Nutrition
Overcoming urinary tract infections with our diet
Infections of the urinary tract (UTIs) are the second most common type of infection in the body. You may have a UTI if you notice pain or burning sensation when you urinate, an urge to use the bathroom much more often than usual, pain at the lower back, urine that smells bad, looks cloudy or reddish, and symptoms of fever, tiredness, or shakiness.
Bacteria are the villains behind UTIs. In fact, harmful bacteria from our stool sometimes manage to sneak into the urethra, the opening where urine exits the body. From there, they may spread to the bladder. Urinating helps wash/ flush these bacteria out of the urinary tract.
UTIs are more common in females than males, and particularly common in diabetics, people undergoing chemotherapy, people on steroids, people living with HIV/AIDS, among others. Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment, however the following tips will go a long way toward helping you avoid UTIs:
Food to include
• Proanthocyanidins rich foods such as Cranberries, blueberries, and grapes.
• Probiotic bacteria rich foods such as fermented milk or yoghurt.
• Vitamin C rich foods such as oranges, tangerines, pineapples, and bell peppers.
• Drinking about 8 glasses of water a day to increase urination and hence flush out bacteria.
Lifestyle modification
• Avoid unnecessary usage of steroids.
• Adherence to medication if you are diabetic or a person living with HIV/ AIDS.
• Observe very good personal hygiene.
• Drink alcohol in moderation.
• Avoid sedentary lifestyle and incorporate exercise in your daily lives.
In conclusion, to avoid the uncomfortable and painful situation of living with a UTI, there are many ways and means that are well within our reach. Our diet and lifestyle play a major role which should not be underestimated, and with careful adherence to these tips, we will avoid UTIs completely.
The writer Dr. Bernice Korkor Asare is the CEO of Holistic Health Consult
“Your diet your health, your health your wealth”
E-mail: holistichealthconsultgh@ gmail.com
Nutrition
Palm nut soup
Palm nut soup is a Ghanaian dish that can be served with so many foods. It has a rich base of palm nuts combined with tomatoes and various vegetables that makes it very nutritious.
Preparation
Ingredients
– 1 kilogramme of palm nut
– Half kilogramme of beef
-One kilogramme of goat meat
-Three large salmon
-One full tuna
– A handful of turkey berries
-Two large onions
-4 large tomatoes
-3 large garden eggs
– One tin of mackerel
-Ten large peppers
– One large ginger
-2 cloves of garlic
– Four fingers of okro
– Salt to taste
Instructions
-Wash, cook palm nut, turkey berries, and pepper and add salt to it.
-Grind palm nut, turkey berries and pepper with mortar and pestle or mini food processor.
-Wash goat meat, beef, Tuna, salt and put on fire.
– Blend onion, garlic, ginger and tomatoes and pour on the goat meat.
– Add smoked tuna and salmon and okro to the soup.
-Use a spoon or ladle to skim off the surface oil.
-Garnish the soup with the okro or garden eggs as desired.
-Serve with fufu, banku or Omo tuo.
Nutrition
Cucumber and apple smoothie
Ingredients
-Two medium sized cucumber
-Three apples
-Four tablespoonful of honey
-Crushed ice
-Two cups of yoghurt
-One tablespoonful of blended ginger
– One tablespoonful of celery and mint
Preparation
-Wash and slice cucumber, apple into smaller sizes
-Blend until it is smooth
-Add honey and a little water to it
-Add crushed ice and yoghurt
-Blend it till you achieve your desired texture
– Then serve
