D-Mannose , A little Help for all My Women Friends Who Suffer from UTI's

I just discovered this little gem as I was desperately searching for answers to prevent UTI's without taking a low dose antibiotic. And I came across D-Mannose .

D-Mannose is naturally found in pineapples and cranberries. As most of us know cranberries really help heal and prevent urinary tract infections. However, when taking organic cranberry juice to prevent a UTI - you have to drink an awful lot of it. Have you tasted cranberry juice without sugar - wow! Tart! really Tart!

D-Mannose comes in powder and capsule form and gives you the amount you need without drinking 8 glasses of cranberry juice a day.

I had been drinking cranberry juice after a fun night with my partner along with lots of water and ensuring that you go to bathroom soon after having sex.

But apparently that isn't enough as I had recently experienced some really unusual symptoms that came with a UTI and I was really sick for a whole day and it wiped me out for the next few days.

As I course through the journey of menopause and my body decides to change by the month, I find that my body needs additional help on an everyday basis.

Some articles I have read talk about using estrogen cream topically versus orally to help this. Yep, I am already on bioidentical estrogen and I love it!  So, I wasn't quite sure this was the answer for me.

And so , I did what I always do when I need answers - I start researching. And I came across this
supplement. The articles I have read caution those of you who are diabetic to consult with your doctor first before taking this because it appears that it is some type of sugar.

I ordered the supplement and am waiting for it to come , so I can see if this will be helpful.

Vitamin C  and a good probiotic is also something that women need who suffer from UTI's. Supporting ourselves with good bacteria is not only good for your intestines, but also good for your kidneys and bladder.  Garlic, turmeric, sage, marshmallow root, dandelion tea , ginger and baking soda are also excellent remedies for UTI's when you actually get one. In fact, putting 2 tsp of baking soda in water and drinking it as soon as you feel one come on, is an excellent way to stem the pain. Just sayin' from experience. The turmeric helps with the inflammation as does the ginger. For people with some other health conditions, dandelion and marshmallow root might interfere with some medications from what I understand - so do your research, talk to your doctor and find what works for you.

Reduction in your sugar intake is another prevention key.  Mmmm..well, as a baker , I need to double my preventative measures and try to cut down where I can.

It's all about finding our balance and what works for each of us. Some folks are ok with taking a low does antibiotic, whereas I am allergic to most and I don't believe that taking antibiotics on a daily basis is the best thing for me on a long term basis.  We are finding that as a society, our dependence on antibiotics is causing the human body to become resistant to many of them And oddly enough, we are turning back to Mother Earth for answers.

Here is hoping that this little supplement and some additional tweeks will help stem the recurrence of these UTI's . I will certainly let everyone know how it goes. I'm not a doctor, I am simply sharing my experience with you and what I have found works for me in my research and trial an error.

To Our Best Selves,

Love,

Kimberley

Julia Cameron's , the Artist Way and Tim Ferris

This morning at around 5am, I forced myself out of bed because sleep was just not coming to me. I tossed and turned all night as grief filled my heart for a friend who has made a decision to return to his hometown in Europe. We have only known each other for a few short months, but he had made an impact on my life of which he is probably unaware of. The night sky was filled with lighting and thunderstorms, unsettled and needing expression. I knew how Mother Nature felt. And I knew what I needed to do to ease the pain of my heart. I needed to write and I needed my trusted cup of coffee!

So, I got up and I quietly went downstairs to the kitchen (so as not to disturb the guests in the house) and started making my coffee and fed the cats. The smell alone of the cinnamon in the coffee was starting to soothe my heart.

The cats got fed and I poured my coffee in trusty red mug and I went upstairs to write my Morning Pages. I grabbed a book on Gratitude that I have been reading and re-reading over the last few months. The book is titled, The Magic, by Rhonda Byrne. She is the woman who is infamous for writing The Secret.

I knew I needed to do something to look at life from a different perspective and to start feeling better. And I knew that little book would help. And so, I read and I started writing.

As I wrote my thoughts drifted and I was compelled to look at my personal facebook page. And what did I find but Tim Ferris's blog on writing The Morning Pages.

As always, the Universe brings things to me just when I need them. So, I stopped my own writing to read what Tim's blog had to say. His words soothed my soul because he dared to bare his emotions, this man who I have admired from afar for so many years. At the end of his blog there is an opportunity to leave a comment, and I did. A long comment. A heartfelt comment that I wrote as if I were writing a letter to him. The words flowed easily and effortlessly from my heart as they often do when my heart feels broken.

Tim doesn't let comments get published until they are reviewed, I do the same. So, my words cannot be seen as of yet. Does it matter to me that they be seen by the world? No. What matters is that I wrote them and that I feel better. The night storm has passed and the sun has shone itself on the maple trees outside my office window.

Just like Psalms 30:5 says: "Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning."

Thank you Tim Ferris, thank you Julia Cameron for the practice of "The Morning Pages." I am grateful to you both. Tim, if you happen to read my comments and hop on over to my blog page and read this, I would love to meet you! You truly are an inspiration to me!

For those of you who would like to read Tim Ferris's blog post that I am refering to, here is the link:

http://fourhourworkweek.com/2015/01/15/morning-pages/comment-page-5/#comment-799006


Blessings to Everyone on this Sunday Morning,

Kimberley