Hi,

Thanks for your question and I'm sorry to hear of your recent diagnosis.

It's completely normal to feel a little anxious after being diagnosed with a condition such as diverticular disease, but to assure you it is manageable. I'm not sure if you've met with a dietician or had any specific dietary advice from your consultant, but either a dietitian or your consultant should be able to give you personal dietary advice as they will have access to your medical history.

You mentioned that you have been told that the skin of fruit is bad for the bowel, however this is not the case. The skin of fruit is full of fibre, which is helps to create bulk in the bowel and keep things moving along properly. It is actually recommended that individuals with diverticular disease aim to include plenty of fibre in their diet. The general population are advised to eat at least 18g fibre per day, but if you have diverticular disease you should be aiming for somewhere between 18-30g per day.

Therefore there should be no need to reduce your intake of fruit and vegetables such as grapes, plums, tomatoes and pears. In fact you should be aiming to increase your intake of fruit and veg, plus other fibre rich foods. There is a great page on the NHS Choices website with advice on treating diverticular disease with your diet. I've included a link to this below:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Diverticular-disease-and-diverticulitis/Pages/Prevention.aspx

As with any condition, you should try and follow the guidelines for a healthy diet. So each plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, choose lean meat and poultry as protein sources, opt for complex carbohydrates such as wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta and wholegrain rice (which are also high in fibre) and aim for 3 portions of dairy per day to ensure you are getting plenty of calcium. Also make sure you are having plenty of fluid (water is best) in your diet to help make stools softer.

As you have very recently been diagnosed I would recommend you speak to your GP regarding your concerns, as they will be able to give you more specific personal advice. You may also be referred to a dietician who will be able to advice you further with regards to your diet.

I hope this helps to put your mind at ease a little. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you need anything further.

Best wishes

Janet