What do you drink? ARGH!

[MasterAli22]

So after suffering from symptoms for a year I have FINALLY had the motivation to start the IC diet. It's been really hard to dive head first into it because I am a Diet Coke addict (probably has ruined my bladder). I also love my chocolate.

Anyway, so it's only been four days, but I need some help to get my through the first weeks. It's really hard!

What on earth do you drink?? I can't have my soda, which is killing me! I can't have coffee, I can't have tea, I can't have hot chocolate. I have basically been drinking plain water and that's about it. I have had a bit of milk, but it doesn't do it for me. I can't drink a lot of milk. I like a hot drink in the morning. I bought some natural peppermint tea and it's okay, but I'm not really a mint person and it's nasty when you try to eat anything with it.

I'm just frustrated. Cutting all my favorite foods out is really hard but I need to see if this will help. I just hope I can stick with it.

I'm also not a juice person -- I can't drink straight sweet things, even though I know only a few are okay to drink. I would add things like Crystal Light to my water, but I know those would be bad too because of the artificial sweeteners.

Help! Does anyone have any suggestions on what else to drink???

[ICNDonna]

You might want to try some of the herbal teas --- they come in different flavors.

Donna

[fmcbride]

Whata do you drink?

I know exactly how you feel about searching for something to drink. My favorite drink was tea.

I was happy to find I can tolerate root beer (no caffeen) if I let the drink go flat. A little fizz seems not so bad for me. Then I found out about blueberry juice. At my local health food store I buy Just Blueberry bottled juice. It is a concentrate so dilute it with water on ice.I have had it with hot water. It is unsweetened. It's not so bad. In fact after you wean yourself from the caffene it is refreshing. I do admit I miss citrus drinks.
Good luck

[klite]

I pretty much only drink these things: A&W rootbeer, blueberry juice, pear juice, peppermint tea, almond milk, rice milk, and horsetail tea. Sometimes I can tolerate a bit of blue gatorade, but not that often.

I used to have black tea every morning and in the afternoon. That all ended years ago and I still dream about sitting down to a cup of dark, milky tea. Maybe one day ...

I've tried having carob based teas and I think that they are too sweet, but they never bothered my bladder.

I drink 2-3 glasses of horsetail tea everyday. It is my morning beverage and I've really come to find it soothing. I make sure to steep in for at least 5-7 minutes covered so that I get the benefit of the silica in the tea. Because it has one of the highest naturally occuring sources of silica in anything, it is supposed to be good for your teeth, hair, and nails. My naturopathic doctor encouraged me to have it for my bladder. I don't know if it has helped my bladder a lot, but I do have much stronger nails now and my hair is fantastic

[cmclien]

I switched to low acid coffee and only drink it in the morning, I just feel miserable without the caffeine so have gone to 1/2 caf. I also like chocolate almond milk alot, there isn't alot of chocolate in it I think as it doesn't bother me and regular dark chocolate does. I drink a ton of teas, most of which I get off of here. I threw out all my black and green teas. I like celestial seasonings honey chamomile and the roastaroma. Davidsons makes some wonderful teas but they are kinda sweet (right up my alley). They are made from an african tea called rooibus and is IC friendly. I like the carob mint, cherries jubilee, and there are a couple of vanillas I like too. I haven't had one I didn't like. I put a tiny bit of coffee mate sugar free vanilla sweetener (with splenda) and that seems to be ok. Be careful of the herbal teas because alot of them other then peppermint and chamomile have a good chance of bothering you. Teas with too much cinnamon also bother me. Some people can tolerate a tiny bit of regular tea if you steep it for about 5 seconds! ha ha

I used to LOVE crystal light but it really bothers my bladder, so does propel. I could probably drink a single propel every day but not the crystal light, not sure why but especially the orange flavored bothers me. I can get away with an occasional diet lipton ice tea but if try and drink them everyday I regret it.

[mary124]

I am probably one of the few who can have a cup of regular coffee in the morning. I can still drink tea (love my sweet tea!) and root beer (A&W) and 7 up. Water is always by either my bedside or here at work.

[fmcbride]

klite-
Please tell me more about the horsetail tea.

I would like also to know more of the 'rooibus' tea from Africa.

Thanks ladies

[klite]

Horsetail is basically a wild, hardy plant that has a very high silic acid (from silica/sand) content in it. Herbalists believe that it is good for a lot of your body's functions, mostly those that have to do with tissue growth and regeneration.

It tastes, to me, kinda like barely sweet grass. Not the most ringing endorsement, I know! But I have come to really like it. My naturopathic doctor told me to drink it to help coat my bladder -- horsetail is supposed to be good for UTIs.

You should be able get it at a good health store. The brand I get is called "Celebration Herbals."

Like I said, I don't know if it has helped my bladder or not, but I have always found it soothing to drink. And my hair really is thicker and shinier than it ever was before drinking tea! I actually got the ladies who work at the salon where I get my hair cut drinking it

[cmclien]

Rooibus

klite-
Please tell me more about the horsetail tea.

I would like also to know more of the 'rooibus' tea from Africa.

Thanks ladies

I got this from learn-about-tea.com. All I know is its not acidic and I can drink it all day long with no ill effects. I always get the flavored varieties like what Davidsons teas make.

Rooibos or Redbush, as it is more commonly known, is an herbal tea that is grown only in the South African highlands.
It comes from the plant Aspalathus linearis, rather than the Camellia plants that produce traditional teas, such as Black, Green or Oolong.

The brew is a distinctive red color and offers a very sweet and slightly nutty flavor. It contains a variety of antioxidant substances, some of which are entirely exclusive to the Redbush plant.

As well as being decaffeinated with low tannin content, the tea contains Vitamin C and many minerals and can almost be considered a nutritional supplement.

The minerals contained in a cup of Redbush tea are:

•Zinc
•Manganese
•Alpha-hydroxy (great for the skin)
•Magnesium
•Copper
•Iron
•Potassium
•Calcium
•Fluoride

Various studies have shown the many health problems that can be helped by drinking this tea on a regular basis:



•Can be used to treat hay fever, asthma and eczema
•Placed directly on the skin, it can slow the aging process
•Boosts the immune system
•Eases irritability, headaches, nervous tension and insomnia
•Acts as an anti-spasmodic agent, to relieve stomach cramps and colic in infants
•Contains no oxalic acid, so people who are prone to kidney stones can safely consume it
Mothers in South Africa have long been aware of the benefits of the herbal brew and it is traditional to give this tea to children. It is thought that a small amount of Redbush tea added to milk could soothe babies and help ease symptoms of colic. Though, always check with your healthcare provider before giving herbal tea or other beverages to children.

This article was written by Uma Mays, owner of UK-based Teaworld, an online specialty tea company

[fmcbride]

teas

Thanks so much for your quick response. I will be trying to find them in our local health food stores.

After taking Elmiron for a long time and at times in large doses my hair has thinned and gotten very fine. This gives me hope.

[bob04951]

There are a lot of herbal teas tolerated by ICers. Marshmallow root tea is also very good for the organs, bladder included. (do not drink it with any meds, give your meds an hour, it coats the tummy, bladder, etc. and your meds may not absorb properly). Try to buy it in bulk, rather than the little bags, there are sites on line where you can buy teas by the pound if you can't find them locally, and forgo the middle man cost. (Monterey Bay Spice Co is a good one). You can brew them as you would coffee, sweeten them and chill them and have your iced tea. Coconut milk or vanilla almond milk is good too. You can use carob powder as you would cocoa and have hot "chocolate" in the AM (you need to sweeten as you do with plain cocoa) and also make your hot carob and chill it, or freeze it in ice cube trays. There are coffee substitutes you can get at the health food store or the organic section of your grocery. All natural, caffeine free root beer is okay IN MODERATION, for some, as with everything. And always, lots of good old water, just make sure it is pure and not chlorinated. If you have city water, a purifier on your faucet is more economical that buying the bottles. There are lots of alternatives, do not despair! Some people can tolerate low acid coffee, some cannot. Just take your time and try one thing for a few days before you try everything at once. Good luck, you'll get used to it. Jill, wife of Bob

[TheresaMae]

I do okay with low acid coffee and milk. Iced tea is hit and miss. Other than those, I am forced to drink water. I'm slowly learning to cope but it's very frustrating. I hope you can find some beverages that don't hurt you.

[MamaZ]

I drink hot herbal tea frequently throughout the day in the cold weather and Rooibos tea is a favorite of mine, too, but it tends to make me have to urinate more often. Chamomile is more gentle but it's getting boring. When I was in remission I was drinking Lady Grey which is a caffeinated milder version of Earl Grey and I LOVE it. But, alas, I can no longer drink it without having to pee a hundred times. I might give it a go when I'm less acute but truthfully, I know that caffeine is not the best for my bladder and if I'm going to do something potentially silly in terms of IC it's going to be a cocktail.

[Julie B]

Vanilla Horchata

Here is a great recipe from the Confident Choices cookbook:

Vanilla Horchata
Adapted with permission of The Vanilla.COMpany (www.vanilla.com)

Ingredients
• 1 can evaporated milk (may substitute almond or rice milk)
• 2 vanilla beans, split (or 2 T. pure vanilla extract), preferably Mexican
• 1-1/2 cups medium- or long-grain white rice, cooked soft
• 3-1/2 cups water (or more, to taste)
• 1 c. sugar (or more to taste)
• Ground nutmeg or cinnamon to dust over served horchata (optional)

Heat milk with the vanilla beans in a medium saucepan. Allow to cool. Combine rice, water, and sugar in a blender, and blend on high speed for several minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. (You may need to do this in a few batches.)

Strain rice mixture into a pitcher using a fine sieve (use cheese cloth if you don’t have a good sieve). Add milk with the vanilla beans removed; then scrape some of the vanilla seeds into the Horchata. (Rinse the beans well and dry them for using a second time.) If using extract, add now. Taste, and adjust sweetness to taste.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve plain or over ice. Use a vanilla bean as a swizzle stick and dust with nutmeg or cinnamon if desired.

[fmcbride]

What to drink?

Thanks ever so much for the tip on "Rooibus' tea. I was able to find it local and it really made my day to have a cup of hot tea as the weather turned cold again here. I have missed my hot tea as much as anything.
Thanks again. I'm still looking for the horsetail tea. Will go to another store that has more inventory soon.