Rectal Cancer Diet: Post Take-down For 2+ years post take-down I farted around with different diets, all of which caused problems of some sort. Too frequent pooping, constipation punctuated with diarrhea, pooping only with assistance from milk-of-magnesia. Gas blasting. Blah blah blah. My guess is that with a j-pouch, scarring in the small intestine, and etc. there is a tendency for poo to "stagnate" here and there. (The intestines may no longer sweep themselves clean like they should.) Most likely this stagnation is unhealthy both in the short and long term. So there is balance to strike between pooping rarely and frequently. So here's my current "post rectal cancer diet" and it seems to be working. Bear in mind that I exercise a lot and do heavy yard work, so my caloric need may be higher than most people's. The list below may read like a an advertisement for various products and websites, but so it goes. This will make it easier for you to find the stuff. 1) Rectal cancerless shake: at breakfast and before bed Reliv Classic (this is an MLM product, but you can buy it on EBay) Arthred: radiation fried all the connective tissue in my pelvis, so best to take care. (Can be found on many supplement websites.) "Alive Whole Food Energizer" with Pea Protein (Can be found on many supplement websites. Price varies a lot.) Whey protein (buy large cans at Walmart or similar) L-glutamine, L-arginine, L-carnitine. These are amino acids available in bags at www.supplementdirect.com. I take these for "nerve health", and they seem to help my neuropathy. Citrucell: fiber you can buy in any pharmacy. It causes less gas than other fiber types. Stir the above into 1/2 cup of hot water. Then add cranberry juice, microwave until hot, then drink. The shake is accompanied by the following supplements. Omega 3,6,9 Tribulus (a guy thing - see supplementdirect.com) CoQ 10 Papaya enzymes - helps with digestion. See Now brand at supplementdirect.com. It includes many other enzymes to help your digestion. Remember: we are NOT what we eat. We're what we digest. The rest is just poo. Ginko (brain circulation) Ginseng (stimulant) St. John's Wart (feel good) Turmeric (colon health) Grape seed extract (antioxidant) Glucosamine - Chondroitin - MSM (for joint health: see Now brand at supplementdirect.com) L-Tyrosine (feel good amino acid - see Now brand at supplementdirect.com) Simethicone chewable (anti-gas, such as Gas-X brand) Align probiotic (available at most pharmacies) 2) Rectal cancerless smoothie: as needed to maintain energy during day. Frozen orange juice concentrate. (Use heavily to kill the taste of other ingredients below.) Yogurt (probiotic) Frozen berries (buy in bulk at Sam's club or Costco) Fresh fruit like kiwi Whey protein Papaya enzymes Canned spinach (Popeye was the original health food freak) Canned salmon Cranberry juice to help the blender work. Note: if you let the mix sit for a few hours in the refrigerator, the spinach and salmon flavors seem to be killed by everything else. Suggestion: go relatively light on the spinach and salmon. 3) Ice-cream as needed for extra energy. 4) Half avocado and meat (salmon, pork chop, or shrimp) 5) Saltines or similar, and cheese. 6) Watered-down fruit juice, water. 7) Maybe some wine. Hey, you had cancer, so why not? "Extra" dietary objectives post rectal cancer. Consume a little extra salt to compensate for probable salt deficit resulting from missing rectum.   Eat and drink separately (by half an hour at least). The thinking here is that digestive juices and enzyme released into the small intestine will be maximized if food is dense. If it is watered down, digestion may not be as complete. For example, fats in food cause release of lypase; however, if the fat is watered down, your body may believe very little lypase is needed (if any), and consequently the fat will pass through undigested. When it arrives in your large intestine, not-so-friendly bacteria will feast on it with not-so-nice results. It is best if all your food arrives in your large instestine completely stripped of any nourishment. Then the bad bacteria will simply go someplace else to party.   Sometimes I actually eat liver with my my avocado. Yes, liver is disgusting, but it makes me feel stronger.   Gas-X or similar doesn't actually reduce the amount of gas you fart. Instead, it reduces the gas surface tension, making the gas easier to pass without also passing poo. (You want to avoid the shitty-farts, also known as "sharts".) 7) Enzymes Papaya, pineapple, and mangoes all contain enzymes that aid in protein digestion. Therefore, consume these an meat simultaneously. 8) Prune Juice It's not just the fiber. A chemical in prune juice actually stimulates your bowels to move. This is why the effect of prune juice is relatively immediate. (If it was just the fiber, the effect would be delayed by hours or a day or something.) It's a safe bet that your guts' motility will be sub-optimal. Every couple of days, slam down a large, warm glass of prune juice when you can be near a toilet for a few hours. This will get things moving and help ensure that accumulated poo doesn't simply sit motionless in your gut and rot. 8) Maybe Avoid Gluten This is the latest fad diet anyway. It means no wheat, which means avoiding lots of things. I've tried it, and maybe it helps.   Feel free to contact me about any of this. jensen@teton3.com