One Methods:Non-BRAT Diet Method
There are certain times when it is not recommended that you treat diarrhea with OTC medicines (ex. when you're taking antibiotics). Here are a few tips that may help!
1Drink clear fluids - broth, water and coconut water - for the first twelve hours of your diarrhea.Ad
2After 12 hours of liquids only, follow the BRAT diet - bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.
- Green bananas are best for diarrhea.
- Plain toast is a good idea as this will further dilute and absorb up the tainted fluids that are stored up in your stomach.
3Limit insoluble fibers. Insoluble fibers are called "insoluble" because they do not dissolve in water. Insoluble fibers accelerate the movement of food through the GI tract. Soluble fibers, such as pectin (found in applesauce), slow the movement of food through the GI tract by forming a gel when combined with water. Soluble fibers have a property called viscosity, and fibers with a higher viscosity are more beneficial for diarrhea.
4Eliminate foods that might be contributing to your diarrhea, such as high-fructose foods, sugar-free foods sweetened with sugar alcohols, and dairy products. Dairy products may worsen diarrhea in people who are not lactose-intolerant because food usually travels through the intestines more quickly during diarrhea, which may reduce the absorption of lactose. The unabsorbed lactose may then draw water into the bowels.
5After recovery, try some yogurt. If the diarrhea is not caused by antibiotics, yogurt with live cultures is often helpful to restore the balance in your digestive tract. Often the cause of antibiotic-related diarrhea is an overgrowth of the clostridium bacteria, and "good" bacteria often help keep that in check.
Non-BRAT Diet Method
Note that some believe that the BRAT diet is not a good idea to follow, as you do not want anything with sugar, such as a banana. If you do not wish to try the BRAT diet follow these steps.
1Drink only water for the first 12 hours of your symptoms. This is because the bacteria in your stomach feed and develop on any type of foods, especially sugars. DO NOT DRINK ANY OTHER FLUID BESIDES WATER!
2After your symptoms have cleared up, begin to drink broth, make sure not to have any fat or other substances inside the broth. Again, you can have toast with it. Plain green tea is also a good choice.
3Follow the method above and only until you start feeling better, and the diarrhea becomes less frequent may you start to eat more foods. Limit yourself to healthy foods such as vegetables, bananas, bland chicken, etc. Avoid dairy products till your symptoms are clear.Ad
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- If you have the urge to go, just go. We know it's disgusting but better out than in right? Do not hold it in as the symptoms will get worse.
- Having diarrhea for more than 1 week means you need to change your diet. If it still persists, call your doctor ASAP.
- Drink plenty of water and don't do a lot of running around because it loosens up and upsets your stomach.
- Avoid alcohol.
- Eat a lot of bread and drink a lot of water, plain and simple.
- Boil rice and let most of the water stay then drink the rice water.
- Drink lots of water and go to the bathroom quick when your stomach starts to ache even if its just a bit.
- The foods you want to avoid is anything that makes you go to the bathroom. Do NOT eat beans or chocolate. This makes you go.
- Avoid caffeine (coffee, tea, soda, etc.) or spicy food while you have diarrhea.
- Pediatricians no longer use or recommend this method.
Things You'll Need
- A bland diet
Categories: Intestinal and Digestive Health
In other languages:
Italiano: Come Curare la Diarrea (Metodo della Dieta BRAT), Español: Cómo tratar la diarrea (con el método de la Dieta BRAT), Português: Como Tratar Diarreia (Dieta BRAT), Français: Comment traiter la diarrhée, Deutsch: Durchfall behandeln (BRAT Diät), 中文: 治疗腹泻（BRAT食疗法）, Русский: лечить диарею (с помощью БРЯТ диеты)
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