Recurring UTIs in Women/ What a Dietitian Can Help You Learn

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Transcript

Kara: Welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition. Today's show is brought to you by Nutritional Weight & Wellness. I'm Kara Carper, a Licensed Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Specialist. And I'm here today with my cohost, Brandy Buro. She's a Registered and Licensed Dietitian. Great to be here with you again, Brandy. Love seeing you every month.

Brandy: Yeah I love recording shows with you. Always good to see you. And I'm excited for this topic. I think it impacts a lot of our clients. So let's dive in.

Kara: All right. Well, both Brandy and I have been counseling clients for many years. One of the common concerns that we see time and again are UTIs, urinary tract infections, especially with women, but this can affect men too. In fact, more than 50% of women will get a UTI in their lifetime, and 25% will go on to experience recurring UTIs.

Statistically, if you're female, you will have experienced a UTI at some point in your life. So if you've ever thought, I just finished antibiotics and my UTI is back again, or why does this keep happening to me? If you're thinking those thoughts, you're definitely not alone.

Brandy: Yeah, they are more common than you might realize. And reoccurring urinary tract infections are incredibly common, especially among women. And they're not just annoying. I think they can impact a lot of aspects of your life. They can disrupt your sleep, interfere with work. They can make travel more stressful.

They can impact your intimate life and really just leave you feeling really frustrated, especially if you've been treating it multiple times and they keep coming back. And a lot of people would never think about how their food choices or their diet is affecting their risk of those UTIs coming back.

But that is what we are going to try to explain today, try to make that connection between your food choices and those reoccurring UTIs. And we'll also leave you with some practical steps that you can take to help reduce your risk of getting a UTI.

What is a UTI? 

Kara: Let's start with what is a UTI. Not everyone may be familiar with this term. It's an acronym that stands for urinary tract infection, and it's a bacterial infection. It occurs somewhere in the urinary system, the bladder, the urethra, or in more severe cases, even the kidneys. About 80 to 90% of UTIs are caused by the specific bacteria called E. coli. Now, the interesting thing about E. coli is that it normally does live in the intestines.

Brandy: Right.

Kara: We have a certain amount of this. I know we do consider it a bad or a negative bacteria, but it's fine to have some of that in our intestinal tract, assuming that we have a really beneficial population as well to kind of overcome the negative.

Brandy: Yeah, so expected in your colon, definitely not welcome in your bladder.

Kara: Exactly. And that's really where the problem can arise is if the E. coli bacteria ends up in the urinary tract where it is not supposed to live, it can cause a pretty bad infection.

Brandy: That's right. So in the case of a UTI, what happens is that E. coli bacteria travels into the urinary tract where it should not be, and then it can spread up the urethra and towards the bladder. And that bacteria can quickly multiply and reach the point of becoming an infection.

And that's where we run into those symptoms, you know, the painful urination, sensitive bladder. And if you let that go on and you don't treat the infection, it could potentially create a kidney infection, which is much more serious. And the treatment for that is a little more aggressive.

And women are more susceptible than men are to developing a bladder infection or UTI because of anatomy, basically. The urethra is much shorter for women, so bacteria have a shorter distance to travel to reach the bladder, and I guess there's just more risk of developing that infection faster.

What can cause recurring UTIs?

Kara: So it's fairly common to just have one UTI occasionally, or you know, maybe one every few years. But recurring UTIs are a different story. So I want to give the definition of a recurring UTI. That's defined as either two infections within a six-month period or three infections within a one-year period.

Once someone reaches that point and the frequency is increasing, it's really worth asking why? Why do these infections keep happening? You know, we want to look at the big picture instead of just treating one after the next. Like what is the root cause of this?

Brandy: Yeah, so if you are experiencing UTIs with that frequency, it's really worth taking a pause and trying to figure out systemically what is happening here. So I'm just going to go through a few reasons why you may have repeated UTIs. So this happens when bladder tissue is repeatedly exposed to that unwanted bacteria; most often it's E. coli, but there are several factors that will increase that risk and make that more likely.

These include changes in the vaginal microbiome, particularly the loss of a protective type of bacteria called lactobacillus bacteria.

Kara: Other factors that can increase the likelihood of a UTI are being in menopause with declining estrogen. Also, sexual activity can increase the risk.

Brandy: Right. If you are diabetic or if your blood sugars are elevated often, that can increase your risk. Incomplete or poor bladder emptying can also lead to an increased risk because you're not really flushing that bacteria out often enough.

Kara: Being constipated or on the flip side having loose stool or diarrhea and also kidney stones.

Brandy: Even using certain contraceptives like spermicides; also antibiotic use for other reasons. So say you have a sinus infection and maybe you get them often and you're continually taking antibiotics, that also disrupts your microbiome and can impact your vaginal microbiome and increase your risk of developing one of these UTIs.

Signs or symptoms you might have a UTI

Kara: So you might be wondering, how would I know if I have a UTI? Some common symptoms are burning during urination, frequent urges to urinate. Your urine might be cloudy or off-colored, and it might have a strong odor. There are also some other signs and symptoms. You could have pain or pressure in the abdominal area. If you're looking at your urine, you may notice mucus in the toilet.

In more severe cases, someone may be experiencing what feels like lower back pain or pain in that pelvic region. They may notice blood in the urine or even fever and chills. So those are things like you do not want to wait if you notice any of those signs or symptoms.

Brandy: That's definitely a red flag you need to seek treatment immediately.

Kara: A trip to urgent care for sure.

More on what can cause recurring UTIs: the antibiotic connection

Brandy: So let's say you get treated for a UTI and they prescribe an antibiotic. That's the standard treatment. Within a few weeks or maybe a couple months, it's back. You're experiencing those same symptoms again. This can be so frustrating, not only because it's so uncomfortable, but it's like, how do I shake this thing? Why do they keep coming back? And this is one of the most common questions that we hear in our clinic.

And sometimes clients will meet with us just to address this specific issue. In many cases, there is a history of antibiotic use. Antibiotics are often necessary and effective for treating any kind of bacterial infection, but the challenge is that antibiotics kill the infection, but they don't always address why the infection developed in the first place. Antibiotics are going to kill the harmful bacteria, but they don't discriminate. You know, they're going to kill the friendly bacteria along with it.

So while they're addressing the infection, they're also reducing the helpful bacteria in the gut and the vaginal tract that's normally protecting you against developing an infection. So when those protective bacteria start to decline and get killed off, those harmful bacteria have a better chance of recolonizing and sort of dominating that population in the microbiome, which can make an infection more likely.

Kara: And this E. coli bacteria, it's very smart, it's persistent. It can actually attach itself to the lining of the cells and create something called biofilms. Biofilms are like little communities of bacteria and they can be really difficult to get rid of. So maybe the antibiotic gets rid of some of the biofilms and the bad bacteria, but not all of them.

Brandy: Yeah, I kind of like to think of biofilms as like a gated community. I mean, they're protected by sort of like this shield on the outer surface, really difficult to penetrate and access the bacteria inside.

Kara: Oh that's a great description.

Brandy: Yeah, so those biofilms can be really hard to address through the standard treatment methods.

Kara: That's one reason someone may feel better after treatment only to develop another infection within weeks or months. It's that underlying environment that Brandy was just talking about that could still favor the negative bacterial growth of that E. coli in the biofilm.

The hormone connection to UTI risk

Brandy: Definitely. And we see a lot of women who have never had a UTI in their whole life, but then along comes menopause, and all of a sudden it's a problem for them. Super frustrating. And this is connected to the fluctuations in hormones at this time. Estrogen starts to decline in menopause, and that can cause vaginal tissue to start to thin and dry out.

It's more susceptible to inflammation. It's also very common to develop urinary incontinence or that incomplete emptying of the bladder, which means your bladder is not completely emptying and some of that bacteria is just kind of sitting around much longer, giving it more of a chance to colonize and cause an infection. So all of these can be contributing factors for women.

Key strategies to prevent recurring UTIs

Kara: You might be wondering if I'm getting recurring UTIs, can this be cured? Well, many women absolutely experience lengthy time periods without having an infection. The hope is with proper support, proper nutrition, and usually a couple of supplements, at least temporarily, the hope is that the recurring UTIs become less frequent, or it is possible for them to stop altogether.

Brandy: And as dietitians, we focus on several pieces when we work together. First and foremost, we need to support healthy bacteria, healthy gut microbiome and vaginal microbiome. When we think about a meal plan, we design it in a way that optimizes blood sugar control. We also prioritize hydration. And if you're somebody who is struggling with constipation or diarrhea, we work to address that.

And then optimize the quality of your diet. We focus on nutrient dense foods and try to weed out added sugars and processed carbohydrates. And then for some people we have to identify specific food triggers, foods that could be irritating the gut or irritating the bladder.

Food sensitivities can contribute to that environment where bad bacteria like to thrive. And you may be completely unaware that you have some of these food sensitivities because it's not triggering any obvious digestive symptoms. So that's something that we explore together on those one-on-one appointments.

Kara: Right. And when we're working to prevent reoccurring UTIs, we really need to focus on creating an environment in the vaginal tract, in the gut; it's promoting beneficial bacteria. And like Brandy had mentioned earlier, if someone has been on a lot of antibiotics, whether that's for bladder infections or UTIs or maybe strep throat;

Or could be for a variety of infections, but that frequent antibiotic use can lead to a deficiency of the protective good or beneficial bacteria. The species that we specifically look at that can help protect the urinary and vaginal environment is called lactobacillus species. You may have heard of Lactobacillus acidophilus. That's more of a specific term.

And so if a client comes in and meets with me and they're looking for help, because they're getting frequent urinary tract infections, I will often have them start taking a supplement. It's called Women's Biotic Balance. It's a great one, that Women's Biotic Balance. You can find that on our website, weightandwellness.com. It's on our NutriKey site.

It's a Nutrikey brand, very high-quality, pharmaceutical grade. It contains a few different strains of lactobacillus. There's a high dose, I believe it's 9 billion colony forming units of Lactobacillus acidophilus, and there's also lactobacillus rhamnosus. Those are two that we know are really important for a healthy vaginal tract. Having enough of that lactobacillus can prevent problematic bacteria from spreading into the urethra and the bladder.

Brandy: Yeah, so it can be really helpful to supplement with enough of that bacteria just to kind of tip the scales of that microbiome balance. The Women's Biotic Balance for me is also a go-to anytime I'm working with somebody that has a UTI, but I also might pull it in if somebody's experiencing like a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis.

So I think it's just a great overall probiotic for like gynecological health and urinary tract health. But when it comes to UTIs, there's another product that I always recommend. It works really well, and that's called UT Soothe. It's by Nutridyn. We also carry it in the offices and on the NutriKey website.

This is something we always have stocked on the shelves because it is so common for women to come in looking for some kind of remedy for their UTIs. And it works by the same mechanism that cranberry juice is famous for UTIs. So it contains just one ingredient called D-mannose.

So if somebody is experiencing an active infection, I generally recommend that someone take three to four scoops of UT Soothe throughout the day until symptoms resolve. And then you could even take it as a preventative measure. So after the infection is treated, one scoop a day is very effective to help prevent the UTI from coming back.

So easy to take, you just mix it in water. It has like a slightly sweet taste. It's not offensive at all. Pretty simple to add to the water. And you want a lot of water, right? We want to be drinking plenty of water anyway.

Kara: Yes, we do. So definitely be flushing down that UT Soothe with plenty of water, but just in general, that is one way to prevent and ward off urinary tract infections is just to remain hydrated at all times. We also want to encourage a lot of urination during this time to flush out the bad bacteria in the urinary tract.

One side note is we would recommend avoiding cranberry juice cocktail. It's very high in sugar. Adding sugar is kind of like adding fuel to the fire. It creates an environment where bad bacteria can thrive and grow even more. Now, a little bit of real unsweetened cranberry juice is fine.

I actually do have some of that in my fridge, and it is very bitter. I usually will mix a couple tablespoons in water. That one is fine because it's not high sugar. But honestly, the UT Soothe is an easier alternative to trying to remember to drink pure cranberry juice that tastes bitter throughout the day.

Brandy: Yeah. It’s a little easier to do consistently.

Kara: And you're getting a higher amount of that active ingredient, that D-mannose. So it's really the UT Soothe paired with the Women's Biotic probiotic formula. That's just a great combination to help keep infections at bay.

Brandy: I agree, winning combination. That's part of my UTI protocol as well. It's time for our first break already. You're listening to Dishing Up Nutrition. I'm Brandy here with Kara Carper. And today we are talking about recurring UTIs in women, what a dietitian can help you learn. We'll be right back.

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Kara: Welcome back. You're listening to Dishing Up Nutrition. I'm Kara Carper. I'm here today with Brandy Buro. I'm a licensed nutritionist and Brandy is a licensed and registered dietitian. Our topic today is reoccurring urinary tract infections in women.

Now, the interesting thing about urinary tract infections is that 50% of women will experience at least one in their lifetime, and about 80 to 90% of them are caused by a bacteria called E. coli that basically escapes from its normal environment of the intestinal tract, and it ends up in the urethra and the bladder and the vaginal tract.

So far, we have talked about a couple of important supplements called Women's Biotic Balance and UT Soothe can be very helpful in preventing these recurring urinary tract infections.

Client success story 

But we also want to talk about how diet can help and eating a low sugar meal plan. And before we get into the diet piece, I wanted to just share a client story about how some of those supplements and a low sugar, lower carbohydrate meal plan helped one of my clients.

She specifically came to see me because she was getting very, very frequent, painful, and debilitating UTIs. And I think she had one last October, one in November, two in December. And she came to see me earlier on in this year in 2026. And we worked to get her on three to four scoops of the UT Soothe.

And then also taking the Women's Biotic Balance twice per day. And I think she went four months without an infection and she was thrilled because she had been running to ER and urgent care. It was just so painful and the burning.

Brandy: It sounds like she basically lived with a UTI for almost three months straight before that.

Kara: Yeah, yeah. On and off. The supplements were very, very helpful, but also she was already eating the Nutritional Weight & Wellness way. So we're going to talk more about what that looks like.

Brandy: That sounds a lot like a client I worked with a few years back who again made an appointment specifically to help figure out why these UTIs were coming back. And I think for her, you know, she recounted she had seven UTIs in the course of a year and was treated with antibiotics, you know, for every time.

But looking at her history a little closer, these UTIs were kind of preceded by heavy antibiotic treatment for C diff. And diarrhea that came along with that. So we figured there's definitely some gut health support that needs to happen. But it was likely that the antibiotic treatment from that was compromising her gut microbiome and her vaginal tract microbiome.

But the diarrhea she was experiencing, I think also increased her risk because the bacteria from the colon was just much more present and there was a higher chance that it was getting in her urethra. But we did the same thing. We focused on the lactobacillus species that's in the Women's Biotic Balance and UT Soothe. And we just decided UT Soothe daily would be a good idea because nobody wants to go back to a UTI every other month.

Kara: Brandy, that's a great story. The client that I was talking about also chose to continue taking the UT Soothe at that maintenance dose, even after the infections had cleared up. So I think that's kind of a good plan for people that really are susceptible to them.

Reduce sugar & support blood sugar balance for UTI prevention

Brandy: Absolutely. And of course, working on a solid meal plan is only going to help. Really, the supplements can only enhance what a good diet does for the body. So we have to talk about diet. This is where we as nutritionists and dietitians really like to focus when we're working with clients because it matters.

And I think that can be surprising to a lot of people because you're not really thinking there's a connection between what you eat and your risk of developing a UTI. But one area we are always paying close attention to is blood sugar balance. So when we develop a meal plan, we are always working to optimize your blood sugar balance because blood sugar has a significant impact on your risk of developing a UTI.

And this is one of the reasons that people with diabetes are more likely to experience those recurring urinary tract infections. So to put it very simply, sugar in the urine feeds that harmful bacteria that's causing the infection. Normally urine contains very little sugar, but when your blood sugar spikes and rises above your kidney's ability to reabsorb it, some of that glucose starts to spill into the urine.

Now E. coli uses sugar or glucose for energy. That's what it eats. So the more sugar or glucose that's in the bladder, that creates the perfect environment for E. coli to grow and cause that infection.

Kara: It's a good visual to think of E. coli bacteria or bugs feeding on sugar to survive and grow and start taking over. And that's what creates that infection. And it really makes you second guess. Is that sugary treat worth it? Especially if you're susceptible to these debilitating infections. Think about what the sugar is doing inside your body.

Not to mention, excess sugar weakens the overall immune system and our ability to fight off any infection, viral or bacterial. As nutritionists, we talk quite a bit about balancing blood sugar in every client session. It's a core foundation of good health. And although reducing sugar and watching total carbohydrate content can be a weight loss strategy, it's much more than that. It affects every function in the body.

Brandy: Yeah, if you work to optimize your blood sugar levels, so many things about your health start to fall into place. So maybe we should just explain what we mean by blood sugar balance. We do talk a lot about it in almost every episode, but maybe this is your first time tuning in. So when we say blood sugar balance, we are talking about the level of sugar in your blood.

We always have some amount of sugar in our blood because that's what fuels our cells. But our body's constantly trying to keep that level in a pretty tight range. When it spikes above that optimal range, that's when we start to encounter some problems with our health. Things that spike your blood sugar are carbohydrates or added sugar. Processed carbohydrates like pasta, bread, and crackers will impact it the most.

So when we work to stabilize blood sugar so we're not seeing those blood sugar spikes quite as often, we're very wise about the carbohydrates that we choose. We want to focus on real food carbohydrates that contain fiber, hint it's vegetables, and we select fruits, whole grains, and legumes.

And we always pair those carbohydrates with a source of high quality protein and healthy fats. Carbohydrates with protein and fat help slow the digestion of those carbohydrates and that helps prevent those blood sugar spikes that down the line cause issues with our health.

Kara: Great way to describe that balance. Sometimes we talk about it as the balance of three, the three main macronutrients, carbohydrates, ideally coming mostly from vegetables and some fruit sources, high quality protein, preferably animal protein, and of course our healthy fats.

Brandy: That's right. So protein, fat, carb is our mantra around here. And protein is also going to give us other benefits, of course. It provides amino acids, which in this conversation we're talking about vaginal health, UTIs. We need protein to repair our tissues. And it also supports a healthy immune response. So good sources of protein would include pasteurized eggs, salmon, chicken, grass fed beef. If you tolerate dairy, maybe plain yogurt or cottage cheese could be good options.

And I think we already kind of talked about what your go to sources for carbs should be, and that's vegetables. And they also provide nutrients. Vitamin C is going to boost our immune system. It's also a great source of antioxidants that help fight inflammation in the body. And healthy fats. You know, do you want to talk a little bit about what that offers outside of just blood sugar control?

Kara: Well, the healthy fats support a healthy inflammatory response. We also need a certain amount of healthy fats in our diet to hydrate tissues and to lubricate tissues. So, you know, since we know that menopausal women are more susceptible to getting UTIs with that drop in estrogen, a great way to really hydrate from the inside out is to not only get water, but to eat enough healthy fats. Things like olive oil, butter, coconut oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.

Brandy: Absolutely. We get benefits from all three of these groups. We always want to have them present at every meal because all together they kind of work synergistically for us.

Kara: And kind of tagging on to the tissue hydration piece, for my clients that are in menopause dealing with both vaginal dryness and UTIs; and I just want to circle back and say that the client story that I shared, that particular client, her age is 79. She's definitely in menopause and was also dealing with vaginal dryness and low estrogen, as women always are in menopause.

And so in her case, and in your case too, if this sounds like you, I would recommend supplementing with omega-6 fatty acids. It's a specific type of omega-6 called GLA, stands for gamma linoleic acid. GLA supports a healthy inflammatory balance in the lining of the bladder. It supports vaginal tissue health. I recommend four softgels per day of the GLA.

Brandy: Yeah, that's a great recommendation. I've also used GLA for other bladder concerns. I've had several clients who have had great success supplementing with GLA to support urinary incontinence or frequent urination. So yeah, lots of benefits to GLA, but yeah, I often think of that when it comes to anything bladder health.

And I also like to encourage a little daily dose of fermented foods. That way we get some of that beneficial bacteria incorporated in our diet. So some of my favorite sources of fermented foods are sauerkraut. That's kind of my go-to. But you could also do kimchi, naturally fermented pickles, yogurt could be a good source. Kombucha is really popular. That one you have to be really careful with because it could have a lot of added sugar. But if you find one with little to no added sugar, I'm looking for single digits of added sugar in the bottle. That can be a good choice.

Kara: And look at serving sizes as well. I've seen bottles of kombucha that are fairly large and it might say 10 grams of sugar, but then you look and there's three servings of that in the one bottle.

Hydration is key

Brandy: That gets tricky. And of course, there's water. Hydration is going to help flush that bacteria from the urinary tract. But rather than cramming all of your water for the day right before you go to bed, it's really important that we are sipping on water consistently throughout the day.

It's much easier on the kidneys when you have gradual water intake throughout the day. So aim to drink small amounts consistently, starting right away in the morning. One of my deals with myself is I drink a full twenty ounce glass of water before I even think about making my coffee. That way I'm very well into my water goal before I leave the house.

Kara: I love it.

Brandy: Do you have any other tips to get started with your water intake?

Kara: So this is actually a tip that the same client that I shared about having the chronic UTIs. Here's one way that she was getting in a lot of water throughout the day. She had a glass just sitting in her bathroom at home. And every time she went to the bathroom, she forced herself to drink that entire glass multiple times per day.

Brandy: Yeah, and what a great cue because sometimes we need just like a built-in reminder. So if you pair bathroom with water intake, it's like you're replacing what you just lost. There's lots of different little tips and tricks, but the point is we have to get enough water in and it's better to do it in little bits and pieces throughout the day.

Foods to avoid & food to incorporate

Kara: So let's move on to talking about foods. What can we be eating? What do we need to avoid to prevent chronic recurring UTIs? Well, we talked about avoiding sugar or excess sugar, but other foods and beverages can also be irritants to the bladder and can make symptoms worse.

So some common triggers are alcohol, caffeine, soda, artificial sweeteners, even some spicy foods can be a bladder irritant. And so backing up to caffeine and alcohol, remember that those are both diuretics. So they're dehydrating and on top of being bladder irritants. And a lot of coffee drinks or caffeinated beverages are also paired with quite a bit of sugar these days or artificial sweeteners. So that's kind of a double whammy when it comes to irritation of the bladder.

Now, some people who tend to get a lot of UTIs find that they feel best if they completely wean off caffeine. Others find that they can still have a cup of coffee, preferably with no sweeteners, or maybe you put like a little stevia in there, which is a natural sweetener, and then drinking plenty of water. But you have to know yourself. I mean, some people are just generally more caffeine sensitive, especially when it comes to the bladder.

Brandy: That's right. And it might take some experimentation to figure out if you're one of those people. The only way to do that is wean yourself down to a point where you're only having a cup, or maybe you're eventually eliminating coffee for a few weeks and then you kind of see how your body responds.

Avoid food sensitivities

We have briefly brought up food allergies or sensitivities earlier in the show, and we're kind of tapping into that now. And while these don't directly cause a UTI or an infection, it can promote inflammation in the gut and that dysbiosis, that alteration of the gut microbiome, which can alter the vaginal microbiome and disrupt our immune system and how effective our immune system works.

And even causing nutrient deficiencies in some cases, if we're dealing with malabsorption. We've worked with clients who have found that UTI reoccurrence went away when they remove their trigger foods. Common trigger foods include gluten, dairy, corn, soy. Those are kind of the heavy hitters in my mind. But it does take some experimenting, like I said.

We need to eliminate these things for a while, see how your body responds. But when your gut microbiome and your immune system are not irritated constantly and they're able to function properly, it can just set you up for success and give you a stronger defense against developing a UTI or having them come back.

Kara: And this is a scenario where you may want to consider working with a dietitian or a nutritionist like Brandy or myself to help figure out what the underlying root cause is for the chronic UTIs. And if it is a food sensitivity, that can be a little bit more complex to figure out and determine what foods you're sensitive and to what level.

And so we work with clients that have food sensitivities or intolerances and they're completely unaware until they remove them and notice how much better they feel. So it can just take a little coaching and guidance sometimes.

Constipation can contribute to reoccurring UTIs

Brandy: Absolutely. So next I want to touch briefly on the topic of constipation. I think this is one of the most common issues that we see with clients. And the connection with increased risk of developing UTIs is pretty surprising to most people, but constipation can contribute to those reoccurring UTIs.

Remember, E. coli is present mostly in the colon. That's where it's expected to be. It's totally normal for it to be there. But the longer stool sits in your colon, the longer that bacteria have to multiply and thrive. Having a bowel movement is one of our body's ways of eliminating that bacteria.

So if you're not pooping, that bacteria is hanging out and it's multiplying. And an overly full colon can also interfere with your bladder from emptying completely. It's impacting the anatomy a little bit. So if you are constipated and dealing with UTIs, this is something we have to address.

We want to make sure that you are having one or two healthy bowel movements, complete bowel movements every day. Staying hydrated is a very simple step in this process. And making sure your diet is mostly real food that contains enough fiber and healthy fats. All these things together can help hydrate and soothe the colon, and it can just keep things moving a little easier.

In some cases, we might add a fiber supplement like Sun Fiber, or maybe do some ground flax seed or chia seed. Magnesium Citrate is a supplement I always throw in there if somebody's dealing with constipation. Mixed Magnesium is another option. Take some of that before you go to bed. Overnight, that magnesium citrate is going to help pull water into the colon to soften the stool.

Hopefully supporting a bowel movement in the morning. So just keep that in mind. If you are somebody that is dealing with UTIs and you also have chronic constipation, try a couple of these ideas. I think it could help.

Kara: And just personally, Brandy, I have a gluten sensitivity and a lifelong history of being constipated until I determined that I was sensitive and intolerant to gluten and gave it up. Added in some good probiotics, some good bacteria as a supplement. And then also I do choose to take four Mixed Magnesium before bed every night, both for the magnesium glycinate properties to help me sleep and the magnesium citrate part to help as a natural stool softener.

Brandy: Yeah, magnesium is magic. Constipated or not, I think it benefits most people to take a little before bed.

Summary

Kara: In wrapping up our show today, remember if you're dealing with urinary tract infections, having an occasional UTI, that's pretty common. Multiple infections each year deserves a closer look. Nutrition and some key supplements can help create an environment that supports your urinary tract over the long term.

Brandy: So maybe I can just summarize a few key takeaways from our show today of what you can do in your lifestyle and diet to help support healthy urinary tract and prevent infections. First, we want to focus on drinking enough water. We need to flush our bladder out. Eating a balanced real food diet that includes enough protein, high fiber vegetables, and healthy hydrating fats.

We also need to support our gut with beneficial bacteria with the right probiotics and fermented foods. And if you are somebody that deals with constipation or diarrhea, work with one of our dietitians to help address that, figure out why this is happening so that you can eventually have one or two healthy bowel movements every day.

Working with a dietitian can also help you identifying any type of underlying root causes to any gut health issues or immune system issues that you're experiencing. Maybe you're dealing with a food sensitivity that's been overlooked for years, like you, Kara. You just need a little outside perspective to help you figure it out.

Kara: If you've been struggling with recurrent UTIs, don't lose hope. There are often multiple contributing factors, and addressing them together can make a meaningful difference. Thank you so much for joining us today on Dishing Up Nutrition. If you enjoyed today's episode, please share it with someone you know who could benefit.

And as always, if you'd like personalized guidance, schedule an appointment with one of our nutritionists or dietitians here at Nutritional Weight & Wellness.

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