Alcohol Part 1: Proceed With Caution

Yes, I know this is incredibly "first world problems" material, but I miss being able to socially drink. My go-to bar drink was a gin and tonic, but most cheap brands of tonic water use high fructose corn syrup as the sweetener. Why is HFCS in everything? I'll take my gin with... water and a lime. Excluding alcohol, I can't even get a Mango A-Go-Go smoothie from Jamba Juice either. Or a Frappuccino. Woe is me.

Like others my age, I've dabbled in the stupid and reaped the consequences: Four Lokos (before they got banned and had caffeine), an open bar at a wedding, and mixing and matching liquor. After repeat bad experiences, I settled down and acquired a preference for beer. It was something to sip rather than throw back, and it left me less inebriated than wine. I had just professed my love to Hoegaarden when I started my FODMAP-induced torture. Wheat, and wheat-based grains, are vital ingredients in beer. Sadly, no beer no more.

But, maybe this was a blessing in disguise. I had had trouble with beer even when I only had one but mixed it with other alcohol, and it never left my guts feeling too great. So now I stick to the clear hard stuff, gin and vodka. I've tried GF beer too, but I still don't feel well after drinking it.

Redbridge, a gluten free beer

My recommendations: stick to one type of liquor until you find something that works with your system. Be wary of mixers, too. Most bars use the cheapest cranberry cocktail/tonic water/other fruit juices, so they're all likely to have HFCS.