You’re getting ready to leave for work when you grab your classic green smoothie from the fridge. As you crack open the seal and take a sip you realize, “I’ve never really looked at what’s in this drink. Should I be drinking it? Could this drink improve my vaginal health?”
If you’ve been wanting to naturally improve your vaginal health, read to learn which foods to munch on.
Your vagina thrives on a bacteria called lactobacilli.
Keeping the Balance
When people often talk about healthy foods for the body they often stick to the classics: milk for bone health and probiotics for gut health. But did you know that there are certain foods that could improve your vaginal health? Just like it’s always a good idea to include calcium-rich foods for your bones and yogurt for your gut, there are certain foods you should include for your vagina.
Why? Because including these foods is an easy way to balance out the bacteria in your vagina.
“So what causes an imbalance in vaginal bacteria?”
It could be any number of things:
- Douching (most doctors agree this is NEVER a good idea)
- The pill
- Stress
- Antibiotics
- Poor diet
The bacteria that your vagina thrives on is lactobacilli. It’s a probiotic that helps fend off harmful pathogenic microorganisms. To ensure you’re getting the most of this probiotic try these foods below.
Yogurt
Believe it or not, yogurt is not just good for your gut, it’s also good for your vagina. It’s full of lactic acid, which is a card-carrying member of the lactobacilli family.
To get more yogurt in your diet you could add it in your morning smoothie, have it as a nice dessert after dinner, or mix it with granola for a healthy snack. The bonus of mixing it with granola is that it can fend off hunger so you can get through your feeling full and energize.
If you’re not feeling yogurt one morning (verity can be nice) try kefir or buttermilk for the same lacto-perks.
Fermented Veggies
Fermented veggies contain plenty of lactobacilli cultures. Think pickles, sauerkraut, and kimchi. If you’re looking for an easy to way add a little lacto-fermented goodness in your day, try lacto-fermented pickles. There are many brands that offer many tasty verities to suit most any palate.
You could add pickles to your burger or your grilled cheese sandwich. It’s important not to heat the pickles, though. Heating the pickles or any foods with lactobacilli can kill off the good bacteria you want. So enjoy the pickle right out of the bottle for the best way to up your vaginal health.
Cheese
Lactobacilli and other vaginal health improving bacteria can be found good old cheese. In fact, cheese wouldn’t be cheese without good bacteria like streptococcus and lactobacilli. So if you’re having tacos or chili, add a dollop of sour cream. Having a party to watch a movie or the game? Slide in some sour cream to go with the snacks.
Sour cream is a tasty way to amp up your vaginal health.
Cranberry Juice
It might be old news to you that cranberry juice can help fight urinary tract infections. What might be new news is that cranberry juice can also help keep things balanced. Though, some brands do have a lot added sugar. So if you want to stretch the benefits (and your wallet) go with cranberry juice concentrate. Then, just add in some water and enjoy. The bonus of adding in water is that it can help flush your system.
Having some girlfriends over for a movie night? Serve a cranberry cocktail like the cranberry cosmopolitan! It’s a fun way to amp up your vaginal health and relax on the weekend.
Green Tea
Time to spill the T on tea. Green tea contains catechins, an antioxidant that’s long been known to fight off urinary tract infections. The biggest plus to drinking green tea as opposed to black teas (think oolong) is that it doesn’t oxidize during brewing. This means that it keeps many of the vaginal health benefits it started off with.
Another great advantage to green tea is that can give you a boost without anxiety. So if you’re looking for a mid-day boost without anxiety, try green tea. Want a decadent way to level up your vaginal health? Try this green tea cake with cream cheese frosting for a double-shot of bacteria benefits.