What can cause a UTI? (Urinary Tract Infection/Bladder Infection)

A urinary tract infection is usually caused by the presence of E. coli (approximately 80% of all of these infections) The other 20% of bacteria can be from klebsiella, enterobacter, staphylococcus, and other bacteria. These bacteria have protective properties that allow the bacterium to /stick/adhere to the lining of the bladder and the mucosal wall of the entire urinary tract.  Their presence causes inflammation, cloudy urine with an unpleasant odor, and bladder and pelvic pain.

Without going into extreme detail, there are several factors that can increase the likelihood of developing a UTI in people who are exposed to toxic mold.

• Being female - Women are more prone to UTI’s than men because of the close proximity of the urethra’s to the anus. The bacteria have a shorter distance to travel in order to colonize in the lining of the urethra and the bladder.  Estrogen and progesterone shifts during menopause alter the pH of the urine and cause changes in tissue structure. Women over 65 have the highest rates of UTI’s.
• Using too many anti-bacterial chemicals in your environment like: anti-bacterial body washes, hand soaps, kitchen dish soaps and toxic anti-bacterial cleaners.  This can kill off beneficial bacteria from your hands-to-mouth or on your skin that directly affect your gut health and urinary tract health.  I highly recommend ditching the "anti-bacterial" labeled products from your home and using "Purebiotics" which you can find on my website.
• Being exposed to toxic mold and mycotoxin in your environment directly affects the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut, kidneys and urinary tracts.  Toxic mold directly affects the endocrine system of the body and changes the production of stress hormones in the body.  These stress hormones change the tone of the kidneys and cause the kidneys to empty slower which in-turn keep bad bacteria in the kidneys longer usual.  Being exposed to mold directly cause estrogen dominance and progesterone deficiency in both men and women which will alter the pH of the urine and cause "ideal bacterial-growth conditions" inside the bladder.  It's important NOT to simply treat UTI's with temporary band aids but to address the "causes" of UTI from an exposure perspective.  Visit my "step-by-step guide" on the website to help you navigate HOW to remove yourself from toxic mold exposures first...then go after the UTI infections.  (but don't wait!!)

My easy 3-step  process to eliminate a UTI

Here are my "go-to" natural solutions for UTI

(that include ALSO removing myself from mold)

Uva Ursi Leaf - (tea or tincture)

Uva Ursi contains several chemicals.  The main chemicals are hydroquinone and hydroquinones that make it useful for urinary problems. Uva Ursi is used to treat infections such as cystitis, urethritis and nephritis as well. The hydroquinone derivative, arbutin, is the chief active compound in uva ursi. This compound is absorbed in the stomach and then is converted into a substance that contains antimicrobial, astringent, and disinfectant properties. During the urination process, as it leaves the body it works on the mucus membranes of the urinary tract and soothes irritation, reduces inflammation, and fights infection. Reasearch has found that arbutin taken alone is not as effective as the whole Uva Ursi plant in controlling urinary tract infections. The reason for this is because intestinal bacteria breaks down arbutin, but they are not always able to do so in the presence of other Uva Ursi compounds.

Uva Ursi contains diuretic chemicals, including ursolic acid, powerful astringents, and a chemical that helps promote the growth of healthy new cells called allatoin. In addition to its antiseptic and *astringent actions, uva ursi may also help to flush out bacteria by promoting urination. (*An astringent shrinks and tightens the top layers of mucous membranes, thereby reducing secretions, relieving irritation, and improving tissue firmness.) Uva Ursi is also used to reduce the accumulation of uric acid and relieve pain of bladder stones. The diuretic action may relieve the bloating feeling associated with menstruation as well.

Uva Ursi has been approved for treating inflammation of the lower urinary tract by Commission E of the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, which is the German governmental agency that evaluates the safety and effectiveness of herbal products

 

GoldenSeal

Goldenseal is one of the 5 best-selling herbal products in the United States. Goldenseal is a potent natural antibiotic, which like Cranberries contains the active ingredient (berberine) that prevents bacteria from adhering to your cell walls.

Gallstones after mold exposure

The amount of conditions and symptoms one can get after a mold exposure is literally in the thousands.  I found all of this out after my serious exposure.  If it wasn't one thing, it was another.  At one point I started having severe pain in my right upper abdominal area underneath my rib cage.  I went to the Emergency Room where they performed a routine ultrasound.  The ultrasound revealed that my gallbladder walls were normal size and that it was functioning slow, but they saw gallstones.  They said my condition didn't seem to be life-threatening but as usual, they always just recommend surgery.  I had been through enough at this point and did not want to have my gallbladder removed, so I chose to go home and research more on how to prevent my gallbladder from getting worse.  Here are a few things I did and still do to help me avoid having an emergency surgery for gallbladder removal.

Knowing what causes gallstones is the first step when trying to stop it in the first place. 

Lessons I learned

• Gallstones are actually cholesterol stones. The misconception is that cholesterol stones would be caused by consuming too much cholesterol, but that isn't the case.
• There are several causes of cholesterol stones building up:
  • You don’t have enough bile to break down cholesterol stones.  Bile is made in the liver and is stored in the gallbladder. Bile helps you dissolve fats in your diet.
  • A low bile situation is actually a symptom of something else. Low bile could be a symptom of:
    • • Excess estrogen 
    • • Excess cortisol 
    • • Excess insulin 
    • • Low-fat / Wrong-fat diets Lo
    • • Losing weight too rapidly
    • • Constipation
    • •  Low Vitamin D
    • •  h Pylori Infections
    • •  Some and most of these are caused by "stress" & "bad eating habits"

So in short you ultimately want to dissolve the stones and to do that you'll need to increase your bile production by pinpointing what’s causing the low bile production and then also at the same time correcting your diet.

1. Diet
   I began to choose better foods for myself.  Fortunately for me, my www.PhazeMoldDiet.com was also the same type of diet I should be eating to prevent gallstones in the first place. 
    
   • Avoid jumping on crash diets or abruptly stopping sugars, glutens or saturated fats.  My new www.PhazeMoldDiet.com takes you on a 12-month (slow-weaning) detoxification diet that helps you avoid sugar cravings, gluten withdrawals or getting gallstones by abruptly cutting out fats.   
   • Avoid eating low amounts of calories (less than 800 calories daily).
   • Seek out good sources of fiber when you are going through each "Phaze" of the www.PhazeMoldDiet.com A high-fiber, right-fat diet helps keep bile flowing.
   • Avoid eating the "WRONG" types of fat.  (Don't cut out "ALL" fats abruptly or eliminate them altogether, because too little fat can also result in gallstone formation)
     • Monounsaturated Fats like:
       • Olive Oil - Recent studies have show that moderate consumption of olive oil (about 2 tablespoons a day) can lower the chances of developing gallstones in the first place.  Mono- and polyunsaturated fat ingredients in olive oil helps reduce cholesterol levels in the blood and gallbladder. Research has found that the incidence of gallstones is relatively low among people who live in areas where olive oil consumption is high.
       • Avocado Oil
       • "Low-Mold" Nuts - see the PhazeMoldDiet - Phaze4 guide for low-mold nut varieties.
     • Some Saturated fats like Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, GrassFed Meats, GrassFed Butter or GrassFed Ghee.
        
2. Supplements
   • Add in Digestive Enzymes one hour before you eat.  It really makes a huge difference.  You can buy enzymes HERE
   • Take "bitters" right before you eat.  You can buy bitters HERE
   • Include a bile salt supplement that also dissolves gallstones.  You can buy bile supplements HERE (My favorite supplement is from Dr. Berg)
   • Vitamin D - Check your vitamin D levels.  Most people are deficient and do not know it.  If you are deficient the best way to increase vitamin D is to expose your skin (arms, thighs and back) to daily direct sun exposure for 20-30 minutes.  (I don't recommend supplementing VitaminD as much as I recommend getting your VitaminD directly from the sun).
3. Drink Enough Water
4. Walk a minimum of 20 minutes a day
5. Take a GI-map test or stool test to rule out the dangerous infection: h pylori!! 
6. Get your daily dose of Sun Exposure that keeps your Vitamin D levels up.  (Optimal levels are 40-80)

Outback All-Natural Pain Relief 
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