What I ate in a day…for a colonoscopy prep

As a dietitian, lover of gut health, and healthcare advocate who wants you to be as healthy and happy as possible, I figured I would show you what a colonoscopy prep actually looks like. So many of you put it off simply because you don’t know what to expect. I documented my journey last week because I wanted to show you that it’s totally doable, despite the faces I am making in my video. I was also trying to pass the time, so I filmed my hangry ass self drinking all kinds of liquids while the rest of my family ate their normal meals and went about their day. It made for some good content too and you know I love me some good old fashioned real-people real-life content.

This test was my second one in two years because as a perimenopausal young lady, I recently had some bowel changes and chronic constipation (which I attributed to hormonal shifts because of course I did), so my doc encouraged me to be extra safe and consider another colonoscopy to make sure that nothing had changed. My first test at 44 years old revealed no polyps and a follow-up in ten years, but lucky me had to go through the motions again just two years later. So here we are. Let’s forking go! Except no forks were needed for this experience.

Now if you think this is TMI, it’s not TMI for me. I’m sorry I may seem especially comfortable talking about basically ingesting a cocktail of medications to make you literally sh*t your brains out so the doc can see your entire colon clearly, but us dietitians frequently talk about 💩 with our clients because your bowel health gives us SO MUCH INFO about you. 

Anyway, if you want the truth, the hardest part is the prep day itself, which is basically a clear liquid diet and taking whatever prep cocktail your doctor prescribes. There is no real standard of care when it comes to colonoscopy prep which can make the instructions confusing, especially if you changed doctors from a previous exam or if your friends chime in with “mine wasn’t so bad because I was able to eat x, y and z and didn’t have to wake up in the middle of the night”. Some doctors allow yogurt and vanilla ice cream and some don’t. Some tell you to eat a low fiber diet for a week before with no seeds or nuts, some don’t. Some allow you to take pills instead of a liquid, and some don’t. Some instructions tell you to prep at 5pm and 10pm and some times fall in the middle of the night.

I unfortunately fell into the nasty liquid camp and had to endure the “cranberry-flavored stuff” again with a ready-to-drink liquid called Clenpiq. It includes two bottles which need to be spaced out depending on your procedure time, followed by a few cups of water after each bottle. The nurse at my doctor’s office told me that this was their first prep choice and my insurance actually didn’t cover it this time which is crazy. I will save you from this part of the story, but I ended up making my life easier and calming my nerves by just paying for it. Otherwise I had to start mixing up Miralax, taking Smooth Move tea, and all kinds of other instructions that looked like they were written in the 1950’s and had to begin two days before instead of one. For the Clenpiq at least, I received explicit directions with prep instructions. And before you ask, yes I asked for the pills but this doc was a no-go on that option. Yay.

I was also placed in the post midnight wake-up camp, having to set an alarm at 1:30am and drink the stuff again. So basically my instructions sucked the most compared to all the other ones I had heard about from friends and family. But I was determined to have the cleanest colon of any dietitian to ever lay on that table in a propofol-induced coma, so I followed the directions to the TEEEEEEEE.

The day before the procedure, I was hangry, cranky and weak from not eating food. I don’t do well with fasting of any kind. Let’s just say I have rarely gone more than 5 hours without eating during the daytime hours. I was also annoyed and may have strangled one of my kids, but don’t tell anyone. No one got hurt. I was unable to exercise or do much that day which may have also contributed to my overall crappy mood.

The actual procedure is the super easy part—you take a nap, wake up, and it’s done. These docs do this all day long. They can’t tell one tushy and one colon from another and you’re knocked out so who cares. Don’t let that be your excuse to continue to put off the exam.

And despite all the lovely details I have given you, here’s why it’s worth it: colon cancer rates are rising in younger adults, but colonoscopy is one of the few screenings that can actually PREVENT cancer by finding and removing precancerous polyps before they become a problem. You are sacrificing 1-2 days of your life to possibly save it.

So if you’re 45 or older, it’s time to schedule one. And if you’re younger and have a family history, symptoms, risk factors, or insurance coverage available, talk with your doctor about getting screened sooner. My insurance covered my first one at 44 years old.

The best part? Wait Laura, there’s a best part?! Yes there is…

The best part is that my results showed a completely clear colon with no polyps, which means I don’t have to go back for 10 years. That peace of mind is priceless. I know that, at least in this area of my health, everything looks good. The repeat test also allowed me to rule out anything serious and help me diagnose myself as simply a 46-year-old hormone-shifting stressed-out mom of two teenagers. If the doctor does find and remove polyps, you will most likely have to return in 3-5 years.

Many of my mid-life clients are experiencing similar changes in bowel habits even if they have always been regular in the bathroom department. When your hormones are shifting, they can affect your gut health and microbiome (and let’s face it, everything). By optimizing your diet with adequate nutrition/fiber, proper hydration, quality sleep and daily movement, and possibly adding some supplements like magnesium, you can help mitigate symptoms of constipation.

Don’t let fear stop you from taking care of yourself. You can absolutely do this. One day of inconvenience is worth years of knowing you’re doing everything possible to protect your health.

After being woken up from the best nap of my life where I wasn’t sure if I had slept 5 minutes or 5 years, I sat around for a while drinking water and eating pretzels. Someone must pick you up (Uber is not allowed unless someone you know is with you), so Bear showed up and took me to my requested bagel place right away. I got a bagel and lox with the works and a cinny bun. I ate every single bite of every single piece of food I got and then basically laid around the rest of the day because you will most likely be sleepy. I was extra tired from not sleeping much the night before due to the middle-of-the-night wake-up-call prep time. I kept eating and sleeping that day and went to bed early. My Oura ring clocked me in at almost nine hours. Is there anything better?! I think not. I was like a new person. I ate normally, worked out, and got back to “normal” chaotic life. It may take a few days to fully go to the bathroom again, but that makes sense.

If you are having a colonoscopy soon and need some “clear liquid diet” recommendations that helped me survive 36+ hours without food, here they are: Trader Joe’s Coconut Water and Honeydew Lemon Juice (both found in refrigerator section near fresh juices), white “cherry” Gatorade Zero, bone broth, chicken broth, white Haribo gummy bears, white pineapple Lifesavers, Outshine Lemon Fruit Bars, any brand lemon and light colored popsicles, lots of water!

Good luck and as always, please reach out to me laura@lauralauraburaknutrition.com with any questions. Thank you for reading and please share with a friend who keeps putting off her appointment. Please subscribe to my newsletter to never miss a thing and stay informed of all my new recipes, blog posts, grocery lists and more sent right to your inbox! Subscribe to my newsletter here!