Gastroparesis is a chronic digestive tract disorder when the stomach muscles become weak, which occurs due to a disease of the autonomic nerves that control digestive movements in the stomach. This nerve is connected to the brain and can sense when the stomach is full and send signals to the digestive muscles in the stomach to contract. If a lot of nerve cells are damaged, the signal will be weakened, so the rate of digestion will be slow. Although gastroparesis cannot be treated, there are several natural ways to treat the symptoms that arise due to this condition. One important way to do this is to change your diet.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Changing Your Diet
Step 1. Go to a doctor or nutritionist
He or she can help create a diet plan that works for you. It's important to have some options that are good for you. Don't just eliminate certain types of food. Look for new foods that are beneficial for dealing with this condition. Keep in mind that changing your diet is an ongoing project, and you may have to consult your doctor or dietitian several times to find the right plan.
Step 2. Choose low-fat foods
Fat reduces the body's ability to digest food. Some examples of foods that are high in fat include meat, cheese, crackers and chips, cakes, and cream sauces. It is better for you to choose the following low-fat foods:
- cottage cheese
- Yogurt without fat
- Egg whites
- Lean meat (poultry, lean meat parts for example in the round and loin)
- Fresh vegetables and fruits that can be used as porridge.
Step 3. Follow a low-fiber diet
Fiber usually contains oligosaccharides, which are food elements that are usually difficult for the stomach to digest. Your stomach may not have enzymes that can digest these compounds, so the food will remain intact in the rectum and large intestine. Some low-fiber foods include:
- Ground beef
- Know
- Fish
- Egg
- Milk
- White bread
- White rice
- Canned vegetables
Step 4. Consume foods that have been mashed for faster digestion
Pureed foods are easier to digest in the stomach than whole, thick foods. Always check the mashed food for large lumps that will be difficult for the stomach to digest. Make a smoothie (juice with the pulp included too) from fresh vegetables and fruits.
Step 5. Drink plenty of fluids
Since your stomach has a hard time digesting food, drinking calorie-rich liquids may be easier for you. These drinks can be in the form of evaporated milk and protein shakes, which can restore protein stores. You can also consume clear soups and broths to restore electrolytes and provide nutrition, as well as drinks that are high in electrolytes (such as sports drinks or Pedialyte).
Step 6. Make tea from ginger
Ginger has ingredients that can help digestion. Ginger contains gingerol and shogaol, which are two ingredients that are believed to increase the production of stomach acid and secretions needed for digestion. Try drinking one cup of ginger tea every day. Steps to make ginger tea:
- Prepare 85 grams of fresh ginger and cut into small pieces.
- Boil 3 cups of water.
- Put the ginger in the boiling water and let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Let the mixture cool slightly and drink.
Step 7. Consume peppermint tea
Peppermint has two active ingredients, namely menthol and menthone, which are known to be useful for relaxing the abdominal muscles. Both of these ingredients also make the stomach produce bile in greater quantities so that it will help the body digest fat. Steps to make peppermint tea:
- Take a few peppermint leaves and tear them into small pieces to make the menthol and other important components.
- Boil 2 tablespoons of peppermint leaves with 3 cups of water.
- Let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Let the mixture cool slightly and drink.
Step 8. Don't drink carbonated drinks
Although in liquid form, this drink can not provide additional nutrients to your diet. These drinks can not meet the needs of fluids, and even make your stomach full. This is a bad combination for gastroparesis.
Method 2 of 3: Changing Eating Habits
Step 1. Chew food properly
So that the stomach can digest the food you eat, try to chew the food until smooth before you swallow it. Softer foods are easier to digest. Try eating and chewing at a slow pace to help your stomach maintain its strength when you eat. While there's no set amount for how long you should chew food, try to chew it almost finely before swallowing.
Step 2. Eat small, but often
Eat six small meals and do it frequently will be more comfortable for the stomach than you eat three large meals a day. When you eat small meals, your stomach will produce less hydrochloric acid. This means that the stomach only needs to exert a small amount of energy.
Step 3. Choose foods that are soft and easy to digest
Because gastroparesis interferes with digestive function in the stomach, you should choose foods that are easy to digest. Some foods are easier to digest than others, so they can be broken down more quickly and efficiently. Some foods that are easy to digest include:
- White bread
- Soup
- Watermelon
- Peach
- Pear
- Fruit juice
- Potato
- Apples that have been peeled
- Mold
- Lettuce
- Yogurt
Step 4. Don't drink water while eating
Drinking water with meals can dilute hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which causes gastric emptying to be delayed. When thirsty, drink water between meals to meet your fluid needs.
Step 5. Do not lie down immediately after eating
If you lie down immediately after eating, it will be more difficult for your stomach to digest the food you just ate. If possible, try to eat at least two or three hours before bed at night or when you take a nap.
Step 6. Do the exercise after eating
After eating, you can go for a walk. Exercise helps increase metabolism, so it can help the stomach digest food. Taking a light walk can help your stomach process food more quickly than if you just sit still after eating.
Method 3 of 3: Understanding Gastroparesis
Step 1. Recognize the symptoms of gastroparesis
You may not know that you have gastroparesis. Some of the symptoms that occur include:
- Fast satiety: You can feel full just by eating a small amount of food. This happens because the stomach takes longer to process food, so the stomach will feel full.
- Uncomfortable farting: As previously explained, gastroparesis allows food to stay in the stomach instead of flowing into the intestines. This delay can cause gas buildup.
- Nausea and vomiting: You may feel nauseous, or even vomit after eating. The nausea you experience occurs because of the accumulation of food and secretions in the stomach.
- Decreased appetite: When you continue to feel full after eating a small amount of food, you will not feel hungry when it is normal to eat.
- Weight loss: If you keep feeling full all the time, you won't eat as often, so you will lose weight.
- Heartburn (a burning and burning feeling in the chest or pit): When the stomach is full of accumulated food, the stomach sends the food back into the esophagus; This condition is known as regurgitation. Food will usually be mixed with gastric juices which can cause a burning sensation known as heartburn.
- Acid reflux: the lining of the esophagus and throat is irritated and eroded when digestive acids and gases flow back into the esophagus.
Step 2. Understand the risk factors for gastroparesis
There are some people who have a greater tendency to experience this condition than others. Among others are::
- People suffering from diabetes.
- People who have had surgery involving the stomach.
- People who take certain medications that can slow down the digestive process.
- People who have infections that involve organs in the digestive process.
Step 3. Recognize that smoking and drinking alcohol can make the condition worse
Besides being bad for your general health, smoking and drinking alcohol can be bad if you have gastroparesis. Both of these activities can increase heartburn and reduce the quality of overall health.
Tips
- You should not cook food that has a strong odor. Most likely this can cause nausea and make your condition worse.
- You should not eat foods that contain lots of spices because it can increase heartburn and make your condition worse.
- Stress has been associated with many symptoms of gastroparesis.
- Only eat freshly cooked and well-heated food to avoid food infections that can cause problems like stomach flu.
Warning
- Eating large amounts of pasta and bread because they are easier to chew and swallow does not mean they are easier to digest. Digestive enzymes may take longer to digest these foods.
- If you have diabetes: delayed emptying of food in your stomach can lead to more serious problems, and will make it difficult for you to control your blood glucose levels.
- White rice, cream, bread, and starchy foods can be easier to digest but can cause other problems if consumed in excess.
