Nutritional Guide - Flipbook - Page 24
LIFESTYLE
Lifestyle
There are many dietary and lifestyle factors that can irritate
the over-sensitive gut, such as smoking, carbonated (fizzy)
drinks, eating too quickly, not chewing foods enough before
swallowing, lots of exercise/activity and stress. There are
no health benefits to smoking and it is always advisable to
consider quitting.
Food texture
Foods that are softer can be easier to eat because they
take less effort and energy to chew and break down.
Softer foods, like well cooked vegetables, are also
easier to digest and therefore are less likely to cause
blockages, cramps or looser stools. Foods do not need
to be pureed; if you want to include pureed foods
discuss with your healthcare member and try for only
a few days – you are highly unlikely to need a pureed
diet long-term.
Fizzy drinks
These are made by carbonation; it is the presence of
carbon dioxide (the bubbles in fizzy drinks) that can
cause discomfort with bloating – it can also cause the
stoma pouch to become inflated. Examples of fizzy
drinks to cut down on are sparkling water, sodas e.g.
cola or lemonade and energy drinks e.g. Red Bull®
or Monster®.
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