During acute attacks of diverticulitis, eat a low-fiber diet. Avoid foods that may contribute to nausea or pain, such as caffeine, spicy foods, chocolate, and milk products.
Liquid Diet:
Milkshakes. Ice cream or ice pops- no fruit or chocolate chips! Tea. Pudding.
Sugar is another big culprit. It plays a part in symptomatic diverticular disease and may mimic irritable bowel syndrome.
Actually, no specific foods are known to trigger diverticulitis attacks. And no special diet has been proved to prevent attacks. In the past, people with small pouches (diverticula) in the lining of the colon were told to avoid nuts, seeds and popcorn.
Stay with liquids or a bland diet (plain rice, bananas, dry toast or crackers, applesauce) until you are feeling better.
High-sugar and high-fat foods
Hard-to-digest foods, fatty and fried foods, and foods high in sugar and low fiber content, which are common in Western diets, can also increase the risk of diverticulitis.
Eggs contain protein that can be easily digested, and it will not irritate your digestive tract. Therefore, scrambled eggs can be taken during diverticulitis.
There are no specific foods you need to avoid. You do not need to avoid any foods such as nuts, seeds, corn, popcorn or tomatoes if you have diverticular disease. These foods do not make diverticular disease worse. These foods may even help prevent it because they are high fibre choices.
Diet for Diverticulosis
High-fiber foods include: Beans and legumes. Bran, whole wheat bread and whole grain cereals such as oatmeal.
Diverticulosis: What to Eat. Cater says people with diverticulosis can benefit from eating fiber-rich foods, including: Whole grains, such as quinoa, bulgur, teff, barley, popcorn, oats, shredded wheat or bran cereals, and whole grain breads. Beans and legumes, including black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas and lentils.
Greasy, high-fat foods or those loaded with sugar may prompt inflammation in the digestive system, which could cause stomach pain or other symptoms. Fried foods and potato chips are examples of unhealthy high-fat foods. High-sugar foods include cakes, muffins, candy, and cookies.
Strained fruit and vegetable juice (little to no pulp) Butter, margarine, and vegetable oils. Eggs, chicken, turkey, fish, and tofu. Low-fat dairy products (if tolerated)
At the start of a flare-up, your doctor will likely want you to stick to clear liquids for a few days, until your symptoms start to improve. “It's important to not aggravate the flare-up more,” Ehsani says. Clear liquid options include: Plain water, or water with honey.
The diverticulitis flare will usually go away after four to six weeks, Doerfler says. At that point, you can start eating higher-fiber foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats like nuts, seeds, avocado, and olive oil.
Diverticulitis is an intestinal disease that can cause fatigue in some people. The fatigue may be caused by infection, inflammation, or sleep disruption due to pain. It could also be related to nutritional deficiencies such as anemia, dehydration, medication side effects, or surgery.
You may have heard advice that people with diverticular disease should avoid small, sharp and hard foods such as nuts, seeds and corn. The thinking is that there is a risk of undigested remnants of these foods lodging in the diverticula and causing inflammation.
Fresh fruits, like apples, have the most fiber when eaten with the skin. 13 However, if you're having symptoms of diverticulitis, look for lower-fiber options, like applesauce. Bananas are another good source of fruit fiber.
It's also OK to eat small fruits with seeds, such as strawberries and blueberries. Research has found that these foods are not associated with an increased diverticulitis risk.
Oatmeal is a great source of fiber – which is important for patients with diverticulitis or diverticulosis. But be sure to avoid eating high-fiber foods while experiencing a flare-up or abdominal discomfort.