What to Eat in Piles & What Not to Eat? A Nutritional Guide

What to Eat in Piles & What Not to Eat? A Nutritional Guide

Dealing with piles is a painful, frustrating, and sometimes embarrassing situation. You may feel constant discomfort or irritation while passing stools. If not treated well, it may seriously affect the quality of your life. By choosing the right diet plan, you can manage your symptoms, skip constipation, and prevent future chances of recurrence. In this blog, you will get to know about the right plan for managing piles and foods to eat and avoid in piles.

How Diet Helps in Managing Piles?

Piles, or hemorrhoids, are sometimes painful and uncomfortable during painful episodes. Mostly, making simple changes to your diet can significantly improve your symptoms and assist in the healing process.

Hemorrhoids or piles commonly form due to chronic constipation and straining during bowel movement. A fibre-rich diet can significantly help in dealing with piles by softening your stools, reducing straining, and reducing pressure on the swollen piles. As per the studies, adults need around 22-34 grams to keep their stools agile and prevent causing piles.

Read More: Best Way to Cure Piles in 3 Days

Which is the Best Foods to Eat in Piles?

If you are suffering from piles, you must aim for high fibre diet and plenty of fluid intake. This is done to avoid constipation which can exacerbate the condition. Here are some fibre-rich foods to be included in your daily diet:

1. Whole Grains

Research has proven that eating whole grains like brown rice, oats, whole wheat roti, barley, and Quinoa can improve your digestion. These grains have insoluble fiber in them that improves your digestion and reduces constipation to a great extent.

Examples:

• Brown rice
• Oats
• Whole wheat roti
• Barley
• Quinoa

2. Legumes

Another important source of fibre is legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, beans, and peas. These are an excellent source of both soluble and insoluble fibres. These soften the stools and help in easing the bowel movements.

Examples:

• Lentils (dal)
• Chickpeas
• Beans
• Peas

3. Root & Cruciferous Vegetables

These include vegetables such as carrots, beetroot, turnips, and potatoes. The other sources are cauliflower, cabbage, and kale. These vegetables are gut-friendly and contain insoluble fibre and make your bowel movements regular.

Examples:

• Carrots
• Beetroot
• Turnips
• Potatoes
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Kale

4. Vegetables & Hydrating Foods

Vegetables like spinach, asparagus, tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, celery, and bell peppers are rich in fibre and water, helping soften stools.

Examples:

• Spinach
• Asparagus
• Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Zucchini
• Celery
• Bell peppers

5. Fruits with Skin

The other good sources of fibre are fruits with skin, such as apples, pears, bananas, berries, and papayas. The fibre present in their skin helps to improve digestion and also prevents straining. Papayas contain a few enzymes that improve gut health.

Examples:

• Apples (with skin)
• Pears (with skin)
• Bananas
• Berries
• Papayas

6. Probiotics & Gut Healers

The other superfoods that are rich in fibre are curd (yogurt) and fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi or miso that helps in assisting a healthy gut and stool consistency.

Examples:

• Curd (yogurt)
• Sauerkraut
• Kimchi
• Miso

Which Foods to Avoid in Piles?

There are certain food items that you should avoid eating in piles. According to Dr Kapil Agrawal, one of the best piles specialist surgeon in Delhi, certain foods can aggravate constipation leading to worsening of piles or hemorrhoids.

1. Low-Fibre Foods

Processed food items are made with white flour, such as white bread, pasta, and snacks, lack fibre, and may worsen constipation. These may create constipation and increase the chances of piles.

Examples to avoid:

• White bread
• White pasta
• Processed snacks
• Refined flour products

2. Red & Processed Meats

Red and processed meats are free from fibre, thus hard to digest. These foods can slow down your digestive process and intensify your symptoms of piles.

Examples to avoid:

• Red meat
• Processed meats
• Sausages
• Bacon

3. Fried, Salty, or Spicy Foods

These food items may increase discomfort, bloating, and irritation, especially during the period of constipation.

Examples to avoid:

• Fried foods
• Excessively salty foods
• Spicy foods
• Fast food

4. Caffeine & Alcohol

Both can dehydrate the body and also harden your stools, which can be an even more painful bowel movement.

Examples to avoid:

• Coffee (excessive)
• Tea (excessive)
• Alcohol
• Caffeinated beverages

Why is Hydration Important in Piles?

In piles, fibre-rich foods can work effectively to get ample relief in easing your bowel movement. The other major factor that can help in managing symptoms of your piles is sufficient water intake. You should drink a minimum of 8-13 glasses of water daily to soften the stools and ease your bowel movements.

There are other ways of having sufficient water intake, such as watery fruits like watermelon, vegetables such as cucumber, etc. You can add drinks like herbal teas or clear broths, etc, to have ideal water intake. You should prevent the intake of caffeinated or sugary drinks.

Hydration tips:

• Drink 8-13 glasses of water daily
• Include watery fruits (watermelon)
• Eat hydrating vegetables (cucumber)
• Drink herbal teas
• Consume clear broths
• Avoid caffeinated drinks
• Avoid sugary drinks

Read More: How To Prevent Piles At Home?

Sample Indian Diet Plan for Piles Management

Here is a recommended sample Indian diet plan to manage your piles:

| Meal | Foods to Include | |------|------------------| | Early Morning | Warm water with lemon → hydrates & eases digestion | | Breakfast | Oats or poha with vegetables; fruit like papaya or apple with skin | | Mid-Morning | A handful of soaked almonds or a pear/banana | | Lunch | Brown rice or rotis along with dal and cooked vegetables (spinach, cauliflower, carrots) | | Afternoon Snack | Curd or probiotic-rich yogurt with fruit or a millet-based snack like chivda | | Dinner | Multi-grain rotis or khichdi with vegetables or dal, plus a side salad | | Before Bed | Warm turmeric milk or herbal tea to aid digestion and relaxation |

Lifestyle Tips to Manage Piles Effectively

1. Avoid Straining

You should avoid straining during bowel movement and instantly go to the bathroom when required.

2. Exercise Regularly

You should exercise on a regular basis. It helps to reduce pressure on the pelvic veins.

3. Use Stool Softeners

You can use stool softeners or a psyllium husk supplement, which is being advised by your doctor.

4. Take Sitz Baths

You can take sitz baths for at least 10-15 minutes after bowel movements to reduce the discomfort.

Additional Tips for Piles Management

• Maintain regular meal times - Helps regulate bowel movements
• Don't delay bowel movements - Go when you feel the urge
• Elevate your feet - Use a small stool while sitting on the toilet
• Practice good hygiene - Clean gently after bowel movements
• Avoid sitting for long periods - Take breaks and move around

Conclusion

Managing piles and their painful symptoms is not as easy as it appears. Using a smart diet chart, rich in fibre, can help you ease your piles symptoms to a great extent. Taking sufficient water intake and adding some fruitful lifestyle tips can help manage piles symptoms.

At Habilite Clinics, we offer expert laser treatments for piles done by Dr. Kapil Agrawal, and also personalized dietary counselling and follow-up treatment. Contact us today for more details.