Category: Fasting

Spinach tops the list of foods with high oxalate content

How to avoid kidney stones on the Daniel Fast

How to avoid kidney stones on the Daniel Fast

The Daniel Fast gave me kidney stones.

For the whole story, see my previous post. The CliffsNotes version is that I went to the emergency room twice, and both incidents occurred just weeks after completing a Daniel Fast. It took me a few years to connect the two events, but now that I’ve done the research, I’ve concluded that a restrictive plant-based diet like the Daniel Fast simply isn’t worth the risk for me.

Before I go any further, it’s important to note that some people are genetically predisposed to kidney stones. As my urologist told me, “You might do everything right and still get stones, while someone else could do everything wrong and never get a stone.” So, there’s that. But how will you know if you’re one of those who’s more susceptible? You may not think you have anything to worry about, but I had no family history, no preexisting conditions, no reason to give kidney stones a second thought.

Oxalate: What it is and why you need to know

There are different types of kidney stones, but the most common are made of calcium oxalate. Oxalate is an antinutrient found in many plants. When high levels of oxalate combine with calcium in the urine, kidney stones form.

Most people think kidney stones are caused by drinking too much tea, soda, or eating too much salt. While those certainly can be contributing factors, there are many nutrient-dense plants that may also be to blame. Those leafy greens you’re eating could be overloading your kidneys with oxalate.

Spinach tops the list of foods with high oxalate content

Foods Highest in Oxalate

  • Spinach
  • Rhubarb
  • Okra
  • Swiss chard
  • Buckwheat
  • Almonds
  • Miso/Tofu/Soy

The foods listed above require the most caution. Spinach is, by far, the worst offender. Just one serving of cooked spinach has more than a week’s worth of oxalate. Almonds are another major culprit. There was a time in my life — not long ago — when I was regularly drinking almond milk, baking with almond flour and snacking on roasted almonds. Not anymore!

Other High Oxalate Foods

  • Potatoes
  • Beans (black, great northern, navy, etc.)
  • Nuts (cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts, etc.)
  • Beets
  • Cocoa
  • Brown rice flour
  • Cornmeal
  • Millet
  • Quinoa
  • Chia
  • Amaranth
  • Tomato sauce
  • Raspberries
  • Dates
  • Tahini
  • Turmeric
  • Cinnamon

This is not an exhaustive list, but it represents much of what I’d typically consume on a Daniel Fast. Many of these items are considered “superfoods”, and I never imagined they could actually be working against me.

Drink lots of water to flush out your kidneys and avoid forming stones

Tips to avoid my fate

As I mentioned earlier, your body may not be as sensitive to oxalate as mine. Trust me, though — you don’t want to take any chances when it comes to kidney stones. Here are a few steps you can take to be proactive, especially when following a plant-based diet:

  1. Eat a variety of different foods. Moderation is key. Be careful not to eat the same things over and over just because you enjoy them or it’s convenient. You don’t need to avoid high-oxalate foods completely, but be mindful of them, and watch your portion sizes.
  2. Drink lots of water. When you think you’ve had enough, drink a little more. Drinking plenty of fluids will flush out your system and make it harder for chemicals to build up and form crystals. I now carry a half-gallon jug everywhere I go to make sure I’m getting at least 8 cups of water daily. Any beverages on top of that are an added bonus.
  3. Be sure you’re getting enough calcium. This may sound counterintuitive, since calcium is the thing that binds to oxalate. However, if you eat calcium-rich foods together with foods containing oxalate, they will bind in the stomach and intestines before reaching the kidneys, making them easier for the body to process. Admittedly, it can be hard to get the recommended amount of calcium on a plant-based diet, but it’s not impossible. Don’t rely on calcium supplements, though, because they’ve been shown to increase the risk of kidney stones.

What I’ll be doing instead of the Daniel Fast

If you’re looking for an alternative to the Daniel Fast this year, or if you’d like to follow a guided plan while you fast, I’d love if you joined me for 21 Days of Virtue. Designed for women, this 3-week challenge will allow you to focus on a specific pillar of Christian character that you’d like to develop or refine in the new year. Together we’ll dig into scripture and set our hearts on things above as we strive to be more like Christ in 2021.

Click the banner below to learn more about 21 Days of Virtue and sign up! It’s 100% free, and I’ll even give you a special gift when you complete the challenge.

21 Days of Virtue Challenge

Why I won't do the Daniel Fast in 2021

Why I won’t do the Daniel Fast in 2021

Why I won't do the Daniel Fast in 2021

I won’t be participating in the Daniel Fast this January. Why? The short answer is that it sent me to the emergency room … twice.

My first trip to the ER

This story starts in 2016. It was February, and was gearing up to celebrate my twins’ first birthday. I was in the basement, lifting a large bin of party supplies off the top shelf in our storage room. Minutes later, I noticed a weird feeling in my groin, and soon I developed symptoms that were consistent with a urinary tract infection.

The UTI-like symptoms progressed to the point that the feeling of “urgency” became nearly unbearable. To put it in perspective, think of a time when you really had to go, but there was no bathroom in sight, and you felt like you might burst. Imagine that, but without any relief when you finally reached a toilet. The next morning I woke up to intense pain, nausea and lightheadedness. I wasn’t sure if I was going to throw up or pass out.

That’s when my husband drove me to the emergency room. I’m one of those people who only goes to the doctor when it’s absolutely necessary, and this was my first-ever visit to the ER.

An inconclusive diagnosis

The doctors tested for a UTI, and while they did find blood in my urine, there was no sign of infection. Eventually they did a pelvic ultrasound and found a small ovarian cyst, but they didn’t seem convinced that it could be causing the level of pain and discomfort I was feeling.

Without any real answers, they sent me home with a script for Percocet, and I spent the next four days in utter misery. It was the worst pain I’d ever experienced, and the urgency never let up.

Then, suddenly, all my symptoms vanished, and I felt fine.

I made an appointment with my OB/GYN, and after reviewing the ultrasound, she agreed that an ovarian cyst as small as mine wouldn’t even be noticeable. So, I went on with life as usual and prayed I’d never have to go through this ordeal again.

ER visit #2

Fast forward to August 2017. It’s important to note that this year I decided to add a mid-year Daniel Fast in July.

Once again I was in my storage room, lifting a heavy bin off the top shelf, when I felt that all-too-familiar feeling in my groin. I remember thinking, “No. Please, God, NO!” Unfortunately, my symptoms began to progress exactly as they had a year and a half prior.

This time I began with a trip to urgent care. They tested for a UTI, and just like the last time, there was blood, but no infection. The doc gave me a prescription for antibiotics, “just in case.” But it wasn’t long before I was back in the emergency room.

This time, the doctor suggested that maybe I’d pulled a muscle. (Seriously?) The resident who was assisting thought it could be an STD. When I explained that I’d only ever been with one man – the same man I’d been married to for 10 years – he decided to go ahead and run some tests, “just in case.”

When all the tests came back negative and I was still writhing in pain, they decided to do a CT scan. That’s when I finally got some answers.

Mystery solved

The CT revealed a 3mm kidney stone in my right ureter. A kidney stone! It was small enough to pass, so they sent me home on pain killers to wait it out.

While I was relieved to finally know what was plaguing me, I also knew I probably had a few more miserable days ahead of me. You’ve likely heard that kidney stones are more painful than childbirth. I had a c-section, so I can’t necessarily compare the two, but I can say that kidney stones are the worst thing I’ve ever experienced, hands down.

After the stone passed, I did some quick research and determined I just needed to drink more water and less tea to prevent new stones from forming. I’m sure that helped, but as time would tell, it wouldn’t be enough.

Kidney stone #3

A couple years went by, and I thought I was out of the woods. But in November 2019, the telltale symptoms returned. This time they didn’t escalate as quickly and would even go away for a few days here and there. However, they kept coming back, so I finally saw a urologist. Another stone was stuck in my ureter, and this time I would need an outpatient procedure to have it removed. The procedure took a bigger toll on my body than I’d anticipated, and a stent had to be placed, which was no walk in the park.

They say the third time’s a charm, and the third stone is what finally prompted me to take a deeper look at my lifestyle to try and figure out the cause of all these kidney stones. Over the past year, I’ve read everything I can find on the topic, and I’ve learned a lot. I’m convinced that the Daniel Fast is to blame, which is why I’ve decided not to participate in 2021.

My advice for you

It’s an interesting twist that this discipline I’ve built an entire blog around is the thing that brought me the worst physical pain I’ve ever known (not to mention a slew of medical bills). But let me be clear: I’m not suggesting YOU shouldn’t do the Daniel Fast. I’m sharing my story because what happened to me could happen to anyone. While it’s true that some people are genetically predisposed to kidney stones, you probably wouldn’t know it until it’s too late. It’s estimated that one in ten people will have a kidney stone at some time in their lives, and the risk is heightened when you’re following a restrictive plant-based diet. However, there are simple steps you can take to minimize your risk, and I’ll be outlining those in part two of this series.

Stay tuned to learn why the Daniel Fast gave me kidney stones. You’ll definitely want to read my next post before you start your January fast!

When life moves too fast, fast.

1 Comment

When I started this blog in January, I had every intention of keeping it active beyond the 21 days of my Daniel Fast. I was psyched about building a community of believers who also happened to be interested in healthy, plant-based foods, and I had lots of ideas and recipes that I was excited to share.

Then life happened. As a stay-at-home / work-from-home mom, I had other projects that demanded my attention. With each week that passed without a new post, it became easier and easier to put off the thing I’d once been so passionate about.

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