It is vital to monitor what you are eating, and how much you are eating on a day to day basis to avoid stomach problems. The wrong kinds of food or too much food can affect your digestive system. When you eat certain types of food that are hard to digest or if you eat too much of something, it can cause diarrhea.
If you suffer from diarrhea occasionally, then you don’t need to worry about this problem. However, if you are facing this problem due to food poisoning or stomach flu, then you must consult a doctor as soon as possible. When you are suffering from diarrhea, you need to make some changes to your diet to bring your digestive system back on track. You need to understand which foods you can consume and which ones you should avoid when you have diarrhea. Some food items and ingredients can worsen this condition.
Here is the list of some food items that can help manage diarrhea.
Foods to add to the diet
When you have diarrhea, you should always make sure that you add bland food to your diet. You should avoid spicy and oily food during this time as such food items can worsen this condition. Here are some foods that you can add to your diet:
- Banana
Banana is a bland fruit that is easy to digest. It will also help to strengthen your digestive system. You lose a lot of electrolytes during an episode of diarrhea. However, banana has potassium that can help restore your electrolyte levels. - Mashed potatoes
Potato is another food item that you can add to your diet when you have diarrhea. This vegetable is also rich in potassium, and you can eat mashed potatoes when you are unwell. Make sure that you consume peeled potatoes, as you need to avoid potato skin if you have diarrhea. You can boil or steam potatoes before eating them. Do not add any butter or oil to it. - Boiled white rice
Boiled white rice is one of the best foods to stop diarrhea. It is healthy to consume plain white rice as it is rich in carbohydrates. This food item can make your stools firm, and hence it can help in stopping diarrhea. You can even try to cook the rice in some chicken broth to add flavor, but do not add any spice or rich curry to it. - White bread or pasta
While whole grains are a nutritious and healthy food item, it is best to avoid wheat if you have diarrhea. Instead, you can eat something made of white flour like white bread or pasta. White flour does not have too much fiber, and hence, it is quite easy to digest as compared to food items made with whole wheat. - Yogurt
Most doctors will advise you to stay away from dairy products when you are suffering from diarrhea. However, they will all suggest one kind of dairy product, and that is yogurt. You need to eat yogurt with active or live bacteria as it helps your digestive system go back to normal. However, you need to be careful while choosing the yogurt. Read the label carefully and check if it has added sugars or artificial sweeteners. Avoid artificially sweetened yogurts as it is hard to digest. - Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a good choice for patients suffering from diarrhea. It has fiber, but it is soluble fiber, and hence it is good food for diarrhea. However, you need to keep in mind that you cannot add any sweetener or honey to it. - Vegetables
You need to add vegetables to your diet as it is a food item that can help manage diarrhea. Before you cook them, remember to peel their skins and remove the seeds if they have any. Do not eat raw vegetables if you’re suffering from diarrhea as it can aggravate the problem. Carrots, beets, green beans are some of the vegetables that you can consume if you have diarrhea.
Diarrhea usually lasts for a short period, after which your health gets back to normal. However, if the problem persists for a long time, then you need to consult a doctor immediately. You should not delay this visit as you could unknowingly worsen the condition. You need to make sure that you drink a lot of fluids when you have diarrhea as your body loses a lot of water when you’re suffering from this condition. Your doctor will also prescribe some medication that will help you get relief from this condition. If you pair it with the right kind of diet, you can speed up your recovery process and return to your normal routine.
