In the treatment of pancreatitis, along with drug treatment, a balanced diet is also of great importance. To avoid stress on the pancreas, the food components should be crushed or ground as much as possible, preferably steamed or in the oven, or boiled.
Very often, the diet of a patient with pancreatitis contains a variety of cereals in the form of crumbly porridges. Not all cereal dishes are suitable for such a diet. Nutritionists recommend pearl barley as a dietary food for pancreatitis; porridges made from rice, buckwheat, and oatmeal are also allowed.
What kind of porridge is this?
Due to their properties, porridge dishes are practically the main component in the diet of patients who have problems with the pancreas. They can be introduced into the diet almost from the second day, when the patient experienced an exacerbation of pancreatitis, and they will continue to be included in the daily diet for quite a long time. Porridge dishes are nutritious in their properties, will help remove the feeling of hunger, and are tasty. When properly prepared, they are easily absorbed in the body and do not overload the pancreas, which is extremely important for inflammatory diseases.
The main raw material from which pearl barley is made is barley grains. This product contains many vitamins, nutrients, macro and microelements that are necessary for the normal functioning of the entire human body.
Barley grains have a positive effect on the body and promote the following processes:
- contribute to the normal resumption and maintenance of metabolism in the body;
- strengthen the bone tissue of the musculoskeletal system;
- remove toxins and waste;
- normalize the functioning of systems necessary for the body - the renal, urinary, gall bladder, gastrointestinal tract, and normalize the functioning of the heart and vascular system.
- restore the functions of the thyroid gland, which is important for protecting the entire body from the effects of negative environmental factors;
- have a beneficial effect on strengthening the body’s protective functions;
- improve the condition of hair and skin.
Pearl barley, made from barley grains, has several options and varieties. You can purchase it in the following modifications:
- Regular cereal, which is obtained from whole grain barley raw materials and does not have an outer shell.
- It has a “Dutch” shape - the barley grain remains intact, while undergoing maximum heat treatment.
- Barley is a certain type of pearl barley, which is characterized by a fine grain fraction.
To prepare dietary dishes in the form of pearl barley porridge, it is better for patients with pancreatitis to use regular cereal, which is obtained from whole barley grain. This type of cereal cooks well, the porridge is crumbly and viscous, which has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive system.
Useful features of pearl barley
Barley contains a large number of useful and necessary components for the body:
- a wide range of vitamins, but the main role is given to vitamins of group B, A, E, PP, D;
- many microelements - potassium, magnesium, nickel, manganese, bromine, iodine;
- fiber is a necessary component for the normal functioning of the digestive tract;
- organic compounds – proteins necessary for proper nutrition of the body;
- amino acids – which play a primary role in the construction of body cells.
The broth in which the pearl barley was cooked should not be poured out. Thanks to its constituent components, the decoction can have a beneficial therapeutic effect on the digestive organs, soothe the mucous membranes, creating an enveloping effect. Such a decoction, like pearl barley itself, for pancreatitis will be the right component in the patient’s diet. It is also used as a weak diuretic; it can relieve spasms and inflammation of organs such as the liver and gallbladder. A decoction of pearl barley is used to treat dry coughs due to colds; it will help thin the mucus, which will significantly alleviate the patient’s condition.
And even the water in which pearl barley is soaked before cooking has useful properties. It contains the component hordecin - a kind of antibiotic that does a good job of treating skin diseases, mainly fungal infections.
Is pearl barley harmful for pancreatitis?
Pancreatitis is a rather serious disease of the pancreas, which has a chronic course and moments of exacerbation. To avoid serious consequences associated with the disease, you should listen to your body, and those who have already “acquired” this disease should monitor their lifestyle and, first of all, their diet. In addition to medical instructions and recommendations for taking medications, special attention should be paid to diet. Only by carefully following all these instructions will it be easier for the patient to endure exacerbations of the disease and strive for recovery.
Pearl barley is one of those cereals with which you can not only plan your diet on fasting days, but also during moments of exacerbation of pancreatitis. Patients often ask the question: is it possible to eat barley with pancreatitis? The answer will be strictly positive. However, when preparing porridge, you should strictly adhere to the recipes and cooking rules.
Properly prepared cereal will have a beneficial effect on the entire functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, allowing you to quickly overcome the period of acute inflammation. Pearl barley really brings a positive effect when people with pancreas problems introduce it into their diet.
You should not give up pearl barley porridge even after the exacerbation has stopped, when the pancreas returns to normal. During remission, patients will also benefit from eating pearl barley porridge. With a constant positive effect on the digestive organs, there will be less risk of the disease returning.
Important: If a patient experiences a period of exacerbation of pancreatitis, nutritionists definitely advise him to include barley porridge in his diet. This product will have a beneficial effect on the functioning of many organs - the pancreas will not be overloaded, and the antibacterial and blood purifying effect will be pronounced.
What cookies should not be included in the diet?
In both acute and chronic pancreatitis, it is strictly forbidden to consume the following types of cookies:
- Butter (shortbread, butter, crackers, biscuits, waffles) - contains a large amount of fats and sugars, their digestion requires considerable effort from the pancreas, overloading the organ can cause an exacerbation of the disease.
- Covered with glaze or filled - industrial glaze and filling contain many different preservatives, dyes and flavoring additives that are very harmful to the pancreas.
- Ginger, and also with the addition of sharp spices.
- With candied fruits and nuts – these types of delicacies are very high in calories.
We must not forget that the name of the cookie “biscuit” does not mean that it is actually a dietary product. After all, the manufacturer, by calling his product that way, could have added ingredients that are undesirable for use with pancreatitis. Cookies intended for a person suffering from pancreatitis should not contain:
- preservatives;
- dyes;
- modified starch;
- flavor enhancers;
- nuts;
- industrial filling (jams, condensed milk, cream layer);
- glaze;
- salt and other spices.
These components also do not need to be used when making homemade baked goods. You can sweeten the treat with a small amount of homemade jam or jam, or half a teaspoon of honey. There is no need to overdo it with the filling, since it is saturated with sugar, which, in case of inflammation of the pancreas, is allowed only in small quantities.
Rules for preparing dietary pearl barley dishes
Your doctor can best advise you on how to properly prepare pearl barley dishes for patients with pancreatitis. One of the main conditions for cooking is that the cereal should be boiled as much as possible and not be hard. This dish can be consumed by patients both during periods of exacerbation of the disease and after the attacks have subsided.
Barley porridge
In order for the porridge to be properly prepared, useful for the patient, and at the same time tasty, when preparing it, certain cooking rules and recommendations should not be neglected.
- First of all, pearl barley should be thoroughly washed several times.
- After this, it is poured into the pan where it is supposed to be cooked.
- Then it is filled completely with cold water and left to swell overnight. The most optimal proportions are to take one liter of cold water for one glass of cereal. In some cases, to make the dish tender, plain water can be replaced with yogurt. But cooking with yogurt is only possible for patients who are in remission.
- In the morning, when the cereal has swollen well, pour it with warm skim milk and cook in a water bath until tender. In order for the porridge to turn out well boiled, it needs to be cooked for several hours. If the patient has milk intolerance, it can be replaced with plain purified water.
- It is advisable to eat the porridge warm, then you can fully feel its taste.
Barley soup
Ingredients:
- Barley – 200 grams;
- Water or vegetable, chicken broth - 1.5 liters;
- Carrots – 1 pc.;
- Onions – 1 pc.;
- Celery stalk – 2 pcs.;
- A pinch of salt;
- Fresh dill or parsley.
Preparing soup, first of all, begins with preparing the cereal. The pearl barley is washed well and poured with boiling water for three hours so that it swells properly and becomes softer. Next, boil water in a saucepan, transfer all the soaked cereal into it and cook for 30 minutes.
At this time, the carrots are grated, the onions and celery are finely chopped. Prepared vegetables are stewed in a frying pan with a small amount of liquid and vegetable oil for 15 minutes until fully cooked, adding onions and carrots first, and celery in the middle of the stew.
The vegetable mixture is added to the pan where the cereal is cooked, stirred, added and brought to a boil. The finished soup should steep for 10-15 minutes, after which it is served with chopped herbs and white croutons.
Cereal puree
Ingredients:
- Barley – 200 grams;
- Low-fat cottage cheese – 1 tbsp. spoon;
- Curdled milk – 150 ml; Dill or parsley - a small bunch;
- A pinch of salt.
The washed and peeled cereal is boiled in water for 40-50 minutes. The finished porridge is filtered and transferred to a blender bowl. The remaining components are added there - fermented milk products, herbs and salt. To obtain a more liquid texture, you can add a couple of tablespoons of cereal broth.
Whisk the mixture for a few minutes and serve as a side dish.
conclusions
According to the above, pearl barley is a product that is very useful for pancreatitis. There are no contraindications for its use, except for the correct preparation. A product that has a lot of beneficial properties, rich in many vitamins, microelements, amino acids, has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the entire digestive system.
According to reviews from many experts, it follows that a properly selected diet, which necessarily includes pearl barley, will reduce the amount of medications consumed. But such a decision should be made only under the supervision of the attending physician and on a strictly individual basis for each patient.
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The right way out of fasting
You should properly end your fast if you have pancreatitis. There is no need to immediately fill your stomach with food after abstaining from food. You should start with vegetable broth. A few hours later, eat a small portion of vegetable liquid soup.
Then, over the next two days, you should eat liquid, slimy cereal soups and mush porridge. Rice, barley, and pearl barley are allowed.
In the next two days, the consumption of slightly dried bread with bran is carefully introduced into the diet (no more than two pieces per day). Also add a small portion of low-fat cottage cheese and kefir to the diet.
Fish, eggs, and meat cutlets are allowed to be eaten 5–6 days after fasting. You can also start eating baked apples, boiled vegetables, compotes, and berry jelly.
A week after dry fasting, you should go on a strict protein diet for pancreatitis. It is observed for a long time.
