A low residue 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. Here’s a brief menu for diverticulitis:
Grain Products:
- enriched refined white bread, buns, bagels, english muffins
- plain cereals e.g. Cheerios, Cornflakes, Cream of Wheat, Rice Krispies, Special K
- arrowroot cookies, tea biscuits, soda crackers, plain melba toast
- white rice, refined pasta and noodles
- avoid whole grains
Fruits:
- fruit juices except prune juice
- applesauce, apricots, banana (1/2), cantaloupe, canned fruit cocktail, grapes, honeydew melon, peaches, watermelon
- avoid raw and dried fruits, raisins and berries.
Vegetables:
- vegetable juices
- potatoes (no skin)
- alfalfa sprouts, beets, green/yellow beans, carrots, celery, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, mushrooms, green/red peppers, potatoes (peeled), squash, zucchini
- avoid vegetables from the cruciferous family such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, Swiss chard etc
Meat and Protein Choice:
- well-cooked, tender meat, fish and eggs
- avoid beans and lentils
- Avoid all nuts and seeds, as well as foods that may contain seeds (such as yogurt)
Dairy:
as directed by your health care providers
Aloe Vera
The Aloe Vera plant is believed by many to be one of nature’s most incredible byproducts. It has been used for many years around the house to treat cuts and burns, and has been incorporated into countless of commercial products such as lip-balm, shampoo, and sunscreen/sunburn lotions. However, there exists a concentrated powdered extract from aloe called aloe mucilaginous polysaccharides. It is used to treat auto-immune disorders and diseases. Particularly those in the digestive tract.
Aloe Mucilaginous Polysaccharide can be used to help treat diverticulitis. Aloe mucilaginous polysaccharides are long-chain sugar molecules composed of individual mannose and glucose sugar molecules connected together — which have been attributed to subduing and reducing symptoms associated with UC.
The AMP molecule is extracted from the aloe plant in a controlled environment. To get the highest refinement of AMP, lyophilization must be used to preserve the varying sizes of molecules that contain these potent healing properties. Unfortunately, there are few manufacturers that offer the freeze-dried extracted form of AMP as it is expensive to manufacture.
by Lisa Bright
