Spinach/kale alternative

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4bettermenow
4bettermenow Posts: 166 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, I love having a smoothie for one meal. Personal choice...works well for me. Here's the thing though, I have been making them with spinach and kale. I, however, have had a kidney stone that was caused in part to too much spinach. My dr has advised me to try other stuff in a smoothie so I avoid another kidney stone. (According to the cat scan, there is still one sitting inside...anyone's guess when it will try to escape). So, any ideas on what to use instead of a spinach/kale combo as my base?

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  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Bananas, strawberries, any fruit actually. Chia seeds, flax seeds, whey protein, oats....Just throw stuff in there til it tastes good.
  • mforrestall
    mforrestall Posts: 37 Member
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    My daily smoothie is a banana, frozen fruit (either peaches or mixed berries), chia seeds or dry oatmeal and a scoop of protein powder. Comes out somewhere around 350cals depending on the weight of the banana and how much oatmeal or chia I want that day
  • 4bettermenow
    4bettermenow Posts: 166 Member
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    Oatmeal...just dry oats?
  • WickedPineapple
    WickedPineapple Posts: 698 Member
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    My favorite smoothie is frozen blueberries, frozen strawberries, oatmeal, greek yogurt, flax seed, and orange juice.
  • mforrestall
    mforrestall Posts: 37 Member
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    Yes, just dry oats! Sorry, that's confusing :\
  • TopazCutie
    TopazCutie Posts: 386 Member
    edited December 2014
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    collard greens, dandelion greens, bok choy, swiss chard, arugula, romaine... and that was all on the top of my head. You can't eat the same green for too long (switch them weekly) due to alkaloids (sp?)

    My personal favorite smoothie is frozen mixed berries, banana, greens, and vanilla soy milk. SO GOOD. Then I add chia seeds, lemon, vitamin D drops etc for added benefits.

    I absolutely LOVE smoothies and totally agree with them for one meal (usually breakfast)

    I want to try adding protein powder! Maybe thats something you could look into. I've also tried avocado and it's really filling and makes it so creamy. :)
  • TopazCutie
    TopazCutie Posts: 386 Member
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    mforrestall wrote: »
    My daily smoothie is a banana, frozen fruit (either peaches or mixed berries), chia seeds or dry oatmeal and a scoop of protein powder. Comes out somewhere around 350cals depending on the weight of the banana and how much oatmeal or chia I want that day

    This sounds great
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
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    Sounds like you didn't ingest enough water to avoid the stones. Can you increase water intake and just decrease the amount that you use in your smoothie?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    How did spinach give you kidney stones...I've always understood that kidney stones are primarily a result of not drinking enough water.
  • 4bettermenow
    4bettermenow Posts: 166 Member
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    I drink way more water than I used to, which I completely attribute to not having the other stone move. I have one cup of coffee in the morning, but only drink herbal tea or water the rest of the day. On average, I get about 75 oz of water in me in a day.

    spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens, collards, are all high in oxalate, which causes kidney stones if you are eating high amounts. When I got my first kidney stone, I was eating spinach daily. The dr says to cut back to twice a week. Because I have had a kidney stone, I am now much more susceptible to them. I want to avoid another one...worst pain ever and I have gone through labor and two c-sections. Horrible, horrible experience.

    I will try the oats. It sounds interesting...since I have berries and bananas as well as almond milk, I am hoping that will make a good replacement.
  • TopazCutie
    TopazCutie Posts: 386 Member
    edited December 2014
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    I researched about the difference between alkaloids and oxolates. They are definitely quite different and leafy greens both
  • Wronkletoad
    Wronkletoad Posts: 368 Member
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    ..well you've been wrong before... but do you see the potential dangers of offering advice without knowing one iota of what you speak? [doubt it]
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    4bettermenow wrote: »
    I drink way more water than I used to, which I completely attribute to not having the other stone move. I have one cup of coffee in the morning, but only drink herbal tea or water the rest of the day. On average, I get about 75 oz of water in me in a day.

    spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens, collards, are all high in oxalate, which causes kidney stones if you are eating high amounts. When I got my first kidney stone, I was eating spinach daily. The dr says to cut back to twice a week. Because I have had a kidney stone, I am now much more susceptible to them. I want to avoid another one...worst pain ever and I have gone through labor and two c-sections. Horrible, horrible experience.

    I will try the oats. It sounds interesting...since I have berries and bananas as well as almond milk, I am hoping that will make a good replacement.

    Interesting...I will have to keep that in mind. I eat a huge mixed greens garden salad pretty much every day.
  • TopazCutie
    TopazCutie Posts: 386 Member
    edited December 2014
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    Wronkletoad wrote: »
    ..well you've been wrong before... but do you see the potential dangers of offering advice without knowing one iota of what you speak? [doubt it]

    No, because people with medical conditions (prone to kidney stones) are an exception to general advice. They know what works and doesn't work for them, and will take advice based on their condition like how the OP did.
  • LifeInTheBikeLane
    LifeInTheBikeLane Posts: 345 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    How did spinach give you kidney stones...I've always understood that kidney stones are primarily a result of not drinking enough water.

    I was told that it is the vitamin c that gives you kidney stones and you have to have a HUGE amount of spinach for it to cause it. Like, cups upon cups a day. I'm not sporting this as fact, I have no idea.
  • TopazCutie
    TopazCutie Posts: 386 Member
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    LifeInTheBikeLane wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    How did spinach give you kidney stones...I've always understood that kidney stones are primarily a result of not drinking enough water.

    I was told that it is the vitamin c that gives you kidney stones and you have to have a HUGE amount of spinach for it to cause it. Like, cups upon cups a day. I'm not sporting this as fact, I have no idea.

    Not quite. Kidney stones can form when substances in the urine—such as calcium, oxalate, and phosphorus—become highly concentrated. Many leafy greens have oxalate in them.
  • 4bettermenow
    4bettermenow Posts: 166 Member
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    LifeInTheBikeLane wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    How did spinach give you kidney stones...I've always understood that kidney stones are primarily a result of not drinking enough water.

    I was told that it is the vitamin c that gives you kidney stones and you have to have a HUGE amount of spinach for it to cause it. Like, cups upon cups a day. I'm not sporting this as fact, I have no idea.

    Not cups and cups. Trust me...wasn't having cups. Just daily part of my diet. I love spinach. But when the stone was tested after it passed, the dr said to cut back. I have...the other stone has been in there coming on 2 yrs and I would like to keep it that way. Lol
  • jkwconsulting
    jkwconsulting Posts: 1 Member
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    http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/urology-kidney/treatments-procedures/kidney-stones-oxalate-controlled-diet

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