Hello, I'm on a low oxalate diet following kidney stones and having trouble keeping track of the extensive food lists to avoid. Does anyone have any tips about how they posted info around the house or kept reminders in shopping bags? That sort of thing?
Hi, Ayeff.
Firstly, congrats on working towards an oxalate-free diet!
It's challenging and overwhelming, especially at first. But in time you can and will figure it all out. My wife is a serious cook and baker, and I thought for the first three months as I began my new diet she was going to pull her hair out because of me! But over time the two of us did figure it out. There are always really good substitutes that one can use in recipes to achieve a low (or that lofty goal of no) oxalates.
For a dated book on the topic, you might want to pick up "No More Kidney Stones" by Rodman, Sosa, and Seidman. The last author listed (Seidman) is a nutritionist, and so the chapters on foods are quite helpful. There are some inconsistencies (i.e. potatoes being a prime example), but in the main it does give a good overview. Also, there are plenty of high/low oxalate lists on the web. One that I like in particular is from the "Roo's Clues list at: http://roosclues.blogspot.com/2010/12/oxalate-levels-of-foods.html This too is now dated (2010), but I found it to be really helpful for scanning in the grocery store, especially in the beginning of my own journey.
For me the real deal killer was having to stay away from salty foods and snacks. I love my salty pocporn, chips, nuts, etc. more than sweets. But I've learned to stay away from salty things, or at least find substitutes (i.e. onion powder on popcorn). Besides, potato chips and nuts are also forbidden as both are high in oxalates. So there too went my favorite hash browns at breakfast. Ugh.
I've also had to give up drinking draft beer (supposedly canned or bottled beer is okay), but wines and hard liquor are fine.
And as I said above, we have found substitutes for many things. For instance, although most beans are high in oxalates, black-eyed peas are not. So my wife now cooks her chili with black-eyed peas instead. I'll spare you on other substitutions, but just know they are out there. So don't despair.
Good luck!
Martin
I had kidney stones a couple of years ago which had to be removed surgically. When I asked how I could avoid getting them again no one mentioned a low oxalate diet. All the consultant said was WATER WATER WATER DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. Sarah
Hi, Sarah.
That was bad of them not to discuss diet. It does depend on the type of stone, and for me (and I suspect Ayeff also) I had a calcium oxalate stone. So yes, absolutely, water up! But diet is crucial also.
- Martin
I think it probably depends on the type of stone you have. They certainly investigated the stones and knew what type they were. I was a complicated case because I have horseshoe kidneys (they are joined together) which made access to the stones a lot more difficult. Even when the consultant had done the operation he was not sure he had manged to remove all the stones. Fortunately he had.
Sarah
Hi I'm trialling an app called MyHealthyKidney which might help
AJ62807 (new member!)
Looks interesting, thanks!
Apologies if this is the wrong place to ask, but can I 'search' this forum? There's usually an option on other forums, but can't see one here. Thanks
Hmm. You got me on that one, sorry. These forums are heavily** moderated, however, so hopefully the moderator who's reading this can answer your question.
Moderator???
I too am embarking on a low oxalate diet. I think I am going to try writing out meals/snacks for a week in advance. Even scheduling my eating times. I'll do all the research each weekend and eventually start memorizing the things to eat and things to avoid. I am even considering painting a kitchen wall with chalkboard paint so I can write the meals out and that way I will see them each time I walk past. I feel like "planning" is key to this, but overloading my brain with information is not going to work, so going to take it 1 week at a time.