What to eat when you (or your little one) has tummy stuff
The most basic thing you might know or have been told if you have tummy issues (in this case diarrhea) maybe Mexican diarrhea….lol I know gross is what I learned in dietitian school which was the BRAT diet.
And right now I’m going to be a brat and tell you why it’s only half smart and correct. :)
Bananas
Rice
Applesauce
Toast
I bet you can guess which ones are “right.” The whole concept is that these foods are sort of plain, bland, easy to digest and therefore will be easier to keep down when your digestive system is fighting off a bug or two.
Dalton has been hardly eating all week due to this ahem…..issue, poor baby. I think he’s lost a pound! The first thing I’ll say is I am NOT forcing him to eat anything. Think about it, when you gut is doing this it’s like things are moving too fast for food to be broken down and absorbed and then then eliminated. Now if you have this as an on-going issue then definitely you need to address your whole body as a big picture issue, but let’s say it’s temporary. Going without food is ok when you are fighting bugs off. Hydration is actually much more important. So WATER yes of course and then CUCUMBER juice. Other green juices are great too, if you don’t have a juicer and buy one at the store, just focus on fewer ingredients and make sure cucumber is one of them.
Cucumbers are super super hydrating and that’s what your cells need for easy access hydration plus nutrients. This is a life saver for fevers too. If you or your baby has a fever have them drink this, it will take your temperature down.
BANANAS:
Yay! I love this option it’s actually perfect. Bananas have natural probiotics to help you replenish your stores and fight bacteria. They are EASY to digest, I recommend them to all my digestive clients. They SMOTHER bad bacteria and they are soft, and yes pretty much liked by the whole crowd especially kids. So bananas plain or in smoothies are a great option here.
RICE:
Um no. GRAINS are not going to be helpful. Rice is gluten free so that’s good, but grains to the body are still more inflammatory than fruits and veggie are. So it’s not true that rice is ‘absorbing’ excess liquid in there, it’s just more like sticky paste. And not THAT rich in nutrition when you really need your options to give you a lot of bang for your buck right now. In ANY body condition that is not ideal, opt AWAY from all grains, ESPECIALLY gluten containing ones.
APPLESAUCE:
Yes. IF it’s organic and UN-SWEETENED. Pureed, it’s simple, it’s sort of like a smoothie let’s be honest and yes apples are POWERHOUSE cleansers in the body. So these bugs are usually viral and that means your liver is working harder too. Apples are powerful liver cleansers so you want and need to keep assisting the liver while eating so nothing is too much work for your body while it’ taking care of all these moving parts. IF though, apples make the stomach worse, it COULD happen because they are THAT powerful. It just means you are feeling the effects of their cleansing and they are helping, but you might not like how it feels. Applesauce should be easier than apples, but you could try another fruit puree too. Like pears. Or mix bananas and applesauce or pears.
TOAST:
NO. Because most people will give their sick kids plain old wheat or white bread toast which has ZERO place in life or in anyone’s mouth especially when you are feeling under the weather. That stuff is pointless to your body, sure you can find vegan, gluten-free, egg-free kinds of paleo like breads that are more like not really bread but it’s not the time for that here. PURE. REAL. WHOLE. HEALING FOODS is what you need. And for sure NO BUTTER on this toast. Gluten = make it harder on the gut to work. Breads usually have loads of preservatives too so that all is SLOWING down your body’s healing processes.
So the best best things to do:
Water: room temp with lemon or plain
Simple green juices: cucumber plain is amazing.
Bananas
Applesauce
Smoothies: banana + water + blueberries + chia
CHIA: my best go to here is MILA which is a raw, milled chia. Now this is a plant food that will help bind fluids and can help with the issue at hand. Add to smoothies, mix into applesauce (1/2 - 1 TBSP for kids) 2 TBSP for adults
Melons: these are pre-digested so easier on the system: cantaloupe, honey dew, or watermelon
Really any fruits are great because they are so hydrating. And veggies like cucumbers, celery, greens, zucchini (steamed or cooked) because of their high water content are so helpful.
I hope you don’t have to deal with this, but since it’s pretty common in the winter in schools, airplanes, daycares, etc, I want you as parents for yourself and kids to know what to do. What is TRUE and will work.
Focus on these simple things and don’t freak out. Use essential oils like Thieves to keep the viral and bacterial issues at bay and then Peace & Calming to help get your kids to sleep or take naps. Or on your own self when you are tired of washing sheets :)