The consequences of malnutrition are disruption of the secretory and motor activity of the gastrointestinal tract, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines.
Digestion is also affected by stress, bad habits, genetics, and concomitant diseases. With intestinal pathologies, the absorption of beneficial microelements is impaired, the intensity of the process of rotting and fermentation increases, which provokes flatulence, and the microflora is disrupted.
A diet to cleanse the intestines will normalize motility (which means it will eliminate symptoms such as diarrhea or constipation), eliminate increased gas formation, lower cholesterol levels, increase local and general immunity, improve liver function, and speed up metabolism. In addition, the diet has a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous, cardiovascular and endocrine systems, and improves complexion.
How to prepare properly:
Knowing what you can eat before a colonoscopy can provide better information. As a rule, start a diet
required
three days before the procedure
. Its essence is to rid the body of intestinal contents (discussed by many: toxins and toxic substances, disposal of harmful gas-forming products, dietary fiber, feces) and coloring substances that can distort the color of the mucous membrane, the image. In addition, a slag-free diet helps normalize stool, preventing the development of constipation, diarrhea, bloating and the formation of large feces that make it difficult to pass through the endoscope.
This medical procedure may be accompanied by discomfort in the lower abdomen due to excessive “bloating” with air, which is introduced through the endoscope, if there is “excess content” in the lumen. But maintaining the recommended diet before a colonoscopy can reduce discomfort by improving preparation without obstructing the view of the camera and the endoscope. If you suffer from constipation, you will need to talk to your doctor, who may prescribe a course of daily laxatives.
Pros and cons of the approach
No method is without strengths and weaknesses. The detox diet is no exception:
| Strengths | Weak sides |
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What foods should you not eat?
It is prohibited to use:
- Bakery, flour and pasta products
- Vegetables, including cabbage, potatoes, herbs, mushrooms, seaweed, spices
- Cereals, cereals, legumes, cereals, nuts, seeds, sesame, poppy seeds, grains, bran and other seeds
- Tough meat with cartilage, canned food, sausages, sausages, seafood
- Fruits, berries, including dried fruits, preserves, jam, marmalade, jelly
- Chips, hamburgers, chocolate
- Peppers, radishes, broccoli, cabbage, radishes, onions, garlic, etc.
- Some cereals (even water-based): wheat, corn and oatmeal.
- Greens (especially spinach and sorrel).
- Fruits: nectarines, apricot, orange, pineapple, some varieties of apples, etc. The presence of fructose in them activates prolonged and harmful fermentation.
- Milk porridges made from any type of cereal.
- Beans. The diet in preparation for intestinal colonoscopy must exclude the consumption of beans, peas, lentils and other legumes that cause excessive gas formation.
- Berries with a high concentration of pectin (both fresh and frozen): raspberries, gooseberries, etc.
- Flour products (including sweets and brown bread). They require a lot of time and enzymes to digest. They can also cause stool retention.
- Mushrooms, nuts, milk, coconut and products that contain crushed grains.
- Any foods that can change the color of stool: beets, dishes containing cuttlefish ink, etc. (black pigment)
- IT IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED TO EAT TOMATOES 3 DAYS BEFORE
Any other products not included in the approved list
Prohibited to drink:
- Alcohol
- Carbonated drinks (even sparkling water)
- Kvass
- Coffee
- Compote
- Kissel
Vegetables are a source of healthy fiber
Vegetable salads should be present in the diet every day
Almost all raw vegetables, namely cabbage, beets, carrots, tomatoes, contain fiber, which helps remove toxins from the body. Add raw vegetable salads to your menu every day, and your intestines will thank you for it.
Carrot
Grated carrots in sour cream - this dish can be seasoned with sugar or salt (depending on your preferences). Children will probably prefer a sweetened dish. You can sweeten it with regular granulated sugar or fruit syrup, for example, from jam. This will make a wonderful and healthy dessert. Sour cream, as mentioned above, will introduce fermented milk microorganisms into the body and nourish you with calcium, which is so necessary for your bones and heart. Carrots are natural pectins and fiber, which will simply sweep away toxins from the body. Not to mention that this salad is rich in vitamins A, K, C.
Cabbage
Sauerkraut, if you add a little onion and butter, will be a great appetizer for lunch. Onion phytoncides will destroy pests, fiber will cleanse the intestines. The body will receive the necessary vitamins and microelements. In the spring, when early cabbage appears, a fresh cabbage salad seasoned with sour cream and green onions, dill leaves and parsley will be an excellent addition to the table. Cabbage is a vegetable rich in pectins and a huge amount of vitamins. Do not refuse salads made from raw cabbage leaves; gnaw on its stem - the stalk.
Beet
Vegetables are simply necessary for the normal functioning of the digestive tract
Raw beets are not very inspiring to eat. Boiled is a completely different matter. But when cooked, the main part of the beneficial properties of this root vegetable is lost. Beetroot salad can be called truly magical. It is both tasty and very healthy. Add pickled cucumber, 5-6 walnuts and 1-2 cloves of garlic to this salad. The beets are grated on a fine grater, the cucumber on a coarse grater. Garlic and nuts are chopped. This salad is dressed with sour cream, adding a little salt to taste. Before eating, the salad should stand in a cool place for 1-2 hours. This salad, rich in beet fiber, perfectly cleanses the intestines, garlic kills harmful microorganisms, nuts contain large amounts of iodine and other microelements that improve brain function.
Tomatoes
The tomato is also a unique vegetable in its own way. It contains vitamins A, K, C, lycopene, which protects the intestines from malignant tumors, and of course, fiber, which promotes cleansing. This is perhaps the only vegetable that can be preserved without preservatives, providing only good heat treatment. This allows you to eat tomatoes all year round.
Caucasian-style tomato salad: place two large tomatoes in a dry, heated frying pan and heat them on both sides. Remove the skin and mash the tomatoes with a fork. Cut off the stalk and remove. Chop finely seeded bell pepper, half a hot pepper, 1 onion, basil (reikhan), cilantro and dill. Add salt, mix well and place in a cool place. You don’t need to add butter, sour cream, or, especially, mayonnaise to this salad. In Azerbaijan, tomato salads are generally prepared without dressing. With this salad you will get an abundance of antioxidants and a variety of fiber. It is quite nutritious and healthy.
What can you eat in preparation for a colonoscopy?
During preparation for the procedure, you need to eat in a balanced, varied and fractional manner. The frequency of meals should be at least 5 times, in small portions. This regime must be introduced in advance, no later than 3 days. If there are any diseases of the digestive tract, this period may increase to one week. The diet menu for colonoscopy may include:
Allowed to eat:
- Low-fat fermented milk products, cheese, sour cream, butter, yogurt without additives or fillers
- Eggs
- Lean meat, poultry and fish (boiled, steamed or stewed)
- Well-cooked white rice (except pilaf)
- Sugar, honey (not in honeycombs)
- Broths (clear, strained)
- Dietary meat or fish. It is recommended to give preference to chicken, turkey and beef. For better absorption, they should be cooked in the form of cutlets or meatballs.
- Eggs and dairy products with a small percentage of liquid
- Yoghurts (regular and drinking) without food additives.
- Semolina.
Allowed to drink:
- Weak tea
- juices (without pulp, if freshly squeezed, then diluted and strained).
- Unlimited water
- Non-alcoholic, non-carbonated, uncolored drinks
- Jelly, honey.
Allowed foods must not contain small seeds, grains, seeds, bran.
The diet to prepare for a colonoscopy must include sufficient daily fluid intake. The minimum volume of liquid drunk should be at least 1.5-2 liters (in the absence of relevant contraindications).
The essence
Nutritionists have developed options for cleansing diets. The point is to eat foods that help the body get rid of waste and toxins naturally. The body removes harmful substances, but not all are captured. Stones and plaques form and are more difficult to get rid of.
Diet – organized nutrition. It differs from therapeutic fasting and body cleansing in its balance. Implies fractional meals. Special diets are introduced for a certain period.
Sorbent products selectively remove toxic substances from organs. Pectins get rid of toxins, “bad” cholesterol, and old fat deposits. Fiber is useful in cleansing the intestines. A cleansing diet involves increasing the volume of fluid consumed.
When choosing a diet, you should consult a doctor. Based on general tests, the therapist recommends the necessary components. A nutritionist will provide you with a detailed list of permitted and prohibited foods. Diets are contraindicated in case of illness. Remember, the body will respond adequately to the changes introduced.
Day before the procedure
The patient’s proper morning during this period should begin with a light breakfast. It can be semolina porridge, yogurt, cottage cheese. You can first drink a glass of clean water, and 15 minutes after that you can start eating. After breakfast and until the completion of the study, it is forbidden to eat solid food; you must drink only clear liquids (teas, still water, juices).
Lunch must take place no later than 15:00. You can drink any broth (clear, strained). From 17:00 on the day before a colonoscopy, you can start taking a special drug to cleanse the intestines.
Cleansing techniques
The choice of cleansing technique depends on the goal. With the help of a doctor, determine the main problems. Diet is not a universal remedy. Additional medications will be needed.
- Fruit diet. Fruits contain pectin (apples are useful). When excreted, it captures toxins, radionuclides, and harmful deposits. Add nuts, eggs, carrots, beets, rice. Exclude potatoes, zucchini, radishes, pasta, vegetable oils, pears. Use the method from three days to a week.
- Fiber diet. Indicated for those suffering from obesity and gastrointestinal diseases. Improves microflora, effectively cleanses the intestines, reduces stone formation. Use legumes, coarse wheat products, cereals, nuts, mushrooms, fresh fruits and vegetables. Course – 7 days.
- Diet for the kidneys. Watermelon, melon, green tea, juices, viburnum, rose hips, cranberries, and gooseberries are used. Add cereals, ginger, beets, pumpkin, cucumbers. Exclude dairy products and wheat flour products. Course – up to three days.
- Vegetable diet. The daily norm is 600 g of steamed vegetables, 900 g of fresh vegetables. Add bran bread, low-fat fermented milk products. Effective for weight loss. The course is seven days.
How to prepare the intestines for a colonoscopy?
Experts recommend starting in advance: going on a low-fiber diet 2-3 days before, and taking an enema the day before and a couple of hours before the procedure. This method is contraindicated for a large number of people (for example, if they have hemorrhoids), and many are simply uncomfortable doing an enema on their own. Therefore, there are now special laxatives that simplify preparation. These include Moviprep, an innovative drug for cleansing the intestines before examinations and operations. Its difference is in convenience - only 2 liters of solution instead of 4 will help prepare the intestines for the procedure. If your doctor's appointment is in the morning, drink 1 liter the night before and in the morning. If the test is scheduled for the afternoon, you can prepare for it on the same day by drinking 2 liters of solution in the morning.
Recommendations and contraindications
The diet is not recommended for practice in the presence of pathologies and characteristics of the body:
- type 3 diabetes;
- oncological diseases;
- inhibition of the function of the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, adrenal glands;
- pregnancy, lactation;
- disruption of the gastrointestinal tract;
- if necessary, take medications that require stable concentrations in the blood.
Indications for the use of cleansing diets are:
- overweight, obesity;
- weakened immune system;
- intoxication of the body, excess of decay products;
- being in polluted areas, poor ecological environment;
- interaction with harmful substances according to work specifics.
Following the rules of cleansing from toxins leads to health improvement, weight loss, improves well-being, and rejuvenates cells. The choice of duration, food set remains in the comfort zone of each person. Go towards your goals and achieve results!
Diet before colonoscopy with Moviprep
If the procedure is scheduled for a time between 10:00 and 14:00, then it is better for the patient to adhere to a two-stage scheme.
- The day before the appointed date, you can consume any product from the permitted list presented above for breakfast. A light breakfast is allowed, and for lunch only liquid food is allowed.
- From 18:00 to 19:00 you will need to drink the first liter of Moviprep solution.
- On the day of manipulation (from 6 to 7 am), the next liter of preparation is taken.
- After each liter you drink, it is important to wash it down with 500 ml of liquid.
Important
Remember that from the moment you start taking this drug until the colonoscopy, it is better to avoid eating altogether and you can drink clear water. This will help the intestines to efficiently clear the contents.
Sample menu for the week
The first 2 days of the cleansing diet are fasting, during which time the intestines are freed from everything accumulated. Despite the fact that there is practically no food, there will be stool, the intestines excrete all the contents.
| Days | Breakfast | Dinner | Dinner |
| Monday | green tea with honey | large green apple | green tea |
| Tuesday | green tea with honey | apple or orange | green tea |
| Wednesday | oatmeal with water, green tea | boiled meat and tomato, juice | boiled rice with soy sauce, tea |
| Thursday | buckwheat on water, coffee | boiled fish, salad | orange and juice |
| Friday | low-fat cottage cheese, grated carrots | baked vegetables and boiled egg, juice | boiled rice with soy sauce, herbal infusion |
| Saturday | boiled meat, vegetable salad, tea | boiled rice and vegetable salad, juice | Low-fat cottage cheese, yogurt, compote |
| Sunday | pasta, vegetable salad | vegetable soup, boiled meat | Buckwheat on water, green apple |
It is advisable to have a couple more snacks so that the break in eating does not exceed 4 hours. A vegetable salad, an apple, dried fruits, a boiled egg, and low-fat yogurt are perfect for a snack.
