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If you recently had an upset stomach or perhaps diarrhea, your physician may advise you to change your eating plan to dull ingredients which won’t aggravate the stomach.
The BRAT diet is a bland-food diet that is frequently advisable for adults and kids. BRAT means Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. The BRAT diet can certainly help you recover from an upset stomach or diarrhea for the following reasons:
It includes “binding foods.” These tend to be low-fiber foods which can help render your stools firmer.
It includes bananas high in potassium which help replace nutrients and vitamins the body has missing because of vomiting or perhaps diarrhea.
What is the BRAT diet?
The BRAT diet is bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.
It is generally used by individuals with gastrointestinal distress such as irritable bowel syndrome (I.B.S.), diarrhea, dyspepsia, gastroenteritis, and ulcerative colitis.
The BRAT diet consists of consuming foods low in fiber as foods high in fiber can irritate and further complicate problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Moreover, the BRAT diet should not be used to lose weight and should always be used in conjunction with a balanced diet plan.
The secret to the BRAT diet is that these foods are easy on your stomach and gastrointestinal tract, thus allowing your symptoms to ease or heal independently.
Moreover, doctors usually recommend the BRAT diet for patients with diarrhea; you should take the BRAT diet with lots of fluids to prevent dehydration.
The BRAT diet is used by millions of people worldwide and is considered safe and the standard treatment for many chronic stomach problems.
You should avoid your regular diet high in fiber, calories, and protein if you suffer from diarrhea, along with fats and sugar-rich foods.
How does BRAT Diet Works?
Bananas
Bananas are beneficial for diarrhea in binding foods, which help restore stool structure in the intestines.
Also, bananas are extremely high in potassium, an essential mineral the body uses to replace nutrients lost due to diarrhea.
Binding qualities are also the reason why Rice and Toast are included in the diet as well. Some other foods that act the same way are lentils, yogurt, and baked potatoes – these all carry high amounts of potassium.
Applesauce
The main component of applesauce is pectin; apples are extremely high in pectin.
Pectin acts in the same way with stool as bananas by binding the stool and allowing it to flow together through the colon.
Rice and Toast
Rice and toast are low in fiber share the same binding qualities, and the stomach tends to react nicely to them.
These foods are quickly passed through the digestive tract and can help during bouts of pain or diarrhea.
Why do you need BRAT Diet?
Our body has a built-in natural immune system, and diarrhea is part of the immune system that dispels toxins from the body through a loose bowel movement.
There are plenty of causes for diarrhea. Viruses that affect the stomach, eating something that your stomach doesn’t agree with, are prevalent.
Other reasons could be medications, your environment, or a medical condition.
Moreover, an upset stomach may have incurred toxins from unwanted foods, or maybe too much oil and fat intake cause diarrhea and vomiting.
The BRAT diet’s work is to return the intake of our stomach to its “compatible” foods.
Sometimes, the B.R.A.T. Diet is amended to the B.R.A.T.T.Y. Diet, which consists of tea and yogurt, or the B.R.AT.C.H Diet, which includes boiled chicken.
Any combination of these diets can ease an upset stomach and potentially heal other gastrointestinal issues.
When to follow BRAT Diet?
Once you have diarrhea or perhaps vomiting, follow the BRAT eating plan to aid your system to ease back into normal eating.
BRAT diet eating plan can even help ease nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea during pregnancy.
You can add other bland foods to the BRAT eating plan. For instance, you can quickly try saltine crackers, boiled potatoes, or soups.
Don’t start eating dairy items and sweet or oily foods too quickly. Those foods may trigger nausea or possibly cause even more diarrhea.
When to avoid BRAT Diet?
BRAT eating plan is not recommended for adults or kids actively vomiting. Instead, follow plain liquids initially and wait until you eat solid foods without vomiting.
If you have been vomiting or perhaps have diarrhea, consuming an electrolyte beverage ( brand names such as Pedialyte, Rehydralyte) may help manage dehydration. Always consume products based on the doctor’s instructions.
How Long to Continue BRAT Diet?
Grownups and kids must follow the BRAT eating plan for a short period since it does not offer all aspects of the healthy eating plan. Using a BRAT diet not more than 24 to 48 hours is recommended.
Following the BRAT eating plan for an extended period may cause your body to become malnourished. It means that your body is not getting enough essential nutrients. If the body is malnourished, it will be hard to help you get better.
You should start following a regular diet, such as fruits and vegetables after vomiting or diarrhea stops.
Ask your children’s doctor if or when you have concerns about whether or not you or your youngster must follow the BRAT diet.
BRAT Diet for Toddler and Children
Doctors have suggested the B.R.A.T. Diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) for years for diarrhea in toddlers and children.
Combining the B.R.A.T. Diet with increased fluid intake helps remedy upset stomach and relieve loose stool.
Using all-natural foods while monitoring your child is a safe, efficient way without medication not only to save yourself a trip to the hospital but also to help your child recover quickly.
Upset stomach and diarrhea are highly uncomfortable, especially in young children and toddlers.
How to Administer The B.R.A.T. Diet in Toddlers and Children?
Ensure your child is drinking clear fluids such as water. Pedialyte and liquids such as Smart Water, which replace electrolytes lost during diarrhea, are also helpful.
Remember, it is vital to keep hydrated to replace the water in the body lost from the loose stool. Once you are assured your child can take in liquids without irritability, it is safe to administer the B.R.A.T. Diet in its solid form.
Introduce the bananas first to help bind the stomach and the rice to help decrease the rate of diarrhea and hold in hydration.
Applesauce and toast can then be eaten but remember to keep sugar intake bare minimum. Consume sugar-free applesauce, or no sugar added.
You can add jelly to the toast to make it easier to digest for your child but again, remember to keep sugar to a minimum.
Keep in mind what you may think is healthy for your child can further perpetuate the problem.
Dairy and raw foods are not suitable for babies and toddlers with stomach problems. You should avoid these items for about a week, and you continue after they start to feel better.
Further, you should avoid fatty foods that can retrigger diarrhea and stomach pains.
Also, it is recommended to altogether avoid soft drinks, sugary drinks, and candy while on the B.R.A.T. diet.
Provided you have attempted to try the B.R.A.T. Diet and are seeing no immediate remedy to your child, you should seek the advice of your health care provider.
BRAT Diet and Misconceptions on Diarrhea
Many misconceptions are floating around regarding the treatment of diarrhea. When our body’s immune system works to expel toxins, it will cause diarrhea to occur, along with the excessive loss of body fluids.
However, the body fluids that come out during diarrhea contain beneficial amounts of salt and electrolytes. It contains ions found in cells and blood essential for the body.
Parents who lack knowledge usually give their children Pedialyte or oral hydration solutions to cure diarrhea.
Pedialyte or oral hydration is not a cure for diarrhea, as it could not kill even a single bacterium that causes the stomach disorder. Instead, it only helps prevent dehydration among patients suffering from stomach troubles.
You should avoid giving your child just Pedialyte or oral hydration during diarrhea. So, the full recovery from diarrhea is high only when you include the BRAT diet.
BRAT diet and Treatments of Diarrhea
You cannot have regular foods in diarrhea because your stomach is in poor health, and digestion is compromised.
Besides, it would be best to take note of certain foods that may aggravate your stomach and make your condition worse. You should avoid dairy products, sweets, alcohol, fatty foods, and those high in fiber.
The doctor advises drinking lots of fluids but avoiding too cold or hot drinks. It will work best if you take water at room temperature every hour to prevent dehydration.
After you have followed the fluid guide then slowly introduce the BRAT diet.
Initially, try to eat only in moderation and not stuff your stomach, as it may still be weak, and your stomach cannot tolerate large amounts of food by this time.
Remember to avoid foods such as meats. However, broths are excellent to eat as long as they are low in sodium.
Also, avoid milk, yogurt, and most dairy unless directed by your healthcare professional.
Usually, diarrhea is a self-limiting sickness like the cold, which has a natural history of resolving without treatment.
Our body’s immune system is constantly working round the clock, and diarrhea is one of its ways of protecting your body as it expels toxins out.
Still, if diarrhea lasts longer along with vomiting, immediate medical attention should be considered.
