It seems as though every time we get sick we think we have to go to the doctor. In some instances you may need to go to the doctor, and if you are dehydrated from the stomach flu, you should go to the hospital for re-hydration. The following are some tips and tricks that you can do at home to help you feel better when you have diarrhea. In the last 20 years or so our society has shied away from using home remedies, but truly these things do work and have worked for hundreds of years.

When you have diarrhea, you want to make sure you are getting plenty of liquids down your body. Fast from solid foods for 36 hours (a night, a day, and a night). Drink plenty of liquids - dilute fruit and vegetable juices with filtered water to maintain your hydration.

Foods to avoid:

Milk and milk products: butter, cheese, ice cream etc.
Sweetened fruit juices
Sugar, including honey
High protein foods: meat, eggs, nuts and seeds
Fats: especially fried or greasy food
Any gluten containing grains: wheat, rye, barley and oats
Artificial sweeteners: mannitol, sorbitol, aspartame and sucralose

Foods to eat:

Ripe bananas (mashed)
Rice bran
Raw vegetables (high fiber)
Carrot soup
Rice and rice cereals
Toast (plain)
Acidophilus
Papaya juice
Applesauce or grated green apples
Carob and amaranth powder (rich in pectin): mix 1-Tablespoon Carob or amaranth powder in 1 cup of applesauce, water or rice milk. (Carob is really good at helping to stop diarrhea).
Carrot and cabbage juice
Powdered cinnamon: use teaspoon in applesauce or as a tea.

When you take your own health into your own hands, you can do amazing things. If you get the stomach flu or are affected by diarrhea, try a few of the tips and help yourself get well and back into your normal daily routine.