The BRAT Diet

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I wanted to write a brief note about how this website may earn income – just so everybody is on the same page.  I think most readers probably know this with websites online, but just in case you didn’t, I wanted to set the record straight from the beginning.

Sometimes there are links that appear on our site that generate revenue for us.  Not all links, but there may be advertising that appears on our website that provides us income if you click on such links.  For the sake of simplicity, if you have any issue with such a scenario, it is your choice to recognize the value provided that I make a deliberate effort to provide you, my reader, and act accordingly.

Thanks,

Sandy

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Thanks.

Dietary Considerations to Consider when Children have Diarrhea

Diarrhea is an unpleasant subject. It’s even more unpleasant when the condition happens to your child. Here’s what you gotta know about: the Brat Diet, diarrhea and your children.

At this time it is difficult to say who is having the most unsettling moments, adult or child? Parents have heard a variety of recommendations when it comes to treating their children for diarrhea. One of the most important factors to keep in mind is that if you go overboard with the treatments you can make matters worse.

When you were a child, chances are your parents tried a variety of treatments to help you when you had your own problems with diarrhea. Sometimes, perhaps they used old family remedies. Sometimes, perhaps they tried a remedy that was recommended because it once worked for a neighbor. Other parents may have chosen to follow the advice of everyone’s favorite kids’ physician, Dr. Spock.

Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends getting back to the basics. Although there are some differing treatments that are based on a child’s needs and age there is no need to confuse the situation. KISS, stands for keep it simple, stupid; and this sums up the fact that simple, natural solutions are often the best idea.

Bottom Line Brat Diet: Diarrhea:

In some cases, special fluids are called for if children have symptoms that indicate they have moderate diarrhea. Beverages such as Gatorade, Pedialyte or similar beverages that contain essential electrolytes can help fight dehydration if your child has been vomiting as well as having loose, watery stools. These kinds of fluids will help them regain the fluid lost through illness. As always you should first check with your child’s pediatrician to get his specific recommendations.

You should also have some knowledge about how to modify your the diet of your children when they are experiencing episodes of diarrhea. It may be possible for you to feed your child a regular diet as long as there is no active vomiting involved. Solid food will actually help control the loose stools and can more quickly restore bowel movements that are formed. The American Academy of Pediatrics does recommend feeding your child smaller amounts of food during this time. This will lessen the chance of the solid foods upsetting your child’s hypersensitive, digestive tract

Another suggestion for parents is to use a modified diet designed to help provide adequate nutrition and quick recovery from bouts of diarrhea. One easy mnemonic to remember is BRAT. This refers to a specific type of diet which can be very helpful in most instances involving diarrhea. BRAT is a soothing dietary regimen that only includes four simple, easily accessible and affordable ingredients; Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast. (But the more common version is Bananas, Rice, Apples and Toast, applesauce is often substituted for those who might be finicky eaters , like children and the elderly who may have other dietary or dexterity issues).

The American Academy of Pediatrics provides a solid source of do’s and don’t when it comes to diarrhea interventions. Here are some important facts to remember.

• DO Keep track of how much fluid your child is drinking so you can make sure they are not becoming dehydrated.
• DO Only restrict food if there is active vomiting involved.
• Do NOT use homemade remedies or over the counter (OTC) preparations that claim to cure diarrhea.
• Consult your family pediatrician / doctor about the necessary treatment your child needs.
• Let your health care provider know that you will be feeding your child the BRAT diet and they will let you know if there are any more detailed instructions regarding the BRAT that you need to follow.

It’s no wonder so many men, women and parents constantly ask “what does the BRAT diet consist of”, the BRAT diet has adapted to include more ingredients and variations than the original version.

Don’t Be a Brat, Follow the BRAT

A number of doctors recommend a BRAT dietary regimen to their patients who are experiencing GI complaints such as vomiting, dyspepsia, diarrhea or even gastroenteritis. When your nausea and vomiting are at their very worst it is best to forego food of any type. Only use some Pedialyte, Gatorade, water or a little ginger ale to quench your thirst and prevent dehydration. Some doctors prefer their adult patients to just suck on a few ice chips for at least 24 hours so that your queasy stomach has a chance to settle down.

If you are suffering through the unpleasant symptoms created by viruses or an irritable digestive system food is not going to be one of your top priorities but the BRAT plan is a gentle, soothing bridge that makes it easier for your stomach to accept the re-introduction of food.

What is the BRAT Diet?

When you are given a BRAT meal plan you can only eat the following foods. It is a widely recognized acronym that is used by medical professionals, but also used so often to remedy troubled stomachs and sick kids that even stay at home moms and dads are familiar.

In short, what does the BRAT diet consist of? Bananas; Rice; Apples; and dry Toast, or if you take the first letter of each essential ingredient, you get the original root word: BRAT – a little trick to ensure the general public remembered this simple, but proven effective diet plan.

These 4 items are all easily digestible, bland food choices that can stop diarrhea and other unsettling GI upsets. Now there are 2 additional versions of the popular and effective BRAT regimen. One is the BRATY diet and the other is called the BRATT

What is the BRATY Diet?

Patients who are requested to follow the BRATY plan add yogurt to the usual bland meal of bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. The yogurt is packed with pro-biotic bacteria that helps restore normal GI function

What is the BRATT?

Someone who is given the BRATT dietary regimen to follow will be using a meal plan that is almost identical to both the BRAT and the BRATY. They are allowed to eat the bananas, rice, applesauce and toast that are included in the original BRAT diet but they also get to add tea to their meals. The tea acts as a natural diuretic and tea contains anti-oxidants that can help repair and strengthen the cells that line the GI tract. Green tea is very soothing to the stomach and it has some extremely high levels of anti-oxidants.

Even if your unpleasant GI symptoms are resolved in 12 hours or less you should continue with the BRAT, BRATY or BRATT meal plan for at least 48-72 hours. At the end of this time your digestive system should be able to comfortably handle a more normal dietary regimen. As you begin to select a wider variety of foods to try there are some that could be problems to your still sensitive digestion

Try to avoid milk/dairy items, fried or spicy food, raw fruits and veggies and acidic citrus fruit for an additional 2 or 3 days because these are all food items that can irritate your digestive system before it has a chance to completely return to its normal level of function.

Personally, the only version of the Brat diet I recommend, endorse and practice is the original version. Adding yogurt is not an option; in fact, my kids or aging parents receive no dairy of any kind when they are sick, as I find it harms more than it benefits.

Here’s how to contact us (me: Sandy) at this website, if you ever need to.

If you have any questions regarding the content on this, my website, about the products that I mention, or just any questions about the brat diet, related digestive disorders, cold and flu stuff, or even what some think might be odd to discuss, but so many suffer from at one point or another: diarrhea etc., please don’t hesitate to contact me at the following address.

I’d also appreciate and would enjoy hearing any feedback regarding this site, if you have found it helpful or have some better ideas about how I can improve this website in some way to add even more value to you, the reader.

Please contact me at this email address:  sandy [AT] thebratdiet.com!  (Just replace the AT in my contact email address, with a “@”, so I know you are a real human at not some automated machine or something…

I will reply to all messages as soon as possible.

Thanks a lot,

Sandy