Light diet: What is it and what is it for?

For certain illnesses or health complaints, it can help to change your diet at least temporarily and avoid some foods. This is called a gentle diet, and it can especially help if you are struggling with gastrointestinal complaints; such as heartburn, vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. The German Nutrition Society no longer uses the term gentle diet but refers to it as a light full diet.

A gentle diet can be useful for:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea or constipation,
• Feeling of fullness and bloating
• Stomach cramps, abdominal and stomach pain

Foods allowed on a gentle diet usually have a soft texture, less fiber, are more alkaline than acidic, and only mildly seasoned. All this helps prevent an increase in acid production in the stomach, reflux (i.e., belching), or other irritations of the digestive tract.

Does a gentle diet also mean tasteless?

No, a gentle diet does not have to taste bland, but can be quite tasty. What the gentle diet looks like exactly depends on the type of complaints and can vary from person to person. The best diet for treating digestive complaints is one that targets the cause of the symptoms.

That is why you should discuss your eating habits with your doctor or a nutritionist. They can also give you additional advice based on your specific diagnosis and lifestyle.

General tips for a gentle diet

If you are following a gentle diet, you should keep the following general tips in mind.

Basic tips for a gentle diet

• Eat many small meals throughout the day instead of a few large ones.
• Chew your food slowly and thoroughly.
• Do not eat within 2 hours before going to bed.
• Avoid foods in general if you do not feel well after eating them (regardless of whether they are listed below)
• Drink enough, but slowly
• Be generally cautious with too much sugar, fat, and strong spices.

Bland diet: What can you eat?

As mentioned, recommendations can vary individually. Here are some foods you can usually eat on a bland diet:

• Milk and other dairy products, only low-fat and if you do not suffer from lactose intolerance or milk protein intolerance
• Cooked or canned vegetables
• Fruit and vegetable juices
• Cooked or canned fruit without skin and seeds
• Bread, pastries, and pasta made from refined white flour (except in cases of gluten intolerance)
• Lean, tender meat or fish dishes that are steamed, baked, or grilled without added fat.
• Eggs
• Tofu
• Legumes
• Soup, especially broth
• Grain products such as oatmeal, couscous, potatoes, pasta, rice, rusk, and bread without seeds
• Not too strong tea, especially chamomile tea
• Basically, you should opt for low-fat foods. Low-fat milk, quark, as well as yogurt and low-fat cheese with a maximum fat content of 45% can be eaten.
• Sweets and pastries should only be consumed in moderation, as additional sugar can worsen symptoms.

Bland diet: What should you avoid?

Here are some foods you should not eat if you are on a bland diet:

• Full-fat dairy products, such as whipped cream or milk ice cream
• Strong cheeses
• Raw vegetables
• Vegetables that cause gas, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, lentils, beans
• Fresh berries and other fresh fruits
• Dried fruits
• Whole grain or bran cereal flakes
• Whole grain bread, crackers, or pasta
• Pickles, sauerkraut, and similar foods
• Strong spices, such as pepper and garlic
• Foods that contain a lot of sugar or honey
• Seeds and nuts
• Dishes with heavily spiced, cured, or smoked meat or fish
• Fried foods
• Alcohol, coffee, soft drinks
• Gas-producing cabbage vegetables, bell peppers, and too much raw food

Bland diet: Caution is advised

A bland diet does not provide all the nutrients your body needs in the long term. Talk to your doctor about how long you should follow this type of diet plan. Your doctor can also advise you on when to reintroduce different foods or food groups. Additionally, they can give you tips on how to change your lifestyle, for example through stress management and weight reduction.

Light diet for gastritis and more: Who is suitable for a light diet

In general, eating a light diet can help with almost all digestive complaints. However, a light diet usually does not constitute a treatment: you are sparing your digestion because you do not want to worsen existing symptoms. It is unlikely that the underlying disease will disappear.

Many more people than most realize carry a chronic gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining). They can rely on a light diet to relieve their symptoms.

Furthermore, a light diet can be useful for heartburn, nausea, bloating, irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcers in the digestive tract.

A very special form of light diet is liquid nutrition, which is useful, for example, in cases of acute diarrhea or vomiting. Here, you can initially avoid solid food completely until symptoms improve. However, if symptoms persist, you should see a doctor.

Simply put, you should opt for a light diet if you have annoying or painful digestive complaints.

Recipe ideas for light diet

Light diet recipes can be hard to find. However, there are some basic recipes you can follow. In principle, the following is desired:

• Low fat
• Not too much fiber
• Soft texture
• Mildly seasoned
• Alkaline instead of acidic

A very classic light diet recipe is mashed banana. Take a banana and mash it with a fork. This further eases digestion. Make sure not to make the portion too large and, if necessary, season lightly with cinnamon.

Another light diet recipe is mashed potatoes. You should add as little or no milk and no butter. Keep the portions quite small here as well to reduce the risk of stomach discomfort.

We must not forget the tried-and-true soups and broths in this collection of light diet recipes. Make sure to cook soups with little fat, mild seasoning, and preferably no solid ingredients. In autumn, this could be a pumpkin soup. Otherwise, lentil soups, vegetable soups, and light chicken soups are a good choice. You should rather avoid noodle soups.

Light diet for gastritis: What helps with inflammation of the stomach lining?

Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) is one of the most common uses of bland diets, alongside bland diets for intestinal inflammations (colitis). Such inflammations occur more often than you might think. For example, gluten intolerance usually causes inflammation of the lining of the small intestine, which causes the typical symptoms of celiac disease. So if there are intestinal complaints, they are quite often due to inflammation.

Then bland diet is especially helpful for gastritis to avoid further aggravating or irritating the inflammation. Who hasn't experienced a mother mashing bananas as a bland diet for a child with intestinal inflammation? Such recipes for gastritis are very sensible, but please remember to visit a doctor for such complaints. There you can also ask which bland diet the doctor would recommend.

Bland diet for diarrhea and intestinal inflammation

Bland diet for diarrhea is a topic of its own. The problem is that your body loses a lot of water, so you actually need to drink more water. However, too much water can in turn promote diarrhea.

In the case of short-term diarrhea, you should possibly only drink water and herbal teas. However, if it lasts for a longer time, you will need to eat solid food. Then you should rely on cooked white rice, simple noodles, water-based mashed potatoes, vegetable broths, and easily digestible vegetables. These provide substance to your rectum, which can help absorb excess water.

Please do not forget to see a doctor if problems persist. This article is for informational purposes only and cannot replace the advice of a qualified physician.

Since intestinal inflammation is quite painful for most affected individuals, we want to address it separately as well. The same principles apply here as with diarrhea. The special thing about the intestine is that it cleans itself after a few hours of fasting. Often, this cleansing process can be helpful in cases of intestinal inflammation, so you should pay attention to fasting periods.

Bland diet for children

Children often eat only very specific foods, which is why it is not always easy to find the right bland diet for a child's stomach. Good bland foods for children are pretzels, rusks, salted sticks, toasted white bread, and mashed bananas. If the child wants to eat a warm meal, the old favorites like mashed potatoes (now without milk and butter!), easily digestible vegetables, and light vegetable or meat broths are suitable.

Bland diet for vomiting

If you have caught a stomach flu, one of the most typical symptoms is vomiting several times a day. Choosing the right bland diet here is difficult. Drinking water or unsweetened herbal teas is extremely important because you lose a lot of fluids. However, often drinking causes nausea again, resulting in vomiting. If problems persist acutely, you must contact a doctor!

In any case, you should listen to your stomach and see when it can tolerate water. Usually, you need to be able to drink water for several hours or even a day before you can eat solid food again without vomiting. Light soups or broths, mashed bananas, unsweetened yogurts, rice, mild fruits, and oatmeal are recommended here.

How does a fasting cure according to Hildegard of Bingen work?

Hildegard of Bingen's legacy leaves us a rich wealth of experience about nutrition and the importance of certain foods, which is still relevant almost 900 years after its origin. The holy abbess knew from her experience in the monastery garden the right natural remedy from nature for any complaints. She was also aware back then of the harmony of life: that phases of activity and rest should always balance each other.

In a fasting cure inspired by Saint Hildegard of Bingen, it is less about complete abstinence from food and more about focusing on conscious nutrition. There is no single form of fasting according to the universal scholar. Instead, you can choose the best form for yourself from various options and find your own fasting cure, such as alkaline fasting:

Moderate spelt fasting:

In this therapeutic fasting, you primarily avoid meat and animal fats. The main component of the fasting is the ancient wheat spelt, which you can consume three times a day in various forms. Fruits, vegetables, and salads are allowed in this easiest form of fasting according to the saint.

Fasting with spelt reduction diet:

In this form of fasting, one day where you eat your fill of spelt bread three times a day alternates with a day of regular balanced nutrition. On the respective reduction days, you should drink only fennel tea.

Spelt fasting:

An even stricter restriction is the fasting cure in the form of spelt fasting. Here you consume only spelt bread three times a day. Suitable drinks are fennel and herbal tea.

Juice fasting:

The biggest change from your usual diet is experienced with juice fasting according to Hildegard of Bingen. In this fasting method, you completely abstain from solid food for several days and nourish yourself only with tea, soups and broths, as well as juices.

Furthermore, the alkaline fasting (Bastenfasten) is recommended as fasting according to Hildegard of Bingen, where you switch your diet exclusively to alkaline foods.

What should be considered during a fasting cure according to Hildegard of Bingen?

Whichever fasting method according to Hildegard of Bingen you choose: three basic principles can be formulated for every therapeutic fast that correspond to the scholar’s ideas.

Drink plenty:

Adequate fluid intake is always very important for a balanced diet.

Drinking is more important than ever during fasting – especially when you avoid solid food. The time of abstinence is perfect for trying new types of tea.

Extra rest:

With fasting, you usually break out of your usual routine.

Allow yourself plenty of rest during fasting to avoid overburdening your body. Stress acts like poison to it! To find peace and relaxation in the sense of Hildegard of Bingen, a freshly brewed monastery tea, a wonderfully fragrant herbal pillow as a liver wrap, and precious stones are suitable. Pamper yourself with care products and then enjoy beautiful skin.

Sufficient exercise:

Stay active during fasting – preferably in nature.

Walks, hiking, and light bike rides provide you with plenty of fresh air and boost your metabolism. Yoga also helps you find inner calm during therapeutic fasting.

Moreover, it is important not to overwhelm your body too quickly with too much food after the fasting period. Plan a longer rebuilding phase to gradually reacclimate your body to solid or usual food. However, the greatest effect is achieved when the fasting cure influences your daily life after it ends and you continue the rituals discovered during the break! This way, you embark on something new after the time of reflection. An ideal example is fasting after Ash Wednesday.

Light diet: Frequently asked questions

What is a light diet?

Light diet is as easily digestible food as possible to avoid stressing your stomach. Light diet is mainly used for conditions like gastritis or other inflammations in the gastrointestinal tract to reduce symptoms. Hard-to-digest food can cause pain and similar symptoms, which may prolong the healing process.

What should you not eat with gastritis?

Gastritis is naturally a heavy burden on the stomach and the entire digestive system. Accordingly, you should not prolong healing by eating hard-to-digest food. Ideally, just follow these rules:

• Nothing that produces stomach acid (coffee, fruit juices, spicy spices, fried foods)
• Wheat, pork, cow’s milk, and potatoes
• Little sugar, including fructose
• Large meals! Focus on small meals, preferably more often.

It is recommended to use bitter herbs, to keep hunger in check. Vegetables and mild fruits can be helpful, as well as healthy, anti-inflammatory oils like hemp oil or olive oil.

What is a light diet for the stomach?

Light diet is simply easy food for the stomach and intestines, meaning it can be digested quickly and easily. Here are basic rules, such as how fried food is harder on the stomach than boiled or steamed food. Typical light diet foods include vegetables, fish, rice, oats, rusk, or couscous.