Today’s article is a guest post by the lovely Risa of Peach Talk, a blog focusing on sex and relationships with pelvic and vulval-vaginal pain.
I got Risa along because she has some great tips and this is such an important topic for many sufferers out there.
On top of all the suffering IC brings, it can also truly destroy relationships and intimacy for many. I hope that some of Risa’s tips will help prevent this from happening.
Vitamin C is probably the most well-known and studied vitamin. I’ve come to believe that it may also be one of the most important ones for people suffering from chronic bladder problems, which I’d like to explain in today’s post.
If you have interstitial cystitis (IC), you may have been told to stay clear of vitamin C supplements – a.k.a Ascorbic Acid. Why? Because as the name suggests, it is rather acidic and could therefore be rather uncomfortable when getting in contact with inflamed tissue. But fear not, I will explain how you can take it without the burn!
I know this post is maybe a bit off topic, but I’m off on a 2 week long-distance hiking trip in Portugal and have spent some time looking for healthy foods that I could take with me. I thought I’d share what I’ve found as it could come in handy for those of you trying to follow a paleo template as recommended in my protocols.
These are good options for healthy snacks on the go as well, not just for hiking and camping.
Exercise is generally considered to be health promoting, but not all forms of exercise might be ideal for someone with bladder issues.
Last time, I talked about why jogging may not be so ideal for bladder health. This week I’d like to look at some options that I consider to be safe and beneficial.
Today I’d like to tell you all about kombucha. Kombucha is a fermented beverage made out of tea and sugar. Sounds like some pretty unhealthy ingredients but the end result may actually be really healthy.
The tea and sugar are fermented with the help of a so called SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast). SCOBYs look like some kind of giant mushroom and are therefore also referred to as kombucha mushroom. The bacteria and yeasts in the SCOBY eat the sugar and tea which creates a sour tasting and carbonated drink that reminds me of cider.
Bone broth has many health benefits and was one of the tools I used to recover from interstitial cystitis.
However, it is not very practical as a staple for people who are on the go a lot. It is now possible to buy bone broth powder online but it comes with a hefty price tag.
Therefore, I have tried to make my own for when I’m travelling and still want to consume bone broth. It is a bit work intensive but relatively cheap.
Last week I’ve written about the role that chronic inflammation plays in chronic disease, including bladder conditions such as interstitial cystitis.
Today I’d like to look at lab tests for inflammation and also dietary options and supplements that may help reduce inflammation.
I am in the process of moving over some of the posts from an older blog about healthy lifestyle that I have kind of lost interest in writing. Therefore, some posts may not be directly related to bladder conditions but to a healthy lifestyle overall, which (in my opinion) is key to overcoming chronic health problems. Here is another recipe for you that may come in useful when changing to a ‘real food’ diet. This post explains how to make ghee (clarified butter) and the benefits of ghee.
Most people will know about marijuana as a recreational drug. But in recent years marijuana has gained more and more popularity as a medical drug for various chronic disorders, often in relation to pain. Today I’d like to look at medical marijuana for interstitial cystitis.
Could it relieve the symptoms of interstitial cystitis or even effectively treat it?
Chicken courgetti soup is a great grain-free and IC-friendly replacement for traditional chicken noodle soup. It includes bone broth, a great food for the bladder.