Saturday Smorgasbord: DIY Cures for Bladder Infections

What is Saturday Smorgasbord?

Gurus and leading experts act like there's only one way to succeed. I believe there are so many ways to accomplish things that it's silly to narrow yourself to just one path.

So every Saturday I will list all the options, techniques and ways to accomplish various things from marketing your business to losing weight.

There is a Smorgasbord of tools at your disposal, why pick just one?

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One of the most empowering things I can think of is being able to heal yourself using the resources at your disposal. Over the last couple months I have become obsessed with finding home remedies and other household products. Every time I make a recipe I feel so happy and comforted. So I thought I would share a remedy for a pesky, frustrating and painful problem that effects many, many people every year. The dreaded Bladder Infection. Fortunately you don't have to live the pain anymore!

Bladder Infections effect many people, especially women, across the country. I have had my fair share of them. They are not pleasant and can really interfere with your life. For most of my BIs I've gone to a doctor because that's what you are supposed to do when you are sick, right? Well, since my whole obsession with handmade things has started I've tried to do more things all on my own. So when I got yet another BI last month I decided I was going to take matters into my own hands to avoid going to the doctor and taking yucky antibiotics. What I found really surprised me and has drastically changed my opinion of BIs and of doctors.

BIs aren't life-threatening. They can lead to a Kidney Infection if not dealt with properly but for the most part BIs are harmless except for the burning pain and chills of course. And the pain is usually excruciating. The thing you might not know is that you really don't have to live with the pain while your body is ridding itself of the bacteria!

If you've ever had a BI and have gone to a doctor they've probably given you antibiotics and told you drink lots of fluid, especially Cranberry Juice. But what they don't tell you is that if you stop eating sugar the pain will virtually go away over night. When I had a BI a couple years ago I was in pain for almost a week. This was needless pain! My last BI was very painful as well. I got it while at the Farmer's Market and had to leave early because I was in so much pain. A friend told me to just stop eating sugar and the pain will go away and my body will begin to heal automatically. I trust my friend about things like this so I immediately put down the Kettle Corn and when I got home I researched home remedies for BIs.

I'm so excited that I found a home remedy for not only curing BIs but preventing them all together that I just have to share my findings with you. Below is a run-down of cures, preventions and pain relief to help you naturally take care of those pesky BIs.

Cures, Preventions and Pain Relief from BIs

Cranberry Juice - prevents bacteria from latching to the bladder. Drink several glasses daily to cure. Drink one glass a day for prevention. You can also take one cranberry tablet per day (easier than gulping 100% pure cranberry juice. This is what I do.)

Water - helps you pee and flush the bacteria out of your system.

Vitamin C - acidifies urine which inhibits growth of bacteria. Also enhances immune system to help fight infection. Take 1,000mg 3 times daily. Don't go over 3,000mg a day as this could cause kidney stones to form.

Baking Soda - neutralizes acidic urine and helps ease burning sensation. Mix 1/2 t in glass of water and drink. This tastes a bit funny but it's not bad at all. Pain began to subside for me after only 30 minutes.

Garlic & Oregano Oil - strong antibacterial properties. Normally taken in pill form. You can also eat garlic raw (but kind of eew). Take 500mg pill 5x daily.

Probiotics - helps prevent harmful bacteria and reduces chance on repeat infections while allowing your body to heal itself. Take 2 pills once daily.

The number one pain relief  is to just stop eating sugar. It helps if you already follow a Paleo diet. But if you don't you can learn a lot about how to make food without sugar and other unhealthy ingredients by researching Paleo recipes.

In searching for home remedies for BIs you will probably also find a list of foods to eat and foods to avoid. The main foods to avoid are any food with sugar. This includes bread pasta and most fruit juices. Caffeine can also irritate the bladder causing more pain. You can eat as much veggies and fresh fruits as you want.

When I got home from the Farmers Market I stopped eating sugar, took some Vitamin C, drank a glass of water with baking soda and the pain went away in about half an hour. I took Probiotics for about a week and even when I started eating some sugar again the pain did not come back.

I'm not a doctor and I guess I have to say that you shouldn't take my advice over your physician's. And I do believe there is a place for doctors in our society. But like many other "solutions" in our society I think that doctors and pharmaceuticals are way overused today. Obviously if you have broken bones, a heart attack or a gash you should take a trip to the ER. But there's a lot more things we can heal ourselves if only we took the time to learn how. That's being Sane & Satisfied!