Make Healthier Choices to Improve your Urologic Health

A healthy diet can support urologic health. For example, drinking enough water lowers your risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Watching what you eat can help you maintain a healthy weight, which can lower your risk of developing urologic cancers.

Here are 10 tips to keep you healthy: 

  1. Aim for a rainbow of fruits and vegetables on your plate. Examples include blueberries, carrots, yellow peppers, asparagus, strawberries, eggplant, collard greens, and cauliflower.
  2. Learn to read nutrition labels. This will help you be mindful of the sugar, sodium and calorie content of your favorite foods. Pay extra attention to the serving size and how many servings are in a package.
  3. Organize your food pantry so healthier foods like nuts, seeds and whole grains are in the front. You’ll be able to reach them easier. 
  4. Get rid of foods with refined carbohydrates and added sugars like cookies and candy.
  5. Check out your local farmer’s market for foods that are organic, free-range, grass-fed, wild or pasture-raised.
  6. Drink enough water. This is a good way to lower your chance of forming kidney stones. Aim for about 3 quarts of water a day or about ten 10-ounce glasses. Frozen grapes, orange peels and cucumbers can add flavor to your water without adding many calories.
  7. If you have a sensitive bladder, stay away from artificial sweeteners, spicy foods, coffee, citrus fruits and alcohol.
  8. Bladder-friendly foods include bananas, nuts, eggs, green beans and whole grains. 
  9. Get familiar with the “Dirty Dozen.” These are fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide residue. When possible, it’s best to buy these foods organic. 
  10. Try frozen fruits and vegetables. Their nutritional content is similar to fresh foods. In fact, frozen foods often have a higher nutritional content than fresh foods. That’s because they’re picked at peak ripeness and frozen within hours of picking. 

Lastly, try a new recipe like a Strawberry-Spinach Salad. This colorful salad is perfect for lunch or dinner. For extra protein, add grilled chicken or shrimp!

Strawberry-Spinach Salad

INGREDIENTS

  • ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 (6-oz.) bags baby spinach
  • 1 (16-oz.) container strawberries, quartered
  • 1 (4-oz.) package crumbled blue cheese
  • ½ cup sliced toasted almonds
  • Bottled red wine vinaigrette
  • Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION

  1. Toss together red onion, spinach, strawberries, blue cheese and almonds in a large bowl. 

  2. Drizzle with red wine vinaigrette; sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

UrologyHealth.org  |  SPRING 2020  |  UROLOGYHEALTH extra