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    • Home
    • Before your proc or appt
      • Before Your Proc or Appt
      • At Your Doctor’s Appt
      • Before: Colonoscopy
      • Before: Flex Sig
      • Before: Same Day Surgery
      • Before: Non Colon Surgery
      • Before: Colon/Rectal Surg
      • What to Expect: Anorectal
    • After Your Proc
      • After Your Proc
      • After: Anorectal
      • After: Pilonidal
      • After: Abdomen/Bowel Surg
      • Sitz Bath - What is it?
      • Ostomy Care
      • Ostomy Output
      • LARS
      • Drain Care
      • Wound Vac Guide
    • 💩, screening, and more
      • Cancer Screening
      • Poop 💩 & Constipation
      • Hemorrhoids
      • Itching
    • Dietary & Pelvic Floor
      • Pelvic Floor + Dietary
      • Pelvic Floor Incontinence
      • Pelvic Floor Tests & Pain
      • Fiber+Water
      • Protein
      • Food+Exercise as Medicine
    • Cancer Information
      • Colon Cancer Info
      • Rectal cancer Info
    • Women's Health
      • Breastfeeding and Surgery
      • Endometriosis
      • Pregnancy Constipation
    • Safe Adventures
  • Home
  • Before your proc or appt
    • Before Your Proc or Appt
    • At Your Doctor’s Appt
    • Before: Colonoscopy
    • Before: Flex Sig
    • Before: Same Day Surgery
    • Before: Non Colon Surgery
    • Before: Colon/Rectal Surg
    • What to Expect: Anorectal
  • After Your Proc
    • After Your Proc
    • After: Anorectal
    • After: Pilonidal
    • After: Abdomen/Bowel Surg
    • Sitz Bath - What is it?
    • Ostomy Care
    • Ostomy Output
    • LARS
    • Drain Care
    • Wound Vac Guide
  • 💩, screening, and more
    • Cancer Screening
    • Poop 💩 & Constipation
    • Hemorrhoids
    • Itching
  • Dietary & Pelvic Floor
    • Pelvic Floor + Dietary
    • Pelvic Floor Incontinence
    • Pelvic Floor Tests & Pain
    • Fiber+Water
    • Protein
    • Food+Exercise as Medicine
  • Cancer Information
    • Colon Cancer Info
    • Rectal cancer Info
  • Women's Health
    • Breastfeeding and Surgery
    • Endometriosis
    • Pregnancy Constipation
  • Safe Adventures

Food and Exercise as Medicine

This is not a substitute for direct care by YOUR doctor. Confirm with your doctor before doing any of the following.

  

A healthy diet and regular exercise not only help prevent disease, but also help treat disease 



Exercise

  •  Exercise is a form of medicine that affects all aspects of health
  • Most adults should aim for 150-300 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week IF CLEARED BY YOUR DOCTOR 

Things to Add

  • Whole grains
  • Vegetables, especially Leafy Greens
  • Beans and Nuts

Things to Avoid

Things to Pay Attention To

Things to Pay Attention To

  •  Try to limit foods that are ultra processed as much as possible
  • Recognizing ultra processed foods can be difficult, but if the ingredient list is long, many of the ingredients are not easily recognizable as food, and the expiration date is months or years in the future, the item may be ultra processed

Things to Pay Attention To

Things to Pay Attention To

Things to Pay Attention To

  • Not all types of food are equal in nutrients, and a variety of any type is typically best. Moderation is key.
  • There are different types of diet such as: MIND, Dash, Mediterranean, Low Carb, Plant Based etc. but try to find something that works for you so that you can continue to do it for years to come. Here are some resources to start with:
  •  Diet Review: MIND Diet • The Nutrition Source 
  •  Diet Review: Mediterranean Diet • The Nutrition Source 
  •  Diet Review: DASH • The Nutrition Source 
  •  What is the Diabetes Plate? | American Diabetes Association 
  •  Building a Healthy Vegetarian Diet: Myths and Facts 

 

Lane MM, Gamage E, Du S, Ashtree DN, McGuinness AJ, Gauci S, Baker P, Lawrence M, Rebholz CM, Srour B, Touvier M, Jacka FN, O'Neil A, Segasby T, Marx W. Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses. BMJ. 2024 Feb 28;384:e077310. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2023-077310. PMID: 38418082; PMCID: PMC10899807.


The best ways to identify processed foods. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-best-ways-to-identify-processed-foods. Accessed on June 6, 2025. 


Thompson WR, Sallis R, Joy E, Jaworski CA, Stuhr RM, Trilk JL. Exercise Is Medicine. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2020 Apr 22;14(5):511-523. doi: 10.1177/1559827620912192. PMID: 32922236; PMCID: PMC7444006.

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