Diarrhea

Stop diarrhea or shorten the recovery time
by half, by knowing what to eat
or what to avoid.

Understanding Diarrhea From time to time, every one of us will encounter diarrhea.  This is our body's natural way of ridding itself of toxins and unclean foreign substance that cause irritation and inflammation in the intestines. Our intestines secrete extra fluids to dispel these foreign stuff, resulting in stomach cramps and loose, watery stools that is diarrhea. An occasional diarrhea is not serious, but if it occurs more than two days, see the doctor at once to prevent dehydration.  More importantly, to rule out a more serious under-lying medical problem.

The foods you eat when you have diarrhea can prolong or shorten the duration of your diarrhea.  Eat the right stuff and it will shorten the recovery time by half.

Causes of Diarrhea

The most common causes of diarrhea are gastrointestinal bacterial, viral and parasitic infections.  Other causes are diseases such as diabetes, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis and HIV.

Allergies and food sensitivities can also trigger diarrhea.  Two main culprit of diarrhea are very often, sugar and milk.  Sugar contains a substance called "sorbitol", a natural sugar substitute that can also be found in fruits, especially in apples, cherries, pears and plums.

Most adults are (cow's) milk intolerant.  Milk is a common cause of diarrhea for people of all ages, including infants.  The inability to digest milk sugar (lactose) and the pathogens and allergens in milk, the offending substances, are to be avoided.

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Diet Suggestions

Most people don't eat when they have diarrhea, to "let the bowel rest".  Don't!!  It is important to continue eating, and eat the right food.  And what are the right foods?

The best cure for diarrhea is not 'clear liquids' (e.g. chicken broth) as is often recommended, but starchy 'cloudy' fluids.  Some examples are rice porridge, carrot/pumpkin soups, coconut water or unsweetened baby rice cereal with a pinch of salt.

Eat frequently, and slowly.  Do not gulp during this time of distress as it may complicate matters by causing nausea.

Avoid anything with sugar, including fruit juices!  Other foods that can aggravate diarrhea:  beans, cabbage, onions, vegetables, whole grain cereals, dairy products (except yogurt), caffeine and diluted soups.

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The sodium in celery has a high concentration of organic alkaline minerals and is calming to the digestive system during diarrhea.  As in constipation, spinach juice cleans the digestive tract by removing the toxins and nourishes the intestines and tone up its functions, an excellent food during diarrhea.  The alkaline minerals, calcium and magnesium, in carrots help soothe and tone the intestinal walls.

Juice two ribs of celery, two stalks of spinach with one carrot.  Take this twice a day to calm the turmoil in the intestines.

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