Searching on [url=http://www.essortment.com/all/informationdive_rdze.htm]diverticulitis and exercise[/url] I found some good stuff.

One bit of advice is to drink lots of water.

This is a [url=http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Diverticulitis/advice/7591027-can-exercise-harmful]Diverticula Support Group[/url] and they are all reporting problems with exercise causing it to flare up. Good group though. It seems really helpful. I’ve had the same sort of thing happen when I do exercise on a small trampoline (leaning over and supporting top of body but working legs not jumping just bouncing). It does make my lower belly tender.

Here is another that calls itself [url=http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/health/how-to-get-rid-of-diverticulitis/]How To Get Rid of Diverticulitis[/url] but it seems pretty standard stuff (rest fibre antibiotics surgery). What it says about exercise sounds sensible but does not correspond with what people are saying from actual experience in the group above.
[b]Exercise[/b] regularly. Exercise aside from keeping your cardiovascular system in shape and keeping you generally healthy also promotes the proper functioning of your bowel. It also reduces the pressure inside your colon preventing the formation of diverticula. The exercise doesn’t need to be rigid and hard. Aerobic exercise or light jogging for 30 minutes is often enough to keep your body in tip-top shape.

Here is a comment that describes [b]a diet change to help[/b]:

(EXCELLENT – this is what I do and it works)
“What I do is switch to just fluids – usually water weak tea and occasionally chicken broth – as soon as I start to feel that familiar tell-tale “sitting down” pain. Then after the first couple of days as the worst of the pain starts to settle I start to eat more normally. I stick to a bland diet (http://www.dietsite.com/dt/diets/gastrointestinaldisorders/blanddiet.asp) (only eating vegies that are low fibre and non wind/gas causing). I only return to my normal diet plus psyllium supps when all pain has gone – usually around 10 days all up.

The first few times I had diverticulitis I didn’t think of adjusting my diet and just rested in bed and took pain killers. But I have to say I have a LOT less pain now that I do this.”

Here’s another diet comment on seeds:

(1) AVOID SEEDS. Including raspberries popcorn peppers etc. I am sure your doctor has told you this. The little seeds plug up the diverticuli (little outpouchings in your colon) and cause the infection. Anything that comes with little particles is a no-no! things you might not think of–capers coarsely ground black pepper or whole peppercorns etc. You have to be REALLY diligent about this!

Someone replied:
..disagree (with great respect Lucy :)) with the advice about seeds. Doctors have been advising folk with diverticulosis to avoid seeds for years. (Like they’ve been advising us that low carb is unhealthy….) The reasoning behind this recommendation was that seeds and nuts could theoretically plug up a diverticulum and lead to diverticulitis. Despite this reasonable hypothesis there is no known case of such a blockage actually occurring and no proven benefit to avoiding seeds and nuts.http://www.ivillagehealth.com/experts/digestive/qas/0232662_168447-200.html I have seen quite a few sources for this. 😉

Further reply on same subject of seeds:

I was wrong wrong wrong!!!! I truly believed that at the time but now having been triggered by seeds more than once (yes I am a slow learner :rolleyes: ) I would suggest to anyone who has had diverticulitis to avoid seeds and exercise extreme caution with nuts as well.

A girfiend who was a nurse in a theatre said she’d never seen an operation for diverticulitis that didn’t have them full of seeds.

Still on the subject of seeds and nuts:

Now I’ve had 3 different docs tell me most people have no problem with seeds. I eat nuts daily and seeds frequently and don’t have a problem.

My bouts so far have all been related to eating the wrong foods but not nuts and seeds. I can see if you have a known problem avoiding nuts and seeds but I was told over 10 yrs ago and as recent as 5-6 months ago that nuts and seeds have been found no more dangerous than other hard foods. Pretty much what I’m told is keep things soft and moving.

Here’s another diet one:

How do you lo carb and deal with this?
Do you mean how do I eat low carb while on the bland diet?
I stick to the lower carb vegies – mainly zucchini mushrooms and small amounts of lettuce (only the green bits) and spinach. I tend to eat pretty small meals at this time; it’s all about resting the gut. For protein I tend to stick with bland stuff such as canned tuna and chicken.

The rest of the time I try to make sure I have plenty of vegies plus my daily tablespoonful of psyllium.

And another diet one:

I am feeling much better today and am going to work. Saturday I ate nothing but soup jello and a few gallons of water. Yesterday I had a serving of oatmeal noodles for lunch and for dinner a serving of whole wheat noodles with half a chicken breast and a half cup of broccoli. I am trying to stick with easily digestible foods right now but want a little fiber in the mix. Today will be pretty much the same.

Reply:

I would have avoided broccoli (being a “gas producing” vegetable) until all pain has gone but you are obviously doing well enough for it not to have been a problem.

Here is someone questioning whether bacteria in food might cause a flare-up:

I have a weird theory as to why I had this flare up. And I think it didnt become full blown cause I caught it so early. I am not kidding you once I start to feel that “feeling” in the left side I take action. This one was a little more painful though. Back to my point I went to lunch last week I ordered a chicken salad and it was AWFUL!! I have wondered since then and with this episode if maybe there was some [b]bacteria[/b] in the chicken or lettuce or the sprouts that were on it. And things didnt go through my system fast enough despite the metmucil and maybe that was the culprit. The funny thing was when I was eating it I joked with my boss and said “well the service has sucked the lunch is horrid and watch me end up with ecoli poisoning from these sprouts!” Two days later my left side was hurting weird huh?

Are you able to trace flare ups to something you ate?

Here is another approach that [b]avoids high fibre[/b]:

I don’t recall whether the english version of Life Without Bread by Dr. Lutz had much info in it with regards to diverticulitis but his book “Sick Stomach Sick Bowels” devoted a chapter to it. He had great success with treating the illness – and Crohn’s – with his low-carb diet. He didn’t however agree with others pushing large amounts of fiber for treating the illness. His diet was high fat moderate protein lowish carbs.

High fat! Now there’s a different diet!

Here’s someone with something to take to replace good bacteria:

I also have a [b]little yogurt kraut grapefruit and kefir [/b]everyday which helps to promote GI health.

Have to go. Still haven’t decided whether exercise helps or not!