You will not have to wait much to return to your normal diet after an ostomy surgery. And what may come as good news is that the foods that were healthy for you before surgery are still healthy for you. But yes, you are going to have to be a bit more cautious about your diet. It is very important to make sure that you are having a balanced diet only.

Surely you are going to get instructions on your diet from your doctor and ostomy care nurse. But you may also like to have some other helpful suggestions.

It is never a good idea to eat bigger meals. Instead, you are going to find it more helpful to have smaller meals 3 – 4 times in a day. And make sure that you eat these meals at the same time each day for more regulated bowel movements. Meals in smaller quantities will be processed more efficiently in your body and you will also be able to avoid unnecessary gas.

For the first few weeks after your ostomy surgery, you need to eat soft foods because they are easy to digest. You can also adapt to habit of chewing your foods well enough because well chewed foods are easier to digest and process. You can certainly add high-fiber foods back into your diet but this process should be a gradual one. High-fiber foods are not very easy to digest and, so, your body may not be fully prepared to fully process those foods in the first few weeks after surgery. A gradual addition of high fiber foods allows you to notice your body’s response to these foods.

You absolutely need to avoid harmful drinks such as alcohol or carbonated drinks. You rather need to make sure that the liquids in your diet are actually helpful for your better health. Among other fluids, water is the most beneficial one. You can ask your doctor about the juices that you can add in your diet. And if you are a sports enthusiast, you need to hydrate more often.

After surgery, you can have normal foods which had been consuming before surgery. However, there are certain foods which you are going to have to be cautious about. Such foods are hard to digest and they can cause blockages. Those foods include nuts, seeds, popcorn, dried fruits, mushrooms, and raw-crunchy vegetables.

While you are not going to be advised to avoid these foods entirely, you will surely get instructions about being careful with the intake of such foods. One thing that you have to keep in mind is that you cannot afford blockages by any means. They are painful and they can cause medical emergencies.