What Up Colitis Readers,
It’s almost Christmas time, and whether you celebrate it or not, it’s pretty cool to see trees and houses all lit up isn’t it?
I think so.
But there’s also something pretty cool about this time of year, hanging out with old friends, family, people you might not see too much, that kinda stuff right.
And, what the hell is a holiday season without some type of get together, or big fat dinner/ brunch or whatever. It’s all part of the program this time of year.
SO…
For us folks who are living with ulcerative colitis (and especially for those of us who get great benefit from treating UC with watching what goes in the old mouth…like myself) there’s a chance we need to be more careful this time of year as well.
I’ve talked about this before, and since so many people liked the idea, I’m talking about it again.
Real simple:
Ginger Tea.
Real Ginger. Real Lemon Juice. Real Honey. And WATER.
That’s It!
Make it, Drink it, Enjoy it!
It’s simple to make. It’s better for you than nearly everything else you can be offered this holiday season (and the rest of the year). You can easily bring over a piece of fresh ginger and a lemon or two along with some honey to any house party, Christmas Eve dinner, or fraternity house. No problemo amigos.
I like this combination for a whole bunch of reasons, but mainly because I know my colitis loves it too. If I want it to be a little sweeter, EASY. Add a little more honey.
The problem is, there’s too many drinks that go around this time of year that have the potential to throw off my system. It’s probably the same for you too.
Egg nog…(DON’T EVEN THING ABOUT IT)Â
If you drink that stuff consistently, I’ll put a massive bet down that you will be sitting in a hospital hating life if you have colitis.  There’s no way I would ever touch that (even though I used to love it). Any milk products for that matter minus some cheeses.
Champagne…(HELL NO)
I hit up several glasses of that stuff this time a year about 5 years ago…worst decision ever. The blood was floooooowing. And I haven’t had any of that since. Not even at weddings. Well…maybe the tiniest sip you’ve ever seen, but that’s it!
Surely you can add some more to this list. Drinks that you love, that you’ve been drinking for years, but…or should it be BUTT, sometimes these things can really set of your UC, and maybe you just don’t even realize it. Or maybe you just chalk it up to the food you’re eating this time of year. Whatever the case, don’t trip, just get on board the Ginger Tea Train! It’s a friggin ripper, and you’re gonna love it.
What Are You Drinking?
So what do you drink? What’s your first drink in the morning? What do you find yourself sipping throughout the day? Is there some cracked out ritual you have to go through with each night before you hit the hay? Maybe some late night cocktail we should know about?
Are you addicted to Coke and Pepsi?
If so…my advice would be to try and find alternatives. In the hundreds of thousands (it’s actually over a million now) who have used this site, I’m yet to hear from a UC’er who has ever said, “Hey Mr. Adam…I drink coke and pepsi and root beer all day long and I consistently take hard poops. Who know’s maybe I’ll hear about that situation from some of you after you read this email, but I doubt it, especially if you’re off medications.
Water
We focus on diet so much on this website. But that’s always food talk. Food this, food that… You’re probably sick of that jabber, and I don’t blame you.
So do me a favor, do your colon a favor, and find some friggin ways to make everyone happy. Find some ways to fix up some water so it satisfies you.
I think if you boil some water, then add some slices of fresh ginger(maybe a square inch worth) and about a half a lemon squeezed with 1-2 tablespoons of your favorite honey (I love orange blossum honey from Florida)….you AND YOUR COLON are going to be happier than good old Santa Claus pounding on some cookies after thumping down the chimney.
Get your Ginger drinks on and happy Christmas to all the Christmasers out there,
-Adam
(if you’re wondering, in just about 8 more days, this will be a full year of ZERO days seeing a gastro doctor, and I’m thinking this might be another year of less than 500 poops..not bad, and you can do it too:)
(and lastly, there’s going to be a new survey coming up to everyone on the free newsletter group, just don’t get locked out of your inbox:)
I started site  shortly after being diagnosed in October of 2008 with severe pancolitis (when my whole colon was inflamed).
For me, it was a very rough start with severe symptoms. Getting bounced from medication to medication was not easy or too helpful. But, I did meet another UC’er, changes several parts of my diet, and of course the rest is history.
Leave a comment, ask a question, take advantage of our past experiences here, use the search boxes, they are your friends to0:)
I’ve written 2 different ulcerative colitis ebooks, you can check them out here.
And, the Free eNewsletter, which has important updates can be joined here.
Congrats on your healthy year, Adam! Here is to hoping 2014 is as great.
Your tea idea sounds yummy and I actually have everything here. How long do you let it steep for?
Merry Christmas to everyone :-)
Hi Joyce,
It’s super yummy, and I’m sure you’ll love it! I’m super glad you’ve got all the stuff you need.
As for steeping, all depends on how strong you like the ginger taste. If you happen to forget about it and let it sit for a half hour until its cold, you’ll for sure notice the strength of the ginger (and its still pretty yummer)
But 5-6 minutes is a pretty good amount of time to let it sit before drinking.
I don’t like ginger tea. It needs something, like Chai Tea.
Egg nog, bleh, but I have no problem with any milk products EXCEPT some cheeses (although I don’t really drink milk so this could’ve changed with my symptoms doing a 180° a couple years ago).
Hey Mr. Adam, I drink 3-4 cups of coffee through the day and root beer all night long and I’d consistently take hard poops if it wasn’t for drinking a ton of metamucil.
No I am not off medication. Those hard poops tear me up inside.
I guess I’m one of the lucky 10% who has Indeterminate Colitis and the lucky 10% who has chronic constipation.
I wasn’t like this for 49 years, but I sure am now.
Just like so much else in this world, if it’s working for you, that’s always great. I surely wouldn’t jump on that train, but again, if you feel good you feel good:)
I love this tea, my mom always made it for me when I was sick. She adds cinnamon to it as well, and it’s delicious. Thanks for reminding me about it, any hot drink that tastes good and has NO CAFFEINE (a killer on my colon) is great to start the day with!
I like the cinnamon idea, going to give that a try:) Lots of good stuff in cinnamon also:)
Happy holidays, my friend!! Thanks for the tips…MMMM!!
Merry Christmas Bev, and thanks for being such a huge part of the site as well:)
Happy Holidays, Adam! And thanks for the ginger tea tip – I will have to do that. I have been on a kick of drinking hot water with lemon first thing in the morning, and I feel great – I’ll have to throw a little ginger in there too.
Great to hear you’re feeling great Caroline!
Let me know what you think about the ginger addition:)
-Adam
Merry Christmas you little bastards!
LOL!!!
Same!
Adam that’s a great tea idea. I love fresh ginger anyway so i will for sure try this.
Thanks for another great year of your website full of fantastic advice and a very Happy Christmas to you and a healthy 2014.
Thanks so much Sharon, very much appreciated, and I wish the best to you and your fam and a healthy 2014 coming up soon,
-Adam
Happy holidays all…and a happy and healthier 2014!
PeterNZ. :-) thanks for the laugh.
We are in the midst of yet another ice storm..no power since 11 a.m. yesterday…thank heavens for a generator…we UC’ers can NEVER be without a working toilet and plenty of t.p.! And heat. Very thankful. :-)
Happy Merry Healthy, Shelly. :-)
That darned ice storm…I’m thinking about you Shel, and all the other affected.
Merry Christmas, huh…right!!
:)
Thanks Bev…I’m just so very thankful and lucky…supposed to get very cold here, too. Just wishing for a healthy 2014 for us and all! :-)
:)
Hey Shelly,
Good luck with keeping warm and keeping the generator running. I just heard still 70,000 in ME no power, so hoping you are not part of that, and if yes, that they get it figured out soon.
Best to you and happy NY coming up you Mainer:))
-Adam
I keep ginger in my freezer. When I want some tea, I peel a small section then grate it into a tea strainer (a small metal mesh strainer that sits over the top of a cup). Pour hot water over it to steep. If you try to grate room temp ginger, its stringy and hard to grate. Frozen works great. I add honey only.
As for other drinks, I am a big tea drinker. I start my day with 2 cups of matte (strong black) but after that I drink green tea or roobois (red tea ,caffeine free). Caffeine doesn’t bother me and I don’t add anything else. Some days I have a lot more black tea but I don’t notice the difference in my gut. In the summer, I drink a ton of infused water, Just add cucumbers or fruit or mint to cold water and let it steep. You can leave a pitcher in the fridge (think sangria with water as the liquid). Also, Twinings tea company sells a cold water brew. I buy the mint ones and use them all summer.
I have great results with the ginger, lemon, raw honey tea and love the taste. I will have to try adding cinnamon now too. Love cinnamon and it has great health benefits. But I have a question. I read somewhere that too much ginger can have the opposite effect and cause diarrhea. How much do you drink in one day without issues? I also love to cook with fresh ginger and don’t want to over do. Don’t need diarrhea again! I also love adding a little fresh ginger and lemon juice to cold water, very refreshing and calming at the same time.
Great health news ADAM. May 2014 bring everyone better health, joy and adventure!
Adam I try’d the tea very nice make it every night now.. I guess you can chill it & drink it like ice-tea..
Thanks for the tip :)
What up Roza,
Awesome. So happy you’re enjoying it!
I’ve been out of Ginger for three days but got some yesterday, and will be making a cup up hot in a few minutes.
Best to you,
-Adam