Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary Tract Infection

An infection in any part of the urinary system. The urinary system includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra.

FOODS TO EAT MORE OF

Fruits: Blueberries, cranberries, lemons, pineapple, watermelon
Vegetables: carrots, celery, fennel, leeks, onions, parsnips, turnips
Pumpkin seeds, yogurt, barley
Cinnamon, garlic (raw if you can), cumin, horseradish
Drink 8-10 glasses of water, juice or tea daily

FOODS TO AVOID OR MINIMIZE

Meats, rhubarb, oranges and pickles.
Alcohol, dairy (except yogurt)
Caffeine, refined flour/sugar

ESSENTIAL OILS

Bergamot, cedarwood, celery seed, geranium, hyssop, juniper, lemongrass (on bladder area, either directly or via hot compress)

HERBAL

Andrographis, Buchu, celery seeds, chickweed, cinnamon, comfrey, coriander, dandelion leaves, echinacea, fennel seeds, fenugreek, garlic, juniper, marshmallow root, oregon grape, parsley, pipsissewa, rosemary, slippery elm bark powder, stinging nettle, sumac, thuja, yarrow
Blend echinacea, nettle and goldenseal tea and have 1 cup several times daily (omit goldenseal if pregnant).
Sitz baths with yarrow and calendula and tea tree.
Pour cold water over 1 teaspoon coarsely powdered Bearberry/Uva Ursi leaves and let stand for 12-24 hours to make a tea.
Genital wash: Make goldenseal and/or echinacea tea, let it cool, and swab genital area.
If blood in urine: Agrimony, yarrow, shepherd's purse.
For chronic UTI's, try adding in goldenrod, milk thistle, kudzu, dong quai, red sage, ginkgo and hawthorn.

NATURAL

Drink 3 large glasses of cranberry juice daily.
A few splashes of vinegar in tall glass of water (drink as often as you can for 2 days). For ongoing prevention, drink a small amount of vinegar daily.
Add 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar to a glass of warm water, add a few drops freshly squeezed lemon juice. Drink twice daily.

SUPPLEMENTS

Acidophilus: 1 pill (1-2 billion live organisms) twice daily (take if your doctor has also prescribed antibiotics)
Cranberry: 400 mg twice daily (if not drinking pure juice already)
Echinacea: 600 mg 3 times daily
Uva Ursi: 500 mg or 1/2 tsp tincture, 4 times daily for 1 week (buy extract that contains 20% arbutin, don't take with vitamin C or cranberry, avoid if pregnant)
Vitamin C: 500 mg every other hour, as tolerated (reduce if it causes diarrhea)

MIND-BODY CONNECTION

Can represent feelings of anger, usually at a lover or spouse.

FOOD MEDICINE
Not all recipes are nutritionally perfect, but the options below are a great way to start incorporating beneficial foods into your diet in delicious ways. Always try to buy organic, and feel free to make substitutions to accommodate gluten-free, vegan, etc diets.

Abbreviation Definitions:
LC = Low Calorie (under 400 for breakfast, 600 for lunch/dinner, and 200 for beverages/sides/snacks)
GF = Gluten Free
KT = Keto / Low Carb
VG = Vegan
VT = Vegetarian