brainwashed most of us to think that dairy products are the only source of calcium, but that is far from true. There are a variety of ways to get plenty of bioavailable calcium eating only Whole30-approved foods. High calcium foods include canned salmon or sardines with the bones and dark leafy greens like kale, turnips, and collard greens. By eating these foods regularly, a person gets plenty of calcium. One reason the calcium intake from these foods is adequate is because the foods eliminated by the Whole30 diet are not present to interfere with the absorbtion of calcium. To learn more, see this article: http://whole9life.com/2012/02/what-about-calcium/

 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, although many foods contain oxalate, only nine foods are known to increase oxalate in the urine and kidney stone formation. They are: beets, spinach, rhubarb, strawberries, nuts, chocolate, tea, wheat bran, and all dry beans (fresh, canned, or cooked). So even though spinach, rhubarb, strawberries, nuts, and tea are acceptable during an ordinary Whole30, they can be replaced with other foods that will not increase oxalates. Pick especially from this shopping list: http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-shopping-list.pdf

[TracyP]

Thank you Tom, VERY Helpful

[schucks5]

I have always watched what I consumed and excercised regularly, but my sister did whole30 with some success so I thought I would try.  After reading all the literature and "It's Starts with Food", I decided to give it a shot.  Although I was feeling pretty great while practicing whole30.  My irratible bowel was gone, although it was clearing prior to whole30 as a result of cutting back drastically on added sugars.  I also did not have to use my rescue inhaler at all while practicing whole30.  I was feeling so great I extended the 30 to 45.  But, other health problems started to occur that I had never experienced before.  I had a serious UTI and developed gallstones, elevated sugar levels (go figure) and elevated liver.  This all happened within three weeks and I am now going back to my doctor to figure out what to do next.  I was in pretty good health before whole30, but now dealing with a whole new set of problems.

[Snakes54]

I too experienced two kidney stones while doing whole 30. How disappointing!!! I was loosing and wearing clothes I hadn't for awhile. Was so excited to be able to eat all those good foods. But my body cannot handle the protein. I had no more acid reflux. I didn't think I was eating that much protein but I did make the egg muffins to substitute for bread because it kept me on program. Bummed.