Dealing with a Colonoscopy Prep

Recently the topic has come up regarding the best prep to use in preparing for a colonoscopy.  If you are following a restricted sucrose diet, and at some point have to have a colonoscopy, I hope these suggestions will be helpful in continuing to adhere to the diet.

Two years ago, Dr. Poley suggested that Sarah have a colonoscopy to make sure there weren’t any hidden problems.  We were thrilled the results were normal!

The following is the prep and also the diet that Dr. Poley recommended prior to that procedure:

Two days before the colonoscopy, drink 1 ½ ounces of castor oil. (Sarah mixed it with white rice, which made it more tolerable.)  She was also instructed to eat a low-residue diet (also called a low-fiber diet). The purpose of the low residue diet is to reduce the volume of stools.

Low residue diet:

-- Well cooked meats.

--Well cooked vegetables (ex. beets, green beans, carrots, squash and eggplant). Avoid broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.

--Well cooked white potatoes (no skin)

--Fruit without skin, applesauce, watermelon, and cantaloupe.

--Milk, but limit to 2 cups/day.

--Plain cereals such as cheerios or cornflakes are okay.

--Saltine crackers are okay.

--Avoid whole grains, popcorn, potato chips, highly spiced foods and nuts and peanut butter.

On the day before the colonoscopy, Dr. Poley ordered a clear liquid diet and gave instructions to drink a bottle of citrate of magnesium that afternoon.

So many of the choices that are typically suggested for a clear-liquid diet contain a lot of sugar (sucrose) and could possibly cause problems, such as sodas, sweet popsicles, jello, Gatorade, etc.

The choices that worked well for Sarah in following a clear liquid diet with very little sucrose are chicken broth, beef broth, naturally flavored teas with no sugar added,“Knox blocks”(made with apple juice and Knox gelatin) and water. You can also make popsicles with diluted apple juice.

  Recipe for Knox Blox 

(using less juice than the recipe on the box of gelatin)

 4 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin

1 cup cold apple juice

1 cup apple juice and 2 cups of water heated to boiling.

Sprinkle gelatin over cold juice in large bowl; let stand 1 minute.  Add hot juice and water until gelatin completely dissolves, which is about 5 minutes.

Pour into 13x 9 inch pan.

Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.  Cut into squares.  To make it more fun for kids, use cookie cutters to cut different shapes.

Many Blessings,

Martha