Archive for July, 2007

Diverticular Disease: Low Fiber, High Fiber - Management of Diverticular Disease

Following a diet that is low in fibre on the onset and length of diverticulitis will assist in coping and easing any of the symptoms that might occur.


The tips that are following may be of value in addressing dietary fiber needs.

Consume breads and cereals low in fiber (white flour). Breads and cereals made from white flour are very low in fibre, due to processing, and the preferred choice for someone having diverticulitis.

Limit ( don’t eliminate) the quantity of plant based foods: As the amount of fibre obtained from such foods is high it is just common sense to consume limited amounts during the length of diverticulitis symptoms

Consume fruits and vegetables with skin removed. Mostly the fibre held in these type of food is held in the skin. Avoid seeds, nuts, legumes and popcorn as they may exacerbate diverticulitis.
Include low in fiber foods:
White breads and non wholegrain or high fiber cereals
Fruits and vegetables (skin removed)
Fruit and vegetable Juice
Dairy products and Meat

For some individuals may be essential to choose also free lactose dairy products when lactose malabsorption is an issue. Suitable foods lactose free or low include:
Soy milk (calcium enriched)
Cheeses (most)
Milk (lactose free)
Yogurt (lactose free)

The management of the passive phase of diverticular disease, diverticulosis, can be dealt by trhe adoption of a high fiber diet. It is worth noting that the same aproach will also prevent the development in the first place of diverticular disease. With the many complications that may develope from having got diverticular disease it could be best if you had began on a fibre high diet earlier before the disease had a chance to develop, instead of allowing it to develop first and address it later, whit all the dangers and complications.

Those suffering diverticular disease, when successfully follow a fibre diet as suggested, they seriously diminish the risks of developing complications and able to live life problem free.

For the small number of people who develop diverticulitis, treatment with the mere change, for one calendar month or so, to a diet with limit fibre could be all it is needed. Usually, the normal high fiber diet, after such a short period of time can be restarted.

Individuals who discount the advice provided by qualified professionals are facing the risk of developing undesirable complications and symptoms.

diverticular disease

 

Visit my other sites

Health and Fitness

Health Solutions is a Premier Site and an Online Health, Nutrition and Fitness Destination.

Tag:

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Diverticulitis: Diet and Fiber Intake

Diets are very individualized issues in life and will differ from one person to another.


The Decision of choosing a diet should be best made by the dieter himself or herself. An individualized diet is more likely to deliver the best results as it will highly depend on what works best for them in reference to type and amount of food to be eaten.
Generally, the next few tips may be of help in order to improve your diet and diverticular disease.

1) Increase the amount of fibre of your daily intake gradually in particularly if you are suffering constipation. This will keep off further gastrointestinal problems such as diverticulitis and will give your body time to gradually adapt to changes. A sudden switch in top high fibre can lead in bloating, flatulence and/or abdominal pain and inflammation of diverticula that causes diverticulitis

2) Consume enough plant foods and less meat or dairy products including:
a) Wholegrain bread and cereal: wholegrain cereal and bread should be the primary source of both insoluble and soluble fibre in your diet. Select from this group of food several times during the day. On the processes of mechanically or chemiclly refining foods, alot of the natural fibre in the foodstuff is frequently lost or removed. When choosing breads and cereals preferably look for the wholegrain types, as they are less processed and therefore carry higher content of fibre. Additionally, choose cereals that are made from barley, wheat and rolled oats.
If the wholegrain bread is not to your preferred kind you could opt for white bread high in grain fibre.
b)
Fruit and vegetables: This group of food also supplies fibre, particularly fruit and vegetables that can be consumed with their skin on.

3) Drink adequate amounts of fluids every day. Get two liters a day to guarantee fluid needs in the body are met and for soft and bulky stools. The term fluid is not only specific to water. Many foods especially liquid foods have also high content of water. These include: Milk, Juice, Tea, Soups and watermelon. In the past, many doctors suggested the exclusion of nuts, pumpkin, caraway and sunflower seeds since it was believed that they could enter the diverticula and result in inflammation and infection (diverticulitis). However, since there is no evidence to support those fomentations they have since been ceased.

Foods with high in fibre that should be include in your diet::
Apples, Pears, Bananas, Peas, Potato with skin on, Broccoli, Spinach, Squash, Carrots, Asparagus, Baked Beans, Chick peas, Lentils, Wholegrain and wholemeal past and bread Breakfast cereals containing wheat, barley, rolled oats, Brown Rice, Psyllium. Altho it may be inviting for its easiness to take, fibre supplements in the diet is best to avoid if possible as this can cause or aggravate diarrhea especially in the event of insufficient fluid intake. Best aim to take all your fibre needs by following a healthy diet.

In the event of diverticulitis the active form of diverticular disease the treatment needed is the reverse of diverticulosis. On the inflamed phase of the disease, (diverticulitis), restrict in the diet the intake of fibre to help minimize the risk of further inflammation and allow time for the bowel to rest and recover. In some cases when inflammation is present a diet based on fluid may be recommended to ease the load on the bowel. Lessening the amount of fibre intake during this stage will limit the passing of waste matter through the inflamed part. Staying on low fibre intake diet for a period of one month or so usually helps symptoms to settled. At this point a gradual higher fibre intake may be recommence.

Early studies have revealed an association of diverticulitis and lactose (milk sugar) malabsorption. Lactose Intolerance individuals may suffer diarrhea, and bloating and abdominal pain when they consume milk and/or dairy and products. It may be essential for those individuals to consume lactose free products whilst diverticulitis is present. When diverticulitis has been suitably treated and settled, they may able to resume the inclusion of dairy products in their diet. In any case, If you experience symptoms that may indicate that you may suffer diverticulitis it is important to consult your doctor.

visit my other sites

Health and fitness

 

Health Solutions is a Premier Site and an Online Health, Nutrition and Fitness Destination.

Tag:

Dietary Fiber: Management of Diverticular Disease

Current literature with almost no exception advocates a high fiber diet as the best and most effective way for the prevention or management of diverticular disease. Fiber is the part of plant foods that is indigestible and assists in bulking stool with roughage to help it passing through the intestine for regular movements of the bowel.

There are two types of dietary fiber generally consumed, insoluble fiber and soluble, both of which helps in creating soft well formed stool and prevent the risk of constipation and other colon and bowel disease


1) Soluble fiber: it dissolves in water easily and forms a soft texture bulk in the colon. This is the body’s primary way of creating bulky soft stools.
2) Insoluble fiber: This type passes through the intestinal tract just about unchanged.

As plant fibrous material is passing through the intestinal tract, water, carbohydrates, protein, fats and essential nutrients removal takes place. In the colon, mostly all that remains is water and little other matter. The colon removes this remaining water and mater, thus forming stools with the help of fiber..

If individual consumes insufficient quantities of dietary fiber rich foods, a hard and dry stool is created that is difficult to move through. In such a case having a bowel motion through needs a higher degree of pressure. Diverticular disease are established over time when the physical structure of an area in the colon becomes incapable of sustaining high levels of pressure; starts to depend on the muscular force of the abdomen to help force stool motion through the bowel. Such an experience is called straining, and over time it results in diverticular disease and inflammation

On the contrary, diets that contain adequate fiber end forming a bulkier, softer and easily moved stool without straining. With sufficient amount of both types of fiber in your daily diet prevention of diverticular disease occurrence is possible as it is the management of preexisting diverticular disease by simply reducing the straining force

The current general recommendations for daily fiber ingestion for the prevention or management of diverticular disease are:

· 25g of fiber for adult women and

· 30g of fiber for adult men per day.

· 28g of fiber for pregnant women and

· 25 -30g for breastfeeding women per day

An additional need in the formation of bulky soft stool is sufficient intake of fluid. This ensures that the stool holds enough water to stay soft and that enough mucus is produced in the bowel. Secretion of mucous helps the easy passing of stool through rather than adhering on the colon wall. Lack of dietary fiber is a primary cause of chronic constipation and diverticular disease. In most cases, a diet high in fiber is beneficial in relieving the symptoms.

visit my other sites

Health and Fitness

Health Solutions is a Premier Site and an Online Health, Nutrition and Fitness Destination.

Tag:
Close
E-mail It