Juliet Thomas Christian Articles for Young Women
Most people including me have suffered from urinary tract infection at some time or the other. I have found certain foods do ease symptoms and relieve the condition. Again, as I advocate with all my natural health remedies I am not asking you to toss your antibiotics or drugs out of the window. Nope!! But leaning towards natural foods to ease symptoms is safe and builds your immune health. In a lot of cases, easing the symptoms as they start prevents a full-blown infection.
Your urinary tract is the system that makes urine and carries it out of your body. It includes your bladder and kidneys and the tubes that connect them. When bacteria via germs get into this system, they can cause an infection. Women tend to get more bladder infections than men. This is probably because women have shorter urethras, so it is easier for the germs to move up to their bladders.
Mild
- Burning or pain when you urinate
- You feel like you have to urinate often, but not much urine comes out when you do.
Severe
- Nausea and vomiting followed by fever
- Pain in one side of your back under your ribs
- Urine is cloudy or smells bad Here are some natural remedies that can be used to manage mild symptoms and which can be preventive in nature.
FOODS THAT HEAL URINARY TRACT INFECTION
Cranberry juice: This is probably the oldest remedy in the book and is a popular one. Some studies have found that cranberries contain compounds that seem to inhibit bacteria from setting-up-shop and infecting the lining of the urinary tract. In order to get benefit of this you must consume pure unsweetened cranberry juice, easily available at health food stores. 1 ounce diluted
with 7 ounces water drunk 3-4 times a day helps clear infection. Drinking Cran water regularly to ward off or prevent urinary tract infection is not a bad idea for those prone to UTI. It also helps remove water retention.
Pineapple: Pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain that may decrease inflammation from infection and may even kill bacteria and viruses, which would make it effective to heal UTI. Adding pineapple to a smoothie or juice is a delish easy way to get pineapple in your diet. 
Probiotics: Flush your digestive tract with healthy bacteria which strengthen your immune system and help ward off infection. Eating fermented yogurt or yogurt with live cultures will give you a dose of healthy robotics. You can also take a course of natural probiotic pills when you feel UTI symptoms coming on.
Vitamin C: Keeps your bladder and urethra healthy and working well, It also makes your urine more acidic, which helps to prevent bacteria from growing and causing UTIs, she says. Popping a Vitamin C pill or getting good food sources of Vitamin C via food is great for many other conditions as well.
Lemon juice: Works the same way as Vitamin C in keeping the urine acidic. Conversely this makes the body more alkaline which is again the best state for the body to be in to ward off infection. Drinking water spiked with fresh lemon juice or organic pure lemon juice is a good practice for those prone to UTI.
Baking soda: Baking soda may help with the burning pain of UTIs and helps create an alkaline PH which is optimum for any infection. Stir in ¼ or ½ tsp of baking soda in a glass of warm water first thing in the morning. Since baking soda is high in sodium, this is not good for those who have high blood pressure.
Water: Flushing you system with water when you have UTI should be common sense, but bears repeating. Water helps flush bacteria and germs away and when the bacteria get flushed away, the burning sensation that often accompanies UTI is lessened. Drink at least 8 cups of water on a regular basis and at least 12 cups when you have UTI. While a lot of liquids can constitute a fluid, when you have UTI plain water, non-sugared herbal teas or Cran Water are the best! Drinking water everyday should be a must for everyone to prevent UTI. Water helps with so many other functions as well, not a bad idea to chug it down!
On the flip side, sugar, refined foods like white bread, pasta and simple carbs like soft drinks, junk food are best avoided when you have UTI. These contribute to yeast overgrowth and can aggravate the condition. It is also recommended that spicy foods, alcohol, diary which are considered bladder irritants be avoided when infection is at its peak. These may be included back once infection is out of the body. Avoiding these foods for a short period could speed healing.
