Category: Diets

A healthy diet can directly reduce your risk for kidney stones. There is plenty of information on the web that is incorrect and not scientifically proven. This has led to misinformation and confusion about what a healthy kidney stone prevention diet should be.

What are kidney stones?

Kidney stones forms from a high concentration of calcium and oxalate in the urine which combines to form calcium oxalate. In other words, these two substances binds together to form kidney stones. Urine that is too acidic increases the risk of calcium oxalate kidney stones. Calcium and oxalate are more likely to bind in acidic environments. So, the kidney stone diet aims to increase urine pH to reduce the risk that calcium and oxalate will bind.

7 nutrition tips for kidney stones prevention

1. Drink lots of fluids

The first diet goal for kidney stones prevention is to drink more fluids. The more urine you pee, the less concentrated calcium and oxalate there will be. As a result, it is less likely that a kidney stone will form. It is recommended to drink about 3L of fluid per day. Your daily fluid requirement may be different based on your body size, environment, gastrointestinal health and exercise schedule. Always seek advice form a dietitian about what is your fluid requirement. Drinking too much fluids can also lead to other health problems such as oedema. The best beverage choice is water and drinking 3L of tasteless fluid can be challenging for some people. Making water more “exciting” can help quite a bit. This can be done by infusing fruits or herbs with water in order to add a very lovely flavour without adding many calories or sugar.

2. Limit Salt (Na)

Eating lots of salty foods will increase urine calcium and the risk for kidney stones. The extra calcium in the urine due to a high salt diet comes from our bones, putting them at risk of osteopenia. In addition, a high sodium diet is associated with increased blood pressure, which increases the risk of all sorts of health problems like kidney disease, heart disease, stroke and dementia. It is important to note that the majority of the salt we eat is already hidden in food. So, simply avoiding salt will not reduce sodium to our goal for most people. The key to a low sodium diet is to choose foods that are low in sodium in the first place. In other words, this means cooking with fresh, non-processed ingredients. Restaurants, commercially prepared and to-go foods are usually high in salt.

3. Moderate amount of protein

A high protein diet will increase the urine calcium. In addition, high protein diets produce acid during metabolism. This acid is eventually excreted in our urine, which lowers urine pH and increases the risk of kidney stones. Similar to sodium, the extra calcium in urine from a high protein diet is taken from bone, putting the bones at risk of osteopenia.

4. Eat enough Calcium

Calcium is a critically important piece of the kidney stones prevention diet. Previously, doctors told people with kidney stones to reduce calcium and dairy. This seemed to make sense since one of our goals is to reduce urine calcium.

However, we now know about the importance of calcium in stopping oxalate absorption in the intestines. Similar to how oxalate loves to bind with calcium in our kidneys and make kidney stones, they love to bind in our intestines as well. So, if calcium binds with oxalate before it is absorbed, the oxalate is excreted in our feces, instead in our urine. Studies have shown nearly a 50% reduction in kidney stones by adding dairy to the diet along with the low sodium and moderate protein considerations. It is important to note that for the latter to happen, we need to eat calcium when we eat oxalate so make sure to eat dairy with meals.

In addition, a diet high in calcium is critical for bone health. People who have a history of calcium kidney stones are more likely to experience bone fractures and weak bones. This makes sense, as all of that extra calcium in your urine comes primarily from breaking down bone.

5. Reduce added sugars

Too much sugars in your diet will increase urine calcium. Therefore, sugar will increase the risk of kidney stones. In addition, high sugar intake is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. Make sure to check the nutrition facts label for added sugar, as well as sodium. Try to find products with as little added sugar as possible. And, save sweet desserts for special occasions. Swap out ice cream after dinner for a lower sugar frozen yogurt or fruit.

6. Reduce food containing oxalate

Reducing oxalate in the diet is perhaps the trickiest part of the kidney stone diet. Firstly, oxalate information found online is often conflicting, which results in frustration for people trying to follow a low oxalate diet. Foods which are high in oxalate include spinach, almonds, bran, rhubarb, raspberries and potato with skin.

7. Eat fruit & vegetables

The final nutrition tip is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. How many? Aim for at least 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables per day. Eating fruits and vegetables is associated with reduced risk of hypertension, heart disease, stroke, cancer and gastrointestinal conditions. For kidney stones specifically, they help make our acid less acidic in urine. Therefore, it is less likely to form calcium oxalate from an acid urine.

Putting all the pieces of a healthy kidney stone diet can be overwhelming so always seek the help of a dietitian. A dietitian will guide you step by step for a kidney stone diet so that it becomes relatively easy and healthy for you. Lastly remember that this diet will reduce your risk for kidney stones and further medical complications.

I explain why you should mind your own plate as so many people with specific diets have developed terrible food intolerance of others & diet shaming.

 Remember:

1. a time when everyone could go to dinner in peace and not get a lecture from your relative about the dangers of carbohydrates?

2. when you could post a picture of your bacon and eggs and not get blasted by some troll for eating ‘chicken periods’?

3. you could send your kids to schools with chocolates without getting a note sent home with them scolding your poor parenting skills?

Since the explosion of digital media, we’ve seen a concurrent explosion of what looks like ‘diet-ism’. My meaning of ‘diet-ism’ is an obsession of morality to a specific way of eating. As a result people develop in an intolerance of other people with “different” diets.

I’ve noted through experience in this field that everyone has their own unique opinion on how to eat. It seems people spend way too much time trying to convince others to eat that way too. If, you follow my blog you know that I don’t discriminate any type of food. I deliver facts on the safety and efficacy of certain restrictive diets. First of all that’s my job and secondly I am against restriction!

I’m against anything that gets in your way of enjoying food.

Unfortunately, for a lot of people, if you are not 100% aligned with their obsessive diets in their heads, you are doing something really really wrong!

How food choices shape our identity and food intolerance?

“You are what you eat”, a quote that comes from Brillat-Savarin’s quote: “tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you what you are.” This means that food is an inherent part of our identity. A lot of us hold onto our cultural identity by cooking and eat traditional foods. But cultural and geographic background is just a small piece of who we are.

Research suggests that people, especially women, tend to choose certain foods to manage other people’s impressions of them. One study even found that women tend to eat less when they worry their femininity is being threatened.

The thought of salads are feminine and steaks are for men is already bad enough. But now suddenly you’re a bad woman if you eat a slice of pizza? Or you’re a bad parent if your child eats a piece of chocolate? LOL! This is exactly the kind of crap that gets so many women suffering from orthorexia and eating disorders.

One study asked university students to rate profiles of people based on their diets. The students were shown pictures of sets of two identical looking people. One was classified as a “good” food eater, and the other as a “bad” food eaters. Apparently the students judged the “good” eater as more attractive, likeable, quiet, practical, methodical and analytical than those who ate “bad” foods. Even though everything else about them was identical!

Diet believes

Depending on whatever food dogma you believe, being bad could mean eating a chocolate bar because it has sugar in it. Or eating a burger because it’s fattening. Or eating a moderate bowl of pasta because of the gluten. We have assigned the moral weight of “bad” to a lot of foods, and that label is then transferred onto us. No one wants to feel like a lazy, stupid, fat, sloppy, BAD person so we avoid any of these “bad” foods like the Bubonic plague. But I want you all to know that we don’t have to be bad. Being jealous is bad. Lying to your partner is bad. Flirting with married men is bad. Eating a piece of chocolate isn’t bad and no one should make you feel like it is.

One theory by Lori Lieberman in her book Drop the Diet: Guided Recipes for Overcoming Your Food Rules, is that people are more likely to pass judgement on other people’s dietary choices when they’re less comfortable with their own way of eating.

As a woman and especially as a dietitian, I feel myself being judged on my food choices every single day. Here’s the thing. We all have our own journey to health and wellness. But when we find what works for us, and we start to feel good- physically and emotionally- we don’t give a shit what anyone else is doing in their diet. Exactly like I do unless I am asked to give a professional advise!

What is mindful eating?

Are you continuously eating while watching TV?

Or eating too fast?

Does this sound similar to you?

I share my five easy mindful eating tips that will keep you healthy!

Nutrition tips for mindful eating

1. Make a shopping list

When you food shop abundantly to store, first you should always make a shopping list! Plan monthly meals and make a shopping list of the ingredients you need. To help you save money check what you already have in the fridge and cupboards. In the shopping list include low calorie snacks such as rice cakes, sugar-free jelly and pop-corn.

2. Prepare some low calorie snacks

Right after you go shopping, wash, chop and portion up some carrots, cucumber and bell peppers with hummus or Greek yogurt for an easy to grab snack. Put these low calorie snacks front and center in the fridge so that these are the first thing you see when you mindlessly open the door. I also like to prepare a portion of nuts and 2 bags of popcorn in the front of the cupboard just in case the cupboard door is opened first instead of the fridge.

3. Swap your serving kitchen ware

Try to swap your dishes and dinner plates to a smaller size. You will be amazed how small they look in comparison to what you are used to but in reality our dishes are super-sized! This will also play a trick on your brain to eat less as you won’t be tempted to fill the empty space with large portions of food.

So there you go – three super easy mindful eating tips that will help you eat better without even knowing you are trying!

Intermittent fasting for weight loss?

Evidence based pros & cons

Curious whether intermittent fasting will yield the best results for weight loss? And your health? We’ll review the most recent evidence on the topic.

Intermittent fasting is among a variety of diets right now. Even though it has been around for a while, it has gained popularity over the past 2 years.

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting involves a fast. It’s the “intermittent” part that sets this fast apart from annual religious fasts. In most intermittent fasting diets you can only eat for less than 8 hours and fast for the remainder of the day. This means that you fast for a range of 16 hours in a day on certain days. On other days you would have the freedom to eat and meet energy requirements.

Many have claimed that these diets have various health benefits such as improving glucose homeostasis, boosting energy, increasing growth hormone production, reducing inflammation, decreasing oxidative stress, lowering triglyceride levels, increasing & protecting brain function, lowering blood pressure, increasing resistance to age-related diseases like immune disorders, cancer, heart disease, stroke, eye disease, Alzheimer’s and promoting longevity!

Are these claims true?

A lot of these claims have been made based on animal studies. Although some rodents are clever ones, a rat body and a human body don’t work the same way, and therefore it’s harder to conduct those studies on humans due to many influencing factors. The ones performed on humans are pretty limited, but do show some exciting results that intermittent fasting as a possible approach to benefiting human health as well! It is important to mention that these studies had mixed results, so we can’t make super clear cut conclusions.

Pros and Cons of Intermittent Fasting

Personally, I’m not convinced by the research conducted till now. I believe that any “diet” that requires you to disregard your body’s innate hunger and satiety cues is not likely to be sustained. Ultimately, the goal of a diet is not to cause your body to go under any sort of chronic stress. Instead, to nurture and show it some love by taking care of it, starting with a foundation of a nutritious diet.

Immunity boost

Currently, there is a constant stream of articles and blogs on the web that suggest that we can ‘boost’ our immune system by having supplements of multi-vitamins and minerals. But are supplements something that we should be spending our money?

Now, more than ever it is time to boost your immune system. Your immune system depends on: age, diet, exercise, stress and lifestyle. Your immune system will function better if you adopt a healthy lifestyle strategy such as:

• Quit smoking
• Balanced diet
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Adequate sleep
• Good hygiene practices (such as washing of hands)

Diet effects on our immune system

Like the Maltese saying “ xkora wieqfa ma tieqafx”, our body needs good regular nourishment to produce its warriors against bacteria and viruses. People who are malnourished are more prone to infectious diseases. Malnutrition can occur due to macro-nutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fats) or micro-nutrients (vitamin and minerals) deficiencies.

A balanced healthy diet will provide all types of vitamins and minerals which are essential for our body to remain in optimum health. As, I mentioned in other blogs there is no need to cut any type of food groups.

All food groups i.e. carbohydrates, proteins and fat provide different vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants essential for health. Make sure that all your meals contain a portion of carbs, protein and vegetables. Eat 2 to 3 fruits per day in between meals or as a dessert after meals.

Vitamins and minerals found in carbohydrates

Vitamins and minerals found in proteins

I truly believe that the more varied diet you eat, the more you manage to obtain different micro-nutrients from natural food without the need of any artificial supplementation. This will definitely boost your immune system to help you fight any disease and remain healthy.