It is normal to sometimes get things mixed up especially when they seem to share some similarities such as gall stone and kidney stone, chronic acid reflux and ulcer but we would be focusing on these most common two diseases, “gall stone and kidney stones”.

1. So many people actually have gall stone but would mistake it for kidney stone. Well, worry less if you probably fall into this category. This article would help enlighten you more on the differences of both types of stones.

Gall stones or kidney stones are two conditions that could cause excruciating pains to any individual, but some people really don’t know they are both different preventive measures and treatment approaches. 

CHARACTERISTICS OF KIDNEY STONES AND GALLSTONES

• Gall stones are cholesterol deposits that resemble pebbles, WHILE kidney stones are cement-like and are made of dissolved minerals in the urine 
• Gallstones are found inside the gall bladder WHILE kidney stones develop in the urinary tract 

SIMILARITIES AND SYMPTOMS OF KIDNEY STONES AND GALLSTONES

• Kidney stones are small as sand grains and grow larger causing pain when you try to urinate WHILE gall stones can be as small as sand grains too and can grow as big as a golf ball 
• Kidney stones comes with symptoms like blood in the urine, painful urination, inability to urinate frequently WHILE gall stones come mostly with nausea, vomiting, fever and sweating.

      CAUSES KIDNEY STONES AND GALLSTONES

• For kidney stones, foods that are high in sodium, animal protein can increase the risk of developing kidney stones. Foods like processed meat, canned/ tinned foods etc
• WHILE a diet high in fat and cholesterol can contribute to gallstone formation. 

 RISK FACTORS OF KIDNEY STONES AND GALL STONES 

• People that have a family history of kidney stones and who are middle aged adults are at higher risks of developing kidney stones 
• WHILE adults over 40, especially women and those who are overweight are at higher risks of developing gallstones

TREATMENT/MANAGEMENT OF KIDNEY STONES AND GALL STONES

• Kidney stones can be treated by removing the stones or adhering to a diet that controls the intake of the type of stone formed 
  • Gallstones can be treated by removing the gall bladder unlike kidney stones also and a diet with controlled cholesterol and low fat. 

PREVENTION OF GALLSTONES AND KIDNEYSTONES 

• To prevent gallstones, while trying to lose weight, make sure to do it slowly and correctly. Don’t skip meals and exercise regularly. 
• Careful with the use of birth control pills to prevent gallstones
• Kidney stones can be prevented in a very easy way: just drink lots of water and maintain a healthy fluid level every day 

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms mentioned above, it is very important you contact health care givers and professionals so they could help treat whichever stone it may be.

SOURCES:

• https://www.adventhealth.com/hospital/adventhealth-orlando/blog/gallstones-vs-kidney-stones-how-similar-are-they#:~:text=A%20kidney%20stone%20is%20a,large%20as%20a%20golf%20ball.
• https://health.clevelandclinic.org/whats-the-difference-between-gallbladder-and-kidney-stones/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7311631/
• Quantitative analysis of gallstones using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.

Singh VK, Singh V, Rai AK, Thakur SN, Rai PK, Singh JP

Appl Opt. 2008 Nov 1; 47(31):G38-47.

[PubMed] [Ref list]

19 natural salt alternatives

Every now and then, so many people get scared of the common table salt because it seemingly is a dreaded name when it comes to heart problems.

There are better options which alternate the sodium chloride with potassium chloride; but this alternatives might also pose a huge threat on the kidneys when abused.

Salt (whether potassium or sodium) isn’t bad; but the right balance between minerals is really important.

The right levels of sodium helps your muscles contract. They also help regulate fluid levels to prevent dehydration.

Adequate amount of potassium helps coordinate normal heart rythms.

Herbs and spices are the healthy go-to nowadays when it comes to seasoning foods; both local and intercontinental.

Lets take a look at a list of  preferably healthier alternatives when it comes to seasoning.

1. Mint leaves

It has a bit of the menthol feel in the mouth.

• Uses: Great in salads, on pasta or in couscous. It’s tasty with carrots, peas or broad beans.
• Could also be used in smoothies.

2. Rosemary

• 
• Taste: An aromatic herb with a pine-like fragrance. Use sparingly; it can overpower other flavours.
• Preparation: Roast whole sprigs with root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, sweet potato). If using dried rosemary, crush it first.
• Uses: Add to roast or grilled meats, bread, homemade pizza, tomato sauce, beans, potatoes or egg dishes.

3. Nutmeg

• Taste: Sweet and pungent flavour. Works well in baked foods with cinnamon and cloves.
• Preparation: Freshly grated nutmeg has a much better flavour than ground.
• Uses: Add nutmeg with black pepper to homemade white and cheese sauces. It also adds warmth and flavour to homemade potato, cabbage and cauliflower soups.
• Could also be added to your local jollof rice.

4. Basil

• Taste: Sweet and peppery.
• Preparation: Fresh basil retains more flavour and aroma than dried.
• Uses: Basil is traditionally used in Mediterranean cooking, in tomato-based pasta sauces, pizzas and bolognese. Use lemon, Thai and holy basil in South Asian and Thai dishes.

5. Cardamon

• 
• Taste: A warm, aromatic spice.
• Preparation: Add whole cardamom pods to your dishes or use the seeds inside, either whole or ground.
• Uses: Commonly added to Asian spice mixes and curry pastes. Cardamom also works well in baked goods and sweet breads, with cloves and cinnamon, for a taste of Scandinavia.

6. Chilli/Cayenne

• Taste: Chillis vary quite a lot in strength, so add a little at first and taste your dish. Cayenne is a specific type of chilli.
• Preparation: Chilli can be bought whole (fresh or dried), as dried flakes, powder, or as hot sauce. Chilli sauce may be high in salt (or sugar in the case of sweet chilli sauce), so stick to powder, flakes or whole chillies.
• Uses: It works well in most dishes, including vegetable or seafood stews or vegetable soup. Please don’t add too much of this pepper😢 so it wont end in tears.

7. Cinnamon

• Taste: Mostly used in sweet treats like cake and apple crumble, but works with savoury dishes too.
• Preparation: Sold as cinnamon sticks (grate or add whole to dishes like curries or stews) or ground.
• Uses: Cinnamon is an important spice in Turkish and Middle Eastern cooking, where it is used to flavour chicken and lamb dishes. Use it to deepen the flavour of cottage pie, curries, tagines, casseroles, roast vegetables, bolognese sauce or stewed fruit.

8. Chives

• Taste: Onion-like but less powerful.
• Preparation: Snip the stems into food using a clean pair of scissors. Add to hot dishes at the last minute, as heat destroys its flavour.
• Uses: Great in mashed potato, casseroles, salads, baked potatoes, low-fat cream cheese, fish and poultry. Chive flowers are edible and look good too.

9. Coriander

• Taste: Coriander leaves have a distinct earthy and lemony flavour, while coriander seeds have a warm, spicy, citrus flavour when crushed.
• Preparation: Use coriander leaves raw or add to foods at the end of cooking. Coriander seeds are commonly used in Indian dishes. Fry them in a dry pan and add them whole or crushed.
• Uses: Add coriander leaves to salads, soups (eg carrot and coriander soup), salsas, curries and fish and chicken dishes, or combine it with lime and chilli in stir fries.

10. Dill

• Taste: Dill has a strong taste, often compared to fennel, star anise and celery.
• Preparation: Use fresh rather than dried if possible – use the leaves only and discard the stem.
• Uses: Popular in Russian, Eastern European, Greek and Scandinavian cooking, dill is a welcome addition to cottage cheese, low-fat cream cheese, omelettes, seafood, steak, potato salad and cucumber dishes. Try adding dill to broad beans and rice and serve with koftas (made from lean minced meat), as found in Iranian cooking.

11. Cumin

• Taste: Earthy and smoky.
• Preparation: Fresh cumin seeds, dry roasted and then ground, provide a richer flavour than cumin powder.
• Uses: After black pepper, cumin is the most-used spice worldwide. Goes well with indian and Mexican dishes.

12. Ginger

• Taste: Peppery, lemony and slightly sweet, with a sharp aroma.
• Preparation: Buy ground or fresh (as a ginger root, which can then be chopped or grated).
• Uses: Ginger enhances sweet and savoury dishes. Fresh ginger can be grated into stir fries and curries during cooking, or sprinkled over meat before baking or barbecuing.

13. Oregano

• Taste: Oregano has a warm, aromatic, slightly bitter taste and a potent aroma.
• Preparation: Fresh oregano leaves can be chopped into foods or added whole.
• Uses: Popular in Greek and Mediterranean cooking. Use it to marinate meats, poultry and seafood before grilling, in egg dishes, breads, casseroles and salads. It’s also great in spaghetti bolognese and tomato salsas.

14. Paprika

• Taste: Paprika is milder and sweeter than cayenne pepper.
• Preparation: Available as a red powder made from ground sweet and hot dried peppers.
• Uses: For a Hungarian twist, team paprika with caraway, coriander, cinnamon and dill. Combine with garlic for a Spanish flavour. Paprika goes well with lamb, chicken and fish dishes, on baked sweet potato wedges, or in beans or scrambled egg.

15. Parsley

• 
• Taste: Has a mildly bitter, grassy flavour that does not overwhelm the other ingredients.
• Uses: Goes with roast lamb, grilled steak, fish, chicken, veg, potato dishes, omelettes, stuffing, soft cheeses, marinades, dressings, sauces and soups.

16. Sage

• Taste: From the Mediterranean coast, sage is like rosemary, with more lemon and eucalyptus.
• Preparation: Best used fresh and in small amounts. Unlike some herbs, sage does not lose its flavour with prolonged cooking.
• Uses: Sage is traditional in Italian and French cooking, added to meats, poultry and stuffing, and is often chopped and stirred into pasta and gnocchi.

17. Tarragon

• Taste: Adds a distinctive, bittersweet liquorice-like flavour to foods, and has an aroma similar to star anise.
• Preparation: Tarragon should be added near the end of cooking time, as heat reduces its flavour.
• Uses: Native to Siberia and western Asia, tarragon is a key herb in French cooking. It goes well with poultry, fish, egg dishes, beef and vegetable soups. It can also be added to salad dressings.

18. Thyme

• 
• Taste: A strong earthy, slightly minty flavour with a subtle aroma. Lemon thyme is another variety and goes well in soups and vegetable dishes.
• Preparation: Depending on the variety you’re using, thyme can be finely chopped or added as a whole sprig. Unlike most herbs, thyme needs a long cooking time to release its full flavour.
• Thyme:Thyme works well with other herbs like rosemary, parsley, sage, savoury and oregano. It can flavour most meats, including chicken and game (as a marinade or in a sauce) and is a tasty addition to roast vegetables. Pair thyme with paprika, oregano and cayenne pepper for Cajun cuisine, and with cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne pepper for Caribbean meals.

19. Turmeric

• Taste: Has a distinctive yellow colour so is sometimes used as a cheaper alternative to saffron, although it tastes quite different.
• Preparation: Turmeric is an ingredient of curry powder and is in many South Asian dishes.
• Uses: For a hint of North Africa, use turmeric
• with ginger in meat and vegetable dishes, or flavour rice with it. A little turmeric goes a long way; as it cooks, its flavour intensifies.

It’s really a healthier option to stick to these herbs and spices whenever you’re cooking because they really don’t pose any health threats as they are natural.

A pinch of salt, with any of these herbs would still bring out the savoury taste of any local or intercontinental dish.

 

Source: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/herbs-and-spices

I recently knew two people that suffered from kidney stones. They were in agonizing pain. So I decided to look into it a bit. 
What are the functions of the kidneys? The kidneys filter the blood to remove excess mineral salts and other dissolvable wastes. The kidneys also produce the urine that dissolves these wastes and excretes them through the urinary tract. Kidney stones form when the urine becomes so saturated with certain minerals that no more of it can dissolve into the urine (like trying to dissolve too much sugar in your iced tea). The undissolved portion of the minerals form crystals that then clump together and grow into hard stones. Kidney stones usually develop in the kidneys. However they can form anywhere in the urinary tract. This condition is medically known as urolithiasis or nephrolithiasis.

When kidney stones are small, they may pass unnoticed with the urine. Sometimes, they grow too large to pass easily through the urinary tract, and some stones have rough or sharp edges. When these stones are passing through the urinary tract, it can cause pain. In some cases, kidney stones cannot pass on their own, and treatment with specialized medical equipment, dietary adjustments or surgery may be necessary.

For most people, kidney stones can recurr. Therefore, a major part of the treatment for this condition is aimed at preventing recurrences. There are various types of kidney stones. Because treatment for each differs, it is important for the professional to determine the stone’s mineral content and to identify any medical conditions that may have contributed to stone formation. Preventive treatment may be with medications and/or changes in the diet.

About 80% of all kidney stones are composed of calcium and other minerals, usually a combination of calcium and oxalate. In some cases dietary adjustments help to prevent the recurrence of these types of stones.

How does diet affect the risk of developing kidney stones?
Kidney stones can form when substances in the urine—such as calcium, oxalate, and phosphorus—become highly concentrated. The body uses food for energy and tissue repair. After the body uses what it needs, waste products in the bloodstream are carried to the kidneys and excreted as urine. Diet is one of several factors that can promote or inhibit kidney stone formation. Certain foods may promote stone formation in people who are susceptible, but scientists do not believe that eating any specific food causes stones to form in people who are not susceptible. Other factors that affect kidney stone formation include genes, environment, body weight, and fluid intake.

The best way to prevent kidney stones is to make sure you drink plenty of water each day to avoid becoming dehydrated.
Keeping your urine diluted helps to stop waste products getting too concentrated and forming stones.
One can tell how diluted their urine is by looking at its colour. The darker your urine is, the more concentrated it is.
Your urine is usually a dark yellow colour in the morning because it contains a build-up of waste products that your body has produced overnight.
Drinks such as tea, coffee and fruit juice can count towards your fluid intake, but water is the healthiest option and is best for preventing kidney stones developing.
You should also make sure you drink more when it’s hot or when you’re exercising, to replenish fluids lost through sweating.
.
Diet

If your kidney stone is caused by too much calcium crystals, you are advised to reduce the amount of oxalates in your diet.
Oxalates prevent calcium being absorbed by your body, and can accumulate in your kidney to form stones.
Foods that contain oxalates include:
*beetroot
*asparagus
Arhubarb
*chocolate
*berries
*leeks
*parsley
*celery
*almonds, peanuts and cashew nuts
*soy products
*grains, such as oatmeal, wheat germ and wholewheat
*Garden eggs (although in small amount) 
Don’t reduce the amount of calcium in your diet unless your dietitian advises you to. This is because calcium is very important for maintaining healthy bones and teeth. 
To avoid developing a uric acid stone, you should reduce the amount of meat, poultry and fish in your diet. You may also be prescribed medication to change the levels of acid or alkaline in your urine.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

How does animal protein in the diet affect kidney stone formation?
Meat and other animal protein—such as eggs and fish—contain purines, which break down into uric acid in the urine. Foods especially rich in purines include organ meat, such as liver. People who form uric acid stones should limit their meat consumption to 600 grams each day.

Animal protein may also raise the risk of calcium stones by increasing the excretion of calcium and reducing the excretion of citrate into the urine. Citrate prevents kidney stones, but the acid in animal protein reduces the citrate in urine.

How does calcium in the diet affect kidney stone formation?
Calcium from food does not increase the risk of calcium oxalate stones. Calcium in the digestive tract binds to oxalate from food and keeps it from entering the blood, and then the urinary tract, where it can form stones. People who form calcium oxalate stones should include 800 mg of calcium in their diet every day, not only for kidney stone prevention but also to maintain bone density. A cup of low-fat milk contains 300 mg of calcium. Other dairy products such as yogurt are also high in calcium. For people who have lactose intolerance and must avoid dairy products, products such as orange juice fortified with calcium or dairy with reduced lactose content may be alternatives. Calcium supplements may increase the risk of calcium oxalate stones if they are not taken with food.

How does oxalate in the diet affect kidney stone formation?
Some of the oxalate in urine is made by the body. However, eating certain foods with high levels of oxalate can increase the amount of oxalate in the urine thereby increasing risk of kidney stone formation, where it combines with calcium to form calcium oxalate stones. 

Eat fewer oxalate-rich foods. If you tend to form calcium oxalate stones, it is recommended that you restrict foods rich in oxalates. These include rhubarb, beets, okra, garden eggs, spinach, Swiss chard, sweet potatoes, nuts, tea, chocolate and soy products.

Choose a diet low in salt and animal protein. Reduce the amount of salt you eat and choose nonanimal protein sources, such as legumes. Consider using a salt substitute.
Continue eating calcium-rich foods, but use caution with calcium supplements. Calcium in food doesn’t have an effect on your risk of kidney stones. Continue eating calcium-rich foods unless your dietitian advises otherwise. Ask your doctor before taking calcium supplements, as these have been linked to increased risk of kidney stones. You may reduce the risk by taking supplements with meals. Diets low in calcium can increase kidney stone formation in some people.
Ask a doctor to refer you to a dietitian who can help you develop an eating plan that reduces your risk of kidney stones.

Medications

Medications can control the amount of minerals and acid in your urine and may be helpful in people who form certain kinds of stones. The type of medication your doctor prescribes will depend on the kind of kidney stones you have. Here are some examples:

Calcium stones. To help prevent calcium stones from forming, your doctor may prescribe a thiazide diuretic or a phosphate-containing preparation.
Uric acid stones. Your doctor may prescribe allopurinol (Zyloprim, Aloprim) to reduce uric acid levels in your blood and urine and a medicine to keep your urine alkaline. In some cases, allopurinol and an alkalizing agent may dissolve the uric acid stones.
Struvite stones. To prevent struvite stones, your doctor may recommend strategies to keep your urine free of bacteria that cause infection. Long-term use of antibiotics in small doses may help achieve this goal. For instance, your doctor may recommend an antibiotic before and for a while after surgery to treat your kidney stones.
Cystine stones. Cystine stones can be difficult to treat. Your doctor may recommend that you drink more fluids so that you produce a lot more urine. If that alone doesn’t help, your doctor may also prescribe a medication that decreases the amount of cystine in your urine.
It is very important that a person with kidney stones to see a dietitian. Dietary adjustments go a long way to not only treat but prevent recurrences and rejuvenate the kidneys.

God bless and heal you and happy birthday to me!!