The Diverticulitis Diet DefinedAuthor: MN Nikk
Diverticulitis develops from a condition called diverticulosis. If you're older than 40, it's common for you to have diverticulosis - small, bulging pouches (diverticula) in your digestive tract. In the United States, more than 50 percent of people older than 60 have diverticula. Although diverticula can form anywhere, including in your esophagus, stomach and small intestine, most occur in your large intestine. Because these pouches seldom cause any problems, you may never know you have them. A low-fiber diet is considered to be the main cause of diverticular problems. First diagnosed in the United States in the early 1900s, and now common throughout developed countries, the emergence of diverticular disease coincided with the introduction of low-fiber processed foods (eg. branless refined flour). Even now, the disease is rare in Asia and Africa, where people eat high-fiber vegetable diets. In the past, many doctors recommended that people with diverticulosis avoid seeds and nuts, including foods with small seeds, such as tomatoes and strawberries. It was thought that these tiny particles could lodge in the diverticula and cause inflammation (diverticulitis). But there is no scientific evidence that seeds and nuts cause diverticulitis. In fact, eating a high-fiber diet - which may include nuts and seeds - reduces the risk of diverticulitis. It is now believed that only foods that may irritate or get caught in the diverticula cause problems. A low-residue Diverticulitis Diet is recommended during the flare-up periods of diverticulitis to decrease bowel volume so that the infection can heal. An intake of less than 10 grams of fiber per day is generally considered a low residue Diverticulitis Diet. If you have been on a low-residue diet for an extended period of time, your doctor may recommend a daily multi-vitamin/mineral supplement. Once your symptoms improve, start to add about 5 to 15 grams of fiber a day to allow your digestive system to adjust to the higher fiber intake. Although there is much conflicting information, even in the medical world, about what constitutes a good Diverticulitis Diet, the basic principle of healthy eating remains the same. Most people have no symptoms and only find out that they have Diverticulosis when they've had a colonoscopy done. If you fall into this category, the guidelines suggest that you start on a high fiber and high fluids diet as soon as possible. You should also avoid constipation at all costs. In general, treatment depends on the severity of your signs and symptoms and whether this is your first attack of diverticulitis. If your symptoms are mild, a liquid or low-fiber diet and antibiotics may be all you need. But if you're at risk of complications or have recurrent attacks of diverticulitis, you may need more advanced care. A high-fiber diet is very important in preventing future diverticulitis attacks. As you increase your fiber intake, increase your fluid intake as well. Many people don't realize the harm that a low fiber diet can do to you, and the Diverticulitis Diet is really a necessity to everyone, not just those with the disease. We must remember to keep high-fiber healthy diets to allow ourselves the nutrition we need to support our bodies and allow for proper nutrition. Even if you do have diverticulitis, the Diverticulitis Diet will help you get your bodies nutrients on track and allow you to be healthy again.
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Finding A Diet For DiverticulitisAuthor: Nick Travis
Copyright (c) 2010 Nick Travis
If you have diverticulitis, you are joining a large group of people in the world with the same condition. You can be treated, thankfully, but results are usually better if you combine treatment with a diet for diverticulitis.
Reducing the bulk of waste in the intestines is a huge help in treating this condition. Doctors will usually prescribe a special diet to help reduce the quantity of food in the digestive tract. While this diet is fine for short periods, make sure you take a vitamin supplement if you have to follow it for more than a month.
Just what is permitted on a low residue diet? What do doctors usually suggest? Let's look at what you can eat. Dairy should be avoided while other foods ought to be kept simple.
Basically, you choose between two different options when it comes to diverticulitis diets. The clear diet requires just water, fruit juices without pulp, ice and plain gelatin. These aren't very exciting but they do allow the gut to rest and are usually used during a bad attack of diverticulitis.
The next diet type is far easier to stick to. You're allowed real foods, though they should be processed and not anything that could up the amount of feces in the intestine. This is usually used for those who are in treatment for their condition.
When you eat grains, skip the whole grains and opt for processed. Pasta, white rice, crackers and toasted white bread are all good options. You'll be healthier if you stick to the plain cereals, as well.
While on this diet, you should eat some fruit. Fruit juices are all good, except for prune juice. Watermelon, peaches and watery or juicy fruit like these are the best to eat. You should also be able to have canned fruit cocktail.
Skip foods that cause gas. Anything like beans, cabbage or broccoli should be left off the meal plan. You will still eat squash, green beans, zucchini, carrots and potatoes without the skin on them. Most vegetables like this are fine to eat. Just consider how much bulk a meal will add to your bowels before eating it.
Eggs, fish and chicken are all appropriate sources of protein for someone with diverticulitis. Meat should be very soft. Ground beef is a very good option since it is forced to be tender, but any soft cooked meat should do the trick. Just keep in mind that your intestines need to take it easy right now.
It isn't hard to stick to a diet for diverticulitis if there is a plan and are prepared. Making sure you stock up on the right food in your house is very important. When combined with the right treatment, it's possible to beat this condition and get back to normal food.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/finding-a-diet-for-diverticulitis-3122332.html
About the AuthorDo you want to learn more about diet for diverticulosis and how to restore your intestinal health? Then go to http://www.dietfordiverticulosis.org/
The Best Diet For Diverticulitis
By Gary Vaughn
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What Are Diverticula?
As humans age, they often develop increased pressure in their colon. This pressure is often caused by increasing episodes of constipation. As the pressure is applied to the colon, over time, small tissue pockets or sacs develop outward from the wall of the colon. These sacs are called diverticula. The singular is diverticulum.
The diverticula most commonly occur in the lower 1/3 of the colon, in the area known as the sigmoid colon.
There is no known, specific biological purpose for diverticula. They are simply an anomaly that occurs with age and increasing colonic pressure. The biological reason for the development of diverticula is merely the weakening of the colon as a person ages.
The development of diverticula in the colon is known as "diverticulosis." When they become inflamed, the condition is called "diverticulitis."
What Causes The Diverticula To Become Inflamed? When small particles of difficult to digest food become trapped in the diverticula, they tend to rub on the walls of the colon and develop a very small lesion or ulcer. This small ulcer becomes inflamed and can often react unfavorably to bacteria, which is highly populous in this area.
Once the bacteria enters the picture, the diverticula become very inflamed, swollen and painful. When inflammation occurs, the next step is rupture. If a diverticulum ruptures, the result can be peritonitis or infection of the interior gut, causing severe abdominal pain and tenderness, vomiting, fever and diarrhea, as well as some other serious symptoms.
The ultimate result of this diverticulitis is often serious surgical intervention. This surgery, called a "colon resection", is the actual "cutting out" of affected diverticula. Once this surgery is performed it is essential for the patient to avoid further episodes as the next step is often the application of a colostomy or the removal of a large portion of the colon and the production of an abdominal "stoma" or hole in the gut from which defecation occurs.
The most effective and widely used preventative treatment for diverticulitis is the diverticulitis diet.
What Is A Diverticulitis Diet? A diverticulitis diet is simply one that seeks to accomplish two tasks:
1) It prevents the further introduction of foods that have small, difficult to digest particles such as fibrous fruits or vegetables.
2) It lowers the pressure on the gut and allows the colon to rest as much as possible.
What Are The Most Common Diverticulitis Diets? The most common diet used during acute episodes of the condition is what as known as a "low residue" diet. With this type of diet, fiber is reduced as much as possible because fiber particles can get into the diverticula and cause additional inflammation. The elimination of fiber allows the gut the flow and rest. It rests because fiber causes the bowel to move. Without much fiber, the colon tends to have less peristaltic action, which is the undulating movement that causes feces to move along through the colon. The lack of peristaltic action, unfortunately often leads to constipation so special types of laxatives, called osmotic laxatives, must be used. Most laxatives are bulk laxatives and use fibrous products to cause the bowel to move.
Osmotic laxatives, on the other hand, work by pulling large amounts of fluids into the colon. When this occurs the accumulation of all this fluid in the bowel leads to evacuation of the bowel contents.
With a "low residue" diet certain fruits and vegetables are allowed because their structure is such that very low fiber conditions occur. Some allowed vegetables include carrots, green beans, yellow beans, lettuce, cucumber, cabbage and cauliflower. Also skinless baked potatoes can be eaten effectively.
Some allowed fruits may be banana, cantaloupe, grapes, peaches and watermelon.
Corn, prunes, cherries, lima beans, red beans or nuts of any kind are strictly forbidden as are such products as popcorn.
A "low residue" diet is not easy to prepare nor to tolerate at all times. However, it is necessary in order to avoid an exacerbation of diverticulitis. It is also the most common diet for treatment of diverticulitis.
Another diet which is finding more popularity is the "food combining" diet. This diet should be used after the symptoms have dissipated and the gut is near normal; however, it can also be used to calm the symptoms if followed very strictly.
The "food combining" diet allows a person to eat almost any food that they enjoy eating. The difference is that these foods must be eaten in very specific combinations.
Here's how this works in the gut:
The stomach and intestines can digest "almost" any kind of food as long as it has the appropriate pH to do so. When the pH is balanced as it should be, the appropriate enzymes, acids, alkalies and digestive juices are introduced at the right times. Thus, the efficiency of the digestive system is at maximum and most foods can be digested.
There are still some foods that simply do not break down well in any human digestive system so those particular foods are avoided at all costs.
The entire secret is determining which particular foods work the best, when combined properly. This is not difficult. It simply requires an appropriate information chart. Once a person understands how these food combinations work and use this diet, they often find that the symptoms of diverticulitis can be avoided as long as they remain loyal to the diet.
They also find that they can eat most of the foods they love as long as they maintain a certain combination of food mixtures.
Both diets are found to be highly effective if the patient sticks with them and remains compliant with the rules and requirements.
A decent diverticulitis diet can make the difference between a really horrible digestive experience or a near-normal epicurean life.
Discover the secrets of food combining and find out how this miraculous diet can rid one of diverticulitis and almost any other digestive problems. Look for the free white paper offer containing a plethora of information and instructions.
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