For most of us, diverticulitis results from having something get stuck in a diverticula and won't budge causing inflammation and the outright infection. Finding out what 'gets stuck' is often a personal journey but is often associated with nuts and seeds.

The recommendation of a high fiber diet is based upon the assumption that the longer stool remains in the bowel the more likely it is that something will get 'stuck.' (A logical assumption.) So, to prevent this, a high fiber diet is recommended because the higher the fiber content in the diet the faster the stool will travel through the bowel.

For people like me who have diverticula throughout my entire bowel, the entire bowel would have to be surgically removed.

A high fiber diet causes me gas and pain. So the idea of a liquid diet to 'rest' the bowel sounds reasonable. At the moment I have had diarrhea for the past 6 months which, according to my doctor, is not unusual for late stage diverticular disease. Is he right? I don't know. I also have bruising for no apparent reason which he also attributes to diverticular disease. But these bruises are red, not purple.

I guess we each need to find our own answers in the face of conflicting medical advice.