The most wonderful time of the year is upon us. The holidays are always full of joy and good cheer; however, things can quickly turn sour if we happen to get a UTI during this season.
To help you fight back and overcome this struggle, we’ve put together a few helpful tips that will hopefully get you through the season without the need for antibiotics. But before we get into them, it’s good to understand the reasons why we are all more susceptible to UTIs over the festive season.
Common Holiday UTI Triggers
- Holiday stress.
- Consuming different foods and drinks.
- Eating and drinking in excess (e.g. higher than usual sugar and carb consumption).
- Increased alcohol consumption.
- Being out of your normal day to day routine.
- Increased sexual intimacy.
Holiday Stress
The holidays can be stressful. Stress is a powerful trigger that can cause many health problems, including UTIs. If you are feeling overwhelmed, remember to take some me time to unwind. Reading a book, taking a nap, meditating, and doing some yoga are great options that will help you relax, and achieve mental clarity and body awareness.
Not into yoga? Then do anything else that relaxes you; whether its knitting or watching the same Hallmark movie for the 50th time. If you are feeling like you need extra protection during these stressful times take two Utiva capsules a day and one capsule of Utiva Probiotic Power Supplement.
Holiday Overeating
At Christmas we give ourselves a hall pass to try many new and different things such as different types of foods that we wouldn’t normally eat in our day to day lives. These foods can irritate the bladder and worsen you’re your UTI symptoms.
Try to avoid eating too many sugary, high carb foods (I know easier said than done) and stick with healthier options such as fruit, veggies, lean meats and whole foods —Sometimes I’ll eat before I go out so I’m not tempted to try all the Christmas goodies.
As Christmas baking is in full swing, remember high sugars can cause UTIs. Getting 20 minutes of daily exercise can reduce chances of getting a UTI by lowering blood sugar levels. If exercise is not your thing then trick yourself into being more active. Try going on a daily walk or something as simple as parking far away from the entrance of the places you normally visit.
Alcohol Consumption
Try to limit, or better yet don’t drink alcohol at all as it can trigger UTIs because of their high sugar content. Try to drink mostly water and aim for at least 8-10 glasses a day. Keeping your urine diluted with water is the best way to prevent UTIs. Remember to sip water throughout the day and don’t chug as this will help with urinary leakage which can also cause UTIs.
Increased Sexual Activity
Many studies show that people have more sex during the holiday season. In fact, it is the most popular time of the year to conceive. Remember that sexual intercourse is one of the most common reasons why people get UTIs. Thrusting can introduce bacteria to your urethra which can then travel to the bladder.
Here are a few sex related UTI avoiding tips:
- Pee before (if you can) and after sex.
- Wash your genital area with warm water before sex is another way to reduce the risk of infections.
- Try to avoid using diaphragms or spermicides, these forms of contraceptives are known to increase the risk of UTI.
Other Helpful Tips:
- Limit caffeine intake.
- Download the UTI Tacker App. As things get busy, set the alarm in the App if you need a reminder to take your supplements.
- Take a daily probiotic to help repair your gut from all the goodies that are being consumed.
- Join our Utiva online community.
- Remember to enjoy time with loved ones, even if it’s virtually because of COVID.
A friendly reminder that the postal service could be on shortened hours or extremely busy please order early to avoid running out. If you are on auto refill and want it early give us a call at 1-888-622-3613.
All of us at Utiva want to wish you a Merry Christmas 🎅, and most importantly a UTI Free new year.
Kim - UTI Fighter | Head of Customer Happiness
