Interstitial Cystitis Advice

Jingle bells, jingle bells jingle all the way to a flare! Well, I certainly hope not, but with the array of foods that come our way during the holidays it can be hard to avoid eating something which might irritate our bladders. Fortunately with a little planning, and being careful with what you eat you can better your chances of avoiding a food related Interstitial Cystitis flare during the holidays.

The following are some of the key ingredients that you may encounter during the holidays that could upset your IC:



Alcohol: From traditional Christmas puddings to rum balls and mulled wine, alcohol in one guise or another is a very, very common ingredient in holidays foods. It can sneak up in desserts, be used to marinade meat or as an ingredient in meat dishes, in dips and cheese balls, and certainly in drinks themselves. Everyone's bladder is slightly different, and so we can each tolerate booze differently. But if you are like me, even a single drop in a dish that has been cooked is enough to cause major bladder flare for you!
I avoid all types of alcohol, all year round, but if you do choose to partake in the holiday cheer, it is best to stick to alcohols like gin, vodka, sherry and white wine. These have been reported by ICers to be potentially less bothersome to their bladders than drinks like beer, coolers, ciders, and especially red wine. If you choose to drink or eat foods with alcohol in them you may want to take a product like Prelief or Tums before hand to help reduce the affects of the acids and other chemical compounds (such as tannins and tyramine which occur in wine and beer) on your bladder.
Usually you can taste if alcohol is in a sweet dish or drink, but when in doubt always ask before you take a bite or a sip. Also keep in mind that while taking certain types of medication you may not be permitted to consume any alcohol. If you are unsure about this when it comes to the medications that you take always check with your doctor or pharmacist.



Candied fruit/candied peel: This time of year it seems that there is almost no escaping candied fruit. Whether it is startling brightly hued slices of pineapple in green and red, similarly coloured maraschino cherries, oodles of candied citrus peel, acidic dried cranberries, or pieces of identifiable fruit poking out of a slice of fruitcake, these are all potential bladder irritants. Most commercially prepared candied fruits are laden with acids, preservatives (including sulfur/sulfites, a well known bladder offender), artificial colorings and other chemical products.
Instead type to make your own desserts with friendlier fruits like organic/un-sulfured dried blueberries, pears and dates. Some ICers can get away with maraschino cherries, but not everyone. So it is best to consume these in small amounts unless you are certain that they will not bother you.
When it comes to citrus peel, you can sometimes omit the peel with orange or lemon extract, or try making your own peel at home with our IC friendlier recipe.
http://www.icadvice.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=67 (Candied fruit)



Nuts: All kinds of nuts are very popular during the holidays. They may appear on their own, as a snack or party nibble, in stuffings (like the classic chestnut stuffing for a Christmas goose or turkey), in countless desserts and thrown into lots of other types of dishes.
Many nuts are known bladder irritants, these include peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts (aka, filberts), Brazil nuts and chestnuts amongst others. You may find that you can eat some of these nuts and not experience a flare in your symptoms, or they may all bother you, we are each different when it comes to what are bladders can tolerate.
Nuts that are generally considered safer for ICers are pine nuts, cashews and almonds. The latter is especially popular during in Christmas baking and candy making, so you may find that you are able to eat deserts that are based on almonds assuming they are free of other potential irritants.



Cloves: This spice is a popular one through many cuisines of the world, and it gets revived every year for the making of desserts like mincemeat pies and fruitcakes. Its lovely smell and distinct taste make it a great addition to both savory and sweet dishes, unless you have IC that is! Cloves are spicy, and they contain a volatile chemical compound called eugenic acid. This is what makes them such a potential bladder irritant. Eugenic acid also occurs in pimentos.
Instead of using cloves in your baking and cooking (and drinks) try replacing it with cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg or mace. These spices while strong and at times almost spicy unto themselves, are generally better tolerated by ICers. I know that I can generally eat each of them with our encountering any bladder problems.



Aged cheese: Cheese is a traditional holiday treat. It might appear in a cooked dish, as an appetizer, in a dip, soup or sandwich, in a dessert, or on it's own as part of a festive cheese board. Yet many cheeses are known to be troublesome for ICers. Aged or hard cheeses tend to be the most problematic. The cause of their irritability factor may lie in the histamines and natural acids that can be produced as the cheese ages.
Unless you are sure that your bladder will be okay with them, you will probably want to avoid eating aged cheeses such as cheddar, blue and green cheese, edam, Fontana, Camembert, brie, emmenthaler, gruyer, Gouda, soy cheese, Roquefort, hard Monetary jack (which is ages much longer than regular Monterey Jack, a cheese that some ICers can get away with eating) and Swiss cheese.
Instead of these common cheeses you may like to try varieties such as Mozzarella, ricotta, rice “cheeses”, cream cheese, Boursin, Farmer's cheese, cottage cheese, Feta (and other similar soft goat's milk cheeses that have not been aged for long periods of time), fromage blanc, mascarpone, Neufchâtel (similar to cream cheese), quark, Jack cheese or Muenster.
You can create a wide assortment of dips and cheese dishes with these mild (typically soft or semi-firm) cheeses. As well some ICers can tolerate Parmesan cheese, particularity the Kraft brand parmesan which comes in the well known green and red shaker container. Another cheese that some ICers can safely eat is Velveeta, although it contains a bit of cheddar it is not as powerful as full fledged cheddar (less aged cheese content) and makes a fantastic cheese to use as the base for a sauce or chip dip.



Other potentially dangerous foods that you are likely to encounter over the holidays include smoked meat, fish and cheese (all of which can contain many bladder irritating substance like nitrates and other known bladder irritating chemicals), pickled vegetables and fruit, cranberries (they're very acidic), mustard (interestingly my bladder can handle a small bit of organic grainy mustard) and onions. Onions are one of the foods where it seems to vary the most between each of our abilities to handle them, raw onions are the biggest offender, followed by cooked bulb onions. Try swapping green onions (scallions), leaks, shallots or chives instead if white and red onions upset your IC. Soda (pop) and other carbonated drinks are especially popular at holiday gatherings, stay clear of them unless you know without a shadow of a doubt that your IC will be alright if you consume them. Chocolate also makes a big appear during winter festivities, instead of dark or milk chocolate and cocoa powder try making treats with white chocolate (which some ICers can eat) or carob (which also comes in powder form so you can still enjoy a hot mug of cocoa).



Parties, family gatherings, spontaneous get togethers, romantic winder interludes each sort of social situation (especially those which are not hosting yourself) comes with the potential risk of involving food and drink which can upset your IC. Remember always that you do not have to eat anything that you do not want to! No matter how insistent someone may be you can always decline something if you have reason to believe it may upset your bladder. Depending on the situation your hosts may be aware of dietary needs (such as say your parents or a sister) and may have no problem providing you with lots of IC safe choices, other situations may seem like an IC diet nightmare.



If you know that you will be going to a part or gathering with lots of bladder provoking foods here are some tips to help keep food flares at bay. Try to eat something safe and filling before you leave your house or workplace. Sip water or another bladder safe drink to help fill up your stomach, and always ask what is in a dish if you re uncertain. Hidden ingredients such as tomato paste, vinegar, MSG or bacon can lurk in the most unsuspecting of places. Veggie platters often offer bladder safe vegetables like carrots and strips of bell peppers, as well some types of plain crackers, corn chips and potato chips may be all right too. If possible offer to bring a dish (or two) that you can safely eat. Bring a large quantity (in case it proves popular with the other guests) of that food and make it the main thing that you eat.



When preparing holiday food at home for yourself and your family stick to as many IC friendly ingredients as possible. If you cook or bake foods with bladder irritants in them like chocolate cookies or cabbage rolls in tomato sauce make sure that you have an IC friendly alternative for yourself available. Make up a favourite IC safe holiday dessert and keep individual portions in the freezer so you can always nibble at the same time as your family and guests.



It's also crucial that you don't let yourself get overly stressed out or run down through the holiday season. Food is only one thing that can bring on an IC flare, stress, exhaustion, physical work and long drives are all other situations which can commonly occur through out the holidays. Take whatever measures you can do to reduce or prevent these from happening, and remember to take time out of the busy holiday schedule and focus on yourself. De-stress and try to unwind, and always try to put things in perspective, January is only a few days off and then life will likely return to it's usual ebb and flow. So don't go “nuts” trying to deal with Christmas or whatever wonderful holiday that you celebrate, because your bladder will suffer the repercussions if you do. The holidays are a time of joy and merriment. With the a little careful food planning, stress and time management and our IC friendly holiday recipe collection, hopefully you will make it through the season without encountering any avoidable bladder flares.



It's certainly worth noting as well that you will also want to keep in consideration any other medical conditions such as IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), vulvodynia or candida that you eat for (or around depending on how you look at it) while planning your holiday meal. The aim is to keep your whole body feeling as healthy and comfortable as possible through out the holiday season.

In our IC friendly recipe section of the site you will find a selection of terrific, easy to make bladder safe dishes that are very versatile. Many can be used for Christmas or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa or any winter celebration. There are also several recipes which are vegetarian (some are already, or can be made vegan too). Each recipe is created with ingredients which are generally considered to be IC friendly, helping to insure that your bladder stays just as jolly as can be.



To each and everyone, may you have a truly wonderful holiday season filled with good health, happiness and great memories. From all of us at ICadvice.com may you have a fantastic and special holiday season and an awesome New Year's.

Bread photograph by Jan Kratena