What To Eat When You Have Diarrhea

Yup, I dropped The D Word.

Image via All Pet News

Recently, I had diarrhea for an entire week. I've only had a stomach virus once before so I had no clue what to eat. Many articles I discovered via Google recommended the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. Ugh! It sounded so boring and unhealthy to me. I'd rather starve or poop my brains out, I declared. So I did both actually.

That was until the morning of Day 5 when I woke up completely pooped out. I committed to eating two big chunks of bread for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for two days in a row. I felt like I was dining in prison catered by Whole Foods Market. Menu: Handmade, artisanal bread served with filtered water.

Fortunately, I discovered online that these two delightful foods are also soothing to an upset tummy. I highly recommend them for breaking up the monotony of the BRAT diet if you ever find yourself suffering from GI issues.

Blueberries
Blueberry root is a folk remedy for tummy troubles. I couldn't find any so I just bought blueberries. How often is it medically imperative that you sit around and eat a ton of blueberries? Having an entire carton of blueberries to myself made me feel like a GI Goddess.

Mint and Chamomile Tea
Chamomile is said to be good for healing intestinal inflammation. I brewed peppermint, spearmint, and chamomile in a big mason jar. I let the tea cool then sipped on it throughout the day. It was so refreshing. I think I'm going to continue to drink it regularly. I'm not a fan of the taste of chamomile, but the mint makes the entire drink delicious.

Can you recommend any foods that are tasty and helpful for diarrhea besides BRAT? Leave a comment.

Olivia Lane is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She's also author of Baking Soda & Bliss: The Healthy & Happy Guide to Green Cleaning.   

Stay connected: Free Gift // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // YouTube