GALLBLADDER DIET HELPFUL FOODS AVOID THESE FOODS Beets Cucumbers Green beans - are NOT the same as dried Okra Sweet potatoes Avocados - a good way to get needed fats directly from food Vinegars all types Garlic helps with liver cleansing but not processed types like flakes or powder. Some people have difficulty with it but is usually ok and even helpfull. Just pay attention to your own body with this one. Shallots Tomatoes - ripe cold water fish- salmon, trout Lemons (lemon juice in the morning with hot water helps to clean the liver) Grapes and fresh organic grape juice apples, berries, papaya, pears Omega 3 oils like flax or hemp. Use these with fresh lemon juice or vinegar on your salads. DO NOT COOK flax oil. Vegetable juices - Beet and cucumber are especially helpful to gallbladder You can add other green vegetables like tender baby greens, swiss chard, dandelion greens, beet greens, celery, carrots -- avoid the cabbage family) Avoid all fruit juices except organic grape juice and organic apple (fresh, self-juiced is best). It is wise to dilute with water. All the vegetables listed above for juicing are good. Use baby mixed organic greens for salads and avoid the bitter greens for now. Fiber such as found in fruits and vegetables and guar gum Eggs (Research showed that eggs caused symptoms in up to 95% of patients. Try substituting flax seed gel in recipes that require eggs for the "glue". That's 1 TBSP ground flax seed to 3 TBSP hot water. Let cool and add.) Pork Onions Fowl (turkey, chicken) Dairy (milk, cheese, cream) Gluten (wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, etc.) Corn Beans and legumes Coffee Oranges, grapefruit Nuts Trans fats, Hydrogenated, partially-hydrogenated oils Margarine Fried Foods Saturated fats (even coconut oil until feeling better) Red meats Coffee, regular or decaf Spicy foods Chocolate Ice cream Black tea Alcohol, beer, wine, liqueur Fruit juice Carbonated water Tap water Turnips Cabbage, cauliflower Colas and all sodas Oats (for some people) Avoid all artificial sweeteners, sugar, preservatives, refined and bleached foods (like white flour) Avoid smoking if possible as it can exacerbate the symptoms. Avoid all possible food allergens. Note: Many greens like collard, mustard and kale, also brussel sprouts and broccoli seem to be a problem for some people. Greens (and especially kale and brussel sprouts) are used by the liver to detoxify. It may be necessary to avoid these until you have done some work with the products as well as diet. Your goal should get to the point where these foods do not cause distress, as they actually target the liver as well as the gallbladder. I spend nights being sick because of my gallbladder. Last year I went onto the internet and found your website. It changed my life!! I know for a long time that when I eat too much margarine or fatty food that I get very nauseous and have horrible headaches but since I read your website and starting only too eat more beet and cucumber and watch how much margarine I eat my life changed overnight!!! Now if ever I feel a bit nauseous or start to have a headache I just drink Grape juice or apple or eat beet and cucumber and it works like magic. My aunt battles more from her gallbladder than what I did. Last weekend she came and visit me I gave her your writings that I printed from the Internet. She is also going to use your advice. Thank you so much! You saved my life from misery. I also enjoy your newsletter. Greetings, Charmaine South Africa GALLBLADDER DIET TIPS DO NOT OVEREAT DO NOT EAT UNDER STRESS EAT ONLY FRESH FOODS - DO NOT EAT PACKAGED FOODS ORGANIC FOOD IS IMPORTANT ORGANIC IS IMPORTANT - The liver is the root of the problem here, and the pesticides and herbicides used in commercial fruits and vegetables causes extra burden on the liver and therefore, the gallbladder. [Back to top] GALLSTONE DIET HELPFUL FOODS AVOID THESE FOODS FOR RELIEF FROM GALLSTONE PAIN Foods Helpful for Gallstones: USE ORGANIC FOODS Fresh vegetable juices as mentioned above (beet and cucumber especially) Drink lots of water - very important Garlic and garlic oil Avocados Artichokes Ginger root Coconuts Grapes and freshly pressed grape juice (organic grapes only) are especially helpful Apples particularly including apple juice apricots, berries, casaba melons, currants, figs, guavas, lemons, pears, prunes Tumeric (organic) Flax oil Radishes help to dissolve gallstones but may cause some discomfort. Do not use them until your symptoms are gone and then only if they do not disagree with you. Foods to Avoid for Gallstones: Same list above for general gallbladder problems above. Take special note of the foods most likely to cause gallbladder attacks: eggs, pork, gluten, onion, fowl, milk, cheese, butter and other dairy, coffee, grapefruit, oranges, corn, beans and nuts, alcohol, saturated fats, hydrogenated oils and partially hydrogenated oils NOTE: green beans are not classified as beans. For Relief from Pain Flax Seed Tea Recipe Boil 1 Tbsp of organic flax seeds in 2 1/2 cups of water for 5 minutes. Steep 10 minutes. Strain and sip slowly. Buy organic flax seed from your local health food store or order it online from Omega Nutrition. Cucumbers and/or cucumber juice The Beet Recipe - see below Maria Ellicot suggests aloe vera juice for gallbladder pain. Thanks, Maria! Use the Gallbladder Starter Kit along with the gallstone diet for quickest relief from symptoms of gallbladder or gallstone pain. Once you are free from pain you can add in the Gallstone Kit to help to dissolve the stones. DIET AFTER SURGERY FATS TO AVOID / FATS TO INCLUDE Diet After Gallbladder Surgery: If you will read the page on gallbladder disease and how you got into trouble in the first place you will begin to understand that gallbladder surgery is not the answer to the underlying problem. This is not to say that surgery is sometimes necessary and can be helpful with the pain and other symptoms. The most common question asked on this site is why there is still pain/symptoms after gallbladder removal. Your diet needs to be changed with or without possessing a gallbladder, if you have had any form of gallbladder disease. So follow the dietary recommendations for gallbladder problems of any kind. Fats to Avoid and Fats to Include: Most important is to avoid fried foods, fatty foods and particular types of fats like trans fats, hydrogenated fats, partially-hydrogenated fats (read your labels) and saturated fats. (Order my newsletter on Good Fats vs Bad Fats for more in-depth information.) Include essential fatty acids such as flax oil or borage oil. Depending on how severe or acute your gallbladder problem is at the moment, even this may not be possible for you. Experiment slowly. You may have to do a gallbladder starter kit or gallbladder attack kit or gallbladder stone kit before you can add these. Most people, however, are able to eat small amounts. It shouldn't take more than a week on the products before you feel relief enough to try this. If you have used the beet recipe, you have found that those three ingredients in combination do not cause problems but help to move the stagnation in the gallbladder. I generally advise adding a teaspoon of flax oil with vinegar or lemon juice to salads as a dressing. If you are in pain, you may be able to eat only the green soup recipe for a few days. Gallbladder Pain Relief Recipes RECIPE! BEET RECIPE RECIPE! GREEN SOUP RECIPE! FLAX SEED TEA BEET RECIPE Treatment for Gallbladder Pain Coarsely grate 1 large organic beet or beetroot (raw) washed (not peeled unless not organic) Add juice of lemon to taste (about 1/4 lemon 1-2 Tbsps flax oil (Flax oil is by far the superior choice here as it is an omega 3 essential fatty acid, but if you are insulin resistant, use olive oil.) Take one teaspoon of mixture every hour throughout the day. On day two and three make a fresh batch using ¼ of a large beet. Take one teaspoon of mixture 3 to 4 times a day or more. Make this mixture to add to your salads frequently or eat alone as above 2 or 3 times a week. This will keep the bile thin and moving. Note: If you cannot get organic beets, be sure to peel them. Otherwise, use the peel as well. Beets in any form are an excellent food for both the liver and the gallbladder. Eat your regular meals throughout this period, striving to eat lots of fresh vegetables, good fats and to avoid refined sugars and processed foods. Green Soup Recipe for Relief of Gallbladder Pain One bunch parsley 3 medium zucchini ½ lb. Green beans 5 stalks celery Steam together for 8-10 minutes. Or partially steam and boil in ½ cup water. If you have a steamer, you retain more nutrients and flavor with that method. Puré in a blender. NOTE: THIS SOUP IS NOT FOR A GALLBLADDER ATTACK! Use the products (Phos Drops) or the Flax Seed Tea. Liquids are best during an attack. You could try the Beet Recipe. Many find it helps, but others do better with just liquids. It is wonderful for relief from all sorts of gastric disturbances such as stomach pain, gas, and indigestion. I do not add any fat or salt to this recipe. It can be used anytime but is particularly useful as a three day fast with nothing else but water. It is both nourishing and easy to digest. You can alter the amounts to taste. More beans add more sweetness. Flax Seed Tea Recipe Useful during a gallbladder attack. Boil 1 Tbsp of organic flax seeds in 2 1/2 cups of water for 5 minutes. Steep 10 minutes. Strain and sip slowly. TREATMENT FOR GALLSTONES - NATURAL Gallstones may be removed from the gallbladder by means of a gallbladder and liver flush. However, this is helpful with small stones and very difficult with large ones. It is advisable to take natural products such as the Gallstone Kit to prepare for a flush. The Lemon Tea Kit helps to emulsify fats and the limonene has been used successfully to dissolve gall stones. These products along with dietary measures are important to both decrease the size of the gallstones and to soften them first. I do not advise a flush until you have prepared for weeks (if your discomfort is severe) or months (depending on the size and calcification of the stones). The importance of dietary changes cannot be stressed enough and improving fat metabolism as well. Other treatments listed under how to prevent gallbladder attacks may also be helpful for stones since anything that helps to thin the bile and get it moving is akin to water flowing over pebbles. The faster it is moving, the more it wears them down. GALLSTONE DIET PREVENTION OF GALLSTONES Do not overeat Diet high in fiber - lots of vegetables Avoid refined carbohydrates (including sugar and white flour) Omega 3 oils such as fish oil and other polyunsaturated fats and monosaturated fats such as olive oil. Avoid saturated and trans fats Eat more polyunsaturated fats Eat moderate amounts of lean meats Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per day Regular exercise Lose excess weight, but slowly Elimination diet for food allergies - cut out common allergens such as wheat and all other grains containing gluten, and dairy Supplemental bile salts and bile thinning agents as found in the gallbladder products. In particular I would suggest the Gallbladder Starter Kit to begin with and then the Gallstone Kit. Individual products that are also helpful are Bile Salts, OPA and Gallbladder Detox. Take care of health issues such as hypothyroidism, leaky gut and food intolerances before they have a chance to cause gallstones. What are the symptoms of a gallbladder attack? Gallbladder attacks can be both very painful and frightening. It is easy to understand why so many people opt for gallbladder surgery after experiencing even one gallbladder attack. But there are both natural supplements and natural foods that can manage gallbladder disease to help prevent both surgery and the discomfort of gallbladder colic. GALLBLADDER ATTACK SYMPTOMS specifically Please note that if you are in severe pain and particularly if your attack symptoms are accompanied by fever DO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY. The following symptoms are typical of a gallbladder attack. Moderate to severe pain under the right side of the rib cage Pain may radiate through to the back or to the right shoulder Severe upper abdominal pain (biliary colic) Nausea Queasiness Vomiting Gas Burping or belching Attacks are often at night Attacks often occur after overeating Pain will often but not always follow a meal with fats or grease Pain may be worse with deep inhalation Attacks can last from 15 minutes to 15 hours SYMPTOMS OF GALLBLADDER PROBLEMS Gallbladder disease is more common than you may think. Gallstones affect more than 25 million Americans with 1 million new cases diagnosed annually, according to the American Gastroenterological Association. And there are other things that go wrong with the gallbladder besides just gallstones. People can go for years with digestive symptoms and never realize that they may be related to a gallbladder problem. That's because they are so inter-woven with other digestive symptoms such as indigestion, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea and nausea. The list provided here may be related to gallbladder but bear in mind that it could also be something else. Gluten intolerance or celiac disease should also be considered depending on the specific symptoms. The first four mentioned below I feel are most indicative of gallbladder issues. It is not necessary to have all or many symptoms to have gallbladder problems but the more you have from this list, the more confirmation you have that the gallbladder is involved. Please note that it is still advisable to consult your doctor for an accurate diagnosis. Gallbladder attack symptoms are listed above and again with more detailed explanation when you answer the three-minute gall bladder symptom questionnaire. To get a good understanding of what caused your gall bladder problems, study the list of risk factors for gallbladder disease. GALLBLADDER SYMPTOMS Pain or tenderness under the rib cage on the right side Pain between shoulder blades Stools light or chalky colored Fatty stools Indigestion after eating, especially fatty or greasy foods Nausea Dizziness Bloating Gas Burping or belching Feeling of fullness or food not digesting Diarrhea (or alternating from soft to watery) Constipation Headache over eyes, especially right Bitter fluid comes up after eating Frequent use of laxatives SYMPTOMS OF GALLSTONES Symtpoms of a gallbladder attack are often caused by gallbladder stones. A stone may block the neck of the gallbladder or get stuck in a bile duct inhibiting the flow of bile or possibly causing a backing up of bile. However, short of causing an actual attack, stones may be present for years and never cause any symptoms at all. "Biliary pain can occur in about a third of the gallstone patients" (which leaves two thirds NOT experiencing pain) and "sometimes the gallstone symptoms are difficult to differentiate from that of dyspepsia." (indigestion)3 The gallstones can impair the functioning of the gallbladder, however, which can result in any of the common gallbladder symptoms. Gall bladder symptoms can look and feel the same with or without stones. Therefore, all of the symptoms on listed on this page can accompany gallstones. SILENT GALLSTONES 70-80% of people with gallstones never know they have them. These are called "silent gallstones". However, the remaining 20-30% still results in 500,000-700,000 gallbladder removals every year. And since the diet of the general American population is not improving, those numbers are rising. The risk of silent gallstones causing a gallbladder attack is about 1% per year. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine compared the mortality rate from emergency surgery performed for obstructing gallstones with the mortality rate from routine, scheduled gallbladder surgery and concluded that the latter gallbladder surgery is actually more dangerous. They advised that "silent" gallstones should not be subjected to surgery but left alone. And another study reports: "We conclude that innocent gallstones are not a myth, and that in some populations the majority of silent gallstones are inconsequential. We believe that routine prophylactic operation for silent gallstone disease, at least in white American men, is neither necessary nor advisable."2.