Bladder infections are the most common type of urinary tract infection (UTI), but any part of your urinary tract can become infected—the urethra, bladder, ureters, and kidneys. Your age, habits, or health conditions can make a UTI more likely.

LIES you’re told:

Doctors are not trained that diet, lifestyle, personal care habits and nutrition play a role in preventing or treating bladder infections.  They’re simply taught this formula – Condition or symptom = treat (aka band aid) with prescription or procedure.  Then WE are marketed on TV, with every third commercial being pharmaceuticals, that if you have any type of UTI, talk with your doctor so they can get you said drug to ‘stop’ the infection.

TRUTH you’re about to read:

UTI’s can happen easily and frequently if we’re not paying attention to what we put on, in and around our bodies.  With the majority of cases, the root cause of the flare up is NOT treatable by antibiotics, which stands to worsen your ENTIRE body, due to entire body inflammation, stoking the fire for other and new symptoms, since most of the bacteria causing UTI’s becomes resistant to antibiotics.  

This old school approach is NOT working anymore, nor is it responsible, as just ONE round of antibiotics kills off up to 40% of your ‘Warrior Women’ bacteria (probiotics) and takes most a year to recover from, rendering us confused as to how we got here:  fat, fatigued and frustrated with aging skin to boot.  So, what to do instead?  By now, I’m sure you want to know.  16 years ago, as a professional soccer player, when I first started having them, I sure did.  They took me off the field and into the ER.  And where this journey led me today, saved my life, as:

UTI’s, like any other body symptom is a wake up call of our body saying ‘something is wrong in here, please help’.  And it’s how we listen that determines whether we become sicker or wiser…

So if you’ve ever had one…They totally suck, am I right ladies? And when you have a UTI, all you’re thinking about is just getting quick relief and I don’t blame you.

Trust me, I can relate. There was a time where I had a UTI almost every week and was on an antibiotic for a whole year. Clearly, the antibiotic didn’t work, in fact, they made things WORSE. Finally, I said ENOUGH is ENOUGH!

UTIs account for 25% of infections seen clinically in women.

Here’s the problem…no one seems to be treating the ROOT CAUSE of Urinary Tract Infections. And once you’ve had one, you are more prone to developing chronic UTIs. So the obvious question has to be, why do we get UTIs and where do they come from?

Let’s dive in…

Root causes of UTIs…The vicious cycle

1. We eat, apply and breathe in a variety of toxins every day – when we consume commercial foods like meat and preservative rich foods we run the risk of contracting E. Coli. E. Coli Is the most common found bacteria in women with UTIs. Think of it this way, E. Coli = UTI. When you apply or breathe in toxins found in every day products like lotions, soaps, detergents, hair dyes, cleaning supplies, candles, deodorizers and so much more, all of those chemicals enter our bloodstream.  Your lung tissue becomes the air you breath, and your body becomes the ‘skin food’ we apply to it in less than 1 minute.  
2. Our kidneys begin filtering those toxins through our blood and then make urine.
3. These highly acidic toxins swim about, making their way into our bladder, through our urethra, burning all the healthy tissue in their path and then create a breeding ground for all sorts of bacteria as they make their way out of our bodies.
4. We are in excruciating pain, treat the UTI with antibiotics but low and behold, it keeps coming back.

See what I mean when I call it a vicious cycle??? And it can actually get worse from there. Our kidneys can back-up with those toxins over time. Decades upon decades of toxins build-up and back-up and since those terrible toxins have to go somewhere they end up in our lymph nodes. Why is this dangerous? Because then we have toxic lymph nodes close to our thyroid, breast tissue, ovaries and other vital organs, making our risk for cancer greater.

Let’s talk about antibiotics…

Why can they be detrimental to our health?

•      Resistance – Typically when we get a UTI, we call the doctor, they find that it’s a UTI and they prescribe antibiotics, oftentimes without checking to see if the bacteria causing the UTI is resistant to the antibiotics. But if UTIs become chronic OR if the antibiotic only treats a certain strain of bacteria, our UTI returns and we take antibiotics again. Continuing antibiotics in this way can make you antibiotic resistant. I am THE poster child for this, as it happened to me.  Over and over.  I got the calls ‘Oops it appears we gave you the wrong antibiotic, stop taking it and go to CVS and pick up another’.  By then, though…it’s too late. The damage has already begun.
•      F*ck up your gut – one round of antibiotics can destroy up to 40% of our gut microbiome, all the good bacteria that fights the bad bacteria, and some species can die completely = NOT GOOD! AND new studies reveal it can take one whole year to recover from just one round of antibiotics. This can leave you defenseless against bad bacteria and opening the flood gates for all sorts of infection. Nothing can work or protect us if our digestive tract is off. That’s why we’re so sick.
•      Malnourishment – this relates to our gut. If we don’t have good bacteria defending us and breaking down everything that comes into our gut, our body has nothing to work with to properly absorb nutrients. Thus, making us deficient in the vitamins and minerals that we need to function properly and keeping us sick.

‘Ok, ok, Diane but I’m in pain and I just need relief now!’

I hear you sister! So, I’ll cut to the chase.

Here’s the top 10 ways to naturally treat UTIs

1.     Cleansing and Detoxifying  This is an extremely important part if we want to get ahead of our UTIs. We must cleanse the heavy metals, bad bugs, synthetic estrogens and chemicals that have built up in our adrenals and liver. The more we love on our kidneys and liver, the better we’ll feel. So how do we cleanse and detox? Easy. Check out The Warrior Cleanse and we’ll teach you step by step how to rid your body of all those toxins and live a life free of UTIs!
2.     Diet – As I’ve already mentioned, E. Coli is an extremely common bacteria found with UTIs. And because it’s so easily consumed through food, we need to be careful of what we eat. Let’s eat more organic, local and seasonal foods as best we can. The higher quality food, the safer it is. Also, typically those with UTIs are more acidic so let’s be sure to cut back on these:

TOP 7 UTI triggering acidic foods: dairy, packaged foods, soy, coffee, alcohol, grains (yes gluten) and commercially raised animal products.

Instead, increase foods high in nutrition and alkaline like mushrooms, spinach, grapefruit, tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, kale, broccoli, oregano, garlic, green beans, watermelon, ripe bananas, almonds and ginger. Ladies…here’s HOW impactful food is, that it could be our greatest medicine or worst enemy?

To this day, if I eat gluten or soy I set myself up for UTI’s and belly bloat within minutes.  

Yes, that fast!  Think eating a better diet is hard? Not when you’ve got The Warrior Cleanse to help. You’ll be eating healthy and clean in no time with our delicious and simple ‘healthy swap’ snack and recipes you can take anywhere, without ever feeling deprived.

3.     Probiotics – they are vital to our gut health. Probiotics help restore the good bacteria in our gut so we can fight the bad guys. And Saccharomyces Boulardii, which is a specific probiotic strain, is excellent at fighting the bacteria commonly found in UTIs.
4.     Supplements and Herbs (Quality & Strength MATTERS.  Read to the end so you know which to buy).  If you suffer from regular UTI's, I recommend you keep these on hand at home in case of a flare up.  HANDY TIP: The Probiotics you should take daily anyway, and the Allicin is great to have on hand in case of a common Cold/Flu outbreak at home. Pretty cool that many infections are killed off with the same ‘Mother Nature made antibiotics'.

•      D-Mannose – a supplement that will gobble up the bad bacteria that sticks to the walls of your urinary tract. (This is where I start my clients that have UTIs)
•      Cranberry extract – it is said that cranberry can work by inhibiting the growth and colonization of bacteria that cause infection. Stay away from cranberry juice because it is loaded with sugar and sometimes contains preservatives.
•      Nettle Leaf – an herb that purifies the kidneys and the liver. This is perfect for ridding the liver and kidneys of all of those nasty toxins.
•      Vitamin C – we all know it offers us immune support but researchers found that treating with Vitamin C for a three month period reduced urinary infections.
•      Garlic – Allicin, found in fresh raw garlic, has an antimicrobial and antibacterial effect. It has been found to defend against a multitude of drug-resistant strains of E. Coli. (REMEMBER: E. Coli = UTI!) Bonus: It’s also antifungal which protects against yeast infections. Yipee!

5.     Essential Oils

•      Clove oil – Research indicates that clove oil has antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal and antiviral properties. Plus, clove oil is also an anti-inflammatory which helps with pain relief and healing.
•      Juniper Berry oil – has a cleansing effect. It is often used to cleanse and detoxify not only the urinary tract but also the adrenals.
•      Myrrh oil – another powerful cleansing oil, it is also used to prevent infections. It is antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasitic.
•      Oregano oil – is highly antibacterial, perfect for the defense against E. Coli and all other bacteria strains. It can expedite the healing process and there is no risk of becoming resistant to it like you would with antibiotics.
•      Lemon oil – breaks up acid and cleanses your body. Drop this in your water as you drink, drink, drink and flush your system.

**You can find those essential oils and more right HERE, which includes my best tips to get started with oils, and at 25% off! Some of these oils are actually therapeutic to our Goddess Garden and can be fun to play with ‘in the bedroom’ 😉  When you’re UTI free of course!

6.     Douching – yeah, I said it. Even though we are commonly told not to douche, I have seen clients get great relief with douching, particularly with apple cider vinegar. I know that doesn’t sound pleasant but it actually really works. Douching with 1 tsp. of ACV and some warm filtered water keeps your lady garden clean and reduces acid in the body. On the flip side, you can also try douching with baking soda and water. Some women are less acidic and more alkaline, so the baking soda will help those ladies who have a higher level of alkaline in their bodies. Try one or try both, either way you’ll be keeping your pH at a normal level which is vital for vaginal health.  NOTE:  Sperm is VERY alkaline, which disrupts a woman's natural Vaginal ph. Hence, douching before and after sex can be helpful for the PREVENTION of UTI's.  
7.     Cleanliness – You know that saying ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’? I think they were referring to our lady parts! Ladies, it’s simple, keep it clean. Also, make sure you’re not overexposed to fluoride or chlorine. You can get a special shower head to filter out the fluoride and chlorine in your water. And maybe you want to skip the pool for a while. Oh, and try to keep yourself dry down there.  Being that UTI’s originate around our Goddess Garden, I challenge you to ponder ‘What am I allowing on her?’  

Here are a few UTI offenders:

• Soaps full of parabens, pthalates, fragrance, synthetic colors, preservatives and other ph disrupting, vaginal ‘healthy microbe’ destroying, lab made chemicals.  
• Dioxin bleached, GMO cotton toilet paper and tampons.
• Wipes and how we wipe.  What ingredients are in your wet wipes?  Most shouldn’t ever touch our labias let alone our babies bottoms.  Check EWG.org for safety scores of the products you’re using.
• ‘Vaginal’ sprays.  I used to use ‘Summers Eve’ and ‘FDS’ to reduce vaginal odor, especially around that time of the month as well as when I sweat a lot.  Little did I know I was making things worse with these things I ‘choked her’ with.  Remember:  Our skin eats too and our vaginas are literally eating this crap.  Check out the 3 below I hyperlinked to EWG site on the toxicity reports for each:
  • Isobutane, Isopropyl Myristate, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Magnesium Stearate, Fragrance, Zinc Ricinoleate, Laureth-3, Benzyl Alcohol, Mineral Oil, Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine, Sodium Bicarbonate, Citronellol, Linalool, Propylene Glycol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Lanolin Alcohol, Anise Alcohol, Oleyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Chamomilla Recuitita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

8.     Ditch the birth control – did you know that birth control destroys the good bacteria in your gut too? This of course, makes it easy for infection. Seems like we’re seeing a trend here.
9.    Drink, Drink, Drink, Flush, Flush, Flush – no secrets here. I know it hurts when you pee but the more you drink water, the more you can flush the bad guys out of your body. And be sure you’re drinking properly filtered water, as the majority of the most popular ‘water purifiers’ can’t filter out the small molecule toxins that cause UTI’s such as prescription drugs, bacteria, hormones, metals and more.  THIS is the filter I use and recommend to all of my clients.  No need to spend $5k + on an expensive system.  
10.  Self-love – this one’s easier said than done. I know life gets busy but we have to remember as much as possible to treat our body with love. Be aware of the things we put into her. Listen to her. Don’t neglect her. Nourish her with all good things. This is most important.  We can literally induce ‘self attack’ with the thoughts we think about and inside of ourselves.  YES, this is REAL.

IMPORTANT:

As I’ve said in the past brands matter. Because the supplement industry is very unregulated and many companies make sketchy claims and inflated results, it is CRUCIAL you only take supplements and herbs that are of THE highest quality without binders, fillers, synthetic ingredients, dyes, flavors, etc. that end up causing MORE damage than good.

Many of these formulas appear on Amazon at a lower price, but I have learned NOT to trust them. Many are fake today, and sell expired herbs or formulas that arrive contaminated or in poor condition because they are not handled, stored or shipped well. It’s safe to say that approximately 90% + of the supplements out there today are filled with these life draining ingredients.

So what do I recommend? (And I only recommend what I’ve tried because I’ll never recommend or stand behind something I haven’t tried!)

1.     Start with The Warrior Cleanse to that you can build a foundation of eating the proper diet, getting the rest you need, exercise, supplementation, mindset and teaching you the best way to live free from UTIs.
2.     Take the Supplements I’ve recommended. You can find them HERE. All you have to do is sign-up (FREE) to create an account and you can find the supplements in the online store.  Click on ‘Categories’ where you’ll see Top 3 UTI formulas.  D-Mannose (a bacteria eater), Probiotics (to add life so your body can fight off the UTI bad bugs) and Anti-microbials (to kill the bad bugs and restore balance – ‘mother nature’s antibiotics).
3.     Get yourself some of the essential oils mentioned above, especially to replace your toxic personal care routine.

OR, if you would rather have me guide you, CLICK HERE to learn how me and my team works and if you feel called you can schedule a call with us after.

So now that you are armed with all the tools you need, you can help rid yourself of UTIs for good. It’s just a matter of you taking the necessary action to do so. Because I know that the pain is horrible, the discomfort is discouraging and the answers you never get are frustrating. But, the answer is here, now.

Remember to always ask:  WHAT AM I FEEDING MY VAGINA?  And start scanning for the answer, one product, one food, one thought at a time.  I know, it can be overwhelming. If you would rather have a team, a tribe, a transformative sisterhood community, check out out The Warrior Cleanse. Rome wasn’t built overnight and we know your new life and dream body won’t be either.  This is a GREAT place to start because you can literally ask anything and you’ll be supported by the most intelligent, caring women in fitness, nutrition and medicine.   

SOURCES:

https://draxe.com/home-remedies-for-uti/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17380552

https://draxe.com/alkaline-diet/

https://www.doterra.com