Every January we hear the same thing: “new year, new you!” After all, it’s only natural to set goals for the year ahead. And if a new year is what inspires us to spark positive change in our lives, we’re here for it.
But the truth is, only 46% of people actually follow through on their new year’s resolutions. If you’re one of the millions of people who suffer from recurrent urinary tract infections, we want to give you an extra push to make those 2023 UTI prevention goals stick.
Wondering where to start? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are our top new year’s resolution ideas that can help make this year UTI-free. These simple lifestyle changes will boost your urinary health by giving you an edge over E.coli and other infection-causing bacteria.
Drink more water
There’s a reason you’ve heard this so much. While water isn’t a magic cure for every health issue, staying hydrated is still one of the best forms of prevention. Research shows that drinking plenty of water is the number one way to avoid chronic UTIs.
It makes sense. Drinking more water helps you pee more, and the more you pee the more you can naturally flush out bacteria. Plus, water helps regulate your gut flora, which plays a key role in keeping UTIs at bay.
Check with your doctor to find out what your daily water intake target should be. Then try these tips for reaching your goal:
- Keep a water bottle next to you
- Mix things up and try flavoured water
- Sip throughout the day
- Choose foods that are high in water, like fruits and vegetables
- Set water intake reminders
Give up smoking
Okay, we all know smoking is bad for you. But did you know that smoking and long exposure to second-hand smoke can irritate the bladder? Smoking is linked to several serious urologic conditions, such as bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and interstitial cystitis.
Though smoking isn’t a direct cause of UTIs, research shows that it has a direct impact on your gut and vaginal flora. If you suffer from chronic UTIs, trust us when we say that you don’t want to mess with the natural, healthy balance of organisms that live inside your body.
Stop holding your pee
We’ve all been there. But whether you have to pee or not, urologists recommend emptying your bladder every 3 hours. This is especially important if you’re prone to getting UTIs. As a rule of thumb, try to empty your bladder as often as you can so that you don’t give bacteria a chance to lurk for too long.
Need a reminder that it’s time for your next bathroom break? Download the UTI Tracker App. Not only is it a great tool to identify your UTI triggers, but it also has built-in bathroom break reminders that you can set for every 2 or 3 hours. But more on that later.
Reduce your sugar consumption
If you’re like us, you probably make this resolution every year. If you’re really like us, you re-stock your chocolate stash by February. We get it - giving up sugar is hard! After all, sugar causes the opioid receptors in our brains to activate, giving us a sense of instant gratification each time we experience a sugar rush.
At the end of the day, cutting back on sugar has tremendous health benefits, including making your body less susceptible to UTIs.When sugar is introduced into the body, the acid level of urine becomes more hospitable to bacteria. That means urinary tract infections can spread faster and farther. It might be worth giving up that extra cookie after all.
Find a natural supplement that works for you and stick with it
PACs
Hands up if you’ve heard that cranberries are a good way to naturally prevent UTIs. You’re not alone. This belief has led millions of people to drink bottle after bottle of cranberry juice to protect themselves against urinary tract infections.
We hate to burst your bubble, but cranberry juice alone won’t scare off UTIs. Cranberries do contain proanthocyanidins (PACs), a bioactive component that’s been clinically proven to make it hard for bacteria to stick to the bladder lining and form an infection. But multiple studies have made it clear that only a highly concentrated dose of PACs (36mg) can provide bacteria anti-adhesion properties. In other words, cranberry juice doesn’t have enough PACs to actually protect you from infections. On top of that, it’s full of sugar (which we already established is a big no-no). Luckily, products such as the Utiva Cranberry PACs Supplement have the exact daily dose of PACs you need to shield your bladder and fight bacteria off like a champ.
Pro tip: when searching for 36mg PACs supplements, make sure that they are measured by the scientific method DMAC. This is the only method that guarantees the exact concentration of PACs on each capsule.
D-Mannose
Another popular natural supplement you can try is D-Mannose. D-Mannose is a type of simple sugar that naturally occurs in your body. It can be taken in capsule or powder form as a way to prevent bacteria, specifically E. coli, from latching on and causing an infection. Scientists believe that the bacteria choose to stick to the sugar instead.
Since E.coli is the most common bacteria in sex-associated UTIs, Utiva's D-Mannose is a great option to consider if you notice that your UTI flares happen a few days after intercourse.
If you’re diabetic, talk with your doctor before taking D-Mannose. You may need to monitor your blood sugar levels more closely while on this course of treatment.
Take a daily probiotic
Everybody knows that antibiotics are the go-to prescribed treatment to kill bacteria causing infections. But once those antibiotics hit your system, they go full force. They take down not only the bad bacteria, but the good ones too.
Research has shown that lactobacillus and streptococcus are good bacteria that protect you against the bad bacteria that want to colonize your urogenital region. If you rely on antibiotics to cure frequent UTIs, you’ll kill off the good guys. That’s why probiotics are so important to your long-term health.
Utiva Probiotic is a great option to consider if you want to load up on good gut bacteria.
Download the UTI Tracker app
You already know that Utiva’s UTI Tracker App can send helpful bathroom break reminders. But the benefits don’t stop there.
With the app, you can track symptoms, keep a daily journal to send reports to your doctor, receive regular supplement reminders, and score weekly tips to stay educated on UTI prevention. The app even recognizes behaviour patterns and tells you how to avoid the ones that might be causing UTIs.
Feeling extra motivated? Here are other resolutions to consider:
- See your doctor regularly
- Exercise more often
- Boost your Vitamin C intake
- Keep a voiding diary (another feature available on the UTI tracker App)
- Make an extra effort to keep good personal hygiene
