If you have an ileostomy this means that your feces don’t pass through the normal intestinal pathway. This affects the absorbed minerals and passing out of feces. This is why it is recommended by doctors to have a special and conscious diet after the ileostomy.
During ileostomy, a hole is created in the abdominal wall. This gives a clue that the ileum and small intestine can pass out feces through this orifice.
As it is mentioned that the feces don’t need to pass through the rectum, this surgery can be helpful in case of inflamed or damaged intestines.
The pouch that a person wears on the stoma can be permanent or temporary.
This article is really helpful if you are looking for nutritive and dietary tips after an ileostomy.
But it must be insured to adapt these tips after consulting with your doctor.
The most reported issues after an ileostomy are diarrhea and high waste output.
It can also be harmful to be uneasy, awkward, or embarrassing. A person facing thin feces may have low levels of sodium in the body or it might be due to malnutrition.
This issue can be solved by using intravenous fluids or nutrients.
To avoid these issues a person is advised to eat food that can help him or her to thicken the feces. These food items are mentioned below:
Rice
Pasta
Cheese
Bananas
Applesauce
Smooth peanut butter
Yogurt
Marshmallows
If a person faces dehydration he must take electrolytic fluids. But, these drinks must not be taken more than 2 -3 times per day. And they should be sugar-free.
Some examples of fluids that can help you to maintain electrolytic balance are:
Sports drinks
Fruits juices
Veggies juices
Soup or broth
A patient should also notify the reason for diarrhea. It can be one of the followings:
A viral infection
Use of antibiotics
Food indigestion
Use of medicines
A bacterial infection
Radiotherapy
People with very high stool output should contact their doctor immediately.
Food items that help in thinning of feces
It is reported by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center that a patient may face constipation following an ileostomy if:
If using any specific painkiller
Taking any specific medicines for nausea
not consuming enough fibers
lack of enough exercise
not drinking enough water
It is suggested to ask your doctor about the number of fibers in the diet. Laxatives should not be used anyway.
Foods that are allowed are:
Products of bran
Oatmeal
Raisins
Well-cooked and peeled vegetables
Warm broth
The drinks that will help you loosen your feces are:
Lemon juice or water mixed with the lemon
Coffee
Prune juice
Foods that help to reduce odor
Some patients may notice that their ostomy bag gives a stinky smell when it is filled. The following food items will help you to lessen this issue of odor.
Food items that will help you to gain weight
Food items that are taken orally are rich in calories and can help to gain weight, following an ileostomy. Some good examples are:
Boost
Instant breakfast
Ensure
Diabetic patients can use Glucerna
Nutritional shakes
Orgain Nutrition shakes
These all shakes can help you to gain weight very easily and without taking much time. But, still, a patient should take his doctor’s advice before starting these shakes.
If a person takes small meals, 2-3 times a day it can be more beneficial and good as well for gaining weight.
Food items that will help you to lose weight
If you want to lose weight, following surgery, then you need to burn a lot of calories and should avoid calories-rich food.
Since an ileostomy patient should be careful about the minerals and nutrients in the diet, that’s why he must be very careful while cutting off the dietary intake.
You should start any diet or exercise after consulting your doctor.
You should adopt the following habits if you want to lose weight:
Avoid skipping meals
Have less filled plate
Avoid alcohol consumption
Plan your meals beforehand
Food items you must avoid
Since every person is different so they may have different stool output and gas managing problems. But some foods that should be avoided by all patients are:
High-fat milk
High proteins and fat meat for example fried chicken
Beans or legumes
High fiber veggies
Fruits with the skin
It is recommended to avoid seeds and skin of fruits and veggies after an ileostomy. The digestive system is not able to digest them and they pass through the intestine undigested and unchanged. It can be dangerous for ileostomy.
Supplements
If you have an ileostomy this means that your food doesn’t reach the colon that is why the important nutrients can’t be reabsorbed. This can cause a deficiency of important nutrients and minerals. That is why supplements are recommended by doctors for the compensation of those nutrients.
Supplements should be chewable so that they can be broken by the body and digested easily. For instance, chewing multivitamins and calcium supplements.
Nutrients deficiencies can be of the following types:
Calcium
Magnesium
Iron
B vitamins
Folic acid
Vitamin A,D,E,K
Some tips for a healthy life
Some important tips for wellbeing are:
Eating frequent but small meals: you should take small meals frequently instead of large quantity at once
Chew your food properly: This will help the food to be digested easily
No eating at night: Eating snacks or meal at night can cause your bag to fill and you would need to change it
Limit the consumption of alcohol: Alcohol can cause inflammation, gas, and dehydration.
Summary
Every person reacts differently to different food items, following surgery. But most people take initiative with light and soft food and gradually moves to any other food.
You should take plenty of fluids and nutritive food to avoid weakness and any other complication, following ileostomy. For more clear suggestions you should visit your doctor.
