Sip Towards Comfort: Delicious Mocktails for Neuropathy Support

Living with neuropathic pain, numbness, or tingling sensations can present unique lifestyle considerations. Many individuals find that alcohol can exacerbate these feelings, contributing to discomfort. For those exploring natural approaches for neuropathy tingling and seeking ways to enjoy refreshing beverages without unwanted after-effects, we have a delightful solution! Today, we're sharing three delicious mocktail recipes, designed to be both flavorful and supportive of your overall well-being, especially for those managing nerve challenges.

These mocktails are crafted with health in mind, featuring very little or no added sugar. For instance, our third mocktail includes a touch of ginger ale – look for low or no-sugar options. We love Fever Tree Ginger Beer (non-alcoholic) for its authentic ginger flavor, minimal sugar, and lack of artificial ingredients, aligning with a desire for opiate-free options for managing discomfort associated with neuropathy. The other two recipes are bursting with the natural goodness of pineapple and strawberry, especially beneficial if you can source organic fruit to contribute to nerve health. These recipes fit well into a holistic approach for neuropathy home treatment options, focusing on what you put into your body.

Mocktail #1: Vegan and Virgin Piña Colada

This truly delicious mocktail is a fantastic choice any time of day, offering a refreshing way to support your system. It's a great example of how you can enjoy vibrant flavors while focusing on overall nerve comfort.

Tools: Food blender Glass: Highball/dessert Ice: Cubes Garnish: Pineapple chunk and/or pineapple weed (Matricaria discoidea or wild chamomile) flower/leaf

Ingredients:

½ cup (100g) organic young coconut meat (canned is fine if you do not have fresh)

1 cup (250g) frozen pineapple chunks

2 tsp (10ml) freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tsp (5ml) honey

½ cup (125 ml) Coconut Milk Kefir

Instructions:

Add all ingredients (apart from the coconut milk kefir and the garnish) to the food blender and blend for 10 seconds on high. Add the coconut milk kefir and blend on low for a further 5 seconds. Pop 3 ice cubes in the serving glass, pour in the mix, and garnish with a pineapple chunk and/or pineapple sage flower/leaf. Enjoy!

Mocktail #2: Coconut Water Kefir Strawberry Cosmo

The slightly fizzy, tart coconut water kefir, with its beneficial properties, pairs wonderfully with strawberries (and countless other fruits or juices). It adds a level of complexity that makes your mocktails feel both sophisticated and interesting. This is a creative way to explore alternative therapies for nerve discomfort through diet.

Tools: Food blender Glass: Martini Ice: Cubes Garnish: Strawberry segment and basil sprig

Ingredients:

1 oz (30ml) Coconut Water Kefir (see below if recipe is needed)

½ cup (65g) strawberries

1 cup (250ml) chilled sparkling water

Squeeze of fresh lime

Instructions:

Put the coconut water kefir and the strawberries in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill, then place it in the food blender and blend until smooth.

Add the chilled sparkling water and a squeeze of lime, and pulse for a moment more.

Pour the contents into the ice-filled martini glass, and garnish with a segment of strawberry and a basil sprig.

Water Kefir Grains (As soon as your water kefir grains arrive, rinse them in spring or mineral water with some added sugar, as they need to feed to survive. They may take a few days to get going if you’ve bought them online, especially if the weather has been cold.) You can purchase kefir water grains on Amazon.

Kefir Water Fermented water kefir is relatively quick to make; you can have your first kefir to drink within 72 hours. This is an inexact science, though, as the time it takes to make your water kefir will depend on whether you had to rehydrate the kefir grains first, as well as on the season and ambient temperature. If you are happy to wait for a second fermentation, you can add secondary flavors such as fresh ginger, fresh or dried fruit (like pineapple, figs, cherries, and raisins), or garden or foraged spices. Avoid using citrus juice for a second ferment, as this leads to stringy, yeasty additions that do not lend themselves well to mocktails. However, fresh citrus juice added immediately to your drinking glass with the kefir water is delicious—a healthy lemonade! You can also use water kefir in other mocktails. This focus on gut health can be an important part of supporting overall nerve vitality and managing inflammation.

You will need some water kefir cultures (water kefir grains: see above). These are another form of SCOBY, but have a grainy, cauliflower-like appearance. As for the choice of water, it must be free of chlorine and fluoride but contain the minerals found in mineral or spring water (which are lacking in filtered or distilled water). If you can’t get hold of mineral or spring water, boil some tap water to remove the chlorine and let cool.

Water Kefir Recipe Tools: 2 x 1-quart (1 liter) wide-mouthed, sealable jars, sterilized, nonmetal stirring utensil (plastic is fine), sterilized, fermentation cover (such as a clean piece of cotton/closely woven dishtowel/T-shirt or coffee filter) and rubber band, plastic or bamboo sieve (avoid metal utensils).

Ingredients:

4 tbsp organic unrefined cane sugar

4 cups (1 liter) cool spring or mineral water

3 tbsp (45g) hydrated water kefir grains

Fruit juice, fresh or dried fruit (such as raisins), herbs, or spices of choice, for flavoring (see Method for quantities)

Instructions:

Dissolve the sugar in a small amount of hot water in one of the sterilized jars. When the sugar has dissolved, fill the jar with cool spring/mineral water. Make sure the water is at room temperature (about 72 degrees F/22 degrees C) and no warmer.

Add the water kefir grains, cover the jar with the fermentation cover, and secure with a rubber band.

Leave the jar in a warm cupboard (preferably at 70-75 degrees F/21-24 C) or on a countertop out of direct sunlight for 24-48 hours. The longer you leave the kefir, the more sugar will be consumed, and the more beneficial it becomes. Any longer than 48 hours, and you risk starving the grains. Stirring the grains regularly can speed up the fermentation process.

When the kefir is fermented to your liking, remove the kefir grains by straining the kefir through the sieve into the second sterilized jar. Screw on the airtight lid. You now have kefir water.

To carbonate the kefir and add flavor, you’ll need to do a second fermentation for another 1–3 days. Using a ratio of 80 percent water kefir to 20 percent additional juice, add your favorite juice to the water kefir you’ve just strained. Also, feel free to experiment with fresh or dried fruits, herbs, or spices at this stage. Seal the jar tightly with the airtight lid and leave in a cupboard or on the countertop away from direct sunlight for 1–3 days before drinking or refrigerating. Consume within 3 months.

Simply drink your water kefir as it is or serve with some additional fruit juice, iced herbal tea, or citrus juice and ice.

Coconut Water Kefir You can make Coconut Water Kefir simply by replacing the spring or mineral water in the water kefir recipe with coconut water. (Use in the Strawberry Cosmo).

Mocktail #3: Roast Rhubarb, Blood Orange, Sweet Cicely, and Lemongrass Mocktail

This recipe involves straining off the delicious juices from a potential dessert, letting them cool, and sticking them in a glass for a truly unique refreshment. We offer two mixer options: you can use ginger ale and sparkling water, or if you have a juicer, top up the drink with fresh rhubarb juice and a dash of sparkling water for fizz. Four or five stalks of rhubarb will provide 1/3 cup (100ml) juice. This kind of thoughtful beverage can be a great addition to a broader strategy for nerve comfort.

Tools: Juicer (optional), mixing glass, barspoon/longspoon, tea strainer Glass: Highball Ice: Cubes Garnish: Sweet cicely leaf and/or blood orange segment

Roast Rhubarb Juice (This recipe provides enough juice for two mocktails).

Ingredients:

4-5 stalks of rhubarb, cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) chunks

3 x 2-in (5-cm) pieces of orange peel

3 sprigs of sweet cicely leaves

1 finely chopped lemongrass stalk (outer layers removed)

5 oz. (150ml) blood orange juice (or regular orange juice if you prefer)

Tools to make the roast rhubarb juice: Small ovenproof skillet or frying pan, fine mesh strainer, measuring pitcher.

Instructions:

To roast the rhubarb, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/350 degrees F/Gas 4. Put the rhubarb and other ingredients in the skillet or frying pan and cover with the blood orange juice. Roast for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the rhubarb sticking or drying out. Remove from the oven, let cool, and strain 1/3 cup (100ml) of the juices into the pitcher, ready for making your mocktails.

Assemble:

Fill the mixing glass two-thirds of the way up with ice. Add the roast rhubarb juice, ginger ale/fresh rhubarb juice (whichever you are using), and a squeeze of lemon. Stir well to chill the drink properly. Strain into the serving glass, using a tea strainer to catch any bits, and top with the correct measure of sparkling water. Garnish with a sweet cicely leaf and/or a segment of blood orange.