There is a lot of talk about foods that can help during a bout of diarrhea, but many people are unsure of what foods they should avoid when experiencing diarrhea. Along with rest, hydration, and a safe and effective diarrhea solution like DiaResQ, avoiding certain foods can help you to recover from a bout of diarrhea more quickly.
Quick Recap: What Should You Eat for Diarrhea?
In case you’re still a little confused about what you should eat while experiencing diarrhea, here is a quick recap.
It’s important not to overload your GI tract with hard-to-digest foods (more on this in a moment), and stick to simple, bland and nourishing foods. Our top picks are bone and veggie broth, soups, unsweetened apple sauce, bananas and unsweetened coconut water for hydration. And of course, plenty of pure water. If you are also experiencing nausea, try taking small sips of broths, water, and coconut water consistently throughout the day.
Top 5 Foods to Avoid While Experiencing Diarrhea
Conversely, when you’re experiencing diarrhea, it’s best to avoid these foods.
(1) Greasy, High-Fat Foods
Have you ever had the experience of eating too much fried, fatty food and then suffering from diarrhea or nausea? If so, you already know greasy and fatty foods are a no-go when you’re experiencing diarrhea. High-fat foods can speed up intestinal contractions, so stick with leaner options instead.
(2) Spicy foods
Overly spicy foods and ingredients can irritate the digestive system. Which is why it’s best to stick to bland foods when experiencing diarrhea, as they pose the least risk of further agitating the digestive system.
(3) Higher Fiber Foods & Raw Vegetables
Fiber helps keep the digestive system regular and active. While this is usually a good thing, fiber can worsen diarrhea. High fiber foods to avoid include whole grains, such as wheat, rice, and barley, whole grain bread or baked goods, grain cereals and nuts and seeds. Similarly, raw, high fiber veggies are hard for the body to break down and digest and can worsen diarrhea. If you do have vegetables, stick with well-cooked steamed or boiled options.
(4) Caffeine
Caffeine is a popular stimulant, but it also stimulates movement in the colon! While some people depend on coffee for a regular bowel movement, you’ll probably need to avoid it when experiencing diarrhea.
(5) Alcohol
Studies show that alcohol can both be an irritant to the GI tract and speed up digestion, both things that can obviously worsen diarrhea.
While most cases of diarrhea will pass on their own after a few days and are nothing to worry about, be sure to understand when you might need to be concerned. Avoiding these foods and including those that will aid recovery can help relieve diarrhea and get your digestion back to normal in no time.
