Urinary Tract Infection….The merest mention of the word strikes fear into our hearts. Youch. Stingy!
It is miserable if you’re prone to UTI’s. But the good news is its likely to be a product of your diet. If your pH balance is in the acidic zone you might be nurturing an environment that UTI’s love.
Symptoms of a urinary tract infection:
-A stinging or burning pain during urination
-Increased frequency of urination
-Fever and chills
-Blood in the urine
Causes of a urinary tract infection
-Oral contraceptive use
-Over-acidic digestion and blood pH
-Recent anti-biotic use
-Microorganisms – Candida species are responsible for approximately 25% of urinary tract infections
-Sexual overactivity
Prevention is better than cure! But if you haven’t managed the prevention part, here’s a few remedies which may help:
-Cranberry – prevents bacteria adhering to the epithelial cells (wall) of the bladder. This herb may provide symptomatic relief
-Echinacea and Olive leaf may support the underlying immune system weakness and is also an anti-bacterial
-Acidophilus and Lactobacillus rhamnosus) may help to prevent UTI’s and reduce the length and severity of them by re-inoculating the urinary system with healthy bacteria
-Vitamin C (non acidic Calcium ascorbate) may be helpful to reduce acidity, provide anti-oxidants and support the immune system to reduce bacteria. Camu Camu would be perfect
-Avoid foods which can aggravate urinary tract infections such as alcohol, coffee, soft drinks, citrus foods, tomatoes, vinegar, yeasts, sugar and artificial sweeteners.
-Increase water intake to ensure that the urinary system is properly flushed out. REPEAT AFTER ME: “The solution to pollution is dilution”
-Reduce acidic foods in the diet and increase alkaline foods (acidic includes dairy, meat, sugar, alcohol, coffee, processed foods and gluten. Alkaline foods include fruits, vegetables, water, herbal teas, nuts and seeds)
-Begin the day with a glass of warm water with lemon juice squeezed into it. Lemon juice changes the PH of the blood and urinary tract so that the opportunistic bacteria is not able to proliferate
-Eat plenty of foods high in anti-oxidants such as blueberries, grapes and cranberries
-Alkalise the blood: vegetable juices, barley grass, lemon juice, miso soup and plenty of water
