Just  Own  Yourself ™

How Overdoing Superfoods Deteriorated My Health & How I Juiced My Way to Hell!

Is the Overconsumption of Green Juices, Smoothies and “SuperFoods” Behind Your Health Issues?

The Nutrition Journey Begins

In 2013 I received my certification in Holistic Nutrition and became rather obsessed with health and wellness.  It broke my heart to watch my father suffer from heart disease and diabetes.  I didn’t want to end up in his shoes.  However, not long afterwards, I started experiencing mysterious pain throughout my body and found myself in the midst of my own individual health crisis. 

A Stumbling Block

In 2016 I couldn’t figure out WHY the healthier I ate, the more “superfoods” I consumed and fresh-pressed green juices I drank, the worse I felt and the weaker I became.  It didn’t make sense...yet like a dutiful nutritionist, I naively amped-up the green smoothies all in the name of healing.  I felt fine at the beginning of my superfood craze, but when the tide turned a few years later, my health decline happened at a fairly rapid pace.  

Limber No More

I had always been very flexible.  I went from being able to do a cartwheel and round-off into the splits (at 52 years old!) to a couple years later feeling as if I was 100 years old with so much body-wide pain and overall weakness, that it felt as if my bones were literally crumbing beneath me.  My spine and joints were so frail and weak I could no longer attend a gentle Yoga class, play guitar, or even sit at my desk to do remote work.  Even lying down trying to sleep was extremely painful and difficult.

Avoiding Rabbit Holes

It was an extremely trying time, yet I chose not to travel the conventional medicine route (except diagnostic tests only) as I wanted to avoid going down the rabbit hole of endless medications, side effects and surgeries.  I didn’t want a “band-aid” fix or umbrella diagnosis.  I wanted to get to the root cause of my declining health.  I was presenting with symptoms very similar to fibromyalgia or even multiple sclerosis.  

A Random Collection of Symptoms

I experienced and was diagnosed with spinal stenosis (L4, L5 & S1), carpal tunnel, frozen shoulder, TMJ, hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), adrenal fatigue, neurological issues (heightened anxiety, panic attacks & OCD), brain fog, plummeted serotonin and GABA levels, gallbladder dyskinesia, fatty liver, anemia, peripheral neuropathy, abdominal pain/bloating, chronic constipation, blurry vision/stabbing eye pain, pulsatile tinnitus, shifting/translucent teeth, chronic inflammation, eczema, vasculitis, livedo reticularis, mercury & mold toxicity, mineral deficiencies, and crazily the list went on.

Chronic Foot Pain

Along with the above, I had not been able to walk on my bare feet since a high-heel injury affected my right foot in June of 2016.  It continually worsened until I eventually had horrendous pain in the bottoms of both feet.  A podiatrist diagnosed me with morton’s neuroma, fat pad atrophy, bursa, plantar fasciitis, heel spur, and equinus.  

Total Body Meltdown

The list of various conventional and alternative practitioners I visited and protocols I tried was long, but nothing seemed to help.  I intuitively *knew* there had to be a common denominator to all of my accumulating health issues.  I thought to myself, “a body just doesn’t start to suddenly break down like this...what am I doing different, what am I eating, what could possibly be the cause of all this pain?“  I was determined to get to the root of why I was in the throes of a total body meltdown, experiencing worsening and debilitating pain in a relatively short amount of time. 

Discovery of Oxalates 

My health continued to worsen until I stumbled upon a word that changed everything . . . OXALATES.  

Oxalates (used interchangeably with oxalic acid) are a wicked anti-nutrient which interfere with the body’s absorption of essential minerals, typically calcium.  There are many anti-nutrients out there other than oxalates...however, oxalates are especially complicated and damaging  because they crystallize when they bind with minerals, and the crystals do a lot of systemic damage to our bodies.  The over-consumption of oxalates can build to toxic levels over time and wreck our health in a myriad of ways. 

How Low Can You Go

My micronutrient levels were always testing low and practitioners were continually sending me home with various supplements for my deficiencies — however, nothing changed while I was (unknowingly) over-consuming a diet high in oxalates.  It was only when I started lowering my intake of oxalates that my body started responding to supplements, and other protocols, and began getting stronger.

Which Foods are High in Oxalates? 

The majority of “superfoods” are some of the highest oxalate foods out there.  Spinach, almonds, cashews, sweet potatoes, beets, kiwi, chia seeds, swiss chard, and even pomegranates were the heavy hitters I was regularly consuming.  I also started supplementing 1000 to 2000mg high dose Vitamin C daily which can metabolize into oxalates over 250mg. 

Recommended Daily Intake of Oxalates

At my highest intake I was consuming at least 2,000 to 3,000+ milligrams of oxalates daily.  Some days I am sure I hit 4,000 plus.  (Please take note, it is recommended to not exceed more than 100 milligrams of oxalates on a daily basis.). Those numbers add up quickly — and I was WAY above the recommended limit!  

Know Your Numbers!

To put things in perspective, here are examples of the milligrams found in various high oxalate foods. Notice how quickly a person can get into toxic levels of oxalate:

• Rhubarb, 1,000 mg in 1/2 cup 
• Swiss chard, 900 mg in 1/2 cup
• Spinach, 500 mg in 1/2 cup
• Sesame seeds, 342 mg in 1 Tbsp
• Almond flour, 390 mg in 1/2 cup
• Almond milk, 161 mg in 1 cup
• Chia seeds, 192 mg in 1 oz
• Beets, 139 mg in 1/2 cup
• Baked white potato, 120 mg in one medium
• Potato Chips, 71 mg in 3 oz
• Cinnamon, 115 mg in 1 Tbsp
• Peanut butter, 53 mg in 2 Tbsp

Other high-oxalate foods include sweet potato, okra, soy, pinto beans, black beans, cashews, figs, kiwi, chocolate, cacao, black or green tea, and the spices turmeric and cumin.

Chocolate & Potato Chips, Too?!

Even before I started overdoing superfoods, previously I had been known to polish off a large bag of potato chips in one sitting (and don’t get me started on french fries and chocolate chip cookies).  Those tiny little nano crystals had been accumulating in my body for a long time.  The superfoods took me over the top and put me into super-saturation status.  Sadly, all forms of potatoes (sweet, french fries, hash browns, potato chips, etc.) and chocolate (cocoa, mocha, brownies, candy bars...essentially anything made with milk chocolate or dark chocolate) are among some of the highest oxalate foods out there.  Even cacao is super high.  White chocolate is low.  

No Joy in Almonds

It’s sad because the toxicity oxalates cause are doing considerable damage to so many unsuspecting adults, as well as children — not only for those who consume non-dairy beverages, including the ever-popular almond milk and soy milk, but also for those who load up on nut flours and nut butters.  The worst offenders of nuts include almonds, cashews, peanuts, hazelnuts and Brazil nuts.  And don’t forget the swanky coffee drinks with all the almond milk and mocha — they will quickly put someone in the danger zone of oxalate toxicity.

*REDUCE OXALATES SLOWLY*

A very important point to make here is that it is HIGHLY advisable to reduce oxalates s-l-o-w-l-y and not be in a race to discontinue high oxalate foods all at once.  We accumulate oxalates slowly and silently at first, but when they exit the body in their crystal form they leave in spurts and can occur in very high amounts.  A 5% to 10% reduction per week is a safe rule of thumb when reducing oxalates.  People have literally landed in the hospital by removing oxalate foods too quickly.  GO SLOW!

Where Can I Find a Food List?

The most reliable list is found in a Facebook group called Trying Low Oxalates.  I would not suggest Googling lists, they vary too much and contain too many inaccuracies.  Years of research, testing, and studies have gone into the list compiled in the TLO group.

A Lethal Weapon

A low oxalate diet is not another health craze...just like going gluten-free was not a conspiracy theory.  Many people understand an excess of uric acid leads to gout crystals.  The over-consumption of oxalic acid (oxalates) is another organic acid doing a lot of crystal damage to our bodies.  We do not have an “intolerance” or “allergy” to oxalates.  The overconsumption of oxalates can accumulate and eventually lead to toxic and poisonous levels in anyone, period.  

Why Are Oxalates So Toxic? 

Oxalates are negatively charged molecules. Minerals (like calcium, magnesium, iron and other minerals) are positively charged.  The two are a perfect magnetic match.  Once oxalates hijack/chelate our minerals, they clump together creating crystals which cause metabolic chaos, sulfation issues like detoxification problems and hormonal imbalances, as well as the mechanical shredding of our tissue...and that’s only the beginning.  There are studies in the published literature showing very definitively that once in the blood oxalate crystals can travel anywhere throughout the body and do systemic damage.

Organs, Ovaries & More

Oxalate crystals can store in organs including the kidneys, thyroid, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, etc, as well as ovaries, breasts, prostrate, blood vessels, bones, joints, and tissue — including neural/brain tissue.  They also store in old injury sites.  Oxalates are highly correlated with many chronic illnesses and diseases, and are a known neurotoxin which explains my heightened anxiety, low serotonin and GABA levels.  Also, about 90% of serotonin is made in the gut and people with oxalate issues struggle with impaired digestive tract function known as leaky gut.  A double whammy to neurological health.

More than Kidney Stones

Oxalates are typically associated with the kidneys, yet there are people who have never experienced kidney issues or have had a single kidney stone, like myself, yet we are dealing with considerable health ramifications due to oxalate crystal toxicity.  Scientific investigation is showing more and more the full effects of oxalates on the body beyond just kidney stones. Mayo Clinic lists this on their website as Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria.

Antibiotics, Antifungals and Gut Health

Little did I know when I popped antibiotics like candy when I was in my 30s, and also took an anti-fungal for a few months, I was setting myself up for the perfect oxalate storm.  The overuse of antibiotics (past or present usage) and also anti-fungals is a major contributor to the break down of our gut microbiome, making us more susceptible to oxalate issues by compromising our oxalate degrading microbes. 

MiraLax, Xylitol & Splenda Caution

It is worth mentioning that MiraLax contains ethylene glycol which converts into oxalates.  There are many PubMed articles referencing this product.  Please do your research if you or someone you know is using MiraLax.  Also, Splenda and Xylitol significantly alter the gut microflora preventing the break-down of oxalates.

Are Oxalates to Blame?

There are answers to your growing list of symptoms and illnesses — from kidney disease and skin rashes, to “unknown” causes of inflammatory responses, neurological symptoms and more.  If you have frequent stomach aches, loose stools, constipation, or abdominal pain, then oxalates may be your issue.  Anyone with chronic pain, recurring UTI’s,  fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, are highly encouraged to check into oxalates.  

Paying it Forward

Oxalates have been my area of focus and interest for a few years now.  I am continually researching peer-reviewed journals and scientific papers to stay current on the latest news and updates.  I also completed an advanced training course in oxalates and received my certification in October of 2020.  I am a well-researched oxalate advocate hoping to educate as many people as possible about the dangers of overdoing high oxalate foods.

Empower Yourself

My biggest piece of advice having been poisoned by oxalates?  You HAVE to be your own health advocate.  If nobody can figure out what’s behind your health issues, take your health into your own hands and investigate oxalates for yourself.  If your healthcare practitioner is unaware of the new studies, please tell them to go to the experts in the field doing all the research to learn more.  Resources are below.

Reclaim Your Health

I am not the only one experiencing a successful outcome.  There are many~many people seeing positive results.  Although my body started responding in the first couple of months, it took me about a year to get the hang of things...and it can take others a longer amount of time (some shorter) — but keep the faith, even if it’s the size of a mustard seed.  Find your inner warrior, stay determined and fight on.  The healing journey is so well worth it, even though it can be flabbergasting at times.

Low Oxalate Lifer

Consider giving low oxalates a try.  I have had significant healing take place in my body since slowly switching my intake of oxalates from massively high to low.  My spinal, wrist, jaw and shoulder issues are all 100% gone.  My GABA and serotonin issues have leveled out.  My abdominal pain and constipation are gone.  My feet might take a little while longer, but they’re considerably better and in time I am expecting full healing.  Overall I am about 85% healed and beyond motivated to continue eating this way for life.  

Best of wishes on your healing journey.

AND REMEMBER...PLEASE GO SLOW!

Be well,

Victoria

P.S.  Please keep in mind this is an overview of my personal journey with oxalates.  For those interested in a more formal paper with works cited, here is a link to a well-researched paper with 166 references written by Sally K. Norton:

https://escholarship.org/content/qt8mv397xz/qt8mv397xz.pdf?t=q3sb0w

LEADING OXALATE EXPERTS:

SALLY K. NORTON

Sally is my mentor and rock.  She has a degree in nutrition from Cornell University and a graduate degree in public health.  She healed herself from oxalate poisoning, and has a book coming out in December 2022 called “Toxic Superfoods.”

Sally also hosts monthly oxalate support groups via Zoom.

Website: https://sallyknorton.com/

SUSAN OWENS

Susan is a top cell biologist and neuroscientist who started the all research-based group Trying Low Oxalates in 2005.  TLO is a private Facebook group with 50,000 members and growing daily.

Website: https://lowoxalate.info

Disclaimer:

The above information is not intended for medical advice, please consult with your doctor.