Diverticulitis Support Group
Diverticulitis is a common disease of the bowel, in particular the large intestine. Diverticulitis develops from diverticulosis, which involves the formation of pouches on the outside of the colon. Diverticulitis results if one of these diverticula becomes inflamed. Diverticulitis most often affects middle-aged and elderly persons, though it can strike younger patients as...
High-fiber diet to prevent or treat diverticulitis
Eating a high-fiber diet is thought to help prevent development of pouches (diverticula) in the colon.
Health professionals recommend that you eat 25g to 35g of fiber every day. Packaged foods and fiber supplements include the amount of fiber content in the nutritional information. You should increase the amount of fiber in your diet slowly so that your stomach can adjust to the change. Adding too much fiber too quickly may cause stomach upset and gas. To get adequate fiber in your diet:
Choose whole-grain breads and cereals; buy bread that lists whole wheat, stone-ground wheat, or cracked wheat in the ingredients. Eat brown rice, bulgur, or millet instead of white rice.
Eat 6 to 11 servings of grains (breads, cereals, rice, pasta) each day. For example, a serving is 1 slice of bread, half a bagel, or half a cup of pasta or rice.
Eat several servings of fiber-containing fresh fruits and vegetables each day. Fruits and vegetables rich in fiber include raspberries, apples, figs, oranges, pears, prunes, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, corn, peas, and beans.
Some health professionals recommend adding bran to your diet to help boost the fiber content. If you do this, start slowly with 1 teaspoon a day. Gradually increase the amount to several teaspoons a day.
Some people avoid nuts, seeds, berries, and popcorn (because of the hulls), believing that the seeds and nuts may get trapped in the diverticula and cause pain. However, there is no evidence that seeds, nuts, and berries cause or worsen diverticulitis.
(I still stay away from them)
Drink lots of fluids every day to help keep your stool soft. High-fiber diets need lots of fluid in the body to work properly.
Bran muffin (3 g fiber)
bean soup (6 g)
whole-grain roll (2 g)
1 cup brown rice (3 g)
1 cup bran flakes (7.5 g)
1 cup O.J., fresh with pulp (2 g)
EXTRA-RICH SOURCES OF FIBER
Food Serving Size Fiber
All Bran 1/3 cup 8.5 g
Raisin Bran 1 cup 5 g
Familia Swiss Muesli 1/2 cup 5 g
Whole-wheat spaghetti 1 cup 4 g
Corn on the cob 1 ear 6 g
Baked yam 1 7 g
Large carrot 1 2 g
Banana 1 4 g
Strawberries 1 cup 4 g
Apple with skin 1 3 g
Baked beans 1 cup 8 g
Kidney beans 1 cup 7 g
Split pea soup 1 cup 5 g
Baked potato with skin 1 3 g
Broccoli 1 cup 4 g
Dried figs 3 average 10 g
Eating a high-fiber diet is thought to help prevent development of pouches (diverticula) in the colon.
Health professionals recommend that you eat 25g to 35g of fiber every day. Packaged foods and fiber supplements include the amount of fiber content in the nutritional information. You should increase the amount of fiber in your diet slowly so that your stomach can adjust to the change. Adding too much fiber too quickly may cause stomach upset and gas. To get adequate fiber in your diet:
Choose whole-grain breads and cereals; buy bread that lists whole wheat, stone-ground wheat, or cracked wheat in the ingredients. Eat brown rice, bulgur, or millet instead of white rice.
Eat 6 to 11 servings of grains (breads, cereals, rice, pasta) each day. For example, a serving is 1 slice of bread, half a bagel, or half a cup of pasta or rice.
Eat several servings of fiber-containing fresh fruits and vegetables each day. Fruits and vegetables rich in fiber include raspberries, apples, figs, oranges, pears, prunes, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, corn, peas, and beans.
Some health professionals recommend adding bran to your diet to help boost the fiber content. If you do this, start slowly with 1 teaspoon a day. Gradually increase the amount to several teaspoons a day.
Some people avoid nuts, seeds, berries, and popcorn (because of the hulls), believing that the seeds and nuts may get trapped in the diverticula and cause pain. However, there is no evidence that seeds, nuts, and berries cause or worsen diverticulitis.
(I still stay away from them)
Drink lots of fluids every day to help keep your stool soft. High-fiber diets need lots of fluid in the body to work properly.
Bran muffin (3 g fiber)
bean soup (6 g)
whole-grain roll (2 g)
1 cup brown rice (3 g)
1 cup bran flakes (7.5 g)
1 cup O.J., fresh with pulp (2 g)
EXTRA-RICH SOURCES OF FIBER
Food Serving Size Fiber
All Bran 1/3 cup 8.5 g
Raisin Bran 1 cup 5 g
Familia Swiss Muesli 1/2 cup 5 g
Whole-wheat spaghetti 1 cup 4 g
Corn on the cob 1 ear 6 g
Baked yam 1 7 g
Large carrot 1 2 g
Banana 1 4 g
Strawberries 1 cup 4 g
Apple with skin 1 3 g
Baked beans 1 cup 8 g
Kidney beans 1 cup 7 g
Split pea soup 1 cup 5 g
Baked potato with skin 1 3 g
Broccoli 1 cup 4 g
Dried figs 3 average 10 g
Breads and Pastas
Food Serving Fiber
Cooked whole wheat spaghetti 1 cup 4 grams
Whole wheat bread 2 slices 3 grams
Bran muffin one (1) 3 grams
Crisp bread, wheat or rye 2 crackers 2 grams
Cracked wheat bread 2 slices 2 grams
Mixed grain bread 2 slices 2 grams
Pumpernickel bread 2 slices 2 grams
Brown rice (cooked) 1 cup 2 grams
Spaghetti, macaroni, cooked 1 cup 1 gram
Flours and Grains
Food Serving Fiber
Rye Flour 1 cup 14 grams
Wheat Flour, whole meal 1 cup 11 grams
Wheat Flour, brown 1 cup 7 grams
Bran ,corn 2 tbs. 7 grams
Bran, wheat 2 tbs. 5 grams
Bran, oat 2 tbs. 3 grams
Wheat flour, white 1 cup 3 grams
Rolled oats 1/3 cup 2 grams
Cereals
Food Serving Fiber
Fiber One 1/3 cup 12 grams
All Bran 1/3 cup 9 grams
100 % Bran cup 8 grams
Bran Buds 1/3 cup 8 grams
Corn Bran 2/3 cup 5 grams
Bran Chex 2/3 cup 5 grams
Shredded Wheat & Bran 2/3 cup 4 grams
Fruit & Fiber 1/3 cup 4 grams
Cracklin' Bran 1/3 cup 4 grams
40 % Bran cup 4 grams
Most 2/3 cup 4 grams
Raisin Bran cup 4 grams
Wheat germ cup 3 grams
Honey Bran 7/8 cup 3 grams
Shredded Wheat 2/3 cup 3 grams
Wheat and Raisin Chex cup 3 grams
Frosted Mini Wheats 4 biscuits 2 grams
Wheat Chex 2/3 cup 2 grams
Total 1 cup 2 grams
Wheaties 1 cup 2 grams
Nutri-Grain cup 2 grams
Graham Crackers cup 2 grams
Oatmeal, regular, quick, instant cup 2 grams
Grape Nuts cup 2 grams
Cheerios 1 cups 2 grams
Heartland Natural Cereal cup 1 gram
Crispy Wheats'n Raisins cup 1 gram
100 % Natural Cereal, plain cup 1 gram
Tasteeos 1 cup 1 gram
Cooked Vegetables
Food Serving Fiber
Peas cup 4 grams
Corn, canned cup 3 grams
Parsnips 1 medium 3 grams
Potato w/ skin 1 medium 3 grams
Sweet potato 1 medium 3 grams
Broccoli cup 2 grams
Brussels Sprouts cup 2 grams
Carrots cup 2 grams
Zucchini cup 2 grams
Eggplant cup 2 grams
Spinach cup 2 grams
Green Beans cup 2 grams
Turnips cup 2 grams
Sauerkraut cup 4 grams
Kale leaves cup 1 gram
Potato w/o skin 1 medium 1 gram
Squash, summer cup 1 gram
Asparagus cup 1 gram
Cauliflower cup 1 gram
Cabbage, red or white cup 1 gram
Raw Vegetables
Food Serving Fiber
Avocado medium 2 grams
Bean sprouts cup 2 grams
Tomatoes 1 medium 2 grams
Spinach cup 1 gram
Lettuce 1 cup 1 gram
Mushroom cup 1 gram
Onions cup 1 gram
Celery cup 1 gram
Legumes
Food Serving Fiber
Baked beans w/ tomato sauce cup 9 grams
Kidney Beans, cooked cup 7 grams
Navy Beans cup 6 grams
Dried peas, cooked cup 5 grams
Lima Beans, canned & cooked cup 5 grams
Lentils, cooked cup 4 grams
Snacks
Food Serving Fiber
Almonds cup 5 grams
Peanuts cup 3 grams
Popcorn, popped 3 cups 2 grams
Walnut pieces cup 2 grams
Olives 10 2 grams
Fruits
Food Serving Fiber
Blackberries cup 5 grams
Pears 1 large 5 grams
Apple 1 medium 4 grams
Prunes 4 4 grams
Raspberries cup 3 grams
Raisins cup 3 grams
Honeydew Melon medium 3 grams
Strawberries 1 cup 3 grams
Orange 1 medium 3 grams
Nectarine 1 medium 3 grams
Banana 1 medium 2 grams
Blueberries cup 2 grams
Peach w/ skin 1 medium 2 grams
Dates 3 2 grams
Apricots, dried 5 halves 1 gram
Cherries, sweet 10 1 gram
Peach w/o skin 1 1 grams
Pineapple cup 1 gram
Cantaloupe 1 gram
And a very informative web site:
http://www.gastromd.com/diets/highfiber.html