When you have a diverticulitis crisis, the odds are that you a stricken by sharp pain. Your medical professional has also probably told you that you need to eat a "low residue diverticulitis diet" until the crisis passes.
Fortunately, experts report that it will be easier than ever to find enjoyable foods that achieve the requirement.
A diverticulitis crisis explained
If everything is perfect in your colon, the inner wall is smooth and you don't have any problems. No pouches, or "diverticula", exist that can trap food particles.
Diverticula are now a regular occurrence in middle-aged and older people. Most people who have diverticula experience no ill effects. But that will change if you wake up with a Diverticulitis Crisis.
When the situation reaches a peak, those sacs become extremely irritated. That can hurt like the dickens; you can also become very sick if one of the bubbles breaks. A medical professional can diagnose how advanced your crisis is, then he will generally select infection-fighting drugs and perhaps surgery to attack it.
A low fiber diet is an important part of crisis treatment
Experts say that diverticula occur when a person chooses food with little roughage for an extended period of time. Low food bulk can cause increased stress on the perimeter of your colon. Over time, that pressure locates a particular place in the colon wall and pops out a bubble.
The first step toward treating a an acute period by cutting food bulk to the absolute minimum. The problem means that the strained colon wall must be rested, and easy-to-digest food will reduce the need for the peristaltic action that carries food through your system.
After the crisis has passed and you have started to get better, your physician will tell you to transition to a different diet containing large amounts of fiber. But today, you will benefit when you reduce your daily fiber intake under 10 grams.
What to eat in a diverticulitis diet
Usually people tell you to eat more fiber. When you have a diverticulitis crisis, you want to do the exact opposite.
Everyday Advice: "Eat oat muffins."
Emergency Advice: "Eat refined white bread."
Everyday Advice: "Eat brown rice."
Emergency Advice: "Eat white rice."
Everyday Advice: "Eat the whole apple."
Emergency Advice: "Enjoy the juice instead."
Everyday Advice: "The outer shell of the potato is the healthiest part."
Emergency Advice: "Peel it, throw out the skin, and dig in."
Everyday Advice: "Nuts make a healthy snack."
Emergency Advice: "Stay away from nuts."
Everyday Advice: "Milk builds strong bones."
Emergency Advice: "No dairy."
Everyday Advice: "Eat your beans."
Emergency Advice: "Avoid beans and spices."
Search for breakfast cereals with little fiber. Go back to your childhood, because the cereals with the least fiber are those colorful junk foods that you quit eating when you became a grown-up.
Pasta from refined flour is also great. But don't go crazy on preparation: red sauce often contain dangerous seeds, and many kinds of cheese will be on the forbidden list.
Some people report that they have trouble going to the bathroom because of this diet. It's a common complaint. Once you have gotten past the crisis, your doctor will advise you to switch back your normal foods. Eventually, you will want to move to a diet with a lot of fiber and that problem will go away.