Eating For Healing From Diverticulitis | Surgical Associates of Cleveland

Have you been diagnosed with diverticulitis? In this digestive disease, pouches form in the wall of the colon and become inflamed or even infected. Diet changes and antibiotics are often recommended–and sometimes surgery–so the Surgical Associates of Cleveland want to help you navigate the appropriate changes you should make.

The focus of a diverticulitis diet is to give your gastrointestinal tract time to heal. You want to prevent constipation to avoid further infection.

Foods to avoid on a diverticulitis diet:

• Carbonated beverages
  
• Caffeinated beverages
  
• Fruits and vegetables with seeds
  
• Beans, broccoli and cauliflower
  
• Sugary and starchy foods like pastries, cookies, bread, pasta
  

Avoiding the above list of foods will help you decrease inflammation to help your body heal.

Some patients with diverticulitis will also need to avoid alcohol. The condition can change the way your body handles alcohol and drinking can have contraindications with certain medicines. If you are in the middle of a diverticulitis attack, you should avoid until you haven’t had an attack for a while.

Sometimes, your doctor may put you on a clear liquid diet to help your body heal more quickly, or if your flare up is especially bad.

Clear liquid diets are pretty restrictive but they’re meant to give your digestive system a rest to ease some of your symptoms.

What’s included on a clear liquid diet:

• Chicken, vegetable, or bone broth
  
• Ice chips
  
• Water
  
• Plain gelatin
  
• Tea
  
• Light colored hard candies
  
• Light colored juices such as apple or pineapple juice
  
• Strained lemonade
  

After your clear liquid diet, your doctor may recommend a full liquid diet next:

• Beverages like milk or milk substitutes, and fruit or vegetable juices
  
• Smooth ice cream, sherbet, or frozen yogurt
  
• Yogurt without fruit
  
• Pudding
  
• Cream of wheat
  
• Cream of rice
  
• Butter, margarine, and oils
  
• Ice pops without any fruit pieces
  
• Broths and tomato soup
  
• Liquid nutritional supplements (if advised by your doctor)
  

You might need surgery to treat your diverticulitis–learn more.

We are so pleased to help our community heal from a variety of illness including diverticulitis. Let us know if you have any questions about colon surgery for the condition. Visit our website today!