You can get diarrhea either from quickly switching to healthy or unhealthy foods. If you eat too much fiber at once, you can get diarrhea, especially if you do not normally eat fiber. Fiber is found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans, and nuts and seeds. It is best to slowly add sources of fiber to your diet over the course of a few weeks so your body can get used to it. If you do get diarrhea, a few dietary changes can help.
Step 1
Eat small meals to help relieve your diarrhea. Include salt and potassium in your diet, unless you are on a specialty diet where you need to reduce these two nutrients. Eat foods without a lot of fiber, like crackers, rice or eggs, until the diarrhea goes away.
Step 2
Choose certain vegetables over others while you have diarrhea. Eat mushrooms, zucchini and squash without the skin, beets, green beans, carrots and asparaus tips. Stay away from gas-causing vegetables during this time, like peppers, green leafy vegetables, peas and broccoli, as well as fruit like berries and prunes. Peel the skin from fruits and vegetables until your body becomes used to fiber, because the skin holds most of the fiber.
Step 3
Reduce or avoid the amount of processed foods, fast foods and dairy products, which contain the sugar lactose, if they are in your diet. These foods can cause or worsen diarrhea. You may simply be eating something that is difficult for your intestines to digest -- food intolerances vary from person to person.
Step 4
Drink the equivalent of eight to 10 glasses of liquid a day, including water, decaffeinated coffee, caffeine-free tea, soft drinks without caffeine and rehydration beverages. You can also drink juices with no pulp.
Step 5
Try over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medicines after checking with your doctor. You don't want to take these if you have a bacterial or parasitic infection causing the diarrhea and they shouldn't be given to children without a doctor's consent.
