fibre – Tummy Trouble

This article is for people suffering with an episode of Diverticulitis rather than just having Diverticular disease/Diverticulosis.

Not sure what the difference is? Then check out my post about Diverticular Disease/Diverticulosis Vs Diverticulitis.

Diverticulitis is an inflammation or infection of one or more diverticula (pouches) in the bowel. It can cause diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain or discomfort, blood in the stools, a fever and various other symptoms. If you have been diagnosed with diverticulitis, chances are that you’ll be taking antibiotics to help clear the infection. You may also be advised in some cases to undertake a clear liquid diet. For a detailed explanation of what this entails, click here.

You may also be told you are allowed a soft foods/low residue/low fibre diet. This means plain/bland and easily digestible foods that do not contain much fibre. This allows the bowel to rest.

Include:

white bread
white pasta
white rice
white crackers (e.g. Saltines)
chicken/turkey breast (no skin and cooked without adding fat)
white fish (no skin and cooked without adding fat)
boiled/mashed potatoes (no skin)
clear Jelly/Jello
limited low fat dairy (a small portion of low/no fat yoghurt)
limited eggs (preferably cooked without the addition of fats)
decaffeinated tea/coffee and carbonated drinks
applesauce, stewed fruits without seeds of skins
well boiled carrot and courgette with no skin
strained fruit juices without pulp

*Even crackers can taste yummy after a clear liquid diet*…

Please avoid:

fried foods (including fried eggs, potatoes, etc)
rare or medium cooked meat
fatty meats such as duck, lamb and pork
bacon and sausages
high fat dairy products such as cream and butter
brown, high-fibre bread, pasta, rice, quinoa, etc.
fruit juices with pulp
raw fruit and vegetables with seeds and skin
alcoholic beverages
caffeinated beverages such as tea, coffee, cola, energy drinks
very high sugar sweets
chocolate
unhealthy fatty and salty snacks such as crisps, biscuits, cakes, etc.

*Save the cake for when you’re feeling better…*

Remember that everyone is different and sometimes even these foods may cause discomfort. Because of this, I recommend tracking your food and water intake alongside your symptoms to have a clear picture of what is going on. You can do this by using my Diverticular Disease Tracker which is available to download for free and print out immediately.

In addition, I’d recommend eating slowly, and having small portions regularly so that your digestive system isn’t overwhelmed by large meals. You can pick up more tips for good digestion by reading this post.

What do you eat when you have diverticulitis? Are you able to tolerate all of the foods on this suggested list? If not, which are unsuitable foods for you?

This article is for people wanting to know about foods to eat if they have diverticular disease/diverticulosis NOT diverticulitis. If you aren’t sure what the difference is or what you have, click here to find out.

One of the most common questions people have when they are diagnosed with Diverticular disease (DD) /Diverticulosis is ‘What can I eat?’. Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to this question. As an active member of various Facebook support groups, I see people all the time asking can I eat this or that. And the answer to the question is as follows.

There is no answer. Based on the latest medical research, there are no disallowed foods for diverticular disease/diverticulosis. This means, anything you ate before diagnosis, should be safe afterwards. Since you ate them just fine before you discovered the diverticula/pouches in the bowel. However, it is largely believed that eating a diet high in fibre is beneficial for those who have diverticular disease since it keeps the bowels moving and prevents stool causing the diverticula to become inflamed or infected. So perhaps upon discovering you have diverticular disease, you may choose to adopt a higher-fibre diet or a healthier one. This could include swapping white bread, rice and pasta for their healthier brown alternatives, eating more fresh fruit and veg or perhaps eating a high-fibre cereal for breakfast. However, there are cases where a high-fibre diet doesnt work out for various reasons and so, you may be advised to adopt a low-fibre diet instead.

Some doctors will advise their patients that they shouldn’t eat seeds, nuts, popcorn, sweetcorn, etc due to the chance of them being lodged in the diverticula/pouches. Although, current research shows this not to be the case. However, some people do have problems with these foods and if it makes you feel better to avoid them, then that’s fine, too.

A lot of discovering what you can eat, is about trial and error. Everyone is different. Many people with diverticular disease/diverticulosis also suffer with other digestive problems such as IBS that can cause symptoms in response to particular foods. So my advice is that if you are feeling unwell, you can try an elimination diet, or you can simply go day by day and keep track of your food intake by keeping a food diary. I’d recommend for those newly diagnosed especially, keeping track of your food and water intake, your symptoms and your bowel movements. You can do this easily using the Diverticular Disease/Diverticulosis Tracker which you can find here and download for free. It includes instructions for how to fill it out. You can even take your completed tracker pages to the doctor or nutritionist so that they can help you look at what foods may or may not work well with you and your needs.

Some advice I can give to ALL sufferers of Diverticular Disease/Divertiulosis is to drink LOTS of water. Two to three litres (4 – 6 pints/70-100 fl. oz) per day. This will help keep you hydrated, healthy and prevent constipation. Also chew your food well and avoid large portions. In fact, simply following my Tips for Good Digestion may help you avoid digestive discomfort.

Tag: fibre

Diverticulitis – What can I eat?

Diverticular Disease/Diverticulosis – What can I eat?