Vitamin supplements?

Hi, , yes I have been on a low fibre diet between diagnosis and my op, about a month, to prevent any blockage. And yes I took a multi vit  and Marmite!! Once the low residue diet starts the week before either the colonoscopy or the op, then stop taking the vits, just in case. This was acceptable, for rectal. Avoid anything very coloured e.g. beetroot, curry, as it dyes the bowel. This regime doesn't last long, hopefully, so your body can replenish after.

Anything else, please ask! Take care.

Hi Shwmae

on

Hi Shwmae

Good diet is very important and harder with low fibre. Our bodies seem to be better at extracting minerals and vitamins from real food rather than supplements. Perhaps you could try liquidising your favourites. Whole grain might be a step too far, but smooth hummus vs chickpeas could be an option, for instance, and if home made you know it’ll be good.  Smooth peanut butter like Meridian is still tasty with no additives. I found that as long as I chewed everything very well, I could push the margins a little. 

Thanks Gemmary,  very helpful advice (except Marmite - yeech!

Wellspring - thanks, and yes, definitely chewing everything to the n’th degree helps! Since doing that mindfully and deliberately I’ve found that those awful, alarming noises my bowel was making while I was eating, have now settled down. I’m getting a bit of a handle on some things now - did a spagbol with passata and garlic paste instead of chopped tomatoes and fresh garlic yesterday and it was actually better than my original version! I guess it will be a case of trial and error.

 and Wellspring just be aware that low fibre diet means that for a reason. Mushing stuff up with fibre in it doesn't remove the fibre!!

Dear Schwmae 

If you don’t already have one, your oncology dietician should be able to provide a low fibre diet guide. The examples I gave you came from the food lists I’ve been given. 

Trial and error may be ok at the margin, and it’s good that your body is responding positively to chewing. It certainly helps you appreciate the gift of food, the taste and texture. 

Wellspring - yes I have a diet sheet but both the lists of allowed foods and foods to avoid are very basic and there are a lot of things not included on either list. The rules I'm following at present are: no seeds, no skin, well cooked root veg is fine in small quantities, no tough meat, no chicken skin. That said, I 've learned that the aim is to keep below 10g fibre daily - so I guess if everything else is ultra low, a bit of very well- cooked onion in recipe, for example, isn't goi g to hurt. Onward and upward, hey?

Ah yes, I'm learning Gemmary! I make soups a lot, one of our favourites being leek, pea and potato, which I blend to a smooth consistency. I womdered if that would be ok, since it's blended but on checking, nope, it's not. Steep learning curve!