Guest Author - Sharon Lasitter


Diarrhea that lasts longer than two days is your body telling you that something is not right, and should be understood as a red flag. The cause could be dietary, emotional, a result of certain medications, or a serious underlying condition.

Diet and Diarrhea
If you have persistent diarrhea one of the first things you need to do is consider your diet as the cause. If diet is the cause, the cure is to eliminate the offending foods. The following is a check list for possible dietary causes:

Berries and dried fruits

The legume family

High fat (such as shortening, greasy (such as chicken skin) or fried foods

Red meat

Sugar – natural or imitation sweeteners

Caffeinated and Carbonated beverages

Alcohol

Egg yolks

Lactose intolerance (many people do not have enough enzymes in their intestines to break down the lactose found in dairy products)

Not enough fiber (everyone is different, so check your intake of fiber – you may not be getting enough)

Too much fiber (though rare, a high fiber diet can lead to diarrhea, so you may want to back off some of the fiber if you consume a lot)

Wheat intolerance (if your system cannot tolerate wheat or wheat products, you may have celiac disease. If you have had an endoscopy and this is the case, you will need to eliminate all wheat products and other grains that contain gluten)

Underlying Medical Conditions
If you condition is medical, then you will need diagnostic testing. There is little the traditional medical community can offer in the way of cures for certain causes, but alternative medicine will most likely have more answers:

If your diarrhea is intermittent with constipation, bloating and cramps you may have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Bloody diarrhea with painful elimination, fever, weight loss and abdominal cramping suggests Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) such as:

Crohn’s disease or

Ulcerative colitis

Pathogenic bacterial growth (campylobacter, salmonella, shigella and Escherichia coli) can upset the balance of the friendly flora

Removal of the gallbladder

Parasites

Antibiotics

No matter what the cause and the accompanying cure, if you suffer from chronic diarrhea your system has been depleted of essential electrolytes and friendly flora. Supplementing your system with drinks like Gatorade will help replace electrolytes. If you cannot tolerate sugars contained in these drinks however, make sure you take a multivitamin that contains chloride, magnesium, calcium, potassium, selenium, and zinc with plenty of sea salted water. You will also need to take three probiotic capsules per day to replace your friendly flora. Also try to avoid dairy products, high fiber foods, greasy foods, sweet foods and solid foods in general until you heal. Eat bland and easy to digest foods such as baked potatoes, cooked carrots, white rice, boiled chicken, white toast and bananas.

Please see my related articles:
Elimination Diet - Expert Approach

The Four Agreements Book Review

*Please know that I am not a medical doctor or a health practitioner. I cannot diagnose your stomach problems nor can I guarantee a cure. I am here to share my knowledge, which applications have worked for me and to offer suggestions of where you may go physically, emotionally and spiritually for healing and self-empowerment. If you choose to explore alternative medicine, do not independently stop taking your prescribed medications. Always consult with your current doctor as well as your new practitioner when changing your medical program