Colitis Treatment

Diet for Coliltis

Diet plays an important part in the treatment of colitis.



It is advisable to observe a juice fast for five days or so in most cases of colitis. The juices may be diluted with a fit boiled water. Papaya juice and raw cabbage or carrot is especially beneficial. Citrus juices should be avoided. The bowels should be cleansed daily with arm water enema.

After the juice fast, the patient should gradually adopt a diet of small, frequent meals of soft cooked or steamed vegetables, rice, broken wheat (coarsely broken wheat) and well ripened fruits like banana and papaya, yogurt and home¬made cottage cheese. Sprouted seeds and grains, whole meal bread and raw vegetables may be added gradually to this diet after about 10 days. Tender coconut water is highly beneficial as it is soothing to the soft mucosa of the colon. Cooked apples also aid the healing of ulcerative conditions because of its ample concentration of iron and phosphorus.



All food must be eaten slowly and chewed thoroughly.

Foods which should be excluded from the diet are white sugar, white bread and white flour products, highly seasoned foods, highly salted foods, strong tea, coffee and alcoholic beverages and foods cooked in aluminum pans.

The following menu may serve as the guideline and should be adopted for at least three months:

Breakfast:

Ripe bananas or papaya and milk. Buttermilk may be taken if milk is not tolerated.

Mid-morning:

Carrot or raw cabbage juice.

Lunch:

Steamed or lightly cooked vegetables, rice or Broken wheat, butter and buttermilk.

Mid-afternoon:

Coconut water or fruit juice.

Dinner:

Salad of raw vegetables sprouts like alfalfa and green gram beans, homemade cottage cheese and nuts. In¬stead of raw vegetables cooked ones like carrot, beetroot, tomatoes, lettuce, and cabbage may be used.

Before retiring:

A glass of milk or a baked apple.

The patient should have a bowel movement at• the same time each day and spend 10 to 15 minutes in the endeavor. Straining at stools should be avoided. Drink¬ing two glasses of water first thing in the morning will stimulate a normal bowel movement. An enema may be used if no bowel movement occurs. Buttermilk enema twice a week is also soothing and helps in re-installing a healthy bacterial flora in the colon. Complete bed rest and p lel1ty of liquids are very important. The patient should eliminate all causes of tension, adjust to his disability and face his discomfort with patience.

TREATMENT CHART FOR COLITIS

A – DIET

I. Fresh fruit or vegetable juices diluted with water for five days. Warm water enema should be taken daily during this period.

Ii. The following menu may be adopted for 10 days after the juice fast:-

1. Upon arising:

25 black raisins soaked overnight in water along with the water in which they are soaked and water kept overnight in copper Iota.

2.Breakfast:

Banana or papaya and milk, sweetened with a teaspoon of honey or buttermilk.

3. Mid-morning:

Mixed juices of carrot and cabbage.

4. Lunch:

Steamed vegetables, rice or broken wheat (coarsely broken wheat), and a glass of buttermilk.

5. Mid-afternoon:

Coconut water.

6. Dinner:

Cooked vegetables, dates and cooked apple.

6. Before retiring:

A glass of milk or one cooked apple.

NOTE:

The following foods should be introduced gradually after 10 days:-

Apple, peaches, pears, grapes; melons, pineapple, raw vegetables, nuts, sprouts, butter, cottage cheese and whole grains.

Especially Beneficial:

Banana, papaya, coconut water and raw cabbage juice, millet cereals, buttermilk and buttermilk enema.

AVOID:

Meats, sugar, tea, coffee, alcohol, condiments, pickles, refined and processed foods and products made from sugar and white flour.

B - OTHER MEASURES

1. Wet abdomen pack for one hour, twice daily, morning and evening.

2. Hot fomentation to the abdominal region in case of pain.

3. Neutral immersion bath for half an hour before retiring.