Not many of us may have heard of Clear Liquid Diet. For some of us who may have, we may know little of this diet. With the many types of diet coming out, we cannot help but become confused of which is healthy and which works well. Most of us have that perception that when we hear the word diet we often associate it with weight loss. This could be true but diet is generally about the types of food we eat, the amount and how it affects our health. This article will help you understand more about clear liquid diet and what it’s for.
What is Clear Liquid Diet?
Clear liquid diet is a type of diet that involves clear liquids and foods that are liquid at room temperature. From the word “clear” it should not necessarily be transparent but you should still be able to see through it. A clear liquid diet is mostly composed of foods that have low residue and should be liquid in form in order to lessen the load of digestion in the intestines. Examples of food that are part of a clear liquid diet are water, broth, plain gelatin, apple juice, clear broth and weak tea. Notice that most of the liquids here contain sugar and water except for the broths and bullions which are salty.
There’s also a strict clear liquid diet which excludes all types of solid foods such as noodles in soup, milk products and juices. Clear liquid diets evidently does not provide the calories and nutrients that our bodies need and so it should be discontinued after two days if it is not supplemented with calorie, protein, vitamins and minerals. This diet is only applicable to adults and children over 3 years of age.
What are Clear Liquid Diet for?
Clear liquid diet are prescribed by doctors for various reasons. As mentioned earlier this type of diet cannot provide a person the right amount of calories and nutrients needed by the body thus following it without a doctor’s advice would not be recommended. A clear liquid diet is mainly used for:
- People with digestive problems as a short-term diet
- Certain medical procedures such as operations or for acute inflammation of intestinal tract
- Illnesses that are characterized by high fever
- Tests or surgery to ensure that the digestive tract is empty, example: colonoscopy
- After stomach or bowel (large and small intestines) surgery if a person is having trouble with eating solid food
- People suffering from nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
Basically, the goal of a clear liquid diet is to provide liquids and part of the caloric needs of a person until he/she can resume to his/her regular diet. It is structured to give fluid electrolytes that are easily absorbed by the body. Clear liquids are much easier to digest and does not cause strain to our digestive system.
What else do we need to know about this Clear Liquid Diet?
At this point, you now understand that clear liquid diet are not like the other diets we come across with that are out in the commercial market. It is a diet that is used mostly for medical reasons. But there is so much about it that we still need to know such as:
It is NOT for weight-loss and most of all NOT for long-term
It was already explained earlier how we tend to think that the word diet automatically means weight loss which is not always the case. Clear liquid diet is not for weight loss though it may really cut down on weight because a diet like this is low in calorie but it is most importantly not for long-term as it has harmful effects to the body. It is only used for the purposed mentioned above and nothing else.
It is NOT the typical diet you would want to follow
Because a clear liquid diet has very low nutritional value, it is not the typical diet that any person would want to follow on a daily basis. For patients who medically need this type of diet, doctors advise them to follow it with supplements. Most of the time, clear liquid diet is for cleansing the digestive tract and once a person is able to resume his/her regular diet, the clear liquid diet will be stopped.
As long as it’s edible liquid and you can see through it, then it is permitted
The clear liquid diet is very literal and is easy to follow. If it’s an edible liquid and you can see through it then it’s allowed. So as for milk, dark tea or coffee—definitely not included. If your doctors advices you this before a surgery or when you are having digestive problems, you need to understand that colored liquids will affect the color of your stool. If you will be undergoing tests or surgery, with the help of clear liquid diet, it will help your doctor determine if there is bleeding in your digestive system or any other abnormalities.
What are the ADVANTAGES of Clear Liquid Diets?
Clear liquid diet can definitely help cleanse the Gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Before tests or other medical procedures are done, the GI tract must be cleansed meaning it must be free of food or other residue. Days or hours before the procedure, it may be advised by the doctor to a patient. It will help cleanse the GI tract while making sure that the patient can still get the fluid electrolytes needed by the body for the mean time.
Not only is clear liquid diet useful before tests and surgeries, it is also handy after operations. Most people are advised to use this diet before they resume to their usual dieting. A person may still be slightly sedated as he/she comes off the anesthesia and this will help that person from choking or aspiration.
What are the DISADVANTAGES of Clear Liquid Diet?
Perhaps the number disadvantage of clear liquid diet is the fact that it is low in nutritional value. This is the reason why it is only recommended to be followed for only a few days. Although a clear liquid diet gives off fluid electrolytes, still even with other supplements, it still cannot provide all the nutrients needed by our system.
Most people who are into clean liquid diet often complain of blandness and we can’t blame them. You can just imagine feeding yourself clear liquids for a day or two. This is why when people are advised to undergo with this type of diet, they are encouraged to use a variety of beverages that are sweet or feed on some soup that is a bit salty such as chicken broth.
Clear liquid diet is not as exciting as we may think like what other diets may be. But even so, this diet clearly serves its purpose. It may not be able to provide your body with all the needed nutrients but it keeps it hydrated as you prepare or recover for or from a medical procedure. If your doctor advices you for this type of diet or any diet for that matter be sure that you understand it well and its precautions so as to prepare yourself.
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