A low-residue diet can be helpful during an IBD or diverticulitis flare-up, to get rid of common irritants and to help calm the gut. This low-residue diet can also be used as a low-fibre diet (less than 10 grams of fibre per day) before or after surgery to reduce bowel volume.
Of course, the best way to calm a flare and produce minimal fecal matter is an elemental diet – but as that can be costly, you can try this low-residue diet first and see if it’s sufficient to calm inflammation.
Good supplements that help calm intestinal inflammation quickly are George’s Aloe Vera Juice, MucosaCalm, L-Glutamine (take on an empty stomach if you want to reduce diarrhea) and probiotics.
JINI’S LOW RESIDUE DIET
Grain Products:
• white or Haiga rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat
• gluten-free cereals
• gluten-free crackers (unflavored), rice cakes
• rice or quinoa pasta
• avoid wheat – since an intolerance or allergy to wheat is highly likely.
Fruits:
• fresh non-acidic fruit juices (except prune juice) like apple, pear, mango, papaya – but keep to a minimum to avoid the sugar load
• applesauce, apricots, banana, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, peaches, watermelon, mango, papaya (very soothing)
• avoid fruits that are both raw and dried, such as raisins and berries.
Vegetables:
• fresh-juiced vegetable juices
• red potatoes (no skin) – 25% less starch/fiber than white potatoes, so easier to digest
• well-cooked and tender vegetables including green/yellow beans, carrots, celery (remove strings), mushrooms, squash, zucchini, cucumber, butter lettuce only, avocados
• avoid vegetables from the cruciferous family such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, Swiss chard, onions, etc. as they will likely cause gas and bloating
• avoid beans and lentils, soybeans and soy derivatives
• avoid nightshade family vegetables; tomatoes (too acidic), peppers, eggplant
Meat and Protein:
• organic chicken or turkey, fish and eggs
• avoid tofu and red meat (but see note below)
Nuts and Seeds:
• nut butters in moderate amounts
• avoid all nuts and seeds, as well as foods that may contain seeds. But nut butters or seed pastes are fine; where everything is milled to smooth softeness.
Dairy:
• raw milk or raw cheddar (unpasteurized) might be okay, so test. Raw goat or sheep or camel milk is usually more easily tolerated than raw cow’s milk.
• organic butter (raw or pasteurized) is usually okay, but ghee is better.
• avoid pasteurized dairy (milk, cheese, yoghurt, etc) as it is another top allergen.
• avoid nut milks that are thickened with carrageenan
Fats:
• unrefined coconut oil (MCT’s are healing for the gut), extra virgin olive oil, cold-pressed flax or Udo’s oil and organic butter or ghee.
• avoid commercial vegetable oils like canola, soybean, “regular” safflower oil – basically, anything that is NOT cold-pressed. Also avoid margarine or butter substitutes, deep fried foods, or high heat pan frying.
Additives:
• no artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors
• no preservatives, conditioners, extenders, MSG, nitrates/nitrites (found in deli meats and hot dogs), or anything else that sounds like a chemical compound. Just buy and eat FRESH!
NOTE: A reader asked whether it is okay to eat organic, grass-fed beef on a low-residue diet. Technically, beef is not included in the list of allowable foods. However, I feel it would be okay if sliced super thin and eaten raw – like carpaccio. Or, the best way would be to consume as Beef Broth. So here is a recipe for you to use for a strengthening, nourishing beef broth where you will benefit greatly from both the gelatin and the minerals which are pulled out of the bones by the vinegar. Don’t worry about the vinegar as any acidity disappears during the cooking process. Recipe excerpted from The IBD Remission Diet.
Beef Bone Broth
• 3 pounds grass-fed or organic beef soup bones (marrow, knuckle, ribs or neck bones)
• 5 whole celery stalks
• 1 whole onion peeled
• 1 bunch of parsley (optional)
• 8 cups of water
• 2 tbsp. Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tsp. of salt (use sea salt or Himalayan salt for better flavor and electrolytes)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle beef soup bones with salt and roast, covered in the roasting pan, in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. Cook the bones long enough so that the meat on them is done (you can also cook the bones in a large saucepan, on the stove top if desired – but the taste won’t be as good).
2. Fill a large stock pot with water up to ¾ full (or 6 – 8 cups of water), and bring to a boil. Place the cooked bones, onion, parsley, apple cider vinegar and celery in the boiling water. Boil uncovered for half an hour and remove any scum from the top. Then cover and simmer on low heat for 7 – 10 hours.
3. Remove pot from heat, mix well and then pour contents through a fine strainer into a large bowl (give bones to your dog, or neighbour’s dog). Place this large bowl uncovered in the fridge for 12 – 24 hours, or until broth has become jelly-like and the fat has risen and congealed on top.
4. Skim fat off top of bowl with a spoon. Portion up the remaining beef soup jelly into individual servings in zip-lock plastic bags and put them in the freezer to use as needed. Don’t worry about making too much because even when you’re back on regular food, this beef bone broth is excellent as a stock for soups, sauces, etc. When you’re ready to eat some soup, stir in 1 tsp. – 1 tbsp. of organic butter or coconut oil to each serving of soup. Add sea salt to taste.
Jini, I have 2 questions:
Would you discourage eating beef on a low-res diet? I have access to 100% grass fed organic beef. Would that be OK?
Also, my son is recovering from a severe flare-up of Colits/Crohn’s. He’s on medication for the inflammation and the drs have recommended a low-res diet. We’d like to wean him from the majority of drugs before moving forward with an elemental diet. But, I’m wondering if we use George’s and MuscosaHeal with a low-res diet if that would be enough to bring the healing we are after. What do you think?
Thank you for your thoughts!
Hi Julie, great question! In fact, I have added my reply to the original post above, so others can benefit.
If your son does not have intestinal bleeding, then yes, the low-res diet along with George’s and MucosaHeal (along with emotional healing – remember the gut is the Second Brain!) may be enough. The only way to know is to test it and see.
Keep in mind, he can also use the elemental diet as a way to support his body through the difficult drug weaning process if you choose to go that way.
Hi,my name is Luis I’ve order the shake unsweeting vaniall, I have UC I have loss stool and watery and blood also. Please what can I do. On food eating to help please Thank you
Hi Luis – thanks for reaching out. Are you planning on going on a fully elemental diet (shakes only) or are you looking to do a half elemental diet (shakes combined with food)?
The first place I recommend you start is our home remedy page for UC: https://listentoyourgut.com/ulcerative-colitis/
And here are some gut-friendly food options if you decide you want to combine shakes with food:
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/use-common-foods-to-heal-inflammatory-bowel-disease/
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/when-you-cannot-afford-to-do-an-elemental-diet/
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/jinis-bone-veggie-broth-recipes/
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/jinis-low-residue-diet/
In good health!
Thanks, Jini. I think he was hoping for a burger or tacos — we’ll just wait for those treats till he’s healthy. 🙂
I’ll let you know how the low-res diet goes. He was hospitalized for 16 days with intestinal bleeding that is now being controlled by Remicade and Prednizone. He’s 16 yrs. old and not willing to do the full elemental. Hopefully, with diet and supplements, we can see his colon respond well enough to have the docs agree to take him off the drugs. I feel like we’re caught in a hard place. Your website has given me hope that we do have alternatives to a life of drugs.
Thank you!
Julie
All that I read about Absorb Plus seems to say it will help put on pounds b/c person has been losing weight. I am just the opposite. Have put on 15 lbs since last Fall when stopped taking Estrogen(post-menepausal)
Have had diverticular flare-ups past week; do eat 8 oz yogurt daily; have lower left ab pain plus trouble passing hard small pellet-like stools without help of suppository. I have your book, “Listento Your Gut”
What would Absorg plus do for me? I take Vits D, E, A, coQ10, FIsh oil1000, plus multi vitamin.
LIZ – you can also use Absorb Plus to lose weight, you just adjust intake accordingly. Most people with IBD need to gain weight, so that is the benefit I talk about a lot. But we have had many people use it to lose weight, whilst still ensuring excellent nutrient intake. Just don’t lose weight too quickly, or you will down-regulate your metabolism. So since you only have 15 pounds to lose, you would figure out the number of calories you need to maintain your IDEAL weight – and drink the equal number of shakes per day. Be sure to add the Udo’s oil as that also helps your body release fat.
Jini, we’ve been a month on the low-res diet for my son and he’s finally stopped seeing blood in his stool. He’s dealing with occasional acid pains in his chest and stomach, and most days he’s still very gassy.
He’s been taking 2-3 AbsorbPlus shakes a day, probiotics in the evening before bed, Vit C with bioflavinoids, and CoQ10 with the shakes. I just bought DGL for the acid, but 3 tablets didn’t help last night when he was in a lot of pain. He ended up taking a prescription acid blocker and Ibuprofen and was finally able to sleep.
I’ve read over your suggestions for these issues in Listen 2 Your Gut and I’m wondering what changes we could make in his diet to help. We’re thinking about taking milk completely out (he was mixing the shakes with 1/2 water and 1/2 raw cow’s milk) and limiting food before bed. His probiotic is Holy Trinity, but I’m wondering about buying l.acidoliphilus for him to have on it’s own when the acid is bad.
Do you think we should stay gluten-free or would the diet for gas and bloating in L2YG be OK to try.
thank you,
julie
Hi Juile, from what you’ve written, I would try L. bulgaricus (Natren’s Digesta-Lac) for the heartburn – either in powder form, or chewable tablet.
And I would also STRONGLY recommend you take him to a craniosacral therapist (level 2 or higher – see http://www.upledger.com for practitioners in your area) to release the diaphragm and unstick the esophageal valve – this alone could be your solution.
If neither of those things work, then you may want to test removing dairy.
Hi can u guide me how i control my rectal bleeding. Stool consistancy is normal and one per day. I had fresh bleeding of drops after passing stool. What you suggest and how it is control? Sometimes i got confused as i got ulcerative collitis and anal fissue. What wil be the fresh bleeding cause??
Hi Sadia. I’m happy you reached out. Bleeding can be caused by a number of things, so I recommend you first read Jini’s Home Remedy pages for both UC & anal fissures:
https://listentoyourgut.com/ulcerative-colitis/
https://listentoyourgut.com/an-anal-fissure/
They say safflower oil is good for loosing belly fat but you say it is bad for my Divert. is there a supplement form that may be cold pressed? Dr. Oz is more or less indorsing it but I took the “White Bean Extract” and had a terrible bleeding event. Dr. Oz is a good guy but I think he needs to explain these things when he is talking about loosing weight. Many people are desperate to loose weight and I think will try all these things without thinking it thru. I did and I know the Vit. world very well.
SHARON – safflower oil is fine if it is cold-pressed. Raw coconut oil is also good for losing belly fat.
Thank You, Can I safely take the coconut oil with diverticulitis and if so how much should I take a day?
Start cooking and baking with it and you will likely tolerate that well. If you want to take it straight, then start with 1/2 tsp. and gradually build up to your tolerance level.
I would love to eat quinoa all day…..but 5 years ago I had a bout of diverticulitis( no surgery) are you sure it is o.k. To eat?
Hi Jini, thanks for this information. But what about proper food combining? Thanks!
Hi Cynthia,
Food combining is just a different approach to food that some people use. The low residue diet Jini mentions in the post above is geared toward people who are dealing with some form of IBD and who don’t want to (or can’t) go on an elemental diet.
Kind regards,
Justin
Customer Care
Hi Jini,
my mom has diverticulitis and has just been released from the hospital with a jp drain after 6 weeks, I will be doing the cooking for her. My question is, does your low residue diet apply to people with multiple issues? she has stage four kidney failure, diabetes, congestive heart failure, gout and now diverticulitis. Just trying to find the best plan for her to give her the best foods with a combination of issues. I don’t want to give her to many fruits and she is limited to the amount of fluid she can have and most of these issues have food restrictions. I am having a very hard time trying to find what is going help her with all these issues and still be able to eat.
Hi Christy,
In general, yes, the low residue diet is suitable for people with multiple issues but you may have to remove certain things just depending on your mom’s specific condition and needs. As always, it’s best to consult with her doctor if you’re unsure about any particular item on the diet and whether or not it would be good for her to consume it.
Kind regards,
Justin
Customer Care
As of the last two days and also today I have been on A liquid diet for Diverticulitis ,tomorrow the nurse said I can start a low residue diet .i have looked at the diet ,can you answer to if Ivan eat cooked pinto beans and length sausage if I take the casing of after or before I cook it .
If you’re asking from the aspect of whether things will get stuck in diverticulae, then sure, you can eat those things (yes, remove the casing) – just chew everything to an almost liquid mush. Make sure the sausage does not contain artificial flavors, msg, or nitrates (extremely carcinogenic to the colon). Nitrates are often disguised at “celery powder”. Beyond that, listen to your gut and how you feel after you eat foods and it will tell you whether it likes those foods, and how often.
Is it ok to drink aloe vera straight from the plant? I removed the yellow stuff and the veins.
Hi Rita,
If you feel like you have been very thorough then it could be OK. However, Jini suggests just using properly refined aloe vera juice so that you can ensure that you are avoiding anthraqinones and thereby the bad symptoms associated with consuming that portion of the plant.
Kind regards,
Justin
Customer Care
Hi Jini,
I have IBD and during a flare up it is hard to find food that do not causes pain or diarrhea. I order your book recently and I hope it helps. If you have any recommendations for food during a flare up please let me know.
Thank you,
Yanelis
Hi Yanelis,
Thank you for your interest and question. We hope you enjoy the book and it will be a good start to help you learn more on food to eat for a flare up. We highly recommend a elemental diet of liquids during a bad flare up if you have a hard time with food. You can see more on that here: http://www.listentoyourgut.com/absorb/5/elemental-diet.html and https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/all-about-elemental-diets/
There is also a vegan option, and other shakes you can see more about here if you are unable to do the Absorb Plus:
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/use-common-foods-to-heal-inflammatory-bowel-disease/
Also we highly recommend downloading this book specifically for a IBD remission diet:
http://www.listentoyourgut.com/healing-resources/5/the-ibd-remission-diet-achieving-long-term-health-with-an-elemental-diet-and-natural-supplementation-plan.html
If you have any other questions please let us know.
Kind Regards,
Rachel
Customer Care
Mu husband is in hospital with UC flare and he had sepsis (was in ICU for 2 1/2 days). He was only diagnosed 6th June this year. We tried to avoid the drugs but the learning curve was too steep and we didn’t find your website in time. So now he is on steroids & anti-inflammatories, and we need to stay on them because he could die if he gets another infection. We are doing our own elemental type diet (the shakes from your website), with some Absorb shakes as well, and will start the other supplements as soon as he gets home. How do we know how and when to wean off the meds? The GI’s at the hospital are not interested in our efforts to support the work of the drugs though diet, and don’t believe what we are doing will help. But they are also surprised that he is recovering so well, they thought he would need his bowel out by this week.
Hello Jane,
Thank you for you message. Great to hear you are finding success through the diet. It is common for the medical industry to not always support treatment that isn’t through their surgeries and medications unfortunately. We are not qualified to tell you when to get off the medicines. However, Jini highly recommends not taking steroids and prescriptions as they can be more detrimental to your gut and body. In here Listen to Your Gut book she gives details on why they can be harmful and a effective way on weaning off of them. She also recommends to be sure to listen to the gut on what is the best treatment for him.
When you feel ready we also highly recommend using Wild Oregano Oil and high quality probiotics to clean out the gut and build up the good bacteria. As well as the suggested supplements and vitamins.
Please let us know if you have any other questions or we can help you with anything else.
Kind Regards,
Rachel
Customer Care
Hi, If I would start the half elemental diet do I take oregano oil like someone who is on the full elemental diet?
Hi Ana,
You can still use the oregano oil the same as if doing the full elemental diet. You can use all of the same supplements with the half elemental diet. The only difference is if you do not need, or can not tolerate, the full diet you just change the amounts of shakes you take, and other foods you add in as well. If you have any other questions on it please let us know.
Kind Regards,
Rachel
Customer Care
Why does one have to keep the fresh pressed, non-acidic fruit juices to a minimum? In the Gerson Therapy they give them patients every hour a 250ml glass of Apple-Carrot and they also cure Crohns with it. So i don´t understand the reason for that. Furthermore in the Absorb Plus Shakes are 61g Carbs per serving, and Jini stated that one can drink a shake every hour. I think thats at least a equivalent to a glass of Apple-Carrot every hour, isn´t it?
Hello Tobias,
Jini recommends keeping juices to a minimum because of the sugar content. Jini usually recommends in most cast to keep fruits to a minimum due to the sugar content. The maximum amount of Absorb Plus shakes Jini recommends is up to 12 a day. This is based on weight, age, and activity. However most do not end up doing or needing more than 6 a day. Higher amounts are needed for those that desperately need to gain weight, as well as replenish nutrients. But Absorb Plus is designed to use for a temporary amount of time to help in healing and building the body up again, just like doing juicing would be. Please let us know if we can help with anything else.
Kind Regards,
Rachel
Customer Care
Hi,
I am doing a lot of research for my dad. He is given Remicade every 2 months. When he has flare-up (we are talking about blood in stool and this week mucus), I believe very often-he doesn’t talk much about it really. My question is, can he start by just doing the low-res diet or should he start with the elementary diet if he has still blood-mucus in his stool.
Thank you for everything you guys do;
I said to him that we just have to give it a leap of faith.
Thanks,
Hello Veronique,
If your fathers’ symptoms are that severe we would recommend the elemental diet at first if he is able to do it. It will help give the bowels a full rest to heal. However, for those unable to do the full elemental diet the partial elemental diet and then the low residue diet would be the next best thing. If you would like to read more information on the differences to decide on, you can in the IBD Remission Diet book here: http://listentoyourgut.com/healing-resources/5/the-ibd-remission-diet-achieving-long-term-health-with-an-elemental-diet-and-natural-supplementation-plan.html
Also, the Listen to Your Gut book has information on a stop intestinal bleeding diet and many other diet and other recommendations that may be beneficial as well you can see more on here: http://listentoyourgut.com/healing-resources/6/listen-to-your-gut-the-complete-natural-healing-program-for-ibs-and-ibd.html
Please let us know if you have any other questions and we would love to hear how he does on the diet you decide to try out. Hope he is able to start feeling better.
Kind Regards,
Rachel
Customer Care
Hello,
I have a question about fruit intake. You mention some fruits that are OK to eat, then say to avoid raw fruit. So are the specific fruits mentioned OK raw, or do they need to be cooked? Also, when you mention fresh fruit juices is that referring to homemade juices, avoiding bottled/boxed juices completely?
Hello Emily,
The fruits listed are safe raw. What Jini meant by avoiding raw and dried fruit was to avoid fruits that are raw and dried, such as raisins and berries. We have correcting the wording on that to make more sense. Thank you for checking with us on that.
As for the fruit juices, here is an excerpt from Jini in the IBD Remission Diet book on what to look for:
“Make sure all fruit juices are fresh (not from concentrate) with no additives like sugar, color, or preservatives. Obviously, certified organic
fruit juice is preferable – make sure it’s see-through clear with no clouding. You can also purchase juice that’s a bit cloudy and then strain it through a cheesecloth or tea towel to filter out the remaining pulp.”
Please let us know if you have any other questions.
Kind Regards,
Rachel
Customer Care
Thank you for responding so to my questions. I also am wondering how long one should stay on a low reside diet?
Hello Emily,
We couldn’t say for certain how long to be on the low residue diet as everyone’s needs and conditions are different. Jini recommends average of 4-6 of the elemental diet. However, the low residue diet you are still eating a lot of foods, and so it may be something you would want to be on longer than that to heal, then see if you can eat more. When starting a new diet Jini recommends to ask your body and gut how long it needs to be on. And then even if you start feeling better before the end of that time keep on the diet till that time as you could feel better without being as healed as you need to be.
Than when you do feel you are well enough to go off the diet we would recommend still just adding in new foods one at a time slowly. Jini recommend just one new food every 3 days to make sure it is not bothering you. Also, advises to do a food diary while doing these diets, supplements, and adding in new food to try to pinpoint if anything is bothering you.
We hope that works out for you.
Have a great day,
Rachel
Customer Care
Hello, I was looking at the ingredients and the absorb has iodine in it. My daughter has Hashimoto’s along with her Diverticulitis which is why we want to do a low residue diet. Her Dr said absolutely no iodine. What should we do?
Hello Michele,
Thank you for contacting us today. Your other option is Jini’s Vegan Elemental Shakes. Vegan elemental shake kits are ideal for people who cannot tolerate Absorb Plus, OR for people who need to break down the formula and delete ingredients they may be sensitive to. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
Kind Regards,
Cris B
Customer Care
Hello,
I am a 55 year old woman. One year into menopause, very active, with Hashimotos, borderline hypothyroid, and in need of losing about 20 lbs. I have had 4 bouts of diverticulitis in 6 years. I thought I was having an attack last week, but went to hospital, and CAT scan said no diverticulitis, but I have a mild descending and sigmoid wall thickening likely secondary to chronic diverticular disease according to the CAT scan.
I had mild pain in the lower left abdomen, gas, and mild cramping for 2 days. When I felt better, for two days, I had a clear liquid diet and then added yogurt and scrambled eggs for a few days. I seemed to feel better with food in my stomach. I want to start taking the wild oregano and Natren Trenev Trio (I have taken the Natren probiotics before and never had a problem with them). What would you suggest the dosage be for my situation? I would like to heal the inflamation in my intestine and avoid any more diverticulitis attacks and surgery to remove the area of the colon with the diverticulosis. Also, every morning, I start my day with 2 tbs of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar in 2 cups of water, but I am reading on your web site to avoid highly acidic foods. Should I eliminate the apple cider vinegar and I usually start every day with a bowl of steel cut oatmeal and blueberries or strawberries. I know you don’t suggest grains, but it seems as if the oatmeal is the one thing that keeps me regular (without constipation). In fact, it was only when I eliminated oat meal from my diet that I had diverticulitis attacks. Anyway, I would like to know if you think doing a half elemental diet (food along with the Absorb Plus), the mucosaheal, oil of oregano, vitamin d3, coq10, fish oil, vitamin C will be able to heal my intestine? Do you think I need to do anything else? Do you think the NAG and L-Glutamine will raise my blood sugar?
Thank you for your consideration. Mostly everything you say makes so much sense to me. I would really love to avoid surgery. Everyone is pressuring me to have it.
Hi Deb,
Yes, doing half elemental if you can tolerate those type of food should be beneficial. So implement one of the following options in the blog, in conjunction with Absorb Plus.
Aside from bowel rest using Absorb Plus liquid diet, other important steps that you need to follow is to eradicate pathogenic microorganisms (like bad bacteria, yeast, fungi, etc.) using Wild Oregano and then re-populate the bowel with good bacteria using Probiotics.
While the steps above greatly contribute to the healing of intestinal inflammation and ulceration, targeted herbal supplementation is also a highly beneficial natural treatment for more rapid healing like a full spectrum Angstrom-sized, or nanoparticle minerals that are very tolerable.
If you had diarrhea in the past, or lack of absorption of nutrients then you need these additional supplements:
3,000-4,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day. Discover the right dosage for your skin color and environment.
4 to 6 capsules of cod liver oil per day (or 2 teaspoons), or krill oil.
Pycnogenol or grape seed extract.
Coenzyme Q10.
Udos oil (no need if you’re trying to lose weight)
NAG is good but if you’re planning to take Mucosaheal then you don’t need to take NAG. MucosaHeal already contains NAG – unless you want to supplement at a higher dose. We haven’t heard of that particular symptom occurring (raise in blood sugar) as a result of using these supplements, but start with small dosage and see how your gut reacts. Everyone’s pace is different, so you need to listen to your own gut.
For Apple cider, 1/4 tsp mixed in 1 cup water and gradually increase over time and see how your body responds. But be very careful as ACV is acidic! It is composed mainly of acetic acid – which can trigger bleeding if your mucosal lining in your intestines or stomach is already damaged.
Lastly for probiotics, Natren Trenev contains all three (L. acidophilus, B. bifidus and L. bulgaricus) so be sure that you can tolerate each of these bacteria first before taking the 3 in 1 capsule probiotics like Natren Trenev. Probiotics have to be taken completely on their own – 2 hours away from any antibiotic or anti-pathogen (this includes wild oregano, potentized garlic, olive leaf, etc) and 20 minutes before food, or 2 hours after food.
Wild oregano oil is best taken on an empty stomach, but can be combined with any healing type of substance that also requires an empty stomach – like aloe vera, MucosaHeal, slippery elm, marshmallow root etc. It needs to be taken 20 minutes before food, or 2 hours after food. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
Kind Regards,
Cris B
Customer Care
Hi, Chris B,
After reading Listen To Your Gut, I decided on the treatment noted below. I have some questions noted below. After going through this all day, I just read Jini’s Healing Intestinal Strictures. Now, I don’t know what to do. As I said earlier I have wall thickening of the descending and sigmoid colon sigmoid colon and colonic diverticulosis. I sometimes have large stools that can be uncomfortable to pass. Am I better going through with the protocol listed below or switch to the Intestinal Stricture protocol? I am totally confused now.
Healing protocol
Wild Oregano Oil 10 drops 3-5 times a day from 2 weeks to 6 months depending (how do I determine how long to take this?) Empty stomach
Mega, Bifido, Digestalac 1 tsp each before bed combined with 6 to 8 oz room temp spring water and at least 2 hours after oregano oil. Once used to this can I switch to or add capsule to layer ? At night or during the day 1 or 2?
George’s Aloe Vera juice ¼ to 1/3 cup 3 times a day empty stomach
Fish Oil Preferably Cod Liver or Krill Oil 2 capsules 2 times a day
100 mg CoQ10 with vitamin E with food and fish oil and vitamin D3 2,000 iu
Vitamin C (How much Ester C?)
Grape Seed Extract (How much?)
Bone Support 1 tsp to 1 tbs (1 to 2 capfuls) last thing before bed swish in mouth 2 mins swallow
Trace Minerals 1 to 2 capfuls in the morning (Same time as aloe vera juice and oregano oil or with food???)
Mucosaheal (dosage) 600 mg N-Acetyl Glucosamine, Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice Root Extract 4:1 – 300 mg, Slippery Elm Bark – 300 mg, Marshmallow Root – 300 mg For moderate symptoms:Take 1 capsule 3 times a day on an empty stomach ½ hr before meals or 2 hrs after and 3 at night before bed (empty colon first). For mild symptoms: Take 3 at night before bed (empty colon first). (I think I would do mild)
Multi Vitamin with Zinc, Magnesium, Calcium, Potasium, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Selenium, Vitamin K, Folic Acid, Vitamin B-12 and other B Vitamins, Vitamin C, Vitamin (Vit C and Selenium not together but if they are in the same multivitamin what do you do?) Also, if I am taking the trace minerals and bone support and there are minerals in the multi, do I run the risk of taking too much minerals?)
Diet: Avoiding night shade vegetables, grains (steel cut oats is this necessary?), red meat, dairy, sugar, nuts and any other things hard to digest
Maybe try Probiotic rentention enema
Maybe try Castor Oil Pack
Please advise.
Thank you,
Deb
Hi Deb,
Thank you for reaching out. It looks like you’re on the right track. Again, Jini’s Strictureheal procotol works best in conjunction with IBD diet to flush the bowel and to provide bowel rest and those supplements and vitamins that you listed above work synergistically to accelerate healing.
Aside from resting the bowel, it’s very important eradicate pathogenic microorganisms using Jini’s Oregano Protocol and re-populate the bowel with good bacteria using Probiotics. You can also download this daily supplement schedule that Jini developed for people on The IBD Remission Diet, since it gives you a specific break-down of how to work in all the shakes and supplements throughout the day.
Many people use Jini’s Probiotic Retention Enema during severe inflammation and bleeding for quick healing, whilst others prefer to wait until things have calmed down a bit and they’re tolerating the probiotics well orally first. You really have to just follow your own body wisdom (intuition) on when would be best for you.
Kind Regards
Cris B,
Customer Care
I have actually been using the Oregano Oil 10 drops 2-3 times a day with 1/4 cup of the George’s Aloe Vera Juice on an empty stomach.
I have been taking 100 mg of CoQ10, 100 mg Grape seed extract, 2 gelcaps Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega3 fish oil, 2,000 mg Vitamin D3, a multi vitamin/mineral tablet by Mega Food, one Natren Health Trinity Capsule, and 1 capful of minerals of life once a day with breakfast.
At dinner, I am taking another 2 fish oil capsules, Esther C, and another Health Trinity capsule (not at bedtime as it says to take with food).
At bedtime, I am taking a capful of Bone Support trace minerals as well as 1 tbs Natural Calm to prevent constipation.
I am not going to do the liquid diet as I am currently asymptomatic. I am considering doing the topical stricture heal protocol to heal the scar tissue in my colon, but I am hesitant about the potassium iodide since I have Hashimotos and am borderline hypothyroid. I am also not going to do the oral stricture heal protocol.
As far as diet goes, I am eliminating all wheat, sugar, night shade vegetables, and
grains (except for 1/4 cup steel cut oats daily for breakfast) from my diet.
At some point, I will add mucosaheal.
Can grass fed lamb is allowed in low residue diet since I don’t find any organic chicken or wild fish where I live?
Hi Ruhi,
Thank you for reaching out! Yes, Grass-fed meat (pasture-fed, not confined to a barn and grain-fed) like lamb is okay if you don’t need anything as serious as an elemental liquid diet to induce bowel disease remission, or just want to maintain the health you have.
Kind Regards,
Cris B
Customer Care
I need your guidance. I had my second diverticulitis flare last august. Ive been doing Jii’s protocol for several month now & once I have colon calmed down & healed, I start the residual diet but have only 1 meal of solid food & 2 shakes per day so I ‘m getting my 3 meals in daily. After a fews weeks of this diet, my diverticulitis comes back & I stop the 1 solid meal a day & go back to 3 absorb shakes a day. I continue the oregano oil
thru this & Ive been doing castor packs every nite for several hours. Lately I’ve been diagnosed with dairy allergies & switched from absorb shakes to vegan becuz I’m allergic to whey which was in absorb plus. Also, I’ve been diagnosed with Candida yeast overload & under the guidance of
S.Colet Lahoz, RN here in Minnesota I started her Candida treatment with bentonite clay,oil & psyllium for 3 months. Now the problem is becuz
My diverticulitis is back from introducing solid food & her protocol has to be included with solid foods daily what do I do? I have extreme candida
& it could be life threatening if i dont treat it now.
Do i stop one or do her protocol on absorb? Ive cut out all dairy & sugar. Could the extreme amount of yeast in my body be causing my divertiulitis to not cure? I hope you can help cuz I’m very concerned for my health & not sure what to do next before the divwrticulitis gets worse in next few days. Thank you for any help you can give.
Hi Patricia,
Unfortunately, we cant give you any advice because we’re not medical professionals so this is an area where you’ll have to make your own decision. As a guide, please check this MP3 Audio recording or pdf written transcript of the Candida, Detox teleseminar with Dr. Dean MD, ND here:
http://shoppe.listentoyourgut.com/ltyg-teleseminar-candida-detox-more-with-dr-carolyn-dean-md-nd-mp3-audio-and-pdf-transcript/
And this article below for For Stubborn Yeast Infections – Candida albicans:
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/help-for-stubborn-yeast-infections-candida-albicans/
We wish you all the best!
Kind Regards,
Cris B
Customer care
My husband had UC, he had a very bad flare up, he lost a lot of weight. From 6-7 loose stools he is down to 1 a day but still loose. what will be good for him to stop the loose stool and gain some weight?
Thank you!
Hi Mari. Glad you reached out! A great place for you and your husband to start would be our home remedy pages for both UC & diarrhea.
UC: https://listentoyourgut.com/ulcerative-colitis/
There you can find eight key steps that nearly everyone with inflammatory bowel disease needs to implement in order to heal their gut, as well as sign up for Jini’s free COLITIS QUICK-START GUIDE to receive Chapter One of Listen To Your Gut, her in-depth Probiotics Podcast, top reader questions and Jini’s answers, and a list of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) resources.
Diarrhea: https://listentoyourgut.com/diarrhea/
There you can find information on Jini’s reduce diarrhea diet, as well as sign up for her free eBook: What You Need To Know About Probiotics
I hope that helps!
Hello Jini
I am 27 years old and having a dirrhae problem from last 5 months. I have not seen any blood in ky stool. but have lost weight of almost 6 kg. I am feeling swelling in my abdomen just below the rib cage. I have consulted a gestrointrologist here and he told me for a colonoscopy for suspected IBD. I was living a very healthy and good life and suddenly this happend. I am very much upset. I have left all the foods and limited my self to very low Resifue Diet and i am also feeling weakness. I want your book and advisory. Please Respond me what should i do.
Hi Ahmed. I would recommend reading our home remedy page for diarrhea: https://listentoyourgut.com/diarrhea/
Following a low residue diet may also help to relieve abdominal pain and diarrhea: https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/jinis-low-residue-diet/
Hi,
Do you think is ok mixing wild oregano oil with absorb plus or it should be taken by its own? Thank you.
Hi Mari. Thanks for reaching out. Wild Oregano Oil (WOO) should be taken first thing on an empty stomach, at least 20 minutes before Absorb Plus (or food). When supplementing with probiotics, probiotics should be taken at least 2 hours away from WOO, as WOO will kill all bacteria (good and bad) and could kill the good bacteria in your probiotic.
Hope that helps!
Hi,
My husband has IBD, he is on ABSORB Plus and solid food. He is on second week of wild oregano protocol. He is taking: Mucosacalm, Arctic cod liver oil, L glutamine, and Healthy Trinity, 3 caps. at bedtime. The only symptom he has is mucus during the day and less during night. The mucus is coming out even if he does not go to washroom. We do not understand why this all mucus? Is this part of healing process? Is not healing at all? Can you please help us here? Thank you.
Hi Mari – it can definitely be a purge of mucus due to the healing process, however I remember you mentioning he had hemorrhoids as well. This could also be a contributing factor if he is treating them as well.
Hi,
Can lemon juice, in food, produce bleeding for people with Chron’s ?
Thank you.
A small amount of lemon juice may be fine. But in hypersensitive states many find it best to avoid ALL citrus.
Hi Jini,
My son suffers from non-alcoholic chronic pancreatitis and has had a flareup. He is taking your shakes as eating solid food causes pain. How many shakes should he have in a day? He needs to get adequate calories while keeping protein to allowable level. He is 20 years old and weighs about 115 – 116 lbs. Thank you.
Hi R Grover – this can vary based on whether he wants to gain weight, maintain his existing weight, etc. You can determine how many shakes per day your son needs using this Absorb Plus product usage guide: https://absorbplus.com/product-uses/
Are black olives low residue?
Hi Heather – no, they are not. 🙂
Hi! I’m trying to do a low residue diet as a pescatarian, but I’m always hungry unless I eat a ton of fruit. I have candida though. My goal is to eventually go back to being vegan or almost vegan once my IBD is healed. Is this diet even possible as a pescatarian or vegetarian who is lactose intolerant?
Thanks for your help!
Hi Sara! I’m actually lactose intolerant as well, so I totally get it. You may want to take a look at these videos to see which foods you can incorporate:
Soothing Foods to Eat While Healing the Gut: https://youtu.be/gr349AF5R2o
Foods To Reduce or Avoid While Healing the Gut: https://youtu.be/BUbCIdm9vEQ
Choosing Foods That Hurt vs. Heal The Gut: https://youtu.be/lmkHbCTSXr8
Can you tolerate Absorb plus? Because that is a great option – and we carry a vegan version! Here is more info: https://shoppe.listentoyourgut.com/collections/absorb-plus/products/absorb-plus-vegan
Here is a great recipe that also helps to provide bowel rest. You can tailor it to fit your needs by using fish broth or veggie broth: https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/gut-soothing-congee-rice-porridge-with-bone-broth/
And a few more recipes for you:
Bowel Rest Recovery Meal Ideas: https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/bowel-rest-recovery-meal-ideas/
Use Common Foods To Heal Inflammatory Bowel Disease: https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/use-common-foods-to-heal-inflammatory-bowel-disease/
Low Fiber (Low Residue) Diet for Gut Issues: https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/low-fiber-low-residue-diet-for-gut-issues/
And here is a free eBook with Jini’s broth recipes, as broth is especially soothing for the gut: https://listentoyourgut.com/broth/
Also, regarding the candida overgrowth, here is Jini’s Home Remedy page for Candida which you may find helpful: https://listentoyourgut.com/candida-yeast-infection/
I know this is a lot of info, but I hope you find all of this helpful. 🙂
Hi Savannah! Thank you for these resources!
My biggest issue is how the vegan, candida, and low residue diets conflict with each other.
Low residue promotes oats and rice and congee, but if I do candida and vegan all I’m left with that I can eat are the vegetables right? Since I would need to avoid grains and fruits which are a staple in my diet right now. The only solution I can think of it to be pescatarian and eat only vegetables eggs and fish. While it is noy vegan at least it can respect the low residue and candida guidelines.
Hi Sara – I totally hear you. Definitely do what is best for your body and listen to what feels right. What’s important is that you heal now, and eventually when you get to a place where you can go back to fully vegan again you can do without any health issues. I’m rooting for you! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi, could you be more precise about how fructose from fresh fruits feed gut bacteria? I tought that only fibers from fruits could feed them.
Thanks
Hi Yoann! Good question!
This is the info we have on fructose that should be very helpful on your question:
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/i-have-insulin-resistance-can-i-safely-consume-absorb-plus/
Please note: ALL carbs break down into simple sugars
Here is the issue that contains detailed info on fructose (referenced in that blog post) https://paid-ebooks.s3.amazonaws.com/Issue18GHRW.pdf
Hope this helps!
Thanks for sharing this blog! How long should it take with this diet to see results?
I am doing this type of diet now for 1 month. I got it from another (Dutch) healing protocol, where the diet is very similar. My belly seems to have calmed (less aching, bloating). But I still have my worst symptom not getting better, which is severe immune symptom reactions after eating (which can last between 1,5 and 5 hours, usually about 2 hours). It’s not histamine intolerance, because I eat very low histamin, but it’s MCAS type symptoms, specifically to all kinds of food (not to other things). I have IBS, no Chron, no bleeding or ulcerations.
My therapist says the immune reactions are probably caused by leaky gut. I wonder how long it will take for my gut lining to heal? I will start with high dose probiotics and wild oregano oil soon (in the process of buying). I wonder whether other supplements for the gut lining could help? I am taking hydrolized collagen and L-glutamine already. Thinking about the aloe vera juice and Mucosa calm. My therapist works in steps; first calm with the diet, then add probiotics, then add oregano oil and then at the end restore the gut lining. What do you think?
Hi Miquel
Based on what you’ve shared, it’s great to hear that you have experienced some improvement in your symptoms. However, it’s important to note that healing can take time and varies depending on the individual and their unique circumstances.
In Jini’s Home Remedy for Leaky Gut, the ideal and fastest relief is to start with Jini’s Probiotic Retention Enema, followed by oral supplementation. Alongside this, bone broths can be helpful in healing the intestinal lining, and targeted supplements like N-acetyl glucosamine, slippery elm, marshmallow root, licorice, or MucosaCalm can also aid in the process.
Your therapist’s approach of working in steps seems reasonable and can help you see what is working for you and what is not. However, it’s important to give yourself time and space to heal and to be patient with the process, as results vary from person to person. But with consistency and patience, you should start to see improvements in your symptoms over time.
I wish you all the best on your healing journey! Regards!