- What to eat before colonoscopy
- Colonoscopy preparation menu
- What not to eat before colonoscopy
- Important recommendations for taking the exam
- What to eat after colonoscopy
To do the colonoscopy, the preparation must start 3 days before, with a food composed of liquid foods, such as vegetable soup without peel and without seed, with chicken or fish, crushed in a blender and strained, for lunch and dinner.
What to eat before colonoscopy
It is important to start reducing the consumption of fiber-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables and beans to help clean the intestine and ensure a good view of the intestine from the inside and facilitate the examination, even before starting to take the proper liquid for cleaning the intestine that is prescribed by the doctor when scheduling the exam.
In addition, 2 days before the day of the exam you can only eat light foods that are easier to digest, leaving little residue in the intestine such as toast, jam, gelatin, white bread, crackers like cornstarch, coconut water and teas and on the day before the exam, the food must be liquid until 3 hours before the exam and afterwards no more food or drinks are eaten.
If you are unsure about the procedure itself, understand the details of how the colonoscopy is performed.
Colonoscopy preparation menu
The following menu is an example of a 3-day diet with no residue for a good preparation for the exam.
| Meal | Day 3 | Day 2 | Day 1 |
| Breakfast | Skimmed natural yogurt + white bread | Strained apple juice without skin + 4 toast with jam | Strained pear juice + 5 crackers |
| Morning snack | Gelatine | Strained orange juice | Coconut water |
| Lunch dinner | Grilled chicken fillet with mashed potato | Boiled fish with white rice or Soup with noodles, carrots, skinless and seedless tomatoes and chicken | Beaten and strained potato soup, chayote and broth or fish |
| Afternoon snack | Strained pineapple juice + 4 Maria cookies | Lemongrass tea + 4 crackers | Gelatine |
It is important to ask for written guidance with details on the care you should take before colonoscopy at the clinic where you are going to perform the exam, so as not to have to repeat the procedure because the cleaning has not been done correctly.
After the exam, the intestine takes about 3 to 5 days to return to work.
What not to eat before colonoscopy
The following is a list of foods to avoid in the 3 days prior to colonoscopy:
- Red meat and canned meat, such as tinned meat and sausage; Raw and leafy vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage and broccoli; Whole or unpeeled fruits; Milk and derivatives; Beans, soybeans, chickpeas, lentils, corn and peas; Cereals whole grains and raw seeds such as flaxseed, chia, oats; whole grains such as rice and bread; oilseeds such as peanuts, walnuts and chestnuts; popcorn; fatty foods that linger in the intestine, such as lasagna, pizza, feijoada, sausage and fried foods; red or purple color, such as grape juice and watermelon; alcoholic beverages.
In addition to the list of prohibited foods, papaya, passion fruit, orange, tangerine, melon should also be avoided.
Important recommendations for taking the exam
Some important precautions for exam preparation:
- Do not eat food within 4 hours before starting to take the laxative preparation for the exam; Along with the laxative preparation one can only drink transparent liquids, such as coconut water, clear and strained teas and juices.
What to eat after colonoscopy
After the examination, the intestine takes about 3 to 5 days to return to function and it is common to experience abdominal discomfort and swelling in the belly. To improve these symptoms, avoid foods that form gases in the 24 hours following the exam, such as beans, lentils, peas, cabbage, broccoli, cabbage, eggs, sweets, soft drinks and seafood. See a complete list of Foods that cause Gases.
