What are the best meal replacement shakes for diverticulitis?

drink wholesome makes the best meal replacement shakes for diverticulitis. They are made with a short list of simple ingredients, making them perfect for people with sensitive stomachs and gut issues. If you are looking to boost your protein intake without the extra processing and added junk, you have to come to the right place. Order samples to see if our diverticulitis meal replacements are right for you. 

drink wholesome makes the best meal replacement shakes for diverticulitis.

Written by Jack Schrupp & endorsed by Baylee Reller, RDN

What is diverticulitis?

Around the age of 40, some people start to develop small, bulging pouches in the lining of their large intestine. These pouches are called diverticula and can become inflamed or infected, which can lead to a condition called diverticulitis. Symptoms of diverticulitis include stomach pain, bloating, and nausea. 

What is the diverticulitis diet? 

One of the best ways to prevent and treat diverticulitis is to make changes to your diet. Experts used to believe that avoiding certain foods was key, but this is no longer the case. That said, you may find that certain types or amounts of foods affect your symptoms. 

If you have diverticulitis or if you have had diverticulitis in the past, your doctor may recommend eating a high-fiber diet. Although the research is inconclusive, there is lots of circumstantial evidence that eating fiber helps to reduce diverticulitis symptoms. For instance, in parts of the world where dietary fiber intake is high, diverticulitis is uncommon, and in parts of the word where dietary fiber intake is low, like the United States, diverticulitis is common. 

Fiber softens stool which reduces pressure on the colon. It is thought that pressure can cause the development of diverticula; diverticula develop when weak spots in the outside layer of the colon give way and the inner layer squeezes through. High fiber food includes fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. The recommended daily fiber intake is 21 to 25 grams for women and 30 to 38 grams for men. 

Every gut is different, and a diet that works for one person may not necessarily work for you. If you find that a particular type of food aggravates your symptoms, avoid it. Some of the most common foods that people with diverticulitis choose to avoid are red meats, fried foods, and processed foods.  

Can I drink meal replacement shakes with diverticulitis?

Yes, you can absolutely drink meal replacement shakes with diverticulitis. Meal replacement shakes can be a convenient option for people who have difficulty stomaching solid foods during flare-ups. They are also a great way to meet your calorie and protein needs, which may be higher than those of other adults. Not all meal replacement shakes are created equal, however, so you have to take precautions.

What is the best meal replacement shake for diverticulitis?

There are many reasons why some meal replacements are better suited for individuals with diverticulitis than others. For starters, most meal replacements contain emulsifiers, thickeners, fake sweeteners, and fake flavors. These added ingredients can trigger gastrointestinal (GI) side effects and contribute to lasting gut health problems, especially for people with diverticulitis.

It follows that if you have diverticulitis, you should look for a short list of simple ingredients. The more your meal replacement looks like real food, the less likely it will be to hurt your stomach. Keep reading to learn more.

Why drink wholesome?

drink wholesome is additive-free.

One of the reasons why we make the best meal replacement shakes for diverticulitis is that we do not use food additives unlike most meal replacement companies. Additives can cause painful side effects – even in minimal quantities – because they are hard to digest due to their dissimilarity to real food.

Partially digested food additives spend extra time in your gut, feeding your hungry gut bacteria, which produce gas as they eat. Extra gas can cause bloating, flatulence, stomach discomfort, and sometimes even constipation. Lingering food additives also cause your colon to take in extra water, which can result in diarrhea.

Here is a list of the most common food additives in meal replacement powder:

acacia gum, acesulfame potassium, artificial flavors, aspartame, carrageenan, cellulose gum, dextrin, dextrose, erythritol, gellan gum, guar gum, gum arabic, inulin, locust bean gum, “natural” flavors, maltodextrin, rice syrup solids, soy lecithin, silica, sucralose, sunflower lecithin, xanthan gum, xylitol

Consuming food additives every day or even most days can mess with the regulatory pathways in your intestines, raising the likelihood that you develop inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other chronic inflammatory conditions. Food additives, especially artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols, can also throw off the equilibrium of your gut microbiome. This imbalance can lead to widespread inflammation and several chronic diseases.

our ingredients: 

egg whites, almonds, oats, coconut, cocoa, monk fruit

the alternative:

SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, CANOLA OIL, MALTODEXTRIN, ISOMALTULOSE, SOLUBLE CORN FIBER, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, VITAMIN AND MINERAL PREMIX, CELLULOSE, NATURAL & ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SOY LECITHIN, SALT, MONO & DIGLYCERIDE, XANTHAN GUM, SUCRALOSE

drink wholesome is dairy-free.

Another reason why we make the best meal replacement shake for diverticulitis is that we do not use dairy-based proteins. Many other meal replacements are made with whey and/or casein protein, which are derived from cheese and yogurt manufacturing.

These dairy-based proteins frequently lead to digestive troubles, especially for individuals with lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance, which affects more than one-third of adults, makes it hard for you to digest lactose, the sugar in dairy. And as you just learned, the incomplete digestion of food can lead to uncomfortable GI problems.

drink wholesome is made with real foods.

A final reason why we make the best meal replacement for diverticulitis is that we do not use protein concentrates and isolates. Basically all other meal replacement powders are made from one or both of these protein sources.

Protein concentrates and isolates have been stripped down to just protein using mechanical and chemical processing, sometimes with solvents like hexane. What you put in your body therefore looks nothing like real food. 

Your gut is built to digest minimally or unprocessed foods, not protein concentrates or isolates. This is why more and more research shows that regularly eating ingredients like these can alter the composition of your gut microbiome. This is one of the last things you want if you have diverticulitis.

Instead of using protein concentrates or isolates, we make the best diverticulitis meal replacement with egg whites and almonds. Minimally-processed protein sources like these are a gut-friendly alternative to protein concentrates and isolates.

Unlike protein isolates and concentrates, egg whites and almonds have enzymes and natural digestive aids that make them easy to digest. Egg whites are also low fiber, low FODMAP, alkaline (helping maintain healthy pH levels in your gut), and bioactive (enabling the growth of healthy gut bacteria).

Almonds, on the other hand, are also gut-friendly! They are prebiotic, which means they enhance the diversity of your gut microbiome, and promote regular and healthy bowel movements. Simple, gut-friendly ingredients like this are our secret to making the best meal replacement shakes for diverticulitis.

★★★★★

no stomach issues

“I am 65 and in good health. May of 2022 I was diagnosed with diverticulitis from eating a western diet and was searching for a gut friendly shake with natural ingredients. All other shakes had unhealthy additional ingredients like fructose, maltodextrin, erythritol and so on. So I did a search for shakes that had healthy ingredients and came across drink wholesome. I ordered and lets just say I have been ordering regularly now for 1 year and damn happy I found this product!! It tastes great and very healthy for me. It also helped with my flair ups as well.” – Donna

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This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. drink wholesome is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.