Colonoscopy diet: the foods to eat and those to avoid absolutely

The colonoscopy diet is essential in order to obtain a reliable examination. Here, then, how to manage it and what are the foods to eat and those to avoid.

Learning to better manage the colonoscopy diet is a good way to ensure that the exam is performed correctly and the possibility of having a perfect view of your colon. What you eat is in fact decisive as it can lead to intestinal obstructions, aerophagia and other symptoms that could make it difficult or even impossible to perform the examination. For this reason, understanding what to eat and what to avoid in the three days preceding the colonoscopy is really important.

Colonoscopy diet: how it works

Preparing for a colonoscopy is a step that you must always undergo before carrying out the exam. In order to ensure that the same is performed correctly it is in fact very important to follow a diet free of waste for colonoscopy.

Among the foods that can be eaten are bread and pasta made from white flour, rice, fish and lean meats, low-fat cheeses and peeled potatoes. Among those that should be avoided are fruit, vegetables, bread and pasta made from wholemeal flours, bran, vegetable purees (including tomato sauce) and fruit juices . What you are going to do is therefore a diet without fiber for colonoscopy.

What to eat before colonoscopy

Now that we have seen which foods are allowed and which are prohibited, it is possible to have a rough idea of ​​what to eat in the three days preceding the exam. For a diet based on food without colonoscopy waste, you can have breakfast with milk and puffed rice. At lunch you can eat white rice with a little cheese (like ricotta) and at dinner you can eat lean meat or grilled fish to accompany, perhaps, some boiled potatoes and a slice of bread.

The day before the exam you will have to have a breakfast with only sweetened tea. At lunch you can eat little fish or meat and you will still have to eat by noon.
From noon until midnight, only liquids such as filtered meat broth or sugary drinks can be consumed. From midnight you will have to drink only water until the moment of the exam .

Obviously, each case is separate and this is just general information. Typically, the referring physician should leave a sheet with basic directions containing both how to take laxatives and what and how to eat based on the time of the colonoscopy.