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Valley OBGYN
Diet
modification is the first line of defense for patients struggling with interstitial cystitis and overactive bladder. Certain foods and drinks can
trigger flare-ups, leading to uncomfortable bladder symptoms. Since sensitivity
to certain foods can vary among individuals, it is important to determine your
personal trigger foods.
This guide will help you to avoid potential dietary triggers
of overactive bladder and interstitial cystitis. Since food
sensitivities will vary among individuals, it is important to determine your
personal trigger foods.
The following are a few tips to manage bladder symptoms through dietary changes
and can help you to take control of your bladder health.
· An elimination diet is the first step to figuring out exactly
which foods may be troublesome for you. Using a food diary will help you keep
track of what you are eating and can also help you determine your reaction to
specific foods and beverages. The next step in your elimination diet journey
will be a “re-challenging diet”; by reintroducing the eliminated foods one at a
time, and monitoring signs and symptoms associated with negative triggers, you
will be able to determine what foods to stay away from.
· Make water your preferred beverage.
Added ingredients found in sodas and energy drinks, and caffeine, found in in
coffee and tea, may aggravate your symptoms. Staying hydrated is important to
overall health. Many patients avoid drinking water to escape the urge to
urinate. Initially, drastically reducing fluids might seem like a good way to
control the urge to go. But drinking too little fluid results in more highly
concentrated urine. That can irritate the bladder and may increase the risk for
a urinary tract infection. Spread out fluid intake throughout the day, sipping
water between meals. Adding baking soda to water can decrease acid in the bladder
and ease pain.
REMEMBER: Sensitivity
to certain foods can vary among individuals, it is important to determine your personal trigger foods. Also
remember that different varieties of the same food may contain different amounts
of acid; for example, Granny Smith apples are high in acid, as compared to Red
Delicious apples. Therefore, selecting the right variety is the key. Invent
your own recipes with items that agree with you. Remember, store bought salad
dressing and foods that have been preserved or canned should be avoided.
It is important to carefully plan your
approach to eating-out and eating in social settings. Be disciplined and learn
to control impulses. Do NOT place yourself in a setting with limited choices.
Carry your own snacks and water to make it easier to resist trigger foods.
Fruits:
Have:
Eat soothing fruits
such as apples – Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, applesauce – homemade with Gala, Fuji,
or Pink Lady apples, ripe mangoes, bananas, blueberries, coconut, dates,
watermelon, honeydew melons, pears, raisins.
Avoid:
Eliminate citrus
fruits, as they may prove to be irritants. Such fruits include lemons, oranges,
grapes, kiwi, pineapple, nectarines, sour strawberries and cherries, berries –
cranberries, most citrus – lemons,
limes, oranges, grapefruit, dried fruit – with preservatives, grapes, guava,
kiwi fruit, cantaloupe, nectarines, passion fruit, papaya, persimmon,
pineapple, star fruit, strawberries.
Vegetables:
Have: Avocadoes,
beetroot, potatoes, yams, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumber,
eggplant, lettuce, mushrooms, black olives, beans, turnips, sweet bell peppers,
radish, zucchini, asparagus, beans – black eyed peas, garbanzo, lentils, pinto,
white, most dried beans, Brussels sprouts, celery, chives, corn, green beans,
greens – collard greens, kale, mustard greens, okra, Swiss chard, spinach, bok
choy, most salad greens, parsley, peas – green, snow peas, split peas,
potatoes, yams, pumpkin, radishes, rhubarb, rutabaga, squash.
Avoid: Onions, hot
chilies, sauerkraut, tomatoes, pickles, roasted soybeans, tofu, chili peppers,
raw bulb onions, pickles, sauerkraut, soy beans – edamame and roasted, tomato
sauces, tomato juice, tofu.
Cereals and Grains:
Have: Wheat, rice,
corn, oats, buckwheat, millets, quinoa, plain fresh homemade pasta, breads –
corn bread, oat bread, pita, potato bread, white bread.
Avoid: Processed and
fortified breads, sweetened, fortified and flavored cereals, ready to eat
pastas, soy flour, boxed dishes.
Milk and Dairy products:
Have: Milk, American
cheese, cottage cheese, mild cheddar cheese, feta, ricotta cheeses, ice creams,
plain yogurt, whipped cream, cream cheese, rice vanilla dessert.
Avoid: Flavored
yogurt, artificial, flavored, and heavily spiced cheeses, chocolate ice cream,
chocolate milk.
Eggs, Meat, Fish and Poultry:
Have: Eggs, chicken,
fish, beef, veal, liver, pork, tuna, turkey, lamb, shrimps, tuna, salmon,
clams, crab meat, caviar (Fresh seafood NOT canned), protein powders-whey, egg
whites.
Avoid: Aged, canned,
cured, processed, heavily spiced, ready to eat or smoked fish and meat,
sausages, pepperoni, salami, canned crab meat, hot dogs, smoked fish, soy
veggie patties.
Nuts, Oils and Seeds:
Have: Almonds,
cashews, peanuts; oils, such as: macadamia, canola, coconut, corn, olive,
peanut, safflower, sesame; butters, such as almond, peanut, margarine,
shortenings, homemade salad dressings without irritants.
Avoid: Hazelnuts,
pecans, pistachios, and filberts.
Beverages:
Have: Water, low-fat
or non-fat milk, blueberry and pear juice, milkshakes other than chocolate
milkshake, peppermint and chamomile tea, herbal teas, non-dairy creamers,
eggnog. (Can use baking soda in beverages to neutralize acid.)
Avoid: Alcoholic
beverages, carbonated drinks, coffee, tea, citrus fruit juices like orange,
grape, cranberry, tomato, chocolate and mocha drinks, chocolate and soy milk,
sports drinks, energy drinks, vitamin drinks.
Deserts and Sweets:
Have: Berries –
blueberries; cake – homemade pound cake, white/yellow cakes, carrot, cookies; frostings
- homemade vanilla frosting, homemade caramel frosting, carob, whipped cream; cookies
– oatmeal, shortbread, sugar; muffins – carrot; cheesecake; creme brûlée,
custards; pie – custard, cream pie, homemade low acid apple pie, pumpkin pie; divinity;
sweet breads – homemade zucchini bread; maple syrup pastries – plain, almond,
pear; ice cream – peppermint, vanilla+; pudding – tapioca, vanilla+, rice; milkshake
– vanilla; sweeteners – brown sugar, honey, sugar; licorice, plain pastries.
Avoid: Artificial
sweeteners, caramel or cinnamon candies, chocolates, sorbets, desserts with problem
causing nuts, citrus fruitcakes.
Spices, Condiments and Seasonings:
Have: Ginger, garlic,
turmeric, all spice powder, caraway seeds, mace, oregano, parsley, basil,
coriander, fennel, thyme, aniseeds, dill, vanilla.
Avoid: Paprika,
mustard, black pepper, red pepper (cayenne), soy sauce, curry powders, pickles,
ketchups, vinegar, MSG, horseradish.
Lifestyle adaptations for bladder
problems
Urine is formed in
kidneys and travels down your body through tube-like-structures called ureters. Ultimately, urine is stored in a
hollow sac known as a urinary bladder. Normally, once this bladder sac is full,
nerve signals are sent to the brain and you feel urge to urinate. However, in
bladder dysfunction, there is a sudden frequent urge to urinate and sometimes-unintentional
leakage of urine. This can happen because of an infection in the bladder,
inflammation of the bladder lining, or bladder storage problems. In some cases,
patients will leak
urine when coughing, straining, jumping, or preforming other physical
activities that contract the abdominal muscles.
Medically these conditions are called interstitial cystitis (inflammation of
bladder muscles) and overactive bladder
(sudden contraction of the bladder without you having control over it).
If you are facing
bladder problems that are causing you embarrassment and affecting your social
life, then we have certain lifestyle modifications that may benefit you. We
recommend trying our dietary changes and behavioral modifications first, before
turning to more invasive medicines or surgery.
Want to eat out? Not a problem, but watch your step
If you have a sensitive
bladder it is not necessary to restrict yourself to only eating meals made at home. However, rules about trigger foods
should still apply if you wish to avoid negative and uncomfortable bladder
symptoms. Making some simple lifestyle changes‚ such as swapping potentially
troublesome foods for more healthful items, can help you to alleviate bladder symptoms.
Let’s see how you can help yourself to get over bladder problems with these
simple lifestyle modifications.
#1.
Planning ahead before eating out
Before zeroing in on a restaurant,
it is a good idea to check their online menu and pick a meal that does not
contain any of your trigger foods; by empowering yourself to avoid any last
minute confusions and temptations, you can ensure bladder comfortability
throughout the night. Avoiding identified trigger foods, even when out, will
help you to maintain long-term bladder health.
If you are in a dilemma
about the food items listed on the menu, speak to your waiter about possible substitutions.
You may want to call the restaurant before dining and ask in detail what
ingredients go into a particular menu item. This way you will be able to
eliminate food items that may cause bladder irritation, such as spices, smoked
foods, citrus fruits, or artificial sweeteners.
#2.
Ask questions
Always ask the waiter or
waitress if there are any spices or problem-causing-herbs in a specific food
item. If he / she replies, “no spices,” ask, “are you sure?” It is important to
be vigilant about you bladder health to avoid unnecessary food trigger
symptoms. While choosing off the menu,
if you are unsure of any ingredient, ask the waiter about it. If you do not get
a reasonable answer, just skip that particular dish and choose a safer option.
#3.
Modify your selection
When dining out, you
should not be afraid to specify how you would like your meal to be prepared.
Remember, if anything goes wrong, it’s you who will be in trouble. Be cautious
in your selection. Here are few examples of how you can modify your food
choices at a restaurant. When ordering a salad, tell the waiter that you do not
want onions, pickles, or dressings. If the dish served contains any of these
ingredients, request a new plate be brought to you Again, be careful when the
new plate comes; some restaurants may just remove the trigger ingredients from
the plate and serve the same plate with other marinates. This may still trigger
uncomfortable bladder symptoms, so be vigilant when relaying this to your
waiter.
Additionally, you can
also ask for salad dressings and other possible trigger food items to be served
“on the side” of the plate. To avoid spicy foods, you can substitute a peppery-rice
combination for a plain baked potato. Ask the waiter if the restaurant offers
plain non-marinated steak and chicken. A high-fiber meal is preferable and can
subsequently improve your bowel health.
While dinning out, try
to avoid ethnic cuisines with heavily spiced and preserved foods. Food chains often contain preservative-rich
food and it is best to avoid these types of restaurants as well. Be fully
informed of all food choices available before making your decision about where
to dine out.
Address body and mind
Bladder problems may
cause emotional distress and depression. It is important to take control of your
body and mind when straddled with these types of issues. Connecting with your
body and taking steps to change your lifestyle and behavior can reduce your
stress considerably Here are a few tips to reduce bladder problems and manage
your bladder health.
#1.
Shed those extra pounds
Obesity can increase
your risk for painful bladder symptoms, overactive bladder and interstitial cystitis.
Staying active and working to lose excess weight can alleviate or, even,
eliminate symptoms. Although this may seem like an uphill battle initially, working
to shed those extra pounds can have profound physical and psychological
benefits that are almost immediately realized.
#2.
Reduce stress and relax
Stress and anxiety
worsen the symptoms of bladder problems. It may be helpful to learn basic
relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, and certain breathing
techniques. Music and dancing can also reduce stress and encourage mindfulness.
Learning and practicing
Tai Chi is another way to reduce your stress levels through exercise and
mindfulness. Originally developed for self-defense, Tai Chi has evolved into a
graceful form of exercise that's now used for stress reduction and a variety of
other health related conditions. However, women who are pregnant or people with
joint problems, back pain, fractures, severe osteoporosis, or a hernia should
consult their doctors before trying Tai Chi.
Self-hypnosis may also
work to reduce stress, relax the mind and reprogram how you think. Using this
tool you can change your thinking, help to kick bad habits and take control of
the person that you are. It is similar to meditation, and may
even result in a better you!
Most importantly, take
everyday action, which encourage healthy sleeping habits. Sleeping properly
will help to relax your mind, body, and soul and is important for stress
relief.
Learn coping skills
Accept the fact that
you have bladder problem, but learn to have confidence that you are going to
overcome them. Discover coping skills by practicing bladder training. Bladder
training can restore normal bladder function through the use of a progressive
voiding schedule in conjunction with teaching techniques to control and
suppress urgency. A bladder-training program will encourage you to take the following
steps.
#1.
Identify your pattern
Keep a diary with you
for few days to take a note of every time you urinate. This will help you to establish
a schedule for bladder training.
#2.
Extend time between urination intervals
Now, schedule a voiding
regimen with gradually increasing voiding intervals. Start with extending the
time of urination by 15 minutes. Make yourself busy and try to put the need to
void out of your mind.
#3.
Stick to your schedule
Once you have
established a schedule, try your best to adhere to it.
#4.
Practice relaxing
If you feel a sudden
need to urinate before your scheduled time, try to stand still or sit down.
Then, take deep breaths while contracting your pelvic muscles and imagining the
urge going away. Once you feel relaxed, slowly make your way to the bathroom if
you still need to. With time, this practice can help reduce feeling of urgency.
#5.
Increase voiding intervals
Gradually extend the
time between two urinations until you reach intervals of two to four hours. Be
sure to increase your time limit slowly.
Quit smoking
Nicotine can irritate
the bladder muscles, causing bladder contraction and urgency. Coughing, as a
result of smoking, may cause urinary leakage. Smoking cessation may result in
decreased lower urinary tract symptoms.
Additionally, caffeine
and alcohol can irritate the bladder and increase urination. You can help
manage overactive bladder by limiting your caffeine and alcohol intake.
Talk to your employer
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