Types of Therapeutic diets

 

Types of Therapeutic diets

Commonly used diets in medical field are-

Modified regular diet

•        Balanced diet usually used for ambulatory patients

•        At times it is has a reduced caloric content

•        Foods such as rich desserts, cream sauces, salad dressings and fried foods may be decreased or omitted

•        High protein food may be added in diet in case of persons recuperating after a disease or doing regular weight training

High protein diet

·       Used for growing children and adolescents, pregnant or lactating women, before and/or after surgery, patients suffering from burns, fevers, or infections

·       Also prescribed for sports persons

·       Regular diet with added protein rich foods such as meats, fish, milk, cheese, soya beans and eggs

Low protein diet

·       Used for patients with certain diseases and for certain allergic conditions

·       Regular diet with limited or decreased protein rich foods

Clear liquid diet  

·       Includes minimum residue fluids like juices without pulp, broth and clear soups

·       Is often used as the first step to restarting oral feeding after surgery or a procedure

·       Can also be used for fluid and electrolyte replacement in people with severe diarrhea

·       Cannot be used for an extended period as it does not provide enough calories and nutrients

Full liquid diet 

·       Includes fluids that contains some nutrients and fibres

·       Some examples of food allowed are ice cream, pudding, thinned hot cereal, custard, strained cream soups, and juices with pulp

·       Used as the second step to restarting oral feeding once clear liquids are tolerated

·       Used for people who cannot tolerate even a soft diet

·       cannot be used for extended periods

No Concentrated Sweets (NCS) diet

·       Is considered a liberalized diet for diabetics when their weight and blood sugar levels are under control

·       It includes regular foods without the addition of sugar or sugar containing food like desserts, sweets etc.

·       Calories are not counted

·       Grain free diet used in diabetes is also a variation of this diet.

Diabetic or calorie controlled diet 

·       These diets control calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat intake in balanced amounts to meet nutritional needs, control blood sugar levels, and control weight

·       It is often low carbohydrate diet where mono and di saccharide are avoided

·       For carbohydrates exchange system is used such as almond flour, coconut flour or buckwheat flour for wheat flour and quinoa for rice as also sugar substitutes like stevia, erythritol etc

·       Portion control is used at mealtimes with regular smaller meals

·       Most commonly used calorie levels are: 1,200 to 1,600

Low calorie diet

·       Used for persons who are overweight or diabetic

·       Avoid or limit high calories foods like all high sugar, high fats or fried food items

High calorie diet

·       Used for pts who are underweight, or who have anorexia nervosa, hyperthyroidism, or cancer

·       Extra proteins and carbohydrates are included to increase calories

·       Avoid high-bulk foods such as green salads, watermelon and fibrous fruits

·       Avoid high-fat foods such as fried foods, rich pastries, and cheese cake because they digest slowly and spoil appetite

No added salt diet

·       It is a regular diet with no extra added salt

·       Food is seasoned as regular food

·       Used in cases of hypertension

Low Sodium (LS) or salt restricted (SR) diet

·       Limits salt below a certain level and salty foods

·       Is used for people who may be having edema or who have high blood pressure, heart disease, liver disease, or first stages of kidney disease

Low fat/low cholesterol diet  

·       Is used to reduce fat levels and/or treat medical conditions that interfere with how the body uses fat such as diseases of the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas

·       Also prescribed for patients suffering from heart diseases such as atherosclerosis  

·       Limits fat to 50 grams or no more than 30% calories derived from fat

·       Is low in total fat and saturated fats and contains not more then 250-300 mg cholesterol

·       Oils, animal products, meats, seeds etc are avoided

High fiber diet 

·       Is prescribed in the prevention or treatment of a number of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases

·       Also used for regular bowel movements and to avoid constipation

·       Increased fiber should come from a variety of sources including fruits, legumes, vegetables, whole grains etc or supplements

 

 

Low fiber diet

·       Used for patients with digestive and rectal diseases such as colitis or diarrhea

·       Eliminates or limits foods high in bulk or fiber such as raw fruits and veggies, whole grains and cereals, nuts, seeds, beans and peas, coconut, and fried foods

Renal diet 

·       Is for patients suffering from renal/kidney diseases

·       The diet plan is individualized depending on if the person is on dialysis

·       The diet restricts sodium, potassium, fluid, and proteins

·       Lab work is to be followed closely to daily alter the diet

Soft diet

·       Is used when there are problems with chewing and swallowing.

·       Changes the consistency of the regular diet to a softer texture.

·       Includes chopped or ground meats as well as chopped or ground raw fruits and vegetables.

·       Is for people with poor dental conditions, missing teeth, no teeth, or persons with eating disorders

Pureed diet

·       Changes the regular diet by pureeing it to a smooth liquid consistency

·       Indicated for those with wired jaws or extremely poor dentition in which chewing is inadequate

·       Often thinned down so it can pass through a straw.

·       Is for people with chewing or swallowing difficulties or with the condition of dysphasia

·       Foods should be pureed separately

·       Avoid nuts, seeds, raw vegetables, and raw fruits

·       Should be nutritionally adequate

Food allergy modified diet

·       Food allergies are due to an abnormal immune response to an otherwise harmless food.

·       Foods implicated with allergies are strictly eliminated from the diet.  

·       Appropriate substitutions are made to ensure the meal is adequate.

·       The most common food allergens are milk, egg, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish.

 Gluten free diet

·       This diet is for Persons with celiac disease or gluten intolerance

·       Would include the elimination of wheat, rye, and barley.

·       Replaced with potato, corn, and rice products.

Food intolerance modified diet 

·       The most common food intolerance is intolerance to lactose (milk sugar) because of a decreased amount of an enzyme in the body.

·       Other common types of food intolerance include adverse reactions to certain products added to food to enhance taste, color, or protect against bacterial growth

·       Common symptoms involving food intolerances are vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and headaches after a particular food

·       That item of diet causing symptoms should be avoided

Bland diet

·       Consists of easily digestible or partially digested foods that do not irritate the digestive tract

·       Used for patients with ulcers and other digestive diseases

·       Avoid coarse foods, fried foods, highly seasoned  foods, spices, pastries, raw fruits and veggies, alcohol, carbonated beverages, nuts, coffee, tea, smoked and salted meats and fish.

DASH diet

·       It is- Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, used to control hypertension (DASH).

·       The DASH diet is mainly based on fruits, vegetables, low-fat or fat free dairy, whole grains, fish, poultry, legumes, and nuts.

·       It recommends reducing sodium intake, sweets (in drinks and foods) and red meat. It limits saturated and trans saturated fat

·       It advocates increasing the intake of potassium, magnesium, protein, fiber and nutrients thought to help control blood pressure

Mediterranean diet

·       The principal aspects of this diet include proportionally high consumption of unprocessed cereals, legumes, olive oil, fruits, and vegetables and olives

·       Moderate consumption of fish, dairy products (mostly cheese and yogurt), and meat  products

·       The diet has many health benefits in cardiovascular and other systemic diseases and hypertension

·       Has been known to reduce all cause mortality

Low-FODMAP diet 

·       restriction of consumption of  FODMAP-fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and Polyols

·       recommended only for a short time

·       recommended for managing patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

·       can reduce digestive symptoms of IBS including bloating, flatulence. and farting

Low fiber diet 

·       A low-fiber diet is a low-residue diet eliminating dietary fiber from the diet

·        intended to reduce certain constituents of the bowel

·        It may be prescribed for patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders