Gallstones causes sever abdominal pain: Hello I am Louise I have gallstone I will be operated in 4 to 6 months, I would like to know what foods to take and avoid?Gallstones are small stones that develop in the gall bladder - a pear shaped organ located below the liver. Gallstones are formed when the bile in the gall bladder hardens to form stone like small material. Bile is produced in the liver and stored in the gall bladder until require for digestion. As the fatty meals reaches the small intestine, the brain signals the gall bladder to squirt some bile for fat digestion. Bile mainly contains bile pigments, cholesterol, water and some proteins.
If the bile contains too much cholesterol or bile pigments then it can lead to cholesterol stones or pigment stones in the gall bladder. Gallstones can remain asymptomatic for years, but for some it may cause pain in abdomen and other symptoms. If you experience severe symptoms of gallstones a specialist generally recommends a surgery to remove the gallstones or gall bladder. You have been told to wait for 4-6 months; in that period it is important to take care of your health. The gallstone diet foods which you are going to consume should include fresh apple juice and grape juice with lots of nutirition and vitamins to keep you healthy. The listed diet tips below will help you to deal with your gallstones and reduce your symptoms if any.
- Lose weight if you are above your ideal body weight Louise, as this will help to reduce your risk of developing gallstones further and relieve your current symptoms. However make sure that your weight loss is a natural and gradual process without any fad diets or starvation diets. A rapid weight loss can send signals to your liver to secrete extra cholesterol in the bile which can further increase the risk of gallstones. Moreover it can also cause inadequate emptying of gall bladder which leads to increased cholesterol levels in the gall bladder and thus gallstones.
- Follow a low fat diet for a few months, this will not only help you to lose weight but also ease your gallstones symptoms. Besides avoiding the visible sources of fats like oils and hydrogenated fats, avoid other invisible sources found in foods like egg yolks, meat and meat products/substitutes, organ meats, high fat cheese, high fat milk or yoghurt, and ice cream. However a low fat diet need not mean that you need to completely avoid fat from your diet. Some good sources of fat like flax oil or borage oil can be used depending on the severity of your gallstones.
- Avoid over eating especially your night meals and also avoid eating under stressed conditions.
- Preferably eat fresh foods and avoid processed foods, packed or canned foods, refined foods, junk foods, and other foods high in simple sugars and fat like oily or fried foods, sweets, chocolates, cakes, pastries, sodas, carbonated drinks, colas and alcohol.
- Increase your physical activity to remain fit as this will not only help you to lose weight and decrease your cholesterol levels but will also help you maintain general well-being.
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