Nutritional Guide - Flipbook - Page 25
Eating technique
Digestion begins in the mouth
with chewing to break food down,
mixing it with the enzymes in
saliva to further break it down and
swallowing to pass food and drink
to the rest of the gastrointestinal
(GI) system. When we eat quickly
and do not chew our food well, the
food requires more digestion lower
in the GI system and we can also
(unconsciously) swallow air. After
bowel stoma surgery, the GI path is
shorter and therefore less digestion
may happen; especially in the first
6-8 weeks of recovery. Taking
time to eat, chewing food well
and not talking with our mouth
full helps digestion and can reduce
diarrhoea, cramps, bloating and
gas-filled stoma pouches.
Exercise/activity and stress
Exercise or stress can increase
stimulation of the gut and bladder,
which can be beneficial in some
instances e.g. in helping passing
urine or stools. Alternatively, when
being more active and mobile, the
increased stimulation on the gut
and bladder can lead to a quicker
passage of food and liquid – this
can cause looser stools and higher
urine production. You will learn
your body’s reaction to increased
physical activity and stress, and you
may find that reducing possible
irritants can help you. Stress cannot
always be prevented, but being
aware of stress and finding helpful
techniques to reduce it can also
help reduce over-sensitive guts and
bladders.
Smoking – for all stoma types
Smoking can over-stimulate and
inflame the gut and therefore
reducing/quitting
smoking
is
advised to help reduce the strain
on the bowel. After surgery,
including urostomies, smoking
slows healing and increases the risk
of complications. If trying to quit,
there are nicotine replacement
therapies (NRTs) like e-cigarettes
and patches. There is no strong
clinical evidence that NRTs reduce
the stimulation on the bladder or
bowel compared to tobacco, but it
may be beneficial to try.
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