Becoming a BRAT
A Strategy for Managing Diarrhea
If you suffer from chronic diarrhea, you may or may not have been advised to try the BRAT diet. This stand for:
Banana, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast.
These food choices may help to prevent over-stimulation of the bowel, and slow down the frequency of bowel movements.
BRAT diet recommendations are boring, and hardly nutritionally adequate. So as a starting point, here are some extreme nutritional strategies that are not recommended:
- Do not eliminate all fiber
- Do not limit your diet to only liquid
- Do not cut all liquids ( you can become dehydrated)
- Do not exclude foods with sodium and potassium. These are electrolytes, which become depleted if you have diarrhea.
If you are trying to control the frequency of the bowel movements, there are certain foods you may need to be cautious with. Sometimes it is the temperature of food, or portion eaten, that may increase the frequency of the bowel movements. If you have chronic diarrhea, it is a good idea to keep a food diary so that you can identify problem foods, difficult times of the day, and symptoms.
Supplements that may help (follow the links for target specific information)
- Psyllium
- Blackberry root bark (used as a tea)
- Probiotics
- Pectin
SEROVERA® has been used with great success by individuals with chronic diarrhea. SEROVERA® contains Aloe Mucilaginous Polysaccharides - healing molecules - which create a better GI environment over time. SEROVERA® is 100% organic, which means it does not contain harmful toxins. SEROVERA® will not conflict with your existing meds or cause side-effects. Learn more about SEROVERA® AMP 500.
