The BRAT diet is an acronym for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. Does it seem boring? Yes, but the meal plan is not meant to be exciting, nor is it meant to help you lose weight. Instead, it was designed to combat uncomfortable digestive problems. However, professionals now consider it to be an outdated type of diet.
What is the BRAT diet?
Why would anyone limit themselves to eating alone bananas, rice, applesauce and toast? The goal of the BRAT diet is to reduce uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Traditionally, the eating plan was thought to help control acute episodes of diarrhea because it is made up of low-fiber foods that are related. The belief was that allow the intestine to 'rest' from the work of processing fiber and including foods that may help firm up your stool (applesauce contains pectin and bananas contain resistant starch), it may shorten the duration of a bout of diarrhea.
This type of diet has also been recommended for people who have experienced nausea or vomiting and are starting to eat solid foods again. These foods are considered easy to digest, as they are smooth in texture, tasteless, and low in fiber.
Dangers of this type of food
Despite being on doctors' radars since the 1950s, the BRAT diet is no longer recommended during recovery from vomiting or diarrhea, according to a January 2004 article in Emergency Medicine News. This dietary restriction is a suboptimal choice because it is low in protein, fat and energy content, which does nothing to strengthen the body's healing process or immune function.
The actual evidence suggests that does not shorten the duration of episodes of acute diarrhea. In fact, the opposite is true: once a person with diarrhea is rehydrated, the diarrheal illness appears to shorten when refeeding a normal, nutritionally adequate diet compared with restricting intake for a longer period of time.
The BRAT diet is especially detrimental to people who are growing and require adequate energy, including children and the women pregnant. Once again, it all comes back to the fact that bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast don't provide enough vitamins and minerals. It is devoid of calories, protein, fat, fiber, iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and other key micronutrients.
This is problematic for two reasons. First, inadequate nutrition can worsen diarrhea by affecting bowel function in the short term. Also, over time, malnutrition can affect growth and development in children.
How to avoid diarrhea without the BRAT diet?
If diarrhea is your main problem, there are many adjustments you can make to your diet to help keep things more regular.
Drink water
Some of the most critical concerns with chronic diarrhea are fluid loss and dehydration. Remember, enough body fluid is important for everything from cell function and digestion to temperature regulation and blood pressure control, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
Instead of strictly following the BRAT diet after a bout of diarrhea, focus on rehydration. Balanced rehydration solutions such as Gatorade instead of running water. Oral rehydration solutions contain a precise ratio of water, sugar, and salt that maximizes fluid absorption and reduces stool output.
Consume soluble fiber
Including soluble fiber in the diet can also help alleviate diarrhea. This type of fiber forms a viscous, gel-like texture in the intestine and helps slow transit time and create more formed stools.
Some sources of soluble fiber that he recommends:
- Oatmeal
- Papaya
- Peeled/cooked pumpkin and pumpkins
- cooked carrots
- skinless sweet potatoes
- oranges and clementines
- Bananas
- peeled apples
- Avocado
- Cantaloupe melon
Limit insoluble fiber
While increasing your intake of soluble fiber, it's also a good idea to minimize your intake of insoluble fiber, which has the opposite effect and speeds transit through the GI tract. This fiber is the fodder found in the green leafy vegetables, thick skin of fruits and vegetables, whole nuts, popcorn, wheat bran, Beans integers and lentils.
Avoid sweets
It is also better to curb your sweet tooth if you have diarrhea.
Small amounts throughout the day shouldn't be a problem, but a higher intake of sugar in a single sitting can draw excess water into the intestine through osmosis and worsen diarrhea.
Avoid concentrated sources of sugar like juices, sweetened beverages, honey, maple syrup, ice cream y desserts.
Stick to Simple, Lean Proteins
Protein-rich foods tend to be easy on the stomach for those struggling with GI issues.
Simple, lean proteins should be neutral, meaning they shouldn't aggravate diarrhea or overstimulate the gut, as high-fat foods can. The lean chicken, el turkey, el fish and eggs they provide protein, iron, and zinc and are generally well tolerated and do not need to be avoided.
How to avoid nausea?
Take rehydration solutions
Oral rehydration solutions are just as important for chronic nausea accompanied by vomiting as they are for diarrhea.
If you can't hold larger volumes, take small sips. Another option is to freeze these solutions in popsicles to keep up with ingesting small amounts of liquid at a time.
add ginger
Adding ginger to your diet can also help relieve nausea and vomiting, thanks to its active compounds like gingerol and shogaols, according to a March 2016 review published in Integrative Medicine Insights.
You can buy ginger chews and candies, ginger tea, or drink real ginger beers that actually contain ginger, not just ginger flavor.
drink shakes
If a solid meal doesn't appeal, opt for a smoothie that includes frozen fruits and vegetables along with protein-packed additions like Greek yogurt, dried fruit, or nut and seed butters like chia or flax for a satisfying sip.