Although I know following a bladder friendly diet is important with IC, there are times when I just don’t want to do it anymore. I miss my morning coffee, chocolate, strawberries, and even the cranberry juice I drank all the time before I knew my “bladder infections” were really IC. Is there any way I can eat some of these items at least once in a while?

If you think about it, nearly everyone needs to change or improve their diet in some way. In fact, nearly 70% of the US population needs to lose weight! That doesn’t include those who are diabetic, have food allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, kidney disease, etc.  IC is just “our thing.”

Of course, knowing this isn’t the same as actually living with a special diet, and there are some tricks you can use to deal with food cravings:

• Substitute. Instead of coffee, drink hot water with honey, warm milk with a dash of vanilla, or chamomile tea. Instead of chocolate, indulge in vanilla, butterscotch, or caramel deserts. Some people even find that blueberry juice is a great substitute for cranberry juice.

• Minimize portion size. If your symptoms are in control, you may be able to consume a tiny amount of a forbidden food—a Hershey’s kiss vs. a whole candy bar, a slice of tomato on a sandwich vs. spaghetti sauce, or a half cup of decaf, low acid coffee mixed with a half cup of milk vs. a 22 oz cup of java.

• Offset problems with acid reducers. Many IC patients find that they can eat forbidden foods occasionally if they also take Prelief or another calcium supplement like Tums with the meal.

• Set the timer. If you start to have a craving for something, put some time and space between yourself and the food. Set your timer for 10 or 15 minutes. Use this time to stretch, exercise, clean your desk, drink a glass of water, or even browse the internet for more IC friendly recipes. When the timer goes off, ask yourself if you still want to eat the food. Chances are the intensity of the craving will have passed. You may even forget why you set the timer!