WHAT TO EAT WHEN YOU HAVE DIVERTICULOSIS/DIVERTICULITIS
What the heck CAN I eat?
Those were the words I uttered repeatedly after being diagnosed with diverticulosis. This condition is the presence of pockets in the colon, which are caused by constipation, which is normally the result of stress and poor diet low in fiber. This is yet another condition caused by the effects of stress on the body. I did read somewhere also that it is related to the presence of uric acid, which can cause some really bad problems. But the intake of dark cherry juices can neutralize the uric acid.
An acute attack of diverticulitis is when the diverticula (pockets in the colon) become inflamed when something gets caught in the pocket, and the antibodies are rushing over to fill in the hole (to prevent further perforation, which can be fatal). This condition is extremely painful, and once you have suffered this type of an attack, it becomes vitally important to figure out just what you can eat.
No nuts, no corn, no seeds, nothing with hard pieces (ground turkey landed me in the hospital, believe it or not!). Tomato seeds and nuts did me in as well. I did have surgery in November to remove 18 inches of my colon, and I have had little problems since. I do take the psyllium husks and I shy away from tomatoes (other than strained).
Different people are bothered by different things. You also have to eat differently directly after an attack. Fasting is the only temporary cure for attacks, really. But a person can't fast long enough to actually cure this condition and live.
I lived on green drinks and high fiber breads and cereals. The skins of grapes and apples didn't bother me like it bothered other people I talked to. One woman didn't respond well to blueberries. Many people are also bothered by ground meats, like I was.
Kale is good. Spinach is good, but it can cause ibs (irritable bowel syndrome), which is also something people with this type of colon condition may be prone to during times of stress. once the colon starts spasming painfully in response to stressful situations, it can mean long periods of time in the bathroom. That is when fennel extract comes in handy.
The best thing is probably to just go ahead and have the colonoscopy and talk to a doctor about the necessity of surgery. Some people have it worse than others. When it became an extreme hindrance to my everyday living, I had to opt in on the surgery thing. I am so glad I did now. However, i was able to have it done laparascopically, which is much less invasive. I also healed fairly quickly, even though that is still considered to be major surgery.
