is this gastroparesis of some kind? there are entire cookbooks dedicated to this, usually simple sugars. sweet potatoes are pretty safe. heres a link to the cookbook:

http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Gastroparesis-Guidelines-Tips-Recipes/dp/1461168643/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337372906&sr=8-1

when i was really sick, i ate a lot of rice. mostly I'd put a cup of it into a bowl of green tea with furikake on top

Mung bean soup (cooked with salt and some turmeric powder), with a dash of lemon/lime juice, just to make it more refreshing but not enough to make it too acidic. Also, mung bean and rice 'khichdi' (somewhat like risotto, but more mashed and thinner). Both are considered great for convalescing people, especially when digestion is an issue as these are easily absorbed by the body and give more nutrition than plain starchy foods.

I've had to live with restricted diets after surgery and a somewhat restricted diet for 14 years. It would really help to know what is wrong in order to help suggest foods that are possible (can she eat fibrous foods for example?). From the limited description you give, it could be Chrohn's or IB or a host of other things, each with their own issues beyond this list.

One thing I will say though: rice is one of the most difficult foods to digest, and so I would avoid it. It must be digested both mechanically as well as broken down by secretions -- the reason it is often prescribed to people with diarrhea is that it is so difficult to digest that it slows down (and often stops) the digestive system so much it stops the diarrhea (in my case, it causes intestinal blockages).

The best insight I've ever found was in the book Food and the Gut Reaction by Elaine Gottschall.

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Gut-Reaction-Elaine-Gottschall/dp/096927680X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337380628&sr=1-1

Good luck!

Forgot to mention, for the 'khichdi', make sure to use slightly more mung beans than rice. cook with lots of water (about 3x or more of the bean+rice volume), with turmeric powder, salt and maybe some ginger chunks (not to be eaten and to be removed later on). Cook like one cooks rice, except 15-20 minutes longer.

My grandfather was on a restricted diet. One dish I made that he loved- slow braised carrots. I used homemade salt free chicken broth for the braising liquid and added thyme. The carrots cooked down and made a very flavorful mash. Yogurt with homemade granola or muesli is also great. Oats are very gentle on the digestive system.

Another favorite is lentils and rice topped with carmelized onions. It's a dish served in a lot falafel shops in NYC

Been there, done that - colitis. I started myself on a low residue diet and was eating a lot of plain toast and chicken soup because it was all i could eat. Seeing a nutritionist was the best thing I did - my doctor recommended one who worked mostly with people who had dietary restrictions because of health issues. She helped me figure out better and healthier options for every meal (breakfast, snacks, dinner, etc). I saw her once in her office and communicated via email after that. I think I went in once more as a follow up a year later. It could be worth the one or two visits - it definitely was for me.

Kale soup! With a sensitive digestive system! I have normal digestion and I love Kale but sometimes the feeling is NOT mutual. I would not give her Kale!

Being part of the alkline movement I would reccommend she consider Sevenpoint2 who has the world's best tasting 100% vegan shake where she can build into what ever she likes. The link is www.sevenpoint2.com/whitedove or watch youtube video.

http://youtu.be/3PEa-p4HsOU