What Should You Pay Attention To In Your Diet After Gallstone Surgery? Avoid High-fat, Spicy, Raw And Cold Foods

What should I pay attention to in my diet after gallstone surgery?

These 5 taboos must be remembered

Friends who have just undergone gallstone surgery are most concerned about how to eat in the future.

After all, the gallbladder has been removed, and the body needs a process of adaptation. There is no doubt that dietary conditioning is directly related to the quality of recovery.

During the postoperative period, many people suffer from bloating, diarrhea, or indigestion due to improper diet. In fact, these are all related to eating foods that should not be eaten.

Today I will talk in detail about what should be paid special attention to in the diet after gallstone surgery, so as to help everyone get through the recovery period smoothly and smoothly.

High-fat foods are the number one minefield

The gallbladder has the main function of storing and concentrating bile. When the body ingests high-fat food, the gallbladder contracts and discharges a large amount of bile to assist digestion.

After surgery, this "transit station" no longer exists, and bile will continue to flow into the intestines, but its concentration and amount have changed.

If you eat high-fat foods such as fried foods, fatty meats, animal offal, cream cakes, etc. at this time, the liver will have to work harder to secrete bile, but the digestion capacity of bile does not match the demand. This can easily lead to steatorrhea, which means diarrhea just after eating, accompanied by symptoms of bloating and abdominal discomfort.

Within half a year after the operation, you must strictly control your fat intake. It is best to control the oil used for cooking within 20 grams per day. For meat, choose low-fat varieties such as chicken breasts and fish with the skin removed.

After your body gradually becomes comfortable, slowly restore some high-quality fats, such as a small amount of olive oil, nuts, etc. However, you must always pay attention to the body's reaction changes, and make adjustments immediately if you feel uncomfortable.

Spicy food can easily cause anger

Normally, spicy condiments such as chili pepper, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, garlic, and mustard can appetizer when eaten. However, for the digestive system that is fragile after surgery, it has become a certain burden.

Surgery itself will have a certain impact on the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, the bile secretion pattern has changed. As a result, the entire digestive system is in a relatively sensitive state.

Spicy food will directly irritate the gastric mucosa and intestinal mucosa, causing excessive gastric acid secretion, which can easily cause stomach pain, heartburn, and even intestinal spasm, resulting in abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Many patients who undergo surgery will feel a loss of appetite after the operation and want to use spicy food to stimulate their appetite. However, in the end, the discomfort becomes more serious.

In the first month after the operation, the dietary advice given focuses on lightness as the main principle, and cooking methods such as steaming, boiling, and stewing are the most suitable.

After the wound is completely healed and the body condition becomes stable, if you want to try some mild seasoning, you must start with a very small amount, and avoid highly irritating things like chili oil and spicy hot pot.

Too much sugar can sneak up on you

Many people don’t know that there is actually a certain relationship between sugar and the formation of gallstones.

Although the stones are removed after surgery, the body's ability to metabolize sugar may be temporarily weakened.

Foods rich in sugar, such as sweet drinks, cakes, and candies, including sugary pastries, will stimulate insulin secretion once they enter the body, thereby affecting the balance of cholesterol and bile acids in bile.

Consuming large amounts of sugar for a long time will not only easily lead to weight gain, but may also have a negative impact on the function of the liver, thereby indirectly interfering with the normal secretion of bile.

Some patients feel that their bodies are in a weak state after surgery, and they think they need to drink some brown sugar water and eat some desserts to supplement their health. However, instead, they experience abdominal distension and indigestion.

A reasonable approach is to control the intake of added sugar. If you want to eat something sweet, you can choose fruits in moderation. However, you should also pay attention to avoid high-sugar varieties such as durian and lychee. Try to choose fruits with relatively low sugar content such as apples, strawberries, and grapefruits. The best choice is to eat between meals, and do not eat immediately after meals.

Raw and cold foods are most harmful to the gastrointestinal tract after surgery

Just after the surgery, the body's yang energy needs time to recover, and the gastrointestinal function is also being rebuilt.

It is at this time that if you eat cold food such as ice cream, iced drinks, cold dishes, sashimi, etc., it will be like pouring a basin of cold water on the digestive system that has just started to "work".

The temperature of raw food and cold food is low. After entering the gastrointestinal tract, it will cause blood vessels to contract, which will affect blood circulation, slow down gastrointestinal peristalsis, and easily cause stomach pain, diarrhea or indigestion.

Some individuals believe that eating cold foods can achieve the effect of "removing fire". However, in this unique stage after surgery, it will actually cause the function of the spleen and stomach to become increasingly weak.

It is recommended that within three months after the operation, every food that goes into the mouth should be kept as warm as possible. Even fruits can be soaked in warm water for a while before eating.

The water you drink should also be warm and avoid any ice-cold drinks.

Even in the summer, you still have to control your mouth and wait until your body is fully recovered before you can slowly try to eat food at room temperature.

Caffeine drinks can "stress" the gastrointestinal tract

Coffee is a drink containing caffeine, strong tea also contains caffeine, and functional drinks also contain caffeine. These drinks can stimulate the central nervous system. At the same time, they can also stimulate gastric acid secretion, thereby increasing the burden on the gastrointestinal tract.

After surgery, the digestive system is already relatively sensitive, and caffeine can speed up gastrointestinal motility, which can easily lead to abdominal discomfort or diarrhea.

Some patients who are used to drinking coffee to wake up in the morning continue to drink it as usual after surgery. As a result, they have an extremely uncomfortable feeling in their stomach.

This type of beverage can have an impact on sleep quality. This impact is not due to the stimulating effect of caffeine. However, poor rest after surgery will slow down the recovery process.

It is recommended to completely avoid drinks such as coffee, strong tea, and cola for at least one month after surgery.

If you want to drink some flavored water, you can choose chrysanthemum tea or barley tea with a light taste, or use red dates and wolfberries to soak in water for drinking, which is both mild and can replenish water.

After your body has fully recovered, drink a cup of light tea occasionally, but avoid drinking it on an empty stomach.

Dietary adjustment after gallstone surgery is, in the final analysis, a "step-by-step" process.

During the initial period after surgery, you must control your mouth extremely strictly and make light, easy-to-digest, and low-fat foods your main dietary choices, thereby allowing your body to slowly adapt to the situation without a gallbladder.

As the recovery period progresses, you can gradually try more different types of food, but you must pay attention to the body's reaction at any time.

Keep in mind that eating smaller meals more often will make you feel better than eating until you're full at one meal, and chewing your food slowly can also reduce the burden on your gastrointestinal tract.

As long as they adhere to scientific diet methods, most people can return to a fairly normal diet within two to three months after surgery and once again enjoy the pleasure brought by delicious food.