IC Awareness Month Series Part 2: Do You Really Need the IC Diet?

<p>September is Interstitial Cystitis Awareness Month, and I’m back with Part 2 of my four-part series all about interstitial cystitis.</p><p>In this episode, I’m breaking down the IC diet, where our food trigger recommendations actually came from, and what the research really tells us about food and bladder symptoms.</p><p>I’m covering:</p><ul><li>What the research says about IC food triggers</li><li>What a newer systematic review tells us about diet and IC</li><li>How to identify your individual food triggers</li><li>Why hydration matters for bladder symptoms</li><li>The nutritional and mental health risks of overly restrictive diets</li><li>How fear and learned associations around food can affect symptoms</li><li>Why your current food sensitivities don’t have to be forever</li></ul><p>I also share why I’ve seen so many people, myself included, eventually get back to drinking coffee, eating tomatoes, ordering pizza, traveling without packing their own food, and eating at restaurants without worrying about what their bladder will do afterward.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FOOD SENSITIVITIES?</strong> Listen to <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ic-you/id1604016381?i=1000717279189" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Episode 97 of IC You, <em>How to Overcome Food Sensitivities with IC and OAB</em></a>, where I chat with nervous system therapist Grace Secker about food fear, the nervous system, and reintroducing foods.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>FREE MASTERCLASS:</strong> If you’re wondering what may actually be driving your bladder symptoms, watch my free masterclass, <em>How to Find the Root Cause of Chronic Bladder Symptoms</em>. I’ll walk you through what may be keeping you stuck in the flare cycle, why symptoms can keep coming back, and how to start identifying your individual root cause. <a href="https://www.callieknutrition.com/masterclass" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Watch for free here!</a></p><p><br /></p><p><strong>THE IC CONNECTION:</strong> The Interstitial Cystitis Association is hosting <em>The IC Connection</em> virtually on September 26! Learn more and <a href="https://secure.qgiv.com/event/ic-awareness-month-2026/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">register here.</a></p><p><br /></p>