2. Fancy Mocktails
Many summer events often involve alcoholic beverages, including craft beers, wine, and cocktails. This can make it easy to overindulge, says Rudolph Bedford, MD, a gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.
However, alcohol can irritate the intestinal lining and increase IBD symptoms. Research suggests that alcohol use may cause flares, make symptoms harder to control, and have negative interactions with medications.
“Although you might be feeling a sense of celebration and want an alcoholic drink to go along with that, this really is an area where you need to be vigilant, because it can raise the risk of [a flare],” says Dr. Bedford. That doesn’t mean you need to skip alcohol altogether, but it’s helpful to pay attention to how much you’re drinking and how it’s affecting you.
One way to cut back is by creating a few mocktail options that look like fancy drinks but don’t include alcohol. Drinking mocktails instead of cocktails, especially if they have healthy ingredients, can promote hydration, says Castro. That’s crucial in the summer for everyone, including those with IBD, she says.
Some helpful ingredients for those with IBD include any herbs or fruits that you know you can tolerate well, says Castro. Some other examples of ingredients that might work for you, she says, include:
- Nonalcoholic liqueur or mixers
- Coconut water
- Herbs like basil, rosemary, and mint
- Cranberry juice
- Tonic water
- Chilled espresso
- Nondairy milks
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