Dieting:
Once you recover from surgery, your diet and state of
nutrition should be getting back to normal. How and what we
eat is as much part of our individuality and lifestyle as our
appearance and personality, and having a stoma should not
restrict individual preferences.
Try whatever you like, but be cautious at first and chew
thoroughly to avoid possible digestive problems. You may find
that some foods upset your system, causing gas, diarrhea or
even pain. Pay attention to your body to learn how your
digestive system works best – when food is required, how long
it takes to digest and what foods upset your system, if any.
Keep an eye on your weight. A nourishing diet includes fruit
and vegetables, meat, fish, dairy products and cereal and will
help keep you healthy. Additional vitamin supplements also may
help to ensure you are getting the best nutrition.
Fitness results from the best possible balance between diet
and exercise.
All foods contain energy in the form of calories. The
number of calories we need in a day depends on two factors
that will be different for everyone – the level of physical
activity and metabolic rate. Both of these factors affect the
amount of calories you should take in. However, everyone has a
different metabolic rate, so some people will gain or lose weight
when consuming the same amount of calories. Early in your
healing stages, you may require more calories in the form of
proteins for good cell and muscle repair and then return to your
normal routine.
An experienced dietician may offer helpful
advice as well.
