To prevent these painful stones, it’s obviously a good idea to stay away from soda.
But don’t be fooled. Energy drinks, sports drinks, tea and coffee are not good substitutes. They are acid forming, too.
And here’s something you won’t hear from conventional doctors – NSAID painkillers and most pharmaceutical drugs are also acid-forming. It’s another reason I rarely use these drugs in my practice.
If you want to prevent kidney stones, I have one rule: Drink lots of water and pee all the time.
Forget the “few glasses of water a day” rule. You need to drink water in excess of thirst. And that means something like 3 quarts of water a day. More if it’s very hot or if you’re working outside.
Also, there are quite a few foods that form acid, like:
Mustard
Asparagus
Noodles
Olives
Ketchup
Pasta
Shellfish
Flour-based products
Legumes
Tea
Beans
Oatmeal
Brussels sprouts
Cocoa
Coffee
Plums
Cornstarch
Sugars
Lentils
Vinegar
To counteract these foods, eat some alkalizing foods like Brazil nuts, almonds, coconuts, fresh vegetables, avocados, raisins and for a sweetener, use molasses or honey. Fresh fruit works, too, even citrus fruit. Even though they have citric acid, they have an alkalizing effect in your body.
If you already have a kidney stone, see a doctor immediately. Stones that are large enough usually require emergency treatment.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
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