Hydration + Diet

A low residue diet is typically prescribed following bowel surgery as a means to “rest” the bowel and allow for recovery. Low residue foods are foods that contain next-to- no fiber, as the fiber can obstruct and/or irritate the intestinal tract. However, this diet is also lacking in nutrition, which is why it is meant to be only temporary. So, how do you transition off of the low residue diet safely?

2012, once I was home and well on my way to recovering from bowel surgery, I was struck by one
overwhelming question—what absorbs where? You see, after several years competing in endurance
sports, I knew that the primary role of my colon was the absorption of water and with that came key
minerals, particularly electrolytes. So, I obsessed. If I am missing my colon, will I always be deficient in electrolytes? And, if that was true, then what else should I be concerned about? 

Following bowel surgery, particularly in the case of an ostomy, your surgeon will prescribe a Low Residue Diet for six to twelve weeks (maybe longer depending on your unique situation). A Low Residue Diet is essential in order to “rest” the bowel and allow for unencumbered recovery of the GI tract. 

Hello! My name is Trish. In 2012, I was diagnosed with stage-4 colon cancer. I was 46 years old at the time and (I thought) in perfect health. That is, until I wasn’t. 

Learn about how surgery affects hydration, why hydration is so important, how to effectively hydrate throughout the day, and which hydration supplements work best in order for me to run 100 miles per week with an ostomy