You heard that right. I cannot digest vegetables. “Oh man you shouldn’t eat them then,” you say? Well, bad news… you can’t digest them either *Gasp*. But they are still an important part of our diets! As a gastroenterologist one of Dr. Treskova’s favorite parts about vegetables, fruits too, is the fiber. Fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate found in plants and produce. Do not worry though, you can still digest everything but the fiber. It does not get broken down in our bellies and we poop it out intact. Why is this a good thing? Dietary fiber increases the size of your stool and softens it. A bulky stool is easier to pass, reducing the possibility of constipation. If you have watery stools or diarrhea, fiber may help to solidify the stool because it absorbs water and bulks up the poop. The soluble form of fiber also helps feed the good bacteria in your gut! Here are some lovely veggies to focus on for fiber: Carrots, beets, artichoke, and broccoli.
And the best thing about them: you can eat it raw or cooked. Broth based soup with cooked vegetables and some herbs like cilantro, parsley, mint, dill, thyme and basil is the best food for winter time! Enjoy!
But if even soup with cooked vegetables causes gas in your child or adolescent they have to be evaluated by a gastroenterologist for inflammation, constipation, motility issues, irritable bowel syndrome. Adding missing enzymes, probiotics, finding and treating the cause is important in this case.
If you have any doubts or questions about your child’s, baby’s, adolescent gastrointestinal/GI health, please contact Dr Treskova’s pediatric GI and nutrition office and schedule an appointment at www.gastropediatrics.com/schedule
Author Dr. Erena Treskova