Gall Bladder Diet

The Gall Bladder:
The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped sac situated under the liver and most of us don't even notice we have it until it starts making its presence felt. The gall bladder is the place where the bile produced by the liver is stored. Every time we eat, the gallbladder is stimulated and releases bile into the intestine. Bile is necessary for the proper digestion of food. If there was no bile or if it was present in less than the required amount, food digestion would be impaired and we would suffer from a host of troubles like nausea, vomiting, heart-burn, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain. Long term problems with food digestion can lead to some very serious health issues.

When the gall bladder is diseased or has some other kind of malfunctioning problem, bile production is affected in an adverse way. Apart from disease, weight concerns are also responsible for gall bladder health problems.

People who are obese or who are attempting rather drastically designed fat-free diets to lose weights are especially vulnerable to gall bladder problems. The bile of over-weight people contains a very high percentage of cholesterol and cholesterol is one of the leading causes of gallstone formation. And gallstones, of course, pave the way to further gall bladder difficulties, including a risk of developing gall bladder cancer. On the other hand, if you go for a severely fat-free diet, enough bile is not utilized by the body, is stored for a long time, and the cholesterol in it can crystallize to form gallstones.

To help digestion, to counter the formation of gallstones, and to allow the gallbladder to rest and recover, people with gall bladder disease or those who are obese are required to follow a long-term, low-fat dietary therapy. Low fat foods are easier to digest, reducing the stress on the gall bladder, and can also assist the body in getting rid of gallstones.

According to recent research, a proper diet can go a long way in either preventing or controlling gall bladder disease. By eating low-fat foods, you can improve your health without resorting to gall bladder surgery and, in the event surgery is needed, a gall bladder diet will speed up the recovery process.

Gall Bladder Diet:
People with gall bladder disease should follow a diet that includes starchy foods like rice, cereals, bread, vegetables, and fruit. It is important that you cut down on red meats or, better yet, stop eating it entirely. You should also avoid refined, fatty and fried foods containing saturated fats, trans fats, hydrogenated fats and partially-hydrogenated fats.

Here's a list of what you should eat -

• Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. The keyword is 'fresh'. Fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. The organic kind.
• Eat plenty of green leafy salads and lace them with olive oil, flax oil and vinegar.
• Cook your food – vegetables and lean meats - using spices, ginger, and turmeric. These are good aids for digestion and have antiseptic properties as well.
• Eat low-fat dairy products. Include low fat cottage cheese and low-fat milk in your meals.
• Eat whole-grain bread.
• Eat lean meats in moderation.
• Eat smaller meals rather then large meals.
• Eat your last meal of the day several hours before you go to bed.
• Take fish oil capsules. These contain Omega 3 oil, which is excellent for you. It prevents cholesterol build-up in the bile.
• Drink plenty of water.

Here's a list of fruit and vegetables that are good for you -

• Apples
• Apricots
• Lemons
• Figs
• Guavas
• Pears
• Grapes
• Currants
• Prunes
• Papaya
• Melons
• Coconuts
• Berries
• Tomatoes
• Avocados
• Artichokes
• Cucumber
• Beet
• Sweet Potatoes
• Carrots
• Okra
• Garlic
• Shallots
• Celery
• Swiss Chard
• Dandelion Greens

Here are some foods you should either avoid or cut down on:

• Eggs
• Pork
• Onion
• Cabbages
• Cauliflower
• Legumes
• Fowl
• High-fat milk
• Chocolate
• Ice-cream
• Coffee
• Black Tea
• Alcohol
• Soft drinks
• Sodas
• Grapefruit
• Oranges
• Corn
• Nuts
• White Flour
• Artificial Sweeteners

Also forgo drastic diets. If you want to reduce weight, it must be done in a gradual and healthy manner. Which means adequate exercise and the proper food in the proper amounts at the proper time. Not starvation followed by several eating binges.