Six Delicious Tips for Bladder Health

By: Red Hot Mamas

Published: September 16, 2011

Your bladder is very particular when it comes to food and beverage choices. Overall bladder health can be directly related to what you consume, and issues like an over-active bladder or incontinence can be helped with diet. Here are some easy diet tips to help keep your bladder happy and healthy.

Snacks – Reaching for chips or cookies is always tempting, but you aren’t doing any favors for your waistline or your bladder. Many processed snack foods contain preservatives that can irritate your bladder. Switch up your snack with some apples and plums – they are abundant in early fall and are great for your bladder and overall health.

Drinks – Whenever possible, avoid caffeinated and alcoholic drinks as well as sugary drinks to maintain good bladder health. Drink water regularly throughout the day and include a bladder-friendly glass of milk!

Chocolate – Chocolate is a popular sweet, but it contains a high amount of caffeine. The next time you are looking for a treat, reach for some yogurt – dairy is great for bladder health. But, if cutting out chocolate just isn’t possible, stick to milk chocolate as this lighter variety has less caffeine than dark.

Citrus – Citrus foods can irritate the bladder, so don’t overdo it with lemons, pineapples and tomatoes. If you’re looking for alternatives, oranges have a lower citrus level than lemons or pineapples, and red peppers are a tasty substitute for tomatoes.

Fiber – Adding beans and grains to your meals provides extra fiber, which absorbs the ‘bad’ cholesterol and eliminates it from the body. Maintaining regular digestive health also puts less pressure on your bladder.

Fruits and Vegetables – Not all fruits and veggies are created equal when it comes maintaining a healthy bladder. Look for produce in season now like kale and spinach, which also happen to be great detoxifiers, along with butternut squash, which is full of fiber. Cranberries, known for their many health benefits, also prevent bacteria from sticking to the bladder.

To kick off the fall season, try this tasty and bladder-friendly dish:  

Chicken Breasts with Walnut and Red Pepper Topping

Ingredients
Chicken
4 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp Olive oil

Topping
1 cup Pear, cored and chopped
½ cup Chopped walnuts
½ cup Chopped roasted red pepper
½ cup Chopped fresh parsley
1 Clove garlic, minced
1 tsp Honey
¼ tsp Ground cumin
¼ tsp Salt

Directions
Chicken

• Brush chicken breasts with olive oil on both sides
• Place chicken breasts on broiler pan
• Broil 10 minutes. Turn chicken and broil 7-10 more minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Sauce

• In a small bowl, combine ingredients for topping.
• Spoon topping over broiled chicken.

Makes four servings.

Round out this great meal beginning with a Triple Squash Soup to start and Cranberry Apple Crisp to finish it off.

For more great recipes and tips visit Terri’s Café on tena.us. For more information about TENA, bladder weakness or to request a free TENA product sample, please visit the 2011-09-16