Eating with Gastritis: Fasting For Quality Of Life

Eating With Gastritis: Fasting For Quality Of Life

For 90 percent of people who are infected, gastritis is the result of a germ called Helicobacter pylori. This germ is acid resistant and adheres to the stomach wall making it very hard to get rid off. The best protection against these bacteria is a healthy diet and the avoidance of foods that are bad for your stomach.

Gastritis – If Your Stomach Gets Inflamed

Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining. Physicians distinguish between an acute and a chronic form of gastritis. The acute form can be triggered through drugs, alcohol or bacterial toxins. Its treatment is generally carried out quickly and successfully. However, if a person does not seek medical help, the condition can become chronic. The mucosa is then only able to produce limited amounts of vital stomach cells that we need for digestion.

Fasting Can Relieve Acute Symptoms

In the acute stage, experts often advise fasting. Silke Hoelzer from the National Dietitians in Hamburg, Germany says, "Even after one or two days of fasting, patients generally see significant improvements." You should eat, at the most, some oatmeal when extremely hungry. It is also important that you stay hydrated. Drinking lots of mineral water or herbal tea can hydrate you and supply you with helpful minerals. Carbs, fats and proteins should be avoided at all costs during this phase. A less extreme version of this fast would be by doing a juice fast. Juices contain not only vitamins and minerals, but also carbs that are not bad for your stomach.

Eating With Gastritis: A Bland Diet Helps

After the end of your fasting period you should stick with a very bland diet. This is important so that the acid production does not get stimulated and the mucosa of the stomach gets further support.

Nutrition expert Silke Hoelzer advises eating mashed potatoes, biscuits, low-acid fruits like bananas, melons and apricots as well as vegetable juices. After a few days, you can slowly go back to your normal eating habits. Several small meals a day instead of a couple large ones help to not overload the stomach. Hoelzer suggests starting with four to six meals a day and then going down to three to five meals.

Herbs Instead Of Spices

Aggressive foods, especially those that have caused an episode of gastritis in the past, should be taken out of your diet completely. You should listen to your body to find out which foods put strain on your stomach. As a loose guideline, experts suggest to stay away from these foods: coffee, alcohol, cabbage, legumes, hot spices and high-fat foods. Also carbonated beverages may act aggressively on the stomach, as well as cucumber salad and fried foods. Therefore experts recommend avoiding red meat, fatty cheeses and butter. Coffee can be replaced with decaffeinated coffee, which is less bitter. It is suggested that you drink the coffee is low-fat milk.

Strong Oats

Oatmeal is one of the best things to eat if you suffer from gastritis. It helps support the gastric mucosa since it contains special mucilage that optimizes the protection of your stomach. It is also said that you should try to avoid stress as much as possible. Therefore if you know you are going to have a stressful day, you can eat some oatmeal for breakfast as a preventative measure.

A Proper Diet Can Lead To Success

The gastritis healthy diet is based on a low-fat diet. Fruit, vegetables, potatoes and whole grains make up the majority of the diet. Meat is generally avoided. Once your stomach has relaxed you will soon start to feel good again.