By Dr. Donna Powell & Dr. Renee M. Marchioni Beery at Gastro MD
When we think about romantic Valentine’s Day dinners, we think of a nice meal paired with alcoholic drinks like wine and champagne. However, if you have a sensitive gut, alcohol can harm your evening and create uncomfortable symptoms. Alcohol can also have long-term effects on your digestive system by delaying stomach emptying and causing bacterial degradation of the food you’ve eaten. This Valentine’s Day, you can still clink your glasses with your loved one but with a drink that is good for your gut. Here are five mocktail recipes to show your gut love this Valentine’s Day.
- Sparkling Rosemary Peach Mocktail
We love peaches for their delicate sweetness and aromatic essence. But what we love most about peaches is that they aid in healthy digestion thanks to their soluble and insoluble fiber content, which helps move food through your gut. This peach mocktail also contains rosemary, which contains oils that are beneficial to the digestive tract and can ease bloating and intestinal gas. For the recipe and directions, check out Cake ‘n’ Knife. Here’s all that you need to make this delicious mocktail:
- Rosemary sprigs
- Sugar
- Water
- Chopped peach
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Ice
- Club soda
- Grapefruit Thyme Fizz
Grapefruits help with gut health thanks to their water and fiber content, which help prevent constipation and promote digestive tract health. Grapefruits are also known for encouraging beneficial gut bacteria growth. Our favorite gut-healthy grapefruit recipe comes from Mindful Mocktail. This recipe also calls for thyme, which has antimicrobial properties that help with gastrointestinal issues. Here’s what you need for this refreshing mocktail:
- Water
- Sweetener of choice
- Thyme
- Grapefruit juice
- Soda water
- Pomegranate Mocktail
The pomegranate is one of the most romantic fruits. Known as the original “forbidden fruit” and linked to myths, it symbolizes the indissolubility of marriage. We love the fruit for being both sweet and slightly tart. Pomegranate is also a rich source of polyphenols that stimulate good gut bacteria growth and reduce inflammation in the digestive tract. The fruit’s red color makes it a perfect choice for a Valentine’s Day celebration. Our favorite pomegranate mocktail recipe comes from Tastes of Homemade. Here’s all you need for this sweet, tart, and fizzy mocktail:
- Pomegranate juice
- Fresh-squeezed orange juice
- Ginger ale
- Lime
- Ice
- Blueberry Lime Mocktail
Blueberries are super berries that are high in antioxidants and prebiotics. They’re incredibly good for the gut because they help reduce inflammation and promote healthy bacteria in the gut and colon. Blueberries are healthy for you whether you consume them fresh, dried, or frozen. Our favorite blueberry mocktail recipe also includes lime juice, which is good for the gut because of the flavonoids that help stimulate the secretion of digestive juices. A great blueberry lime mocktail recipe comes from Mocktail.net. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Blueberries
- Lime juice
- Sugar
- Mint leaves
- Seltzer
- Appletini Mocktail
Apples contain Pectin, a prebiotic that helps stimulate healthy gut bacteria’s growth and activity and aids digestion. Pectin from within apples also helps stop the growth of bad bacteria, which can bring imbalance to the gut. What we love about the Appletini Mocktail is that you can choose to have it sour or sweet, depending on how you like your apples. For this delicious Appletini Mocktail, here’s all you need:
- Freshly-pressed apple juice (red apple or green apple)
- Simple syrup
- Freshly-squeezed lemon juice
