Cereals such as Rice Krispies ® and corn flakes.High in refined or low-fiber complex carbohydrates (starches).Smooth peanut butter and other nut butters, such as almond butter.Include enough nutrients in your meals to help you heal. Drink most of your liquids between meals, at least 1 hour before or after a meal.This means that you may not digest or absorb enough nutrients. Only drink ½ cup (4 ounces) of liquids during each mealĭrinking large amounts of liquids with meals pushes your food through your bowel more quickly. It will also help prevent foods from causing a blockage as they pass through your intestine. Once your bowel has adapted, you can go back to having 3 meals a day.Ĭhewing foods well will help break down food for easier absorption (the way a substance enters your body) by your body.Small meals help control your symptoms and are easier for your body to digest and absorb. Eat 6 to 8 small meals a dayĮating small, frequent meals will put less stress on your shortened bowel. You can also use the sample menu, located at the end of this resource. People with short bowel syndrome may have:įollow these guidelines while your bowel is recovering. You can reduce these symptoms by following the guidelines in this resource.
Short bowel syndrome is a set of symptoms that happen while your remaining bowel adapts after your surgery. It’s important to remember that everyone’s body heals differently so recovery time can be different from person to person Back to top Short Bowel Syndrome For some time after your surgery (typically a few months), your body may not absorb nutrients, liquids, vitamins, and minerals as well as it did before your surgery.
However, it takes time for your remaining bowel to adapt. This means that parts of your bowel can be removed without having a major impact on your nutritional health. It does this by absorbing the nutrients and liquids that would’ve normally been absorbed by the part that was removed. When a part of your bowel is removed, the part that’s left can adapt.