Digestive Health

My son was recently the victim of a violent crime. He has facial injuries that make it difficult for him to eat. He's getting sick of Ensure, Ovaltine, pudding, mashed potatoes, and creamed soups. He was already underweight (20 years old, 6 feet 130 pounds) and now with not eating enough, he's losing more...

I have been undergoing treatment for diverticulitis and my doctor's office gave me a "high fiber diet" (a list of eight food categories) in which it stated to include a cup of nuts a day. Even I know better than that. I have checked around with several bookstores, etc. and I can't seem to...

An in-law has diverticulitis. My wife was interested in finding recipes and learning how to prepare meals. Do you have any recommendations or know of how to best prepare meals? Since I'm only the middle man, what foods/spices should be excluded from the diet? Diverticulitis is grouped with inflammatory bowel diseases. Pockets develop in the...

May I know the % of fat content in whole milk as compared to 2%? Thanks. Whole milk is 3.5% (approximately as it depends on the cow's feed) and 2% contains just 2% fat. There is approximately 1 1/2 teaspoon of butterfat in whole milk, 1 teaspoon of butterfat in 2% milk, 1/2 teaspoon of...

I was wondering if you knew anything about such milk substitute products as soymilk and rice drink (Rice Dream). Do you know of any other products available for lactose intolerant people? Are they healthy and what other benefits do they provide? Thank you very much for your time. Any soy and or rice beverage would be...

Thanks so much for the speedy reply. Great suggestions! His jaw isn't wired, but he has a broken nose, cheekbones, and stitches in his upper lip. He says that his palate hurts when he swallows, which the doc says will go away when the swelling goes down. Also, he can't close his jaw completely also...

I am currently 27 and was diagnosed with celiac at age 9. A large number of my friends are research/ biology/science based and an ongoing argument between us is why celiac is defined as a disease and whether in fact, it is not simply an allergy. It has been suggested at times that such...

Is there anyone at my hospital who you know who can help me find a way to make foods liquid enough for our son (18 years) whose jaw is wired shut due to orthognathic surgery for orthodontic treatment? High-calorie protein powdered foods are too thick even when thinned. He has lost 15 pounds already...

I needed to lose some weight. So some friends and I went on a vegetable diet. I got such terrible cramps that I had to stop after 1-week. Why did I get such bad cramps? If your diet previous to the vegetable diet was low in fiber, your cramps may have been due to the...

I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) as well as lactose intolerance four years ago. I have cut out all forms of milk (including casein, whey, and milk fat), caffeine, carbonation and alcohol and am taking a doctor-recommended daily fiber drink to keep regular. I still don't feel all that great. Are there...