How to Cook for Diverticulitis

Diverticulitis is an illness that develops when bulging sacs in the intestinal tract, diverticuli, catch small bits of passing matter, which then become inflamed and infected. An episode of diverticulitis may cause vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, fever and severe abdominal pain and tenderness. To prevent further aggravation of the infected diverticuli, your doctor will recommend a liquid diet for a few days, followed by a low-fiber diet that builds to a high-fiber diet. Once your episode is over, you will want to maintain a diet that helps your body to prevent another episode of diverticulitis

Instructions

1

Prepare more foods that are high in fiber. These include whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Pasta and processed foods do not contain much fiber. Stay away from prepared foods. Serve wild or brown rice rather than white rice. Stay away from white bread; serve whole grain breads instead. Rye, wheat and bran are good choices. Make sure the package says "whole" grain. Any bread, unless it is whole grain bread, is of little value.

2

Leave skins on. Peeling fruits and vegetables not only robs them of valuable nutrients, it removes valuable fiber that people with diverticulitis need. Fiber helps to keep waste matter moving through the intestinal tract. Apple pie baked with unpeeled apple slices and carrots and potatoes prepared and served with the skins on are delicious, and many people don't notice that the skin is still there.

3

Serve plenty of liquids. According to the Mayo Clinic, fiber absorbs water and increases soft waste in your colon. However, you need to drink enough liquids to avoid constipation. Juices with pulp are higher in fiber and are particularly beneficial.

4

Develop the habit of looking up the fiber content of foods. Anything that's packaged will have this information listed on the package. You will have to look up other foods in a resource book or on a reliable website. Once armed with knowledge, you can make better choices.

5

Serve seeds and nuts, as long as you don't have any reason to associate them with diverticulitis attacks. According to the Mayo Clinic, there is no evidence that seeds and nuts cause diverticulitis.