Six Natural Remedies for Fighting Urinary Tract Infections

Of all the reasons you might visit a doctor, urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the second most common each year. While UTI can affect male wellness, they’re far more known for impacting your sexual health as a woman. More than eight million women go to the GP for UTI treatment every year, and 20% of these women will find that a UTI affects their wellbeing a second time. When that rolls around, these women will know it instantly, as you never forget the symptoms of a UTI: First you suddenly and frequently feel the need to use the toilet, and then you find you can squeeze out only a little bit of urine. This would only be annoying, if not for the burning sensation in your bladder and/or urethra that accompanies this lack of urination. Extreme cases can even lead to fever, chills, back pain, and blood in your urine. However, the good news is that you can try a number of home remedies to prevent or treat a UTI.

 

1. Baking Soda: If your UTI lasts for longer than two days, you need to get medical attention. If left untreated, a UTI can infect your kidneys and turn into a much more serious problem. However, before you let it get to that point, you can ease your infection – or nip it in the bud – by adding a teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of water. The baking soda works to neutralise the acidity in your urine which, in turn, speeds along your recovery.

 

2. Cranberry Juice: Cranberries have special properties for fighting UTIs, with many studies demonstrating that drinking cranberry juice helps to prevent the infections. UTIs are caused by bacteria that bed down in your bladder, but cranberry juice prevents this from happening, and also has a very mild antibiotic affect. To keep your bladder infection-free generally, you only need drink as little as four ounces of cranberry juice a day. However, if you already have a UTI, or tend to get them on and off, you should aim to drink at least two to four glasses a day. That said, cranberry juice is not a replacement for doctor-prescribed antibiotics in treating your infection.

 

3. Blueberries: The bacteria-inhibiting properties in cranberries are also found in blueberries. It’s easy to add more blueberries to your diet – just sprinkle a handful over your cereal in the morning, and let the flavourful, good-for-you berries do the rest!

 

4. Pineapples: An enzyme found in pineapples, known as bromelain, has been shown to be a key ingredient in fighting UTIs. In one study, researchers gave UTI sufferers bromelain alongside their usual round of antibiotics, and this got rid of their infection.

 

5. Water: It sounds simple, but drinking plenty of water is a key preventative measure for most conditions, including UTIs. If you tend to get urinary tract infections, you should aim to drink about eight eight-ounce glasses of water every day, so that you urinate at least every four to five hours. Drinking buckets of water can help you fight off any UTIs you may currently have, so try to drink a full eight ounces of water every hour. This will help flush out bacteria by making you go to the toilet more frequently. Another way water can help when you have a UTI is to use it in a hot water bottle. Putting the water bottle on your lower abdomen can help to ease any pain caused by the infection.

 

6. Vitamin C: For patients who develop recurrent urinary tract infections, some doctors prescribe at least 5,000 mg or more of vitamin C a day. This is because vitamin C acidifies the urine.

Categories: baking soda, blueberries, cranberry juice, fighting utis, infection nbsp, infections utis, tract infections, urinary tract, urinary tract infection (UTI), vitamin c, Water

The Best Ways To Get Your Stomach In Shape

What do you think is the most common thing people want to improve about their body? Many people will love to have better hair or longer legs or stronger arms. But probably for most people asked, the answer would be that they would love to have a flat stomach. There is just something about the toned abdomen that is so visually appealing to people. They would love to have a stomach that does straight down instead of curving into a bump. So given that this is something that almost everyone would love to have, why do so many people fail in their attempts to achieve it?

 

Well, part of the problem is the way in which human beings store fat. We all need fat to survive, but the moment that we get any excess, in accumulates around our mid-section first. This means that the first place to suffer if you’ve ingested more fat than you should have is your stomach. That means it can be very difficult to get a flat stomach in the first place, but even harder to try to maintain it. But that does not mean that all is lost and that there is no way for you to achieve that flat stomach that you’re looking for. It just means to you need to know the right tips and tricks if you are going to succeed.

 

Interestingly, it is also true that having a flat stomach is good for you in more ways that just it means you’ll look the way that you want to. Indeed a recent study has shown that focussing on yours abs and stomach can help to reduce your risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. So clearly even if you don’t want a flat stomach for the cosmetic reasons, it really is something you should do for the good of your health.

 

So with that in mind we’ve come up with some great tips to help you avoid stomach fat and stay slim around your midriff. The number one on our list is that you should avoid drinking beer. We’ve all heard of the phrase ‘beer belly’ and it’s more than just a stupid cliché. Beer is surprisingly heavy on the calorie side of things and drinking lots of beer is simply empty calories that you’ll never use because you’re sitting in a pub, a bar or just at home. So definitely avoid beer if you want to slim down.

 

The second tip on our list is that you should start eating more blueberries. Blueberries are a superfood that is full of a fantastic range of vitamins and minerals perfect for keeping you feeling full for as long as possible. These will stop you from gaining because you will be getting so many of the vital vitamins and minerals you need from them.

 

Unsurprisingly we would also recommend that you do more crunches if you wish to strength your stomach muscles. When it comes to improving your abs there really is nothing better to do that the simple crunch. So you should start doing them and you will soon see some impressive moves forward in your dream of a toned stomach.

 

Finally, we would recommend eating more eggs. Eggs are a great source of protein but that have very little fat in them, so in this sense that are very good for you because they keep you filled up for longer without making you put on any weight and thus increasing the level of fat that begins to build up around your midriff.

Categories: beer, blueberries, flat, Flat Stomach, nbsp, people, Slim, stomacb, stomach

How to Eat the Right Foods to Beat the Aging Process

Everyone wants to look younger these days, as evidenced by the fact that the US anti-aging product market is valued at around $80 billion. Some experts are now saying, however, that to look younger all you really have to do is improve your general wellness, and that that can be done solely through the food that you eat.

 

Many foods contain important nutrients that can boost your wellbeing and take years off your age. There are different types of foods and varying benefits, and we’ve identified some of the best ones for you, which can be eaten in pairs as follows.

 

Blueberries and yoghurt are both thought to be particularly beneficial, for example. Blueberries are rich in antioxidants and are also believed to help prevent memory loss and to fight some degenerative diseases, such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Smothering your blueberries in yoghurt also keeps up your calcium levels, which helps keep your bones young and strong, and the good bacteria in live yoghurt also keeps your gut healthy and fights off age-related stomach problems.

 

Tomatoes and avocado can be paired together to make a nice salad which will help protect your skin from the sun and thus reduce sun damage and the aging effects of the sun. Vitamins C and A in tomatoes and E in avocados, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, help your body to repair itself and to live longer.

 

Garlic and fish also make a youthful combination. Garlic in particular helps to lower cholesterol and is an anti-oxidant. Fish, meanwhile, has been proved to reduce your risk of having a stroke and is packed with healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

 

Oatmeal for breakfast gives you a great source of soluble fibre and helps to rid your body of bad cholesterol. Drinking a glass of orange juice on the side will help you to stock up on vitamin C and beta carotene and should give you lots of energy.

Categories: aging, blueberries, fatty acids, foods, helps, nbsp, skin, yoghurt

Get Healthy Today: 5 Great Super Foods You Need To Try

No matter what else you have in the world, everything is contingent upon one thing: your health. Getting and staying healthy will ensure that you are well enough to pursue all of your dreams, spend quality time with friends and family, and simply feel better and be happier on a daily basis. Of course, ideal health isn’t simple to attain. In fact, it can be quite challenging to achieve if you’re not sure which steps to take. Although there are no shortcuts, you may find that enhancing the quality of your diet can help do the trick.

 

Including some Super Foods into your diet is a relatively simple yet effective manner of improving your health so you can get more out of life. So which Super Foods should you try? These five are a good start.

 

Blueberries

You might think that blueberries are relatively run-of-the-mill because they are easy to find, but these small berries pack a large amount of health benefits. Blueberries are often prized for their anti-inflammatory properties, derived from the high levels of antioxidants that they contain. But that’s just the beginning. Blueberries also provide ample amounts of vitamin C, so they can help you fight illness and keep you feeling your best. Blueberries are also rich in the electrolyte potassium, which makes them a good choice for supporting athletic endeavors.

 

Avocados

The primary ingredient in a rich dip for chips may not seem likely to be a major source of nutrition, but avocados are just that. The fruit that supplies the base for guacamole is incredibly nutrient-dense, with a heaping of healthy omega-3 fats that can help reduce your risk of heart disease. Avocados are also high in fiber, which can help you maintain stable blood sugar levels, keep your hunger in check, and positively impact your cholesterol. In addition, avocados will supply you with vitamin E, folate and potassium.

 

Mangosteen Juice

If you’d rather drink your Super Foods, then mangosteen juice is a great choice. Xango, a specific type of mangosteen juice, offers a rich blend of antioxidants, which are necessary for protecting your body’s cells fro oxidative damage that can occur every day. Mangosteen juice also provides a variety of minerals and catechins that can help provide a detoxifying effect.

 

Salmon

Protein is a nutrient that is essential for proper health, and consuming adequate levels is crucial for maintaining lean mass and staving off body fat. While salmon is rich in protein, it also offers a high concentration of healthy omega-3 fats to promote heart health.

 

Grapefruit

Starting off your morning with grapefruit is a super way to start the day, as this Super Food can help keep your insulin levels in check to promote a healthy weight. In addition, grapefruit is rich in fiber and a number of vitamins for overall health benefits.

Categories: Avocados, blueberries, Healthy, super foods

Strawberries: Your Heart Health’s Berry Best Friends

Summer is (slowly) on its way and, thanks to the wealth of strawberries and blueberries it brings, not a moment too soon! A study has found that if you are a young or middle-aged woman, eating large quantities of strawberries and blueberries may cut the wellness risk of having a heart attack.

By studying the diet of 93,600 women aged 25 to 42, who were registered with the Nurses’ Health Study II in the United States, scientists in the UK and America found women who ate three or more portions of the berries each week had better heart health than those who ate them once a month or less, cutting their risk of a heart attack by almost a third.

During the study, which is published in the journal Circulation, participants completed questionnaires about their diet every four years for 18 years. During this time, 405 volunteers has a heart attack, but women who ate the most blueberries and strawberries had a 32% reduction in their risk of heart attack compared to women who ate the berries once a month or less, even if these women otherwise ate a diet rich in other fruits and vegetables.

The researchers from the University of East Anglia and Harvard School of Public Health surmised that the reason blueberries and strawberries are so beneficial to your wellbeing is that they contain high levels of naturally occurring compounds called dietary flavonoids. When it comes to heart health, a specific sub-class of flavonoids, known as anthocyanins, could help to dilate your arteries, counter your build-up of plaque and provide other cardiovascular benefits.

According to lead author Professor Aedín Cassidy, head of the Department of Nutrition at Norwich Medical School of the University of East Anglia, ‘Of course, this study was based in a US population – the main dietary sources were blueberries and strawberries in this study as they frequently eat these fruits. However our research focussed on powerful bioactive compounds called anthocyanins present in berries and many other red/blue coloured fruits and vegetables and there are a number of other valuable sources, including blackcurrant, black grapes, eggplant/aubergines, cranberries, raspberries, plums, cherries and in products produced from these.’

She added, ‘Most of the current research focuses on men or older women and what was novel about this study is that we show that even at an early age it is important to eat fruits and vegetables to ward off a risk of a heart attack later in life. We showed for the first time that regular intake of substances naturally present in red/blue coloured fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of a heart attack by 32% in young and middle aged women.’

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Strawberries: Your Heart Health’s Berry Best Friends

Categories: blueberries, Heartt attacks, strawberries