Pancreatitis is one of the most serious diseases of the digestive system. There is an acute and chronic pancreatitis; each of these has its own characteristics and methods of treatment.
But there is always one thing in pancreatitis: a former way of life and your normal diet will remain in the past, because the foundation of the treatment of pancreatitis is almost a lifetime diet. The pancreas does not forgive errors in nutrition, immediately responding with pain and digestive disorders.
General Information About Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is an acquired disease, it can be caused by abdominal trauma, viral infection of the pancreas, due to violations of the liver and gall bladder, after alcohol poisoning and other toxic substances, with frequent and pronounced eating disorders – prolonged fasting, dieting in order to lose weight.
The main symptoms of pancreatitis are:
- abdominal pain – sharp, stabbing, almost till you fall unconscious in acute pancreatitis, or dull or aching in chronic form;
- nausea and vomiting,
- violations of bowel movement, often severe diarrhea,
- fever,
- dramatic weight loss.
Patients with acute pancreatitis are usually put in the hospital. Exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis can be treated at home, but only under medical supervision. Self-medication in case of pancreatitis has a risk of developing complications up to pancreatic necrosis (enzymatic fusion of tissue, pancreas “self-digestion”) and peritonitis, which are extremely dangerous.
Medical Nutrition in Pancreatitis
The drug, enzyme and diet therapy of pancreatitis is selected by the physician based on the patient’s condition and data analyzes. However, the general principles of dietary correction always remain approximately the same. They give rest to digestion and pancreas, and thus, reduce pain and normalize the state of health.
Nutrition in pancreatitis is sharply limited – you will have to forget about most of the foods. You should eat frequently, about 5-6 times a day – every 2.5-3 hours, with an interval of 8 hours of sleep. But the portions should be small in volume – about 200-250 g, especially in the first period after the exacerbation of the disease.
All dishes are processed mechanically – theyare almost all mashed into puree. Then, as the inflammation subsided, larger particles may appear, but you need to chew them carefully.
Since due to the insufficient supply of nutrients the whole body suffers from pancreatitis, you need to increase the protein component of the diet (meat, fish, dairy products) – in average up to 140-150 grams of protein per day.
But fats and carbohydrates, which are too heavy for the pancreas, are limited to the possible minimum. Carbohydrates are allowed about 300 g per day, fat – not more than 70-80 g.
Products with an aphrodisiac effect are removed from the diet – meat and fish broth, cabbage juice and broth; at the time of severe pain attack they recommend fasting for a period of 1-2 days under a doctor’s supervision.
To fight pancreatitis you need to drink more fluids; it is recommended to drink up to 2 liters of clean water a day. Approximately every half an hour do 2-3 sips of water throughout the day.
Naturally, it is necessary to completely give up smoking and alcohol consumption. They are the most powerful provocateurs of the attacks.
What Should Be Excluded?
The list of banned products is very impressive and could initially lead to discouragement. However, without the observance of these restrictions you will wait for a very long time for getting better. Gradually, you can expand your diet carefully, adhering to the general principles of proper nutrition.
So for the entire acute period of the disease or the exacerbation of the chronic process, you will have to eliminate:
- beetroot, cabbage soup and borscht, okroshka, soup on the meat, fish and mushroom broths, broths themselves;
- fatty meats – pork, lamb, goose and duck;
- offal – kidneys, heart, brain, liver;
- fried, smoked, salted and spicy dishes;
- canned foods;
- sausages;
- fatty fish (catfish, sturgeon, sturgeon, carp);
- caviar;
- lard, margarine, mayonnaise;
- fat dairy food – cream, sour cream, mare;
- yolks, boiled eggs;
- millet, corn, barley, bean side dishes;
- cabbage, turnip, radish, radishes, turnips, eggplant, onion and garlic, sorrel, cucumbers, tomatoes and bell pepper;
- citrus, apples (sour sorts), grapes, pomegranates, cranberries;
- chocolate, jam;
- sauces, marinades, vinegar, ketchup;
- all carbonated drinks, even mineral water (only without gas);
- strong tea and coffee, juices, cocoa;
- all fresh breads and pastries, pancakes, pies, shortbread.
As you can see, the list of restrictions is big enough, but it is only during the acute process. Then, gradually, you can expand the diet, but irritative and “heavy” dishes have to be forgotten completely.
Pancreatitis is one of the most serious diseases of the digestive system. There are acute and chronic pancreatitis, each of these has its own characteristics and methods of treatment.
What Can I Eat?
This is the first question that arises after reading the list of prohibitions. Of course, the diet is not very varied, but it is aimed at the maintenance of peace to the pancreas and reducing the inflammation.
Allowed:
- dried bread, crackers;
- vegetables, vermicelli soup;
- steam meats and poultry – cutlets, meatballs, rolls, pates, meat puree;
- boiled fish fillets (lean), baked fish;
- omelets;
- milk, cottage cheese, low-fat cheese and yogurt;
- vegetable oil and butter (in cereals);
- vegetable purees and stews, boiled vegetables;
- macaroni, noodles, cereal – oatmeal, semolina, buckwheat, rice;
- savory baked fruit (pears, apples, peaches, plums);
- compote, jelly;
- rosehip teas, herbal teas, a drink made from the bran.
Of course, this diet is limited, but consulting your doctor you will gradually expand its menu.
Sample Menu
It is worth remembering that this menu can be used at home, for calming the acute stage; during the acute stage of pancreatitis they prescribe fasting and gradual introduction of food. When preparing the diet, remember: there must be at least five meals, which are about equal in calories and stress on digestion.
Pancreatitis menu for 5 days
The first day
Breakfast: mashed potatoes – 100-150 g, 2 crackers of white bread, 200 ml mineral water (without gas!).
Lunch: Steamed chicken cutlets – 100 g, eggs – 100 g, white dried bread – 1 slice, 200 ml of milk (yogurt).
Lunch: vegetable soup – 200 ml, boiled fish – 100 grams, mashed zucchini – 100 g, white bread – 1 slice, broth hips – 200 ml, one-third of a banana.
Afternoon snack: fruit jelly – 100 g, low-fat cottage cheese 100 g, mineral water without gas – 200 ml.
Supper: porridge -200 g, pumpkin puree – 100 g, steam meatball – 2 pieces, rather weak tea with milk, a slice of black bread.
Second day
Breakfast: buckwheat -200 g, 2 crackers of white bread, 200 ml of tea with milk.
Lunch: Beef steamed cutlet – 100 g, carrot souffle – 200 g, white dried bread – 1 slice, 200 ml compote of dried fruits.
Dinner: noodle soup – 200 ml, boiled chicken – 100 g vegetable puree – 100 g white bread – 1 slice, mineral water – 200 ml, half-baked pears.
Snack: apple sauce – 200 g, mineral water without gas – 200 ml, sea biscuit – 100 g
Supper: mashed potatoes -200 g, low-fat cottage cheese – 100 g, cheese sandwich (30 g of cheese, a piece of dried bread), rather weak tea with milk, a piece of dark bread.
Day three
Breakfast: squash, pumpkin puree – 100-150 g, 2 crackers of white bread, 200 ml mineral water (without gas!).
Lunch: low-fat cottage cheese – 100 grams, half a baked pear, white dried bread – 1 slice, 200 ml compote.
Dinner: soup with broccoli – 200 ml, boiled meat, grind into a puree – 100 g, mashed potatoes – 100 g, white bread – 1 slice, chamomile tea – 200 ml.
Snack: vegetable stew – 200 g of cheese – 50 g, mineral water without gas – 200 ml.
Supper: buckwheat -200 g, yogurt – 200 g, half of a banana, a slice of white bread.
Day four
Breakfast: mashed potato – 100-150 g, 2 crackers of white bread, 200 ml mineral water (without gas!).
Lunch: rice porridge – 200 grams, white dried bread – 1 slice, 200 ml of milk (yogurt).
Dinner: vegetable soup – 200 ml, boiled fish – 100 grams, mashed carrots – 100 g white bread – 1 slice, broth hips – 200 ml, one-third of a banana.
Snack: scrambled eggs – 100 g, baked sweet apple, mineral water without gas – 200 ml.
Supper: porridge -200 g pumpkin puree – 100 g, steam meatball – 2 pieces, rather weak tea with milk, a slice of black bread.
Day five
Breakfast: oatmeal -200 g pumpkin puree – 100 g, steam meatball – 2 pieces, rather weak tea with milk, a slice of black bread.
Lunch: Chicken steamed cutlets – 100 g, eggs – 100 g, white dried bread – 1 slice, 200 ml of milk (yogurt).
Dinner: soup with pasta – 200 ml, steam fish cake – 100 g, pumpkin puree with carrots – 100 g, white bread – 1 slice, broth hips – 200 ml, biscuits – 2 pcs.
Snack: baked fruit – 100 g, low-fat cottage cheese 100 g, mineral water without gas – 200 ml.
Supper: mashed potatoes – 100-150 g, 2 crackers of white bread, 200 ml mineral water (without gas!).
Subject to the doctor’s recommendations, with strict adherence to the diet and the fulfillment of all the requirements, you can quickly achieve relief. But quite a strict diet with restriction of “heavy” food will last from 3 to 6 months. And then constantly limit fatty, fried, canned food and spices.
