You’ve been meaning to have that colonoscopy for a while now, but every time there’s a big family gathering or weekend party, you find yourself struggling with your diet. You’ve been hearing all sorts of crazy stories about the dangers of obesity, so you decide to lose a few pounds first. What should you do?
You’re supposed to stop eating and exercising a few days before your colonoscopy. However, this isn’t always easy, especially when your belly starts to growl at you every time you make a conscious decision to eat something. If you’re following a popular diet plan and you’ve been weighing yourself regularly, then you might be able to convince yourself that you’re making progress. But is it really safe to continue eating the way you are, especially if your body is signaling that it’s having trouble keeping up with the amounts of food you’re consuming?
Here’s a list of things that you need to do before your colonoscopy, so that you can have a safe and pleasant procedure:
Eat A Healthy Diet
Even if you’ve been blessed with perfect genes, the chance of you developing bowel cancer is still there. Genetics doesn’t determine everything, though. Even if you have a positive family history, you might not develop cancer if you maintain a healthy lifestyle and eat the right food. The American Institute of Cancer Research states that a healthy diet can help prevent cancer, as well as other chronic diseases.
The World Health Organization recommends that you eat at least five fruits and vegetables every day. These foods offer plenty of fiber and nutrients that help keep your digestive system healthy. They also help keep you lean, so if you’re trying to lose weight, then you should definitely focus on what you put in your mouth instead of on the scales!
Avoid all fried foods and foods with added sugar. These foods contain empty calories that don’t provide your body with nutrients that are needed to keep it healthy. Instead, eat more fruit and vegetables to obtain the necessary nutrients and fiber. You should also try to limit the amount of processed foods that you consume, as these foods can often contain chemicals that are known to be cancer-causing agents.
If you want to lose weight, then you should definitely consider taking a dietary supplement that contains vitamins A, C, and E. These substances promote healthy skin and have been known to fight off cancer cells. If you’re not sure what combination to pick, then you should go with vitamin C, as it’s the cheapest and most readily available option. If money is no object to you, then take vitamin E, as it’s the most expensive substance in the combination but has a proven record of helping people lose weight and be healthier!
Drink Plenty Of Water
You might not give your digestive system a second thought, but it absolutely adores what you put in it. The better your digestion, the better your overall health is going to be. One of the main reasons for this is that drinking enough fluids helps maintain good digestive health. Your body can only function efficiently if it’s hydrated, so you should drink at least eight glasses of water per day, or as directed by your doctor. If you start to notice a difference in your health after you start drinking more water, then you know that it’s working!
If you’re not accustomed to drinking enough fluids, then you should start by having a bottle of water with you wherever you go. You might want to fill a water bottle at a water fountain, or get a refillable water bottle to keep in the kitchen. You should also try to drink more throughout the day; the later you drink, the more you’ll enjoy the effects of the fluids! Avoid drinking alcohol, as it interferes with the absorption of nutrients in food.
If you really want to lose weight, then you should also consider taking a high-quality multivitamin supplement. These products are formulated to provide your body with the nutrients that it needs to function at its best. Some people also use these products to supplement their diets with additional nutrients that may not be provided by food alone.
Your doctor might recommend one or more of these products to help you reach your goal weight. Just be sure that you don’t take any vitamin or supplement products that contain grapefruit, as this one ingredient could potentially cause adverse effects. Research shows that grapefruit may increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer, so you should avoid it if you want to stay healthy!
If you want to be able to have a colonoscopy at a later date, then you should try to follow the above list of things to do. Be sure to consult with your doctor about how much weight you should lose and how you should go about doing it. Your doctor might also have additional recommendations for you. For instance, if you’re trying to drop a lot of weight quickly, then you might not want to eat many fruits and vegetables, as they have a lot of calories. Instead, you might want to focus on proteins and some grains to help you make the most out of your new healthier lifestyle!