1. Yogurt with every meal. Yogurt has an active culture that is good for our guts. I eat the plain, unflavored low-fat variety....at least a half cup at a time. You can even make your own and save $$$. Contact me if you want the recipe. I don't know what to tell you if you don't like yogurt other than...maybe it's an acquired taste? I particularly like it with cereal instead of milk. I don't use the non-fat because I think that it helps keep food moving if there is some fat mixed in with all meals.
2. "Wet" fruits with every meal. This past summer I went on a mango binge...eating a couple a day. They are filled with fiber but it is a wet fiber that seems to be easily digested. Also, I learned that mangoes have a special digestive enzyme, paprin, which is good for digestion. Mangoes are hard to get here at this time of year. I've been substituting pears, which seem to be fine. Peaches, berries, melons (chew well) all seem to be good, too. Apples and citrus are too chunky and fibrous and I have to be careful with these.
3. Natural nut butters (peanut and almond) seem to work well as a good way to get protein and the kind oil that is very digestible and good for you. I guess you do need to read labels to make sure there aren't the bad oils added. I love almonds and have no trouble digesting these even if they aren't ground up for butter. I do chew very well, though.
4. Vegetables....hmmmm....don't really have this figured out. Help! V8 juice works. I've thought about getting a juicer but those are such a mess. I can't do raw vegetables very well and cooked ones have to be used very carefully. I'd appreciate any input others could share on how to get vegetables to contribute to a happy gut. Also, I’m on the fence about legumes. Any ideas?
5. Coffee can act as a stimulant. I make a good strong pot of Starbucks every AM. Dark chocolate is also a stimulant for me and...as a chocoholic...it is easier to eat some dark chocolate and then quit..than it is to stop with milk chocolate.
6. I have never found a calcium supplement that doesn't block me up. I've given up on them. In fact, I read labels of cereals, power bars, vitamin supplements etc to make sure that they don't have too much calcium added. I was eating Pria bars ("nutrition" bars) and had an awful time with constipation. These bars have calcium carbonate as an additive. Calcium carbonate, I think, comes from limestone. Go figure. I figure that I'll get my calcium from the yogurt. I have also read that iron supplements can cause constipation.
7. Beef seems to be harder to digest than pork or chicken.
8. It’s helpful to drink warm or hot cups of liquid. If I drink cold liquids, I drink slowly.
9. I read somewhere that humans were designed to squat to defecate. Well, I don’t know about you all, but I’m not coordinated enough to squat over a toilet. So, in lieu (or loo????...sorry..bad pun) of squatting, try propping up your feet on a small bathroom type trashcan and leaning forward while you are sitting on the toilet. This puts you into a “squatting” position and allows the muscles to work more efficiently.
10. I still think that the Mayo Clinic recommendation of a low residue diet for adhesions is basically a good one but it is rather restrictive. The high-fiber recommendations that doctors typically give certainly don’t seem to work well with adhesion bellies. I keep experimenting to find the kind of compromises I’ve listed above. Any other ideas?
-- Mary Wade