Help! You have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and you are experiencing diarrhea. Having diarrhea is no fun at all, but it is even less humorous when you are also a diabetic.
There are several reasons why a diabetic can be experiencing bouts of chronic diarrhea. Some of these...
- diet, and
- carrying excess weight,
- are preventable.
- Others, such as...
- a reaction to your medications, or
- just being unfortunate enough to have an overly sensitive system,
are much more difficult to work with.
In either case, what you eat has a lot to do with how well, and how quickly your body recovers.
The age-old advise is to incorporate the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast). While this may work well for non-diabetics, it certainly isn't the best advice to give someone dealing with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
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The first rule of thumb in defeating diarrhea is to drink lots of fluids. Undergoing episodes of diarrhea not only means your body is depleting itself of much-needed nutrients and vitamins, but it also means it is expelling more fluid than it can afford to lose. Adding dehydration to diarrhea is not only unhealthy, but it's also dangerous.
Replace lost fluids by drinking clear, non caffeinated liquids (water, diet soft drinks, diet powered drinks, tea, etc.) every hour.
Once your electrolytes drop too low, you risk becoming ill and possibly landing yourself in hospital. Allowing your body's fluid volume to dip too low means tissues, muscles, blood vessels, organs, and especially blood sugar, is going to suffer.
Your eating plan at this time should also include bananas. But eat them in moderation. While they are good for rejuvenating one's body after episodes of diarrhea, they still contain a high level of fruit sugar... fructose, which is not good for diabetics. Having one or two per day is fine. After that, you need to find another way to replenish what has been lost.
Next, remember to stay away from fibrous foods. But how do you do this when some of the most important foods for a diabetic are fibrous? Boil them. When you soften vegetables through boiling, it gives your body what it desperately needs without intensifying your diarrhea. Just be on the lookout for vegetables with skin, such as eggplant, tomatoes, etc. Peeling them first will help the cause.
An important part of the diet is toast... as long as it is whole wheat. Trying to skimp and go with white bread is not advisable. Just make sure to keep it dry. Smearing butter or margarine on it adds oil. In the midst of a bout of diarrhea, oil is not exactly a friend.
Avoid foods that may aggravate diarrhea (greasy foods, high-fiber foods, and sometimes dairy foods).
Choose bland foods such as:
- baked meats,
- rice,
- plain potatoes,
- plain pasta,
- yogurt,
- artificially sweetened gelatin, puddings or popsicles, and even
- broth-based soups.
It is advised you eat small amount every few hours.
Call your doctor if you have had diarrhea for more than 4 hours and check with the pharmacist before taking over-the-counter anti-diarrhea agents.
Don't forget to check for ketones if you have Type 1 diabetes or are pregnant and your blood sugar level is staying above your target level.
So, how will you start to create a healthy lifestyle today?
For nearly 25 years Beverleigh Piepers has searched for and found a number of secrets to help build a healthy body.
The answer really isn't in the endless volumes of available information but in yourself.
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