Nutrition is a basic need of every human being. Unfortunately, it often happens that after eating a large meal we feel sluggish and feel as if we have suddenly magically gained a few kilograms. This is because the stomach, burdened with unhealthy and hard-to-digest products, does not function as it should. This, in turn, contributes to the formation of adipose tissue and malaise. In such a situation, an easily digestible diet, which is a slightly modified traditional diet, is an excellent solution. An easily digestible diet is about providing the body with essential minerals, which are the basis of proper nutrition. How to recognize easily digestible products? Which ones are better to avoid? How is it recommended to prepare meals on an easily digestible diet? Who should follow an easily digestible diet? How to easily compose an easily digestible diet for the whole day? You can find out all this in our article!
An easily digestible diet – what to eat
Easily digestible products are the basis of a light and healthy diet. They serve to improve our health. Do you want to feel light after meals? Or maybe your doctor recommended an easily digestible diet for your health? Are you wondering what foods are recommended on an easily digestible diet? Check which foods are easily digestible for your digestive tract. The list of easily digestible products seems endless, but the most important ones include:
- cereal products: light wheat bread, small groats (barley, millet, couscous, semolina), white rice, small pasta, oatmeal;
- milk and dairy products: sweet milk, natural yogurt, kefir, curdled milk, white cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, buttermilk;
- eggs: soft-boiled, steamed, fried, scrambled, omelette;
- lean meat, cold cuts, fish – beef, veal, chicken, turkey, rabbit, trout, cod, pike-perch, lean cold cuts;
- fats – butter, sweet cream, vegetable oils served cold (rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, olive oil);
- delicate vegetables – boiled, steamed, shredded: potatoes, carrots, beets, spinach, pumpkin, young green beans; raw: green lettuce, chicory, peeled tomato;
- ripe fruits: apples, apricots, peaches, oranges (preferably without skin);
- sugar and sweets: sugar, honey, vegetable and fruit jams (seedless);
- spices: vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, basil, rosemary, lovage;
- beverages: still water, compotes, vegetable and fruit juices (natural), cereal tea and coffee, diluted juices from permitted fruits;
What to avoid when following an easily digestible diet?
An easily digestible diet is also called an easily digestible diet. It requires limiting products that are difficult for our body to digest. Therefore, the following easily digestible foods should be limited on an easily digestible diet:
- cereal products: whole grain bread, rye and wholemeal bread, sourdough bread, coarse groats, pasta and cereals;
- eggs: fried, hard-boiled;
- dairy products: cheese, blue cheese, heavy cream, fat milk;
- meat and fish: fatty meats: pork and venison, fatty fish: salmon, halibut, fatty meats and sausages;
- legumes: beans, peas, lentils;
- vegetables: cucumber, onion, garlic, cruciferous vegetables;
- fruits: plums, pears;
- hot spices: pepper, chilli pepper, allspice;
- Beverages: carbonated and non-carbonated drinks, alcohol, strong coffee and tea;
- products containing high amounts of dietary fiber.
Easily digestible diet – digestion time of products
The time it takes for our digestive tract to digest individual foods varies greatly. Some meals are digested faster, others more slowly – it all depends on their type and preparation. Fruit and vegetable juices are digested the fastest, in 15-20 minutes. Raw and roasted vegetables take a little longer, up to 40 minutes, but not all of them, because starchy vegetables take 1.5 to 2 hours to digest. In the same way, chicken, dairy products and grains need two hours to digest. About three hours of digestion are needed by beef, pork and nuts. Legumes, fried foods, offal, smoked meats, animal fats, fish products, mushrooms and confectionery need the most to digest, i.e. more than six hours.
An easily digestible diet – rules
An easily digestible diet is also a slimming diet. The rules of following an easily digestible diet are very simple and do not require too much effort from us. Its main tasks include providing low-volume products that will not unnecessarily burden the digestive tract, alleviating ailments of the digestive system and generally improving the figure and well-being. Therefore, the basic principle of an easily digestible diet is to eliminate from the menu ingredients and dishes that are difficult to digest for our body and thus cause malaise, a feeling of heaviness and flatulence. This means that we should eat as little fatty meat, dietary fiber (in the form of raw vegetables or whole grain cereal products), spicy and marinated foods and products in vinegar brine. During an easily digestible diet, it is recommended to eat more meals (4-5), but in smaller portions, and these meals should not be too warm and should be avoided from being reheated. It is also important to consume them slowly and without haste. Prepared dishes should be boiled, stewed or baked without the addition of fat, which means that we should forget about fried or grilled foods. Both during an easily digestible diet and any other diet, it is particularly important to properly hydrate the body. Therefore, we should drink plenty of water – at least 1.5 liters of water during the day.
Indications for an easily digestible diet are very diverse. The easily digestible diet is a therapeutic diet and is so safe and universal that it can be used by anyone. An easily digestible diet is especially recommended for people who are looking for healthy and effective ways to lose weight and people who have undergone gastrointestinal surgeries. An easily digestible diet is ideal for the elderly, the elderly and those who struggle with digestive problems, food poisoning or inflammatory diseases of the gastric mucosa. An easily digestible diet should also be used by people who suffer from colon ailments, e.g. irritable bowel syndrome, reflux, various types of stomach and intestine ailments and people suffering from gastrointestinal cancer. An easily digestible diet is also recommended for people in the perioperative period, i.e. in the period of convalescence after surgical procedures. Being on an easily digestible diet also relieves various types of inflammation. It is also an ideal weight loss diet