Healthy Eating
A healthy, balanced diet will help to achieve and maintain good bowel
health. This allows toxins to move through the bowel system quickly. A
healthy, balanced diet will also enable the body to fight disease.
What is a healthy diet?
A healthy diet includes a variety of foods to ensure that the body
gets:
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Antioxidants - which are substances found in fruits, vegetables, nuts and cereals - that clean up damaging material produced or accumulated by the body.
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Dietary fibre - both soluble and insoluble sources e.g. wholegrain/wholemeal breads, pastas, rices, oats and other cereals, legumes, nuts, fruits, vegetables. Fibre helps regulate the bowel.
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Certain types of fats - good fats include mono-unsaturated fat found in olive and canola oils, avocado, and nuts such as almonds, hazel nuts, peanuts; and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, found in fish, canola oil, and nuts like walnuts and pecans.
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Limited amounts of saturated (bad) fats. Saturated fats are found in fatty meats, full fat dairy products, take-aways, fried foods, butter, cream and in other animal products; also in three vegetable products: coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils or fats. Excess amounts of saturated fats are bad for your.
What foods should be included?
Choose a wide variety of wholesome foods every day:
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FRUIT (at least 2 serves) & VEGETABLES (at least 5 serves)
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CEREALS such as rice, pasta, couscous, polenta, burghul (cracked wheat), breakfast cereals, breads
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LEGUMES like kidney beans, baked beans, chickpeas, lentils
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use fats such as CANOLA and OLIVE oils/margarines
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include NUTS such as walnuts, pecans, and others
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choose LOW FAT or REDUCED FAT dairy products
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include FISH, 2 to 3 times a week
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eat LEAN meat - take skin off chicken, trim fat off meat before cooking
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drink plenty of WATER - about 6 to 8 glasses a day
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EXERCISE regularly - e.g. - hour walk at least 3 times a week
Useful Contacts and Further Information
Contact your local General practitoner. A Dietitian will be able to
help you with your diet upon referral by your Doctor. Or visit the
following website -
http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/healthtopics/
Diet for Specific Conditions
For some bowel diseases, and certain surgical procedures of the bowel, you may need to see a Dietitian in order to modify your diet, or for advice on medical nutrition relating to your condition.
Bowel diseases such as haemorrhoids, diverticular disease, inflammatory diseases (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis) are conditions where dietetic input may be of benefit.
Surgical procedures such as laparoscopic fundoplication, gastric, oesophageal, or other gastrointestinal or colorectal surgery, and surgery for bowel cancer may also require dietetic input.
Diverticular Disease/Haemorrhoids
Depending on the stage of disease, your dietary fibre intake will need to be adjusted. Other dietary modifications, such as addition of probiotic cultures, may be advised.
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis may be accompanied by gut-related symptoms which may require dietary changes to control. Often, the diet is so limited that good nutrition is found to be difficult to achieve by sufferers. Certain liquid supplements, and additions to the diet may be helpful.
Certain procedures will require dietary input post-surgery, depending on the type of surgery, for various reasons.
Dietary modification may be necessary to avoid the breakdown of the surgical wound, such as the case in laparoscopic fundoplication;
Changes to your diet may be needed to modify the effect of food in the gut when an organ is affected, such as in gastrointestinal or colorectal surgery.
Dietary advice is required to ensure that you improve and/or maintain adequate nutritional status.
A Dietitian will provide you with individual assessment and advice. Discus this with your Doctor and ask for a referral to a Dietitian.
The Nutrition & Dietetic Department at Concord
Hospital is open from 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday.
Please telephone to make an appointment on 9767 6328.
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