After writing how to get rid of cold sores?, how to get rid of stomach ache? and how to get rid of diarrhea?, we are now writing what to eat when you have diarrhea. There are a variety of foods to eat when you have diarrhea. Whether due to bacterial infection, a wrong meal, stomach flu or anything that doesn’t suit your stomach; diarrhea can be caused through any of these reasons. Sometimes, after having a nice dinner outside, you end up with frequent bowel movements, loose stools, cramps, gas and bloating. It also can happen, if you are under some stress. You may feel that your stomach is getting rumbled up and cramped. For some people, it lasts only for two-three days. It leads to a loss of body fluids and often causes unhealthy weight loss which in turn causes weakness. However, you can improve the symptoms by making some changes to your diet. You should take care of what you are eating and drinking along with the medications if recommended by the physician.
What to Eat When You Have Diarrhea:
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While suffering from diarrhea, you may have been advised to switch to BRAT Diet. BRAT stands for- Banana, Rice, Applesauce, Toast. BRAT diet is the answer of what to eat when you have diarrhea? But following only BRAT diet during diarrhea cannot be much helpful as it is nutritionally inadequate. For the first 24 hours, try to eat simple foods. It is better to eat thicker bland and low-fiber foods, which can help in making stool firmer. Foods such as oatmeal, barley, rye, saltines, pretzels, boiled potatoes without skin, toast, boiled chicken without any skin or fat and boiled eggs can be consumed during if you have diarrhea. You can have yogurt but avoid dairy products. Drink electrolyte solutions, water and sports drink (sodium and potassium).
These foods should be taken in small portions throughout the day. Increase fluid intake in your diet to prevent dehydration but do not mix drinks with food. Keep some gap between their intakes. The following foods are consumed generally to help with the symptoms of diarrhea:
1.) Include The Banana in Your Diet
Banana is one of the best foods to eat when you have diarrhea. High level of potassium found in a banana can help in replenishing the electrolyte lost during diarrhea. Banana is easy to digest and bland in nature. It can settle the upset stomach very effectively. Bananas also contain pectin, which is a soluble fiber. Pectin can absorb the excess water content of intestine and results in smooth passage of stool. Bananas have one another soluble fiber called inulin. Being prebiotic, it supports the increase in the count of the good bacteria (probiotic) in the intestine.
2.) Eat Rice and Potatoes
Rice and potatoes are easily digestible carbohydrates. Starch content in these two are much complex and get digested in GI tract. In order to restrict frequent bowel movements, you need to eat rice and potatoes in their simplest form i.e., boiled. Do not add butter or any spices into it. Keep it plain. Butter and spices can be irritating to your intestine. You can add salt to it. Rice and potatoes are one of the foods to eat when you have diarrhea.
3.) Take Help From Yogurt
Dairy products are banned for you during diarrhea but yogurt is an exception for it. You can add an ample amount of yogurt in your diet. It contains healthy bacteria like lactobacillus acidophilus. Cultures of these bacteria are useful probiotic. These bacteria help in balancing and regulating a number of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract by adding or replacing them. Yogurt is one of the foods to eat when you have diarrhea. Take care of the sugar content in the yogurt as excessive sugar may worsen the situation.
4.) Eat The Apple Sauce
Apple contains a good amount of pectins in it like the banana. But fiber content is much higher in apple comparatively. So, it is better to have cooked apple instead of having it raw. Cooked apple becomes more digestible and put less strain on your intestine. As a result, you get all the benefits of pectin, sugar and nutrients present in apple through applesauce. Applesauce is one of the foods to eat when you have diarrhea.
5.) Have More Liquid To Break Your Meal
You have to increase the liquid intake in order to get rid of diarrhea. Just increase the consumption of water and juice. Make sure that you go for water or sips of it very frequently. It will help treat diarrhea fast. And, the second thing you should go for is break your meal down. It doesn’t mean that you decrease the consumption of food, but it actually means that you should break the meal and divide it into smaller portions. Convert you one meal into three and consume it on a regular interval of time. It helps with digestion.
6.) Have Some Steamed Chicken
Properly steamed white meat chicken without skin can be a good source of protein. Moreover, it is bland in nature so goes well with the upset stomach. Some nutrients will get inside your body through steamed chicken. You can boil it too and have it as a soup. But try to avoid adding butter or oil to it because these are very hard on the digestive system and can increase further complications. Steamed chicken is one of the foods to eat when you have diarrhea.
7.) Drink Peppermint Tea
Peppermint helps in releasing out the excessive gas present inside the intestines. It can provide the soothing effect to the digestive system. Furthermore, it can ease out the cramps and relaxes the intestinal muscles. Apart from this, sipping out a warm cup of tea will provide mental relaxation too in this stressful phase. Peppermint tea is one of the foods to eat when you have diarrhea.
8.) Electrolytes and Sugar-Salt Solutions
Prolonged diarrhea can cause dehydration (loss of water and nutrients from the body). It is advised to take electrolyte solutions which are rich in potassium and sodium if you have diarrhea. Sugar-salt solution is equally beneficial in this case. Salt can restrict the fluid loss from your body and sugar helps your body in absorbing the salt. These solutions are one of the foods to eat when you have diarrhea.
9.) Drink Some Rice Water
Here comes another home remedy that is used to treat different types of stomach problems. Have rice water and get rid of diarrhea or you can just eat a small amount of plain rice. For the rice water, take one cup of rice. Add it to six cups of boiling water. Steep it for some time. Strain the liquid and keep the rice aside. Drink the water and eat cooked rice.
10.) Prepare Some Carrot Soup
Carrot soup helps a lot with diarrhea. Carrot does not only treat the bacteria, but also helps in recovering fast. You just have to prepare carrot soup and have it. It will do its job. Making soup is easy. Take 1-2 carrot and slice it into thin pieces. Take a cup of water and boil it. Add the slices of the carrot to it and cover it with a lid. Add a pinch of salt. Simmer it for a few minutes. When it is ready, drink it. Repeat at least twice a day.
11.) Have Black Seeds
Black seeds are also among the most amazing remedies for diarrhea. It is also helpful with other stomach problems like gas. It also goes with asthma. Black seeds calms down the bowl movement and helps with the digestion process. Use it in the following way, take a cup of plain yogurt. Add a spoon of black seed oil. Eat it twice a day.
12.) Take Help From Ginger
When it comes at treating the stomach problem, ginger works great. It helps with the digestion and gastric juices. It does the same function with diarrhea. You can have the tea prepared with ginger. Take a 1 cm of ginger and grate it well. Add it to a spoon of honey and eat it. This will help with gastric juices. Avoid drinking water immediately after consuming it.
13.) Chew Some Fenugreek Seeds
It is another fantastic remedy for stomach problems. It works in the same way with diarrhea also. What you have to do is simply chew some fenugreek seeds and you are done. It will perform its function after reaching the stomach and get you relief from diarrhea.
14.) Have Cumin Seeds With Yogurt
It is also one of the amazing remedies for diarrhea. It works great at initial stage and give you a great relief from pain and loose stools. What you have to do is mix it with fenugreek seeds and chew it. Take equal amount of roasted cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. Take two spoons of yogurt and mix them well. Consume this mixture thrice a day.
15.) Drink Chamomile Tea
It is good at treating the pain that accompanies diarrhea. It has soothing effects and improves the functioning of your system. When combined with mint leaves, it works great. Take one teaspoon of chamomile leave and one teaspoon of peppermint leaves. Take a glass of water and boil it. Add the leaves to it and steep it for 10 minutes. Now strain the liquid and drink it.
16.) Eat Some Blueberries
Blueberries contain tannins which are having astringent properties. Tannins can contract muscles, improve inflammation and control secretion of fluids and mucus. Soluble fiber, pectin is also found in blueberries like apple and banana. Blueberries have antibacterial properties too. You can chew dried blueberries or can sip it as a tea by boiling dried blueberries for a few minutes. It is going to help with the symptoms of diarrhea. Blueberries are one of the foods to eat when you have diarrhea.
17.) Drink Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is an ingredient, which is used for treating numerous problems. It is known for its capacity to treat skin problems. ACV is rich in antibacterial properties that soothes the stomach. It is also rich in pectin that is also good for stomach. Take a glass of water and add 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to it. Mix it well and drink it twice a day for the best results.
Foods Should Be Avoided During Diarrhea:
- Fatty foods: Fried foods, chips, bakery products, which are fatty in nature.
- Alcohols: Alcoholic beverages such as beer, rum, whiskey and wine.
- Caffeine drinks: Caffeine-containing drinks such as tea and coffee.
- Nuts and butter. Ice-creams and dried fruits.
- Foods that cause gas: Cabbage, cauliflower, radish, broccoli and beans are some fat causing vegetables.
- Artificial sweeteners and Sorbitol: Artificial sweeteners can cause a laxative effect to your digestive system. Avoid intake of sugarless products.
- Preserved and Stored foods: Canned foods should be avoided. Foods that come right from the refrigerator can worsen the symptoms of diarrhea.
- Supplements: Flaxseed oil, DHA, activated charcoal, bee pollen, etc. these supplements can worsen existing diarrhea.
