Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. In most cases, the cause of the disease is the abuse of alcoholic beverages and fatty foods. Other risk factors include gallstone disease, taking certain medications, genetic predisposition, abdominal trauma, and others.
The pancreas produces enzymes that promote the digestion and absorption of food entering the duodenum. With inflammation, the number of enzymes increases and the outflow slows down, leading to disturbances in the digestive process. Particles of food gruel settle on the intestinal walls, irritating and causing diarrhea. As a result, the body loses essential proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Replenishment of losses occurs initially due to the burning of subcutaneous fat and glycogen located in muscle tissue, then rapid weight loss begins.
Is it possible to stop weight loss?
Weight loss with pancreatitis is a serious complication. It can be dealt with by strictly following the recommendations of doctors. It is necessary to undergo a comprehensive medical examination and identify diseases that aggravate the course of pancreatitis. This includes gastritis, cholecystitis, diabetes and other diseases. Without getting rid of diseases, it will be difficult to gain weight.
In order to compensate for the lack of pancreatic enzymes, gastroenterologists prescribe medications containing pancreatin: Mezim, Creon, Panzinorm, Biozim and others. Take during meals with alkaline mineral water without gas.
To stop losing weight, you need to carefully review your diet.
What you need to know about pancreatitis and cholecystitis
First of all, you need to understand the essence of the problem. Pancreatitis is poor functioning of the pancreas: enzymes synthesized to digest food are produced in insufficient quantities. As a result, food is not completely digested.
Cholecystitis is poor functioning of the gallbladder, due to which bile is not released into the gastrointestinal tract in sufficient quantities, which is why food is no longer digested. As a consequence of everything said above, food is not completely digested, which begins to rot in the intestines. The intestines, in turn, become inflamed and swollen, it hurts, putrefactive processes occur in it that should not exist, and the microflora is disturbed.
In addition to all this, the liver also increases in size: bile is not released into the gastrointestinal tract in sufficient quantities, but this does not mean that it is not produced in sufficient quantities. The part that is not thrown out remains in the liver, increasing its size and impairing its functioning. In short, it's not very pleasant.
In addition, protein foods are absorbed oh, how poorly! Just imagine, the basis of any athlete’s nutrition is protein, and it is poorly absorbed. What to do?
What should be the diet for pancreatitis?
A strict diet becomes an indispensable attribute of patients diagnosed with pancreatitis. Recovery and restoration of normal body weight depends on the accuracy of following the recommendations. Deviations from the diet threaten to worsen the disease.
Basic principles
Dietary recommendations for inflammation of the pancreas boil down to the following:
- Food is taken six times a day in small portions;
- Products, vegetables and fruits, are boiled or baked;
- Avoid eating too hot or too cold food. The optimal temperature is 37 degrees;
- Food must be chewed thoroughly to soak in saliva. Saliva contains amylase, a protein that helps break down carbohydrates;
- Do not drink water or drinks during meals. The exception is mineral water to wash down your pills;
- Half an hour to an hour before meals, it is useful to drink a glass of mineral water without carbon. Borjomi, Narzan, Essentuki are considered the best for pancreatitis;
- It is recommended to minimize the consumption of salt, which provokes the secretion of gastric juice. Hydrochloric acid produced in the stomach causes swelling of the pancreas.
It is necessary to consume foods recommended by gastroenterologists and nutritionists. For pancreatitis, a diet that is gentle on the pancreas and other organs of the gastrointestinal tract is recommended. You should not eat foods that provoke fermentation and putrefactive processes in the intestines. When prescribing a diet, doctors take into account the stage of the patient’s disease - acute or remission, the presence of concomitant diseases.
A strict diet is the path to recovery
In the first days of acute inflammation, a regimen of complete abstinence from food is indicated. A small amount of still mineral water heated to 37 degrees or unsweetened warm tea is allowed. On the third or fourth day, when the patient feels normal, pureed soups and purees are gradually added. Then gradually move on to other products. The pancreas recovers slowly, the diet will last at least two months.
What is allowed for pancreatitis:
- Lean meat (veal, chicken, rabbit, turkey are suitable) minced, steamed;
- Boiled low-fat fish - pollock, hake, pike;
- Eggs, soft-boiled or scrambled eggs, no more than once a week;
- White bread, slightly stale, biscuits;
- Pasta without dressing. You can add a little olive oil;
- Porridge - buckwheat, oatmeal, semolina, rice, boiled in water;
- Vegetables only boiled and pureed, in the form of casseroles, soufflés, pureed soups;
- Fermented milk products – kefir, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese with minimal fat content;
- Among the drinks, jelly and compotes, weak tea are preferable;
- Baked fruits.
Products prohibited for pancreatitis
When the pancreas is inflamed, it is recommended to exclude from the diet foods that stimulate the activity of the organ. Reducing the production of enzymes helps relieve inflammation. Prohibited products include:
- Fried and uncooked smoked products;
- Meat and fish broths;
- Animal fats;
- Bakery products made from rye flour, baked goods;
- Alcohol, sweet carbonated drinks, juices, coffee;
- Raw vegetables;
- Hot spices.
By strictly adhering to the recommendations of doctors, following a diet and taking medications, you can reduce or completely eliminate inflammation of the pancreas and stop weight loss.
Diet therapy
To normalize weight by stopping the inflammatory process during pancreatitis, it is recommended to follow the following nutritional principles:
- eat small portions at least 5-6 times a day;
- The only heat treatment products allowed are boiling, baking, and steaming;
- refuse too hot or cold food;
- chew food thoroughly;
- try to eat at the same time;
- do not drink tea or other drinks during meals or immediately after (not earlier than half an hour);
- It’s better to drink mineral water – Borjomi, Essentuki;
- reduce the amount of salt as much as possible;
- give up fatty, spicy, smoked foods.
Strictly prohibited:
- fatty meat, fish;
- animal fats;
- baking, flour;
- legumes;
- raw vegetables, fruits (baked them are allowed), mushrooms;
- alcohol, coffee, soda.
Foods that should not be in the diet for pancreatitis
The goal is to gain weight
Patients face the challenge of gaining weight with pancreatitis after the end of the acute period of the disease. Your body weight is no longer decreasing; you have to try to regain the lost kilograms.
It is necessary to reconsider your diet. It is advisable to seek the help of an experienced nutritionist; he will calculate the amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates to be consumed daily in order to gain weight. Based on the calculations, a menu is drawn up and suitable recipes are selected.
It is important to include more protein foods in your diet. It is protein that becomes the building material for new cells. It is better to eat animal proteins - lean chicken, beef, low-fat cottage cheese, eggs.
To recover from pancreatitis, you need to restore the metabolism that was disrupted during the acute period of the disease. The result is achieved by taking vitamin and mineral complexes. This technique adjusts the metabolism of the digestive system, food is better absorbed. It would be useful to remind you that vitamin preparations should be prescribed by the attending physician.
Some nutritionists recommend eating baby food - fruit, vegetable and meat purees - to gain weight. The unusual recommendations make sense, since canned food for children contains essential substances that promote growth and proper development. Purees packaged in small jars are ideal for fractional meals.
How to eat with cholecystitis and pancreatitis
What to eat. In this case, the basis of your diet should be plant foods: give up heavy foods altogether and switch to an alternative.
Well, for example, many people love pork. It takes up to 8 hours to digest, if we talk about complete digestion. Now multiply all this by the inadequate functioning of the pancreas and gall bladder. The intestines will suffer greatly. Therefore, meat, if you cannot give it up completely, should be lighter - turkey or chicken. No options.
Regarding plant foods. Eat a lot of salads, especially in the summer, during the season of fruits and vegetables. Add fiber to your diet: both in ready-made form, such as flaxseed flour, which can be sprinkled on any dishes, and in food products of plant origin (all types of cabbage, etc.).
All this is necessary because the food is easily digestible: even if its volume is large, it will be much easier to digest by the body, and over time it will relieve intestinal inflammation (it will not solve the problem of diseases, but the consequences will be easy).
Meal frequency. In order for bile to be produced more often and not stagnate and fill the liver, you need to constantly eat, that is, eat often. And even though you are used to three meals a day, you can have snacks between main meals, which, by the way, is also necessary for gaining weight. After all, calories are necessary to gain mass! Therefore, 5 or more meals a day (small and large in total) is great from many points of view.
Liquid. Train yourself not to drink food immediately after finishing your meal. Many people prefer tea or a drink after meals. Forget about it. By diluting gastric juice, you remove the load from the stomach and shift it to the intestines, which has a bad effect on it. Wait half an hour - then you can. And drink your quota of water per day: this “drink of the gods” has life-giving powers, no joke.
Drink liver herbs. You can buy them at a regular market from your grandmother (a friend did this) or somewhere else. Try Google: you'll probably find it. Just pour boiling water over two tablespoons of the liver mixture, let the tea steep and you’re done. I have to warn you - the tincture is very bitter, but it is a good choleretic agent, which will slowly, but safely and surely improve the flow of bile.
A couple of tablespoons of these herbs per 300 ml of boiling water. Take 5 sips: in the morning on an empty stomach and immediately after each large meal. The recipe is generally simple. For the lazy, I would say. By the way, do not strain the tincture: it will then spoil very quickly.
Additional funds. Among the pharmaceutical products I can highlight “Pancreatin” (digestive enzymes) and “Hofitol” (French choleretic agent). And if everything is clear with the second one, then “Pancreatin” will help you digest food better, making life easier for your pancreas. The only thing is, do not take these enzymes on a regular basis: the body gets used to it and their effectiveness drops significantly. Just take breaks. But this is also stated in the instructions for the medicine.
Protein shakes and amino acids
To increase body weight, drink protein shakes. Protein is an easily digestible protein used by athletes to quickly gain muscle mass. For chronic pancreatitis, take protein drinks in remission, under the supervision of a doctor. Before you start taking protein shakes, you need to make sure there are no contraindications. This includes abnormalities in the liver and kidneys, protein intolerance, in particular protein.
You can buy ready-made drinks or prepare cocktails at home. The recipe uses skim milk, cottage cheese, ice cream, and fruits - strawberries, raspberries, bananas. Beat the products in a blender, drink in the morning or at night slowly, in small sips.
To fully restore the body after illness, it is recommended to use biological supplements and products with a high content of amino acids, which help restore the digestive system and gradually increase body weight. Remember, amino acid supplements are prescribed by the attending physician after a detailed analysis of the patient’s condition. Chicken eggs are a natural source of amino acids; they are best consumed boiled.
It is possible to gain weight if you have a pancreatic disease without causing harm to the body if you eat right and do not overeat. There is no need to count on quick results. Patience, perseverance and daily work will ensure victory over the disease and return lost kilograms to the body.
1.What is the difference between natural and pathological weight loss?
Weight loss for many modern people is a goal that they try to achieve through dieting and physical activity. However, rapid, causeless weight loss should be more alarming than pleasing.
If weight loss began without active efforts on the part of the person himself against the background of familiar conditions and a stable diet, this always signals serious changes in the functioning of the body. Weight loss may be accompanied by a decrease in appetite or occur while consuming the usual amount of food.
Losing body weight poses a serious threat and very soon begins to affect activity, appearance, well-being and mental state. Weight loss that is not associated with certain factors should cause particular concern. Decreased appetite during infectious and viral diseases, against the background of stress, in combination with obvious signs of poisoning, is a natural phenomenon that is part of the body’s complex of protective reactions to the action of negative factors. Even if this entails some weight loss, after recovery the lost kilograms quickly return.
A situation where weight loss for no reason should cause alarm. In this case, weight loss is not a consequence of an obvious pathology, but a symptom indicating the hidden course of a disease. It is also worth considering that rapid weight loss in itself contributes to the destabilization of metabolic processes and can lead to an avalanche-like increase in psychophysical exhaustion.
A must read! Help with treatment and hospitalization!
