Gallbladder life. Saved From Surgery by Starbucks Speciality Drink.

Crushed is a word not fitting to express disappointment in giving up Starbucks speciality drinks after my gallbladder attacks began.

Gallbladder diet.  Iced Green Matcha is my fav new gallbladder friendly Starbucks Speciality Drink

Green tea latte, iced coconut mocha, caramel macchiato, cappuccino make my soul sing with ecstasy and my tongue dance with joy.

So crushed like the ice in a Starbucks smoothie was I.  And I tried smoothies for a while but they never lived up to the speciality tea and coffee drinks.  However the smoothie bananas are high in potassium (two points for health).

But then someone (my university student daughter) told me of Iced Matcha Water.  Of course Iced Matcha Water is not on the Starbucks menu and some barristers won't be sure how to make Iced Matcha Water.

Remind them it is the same price as a speciality tea and ask for five or six scoops (I like six) Starbucks Matcha powder shaken in water and poured over ice.  Tall is good.  Grande is nice and Venti will wake you up and turn your otherwise slow day into eye-opening bliss.

Gallbladder diet. Iced Matcha Water contains no fat.  Green tea has been shown to be good for the gallbladder.

Caffeine as found in green tea can lower the chance of women experiencing a gallbladder attack by up to twenty five percent according to Dr. Andrew Weil.

And livestrong.com tells us because of polyphenols and caffeine content, green tea improves bile flow and is one of the best substances for alleviating gallbladder pain.

The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends drinking green tea for gallbladder issues due to high amounts of anti-oxidants in the drink.  Penn State's Hershey Medical Center recommends green tea for gallbladder issues too!

Finally, there are many resource pages recommending green tea as support for gallbladder health.  Do your research!

My gallbladder loves Starbucks Iced Matcha Water.  So does my mouth, tongue and brain.

I've never found matcha powder tasting anywhere close to Starbucks brand.  The drink is not too sweet -  yet Iced Matcha Water is exotic enough to satisfy my longing for a speciality drink I can't duplicate in my home blender.

Slowly but surely I'm learning about a gallbladder life full of choices and options, never dull and boring but limited only by boundaries of creativity and imagination.

Next time you are in the mood for a gallbladder friendly Starbucks speciality drink (and there are plenty of others too) try an Iced Matcha Water from your neighborhood Starbucks.

Cheers!  Kevin  #gallbladderlife

Gallbladder Diet 07/19/16 Bye Bye Coffee Hello Ginger Tea

Dark rich coffee has been one of my best friends all my life.  The strong, almost bitter aroma has greeted mornings and the sunrise with me for decades.

Gallbladder Diet.  Substituting ginger for coffee in my morning drink has delivered health benefits.

Moreover, I used to rely on the black slurry as a crutch  to carry me throughout the entire day.  Coffee was my go-to safe haven.

Not anymore.

Although there are plenty of very good studies showing just how beneficial and healthy one or two cups of coffee actually are, I've still quit.  In fact some websites purport the premise that caffeinated coffee actually lessens the chance of gallstones and a gallbladder attack.

I've stil quit.  Its been about a year now.  I quit drinking coffee after my last gallbladder attack.

Despite the research suggesting that coffee may not cause gallbladder attacks, the drink is an irritant.  Just ask your bladder.

The U.S. Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health published a paper indicating "coffee induces cholecystokinin release and gallbladder contraction".  Caffeine certainly may cause gallbladder contractions.

With a sac full of stones and past problems with gallbladder inflammation do I really want my gallbladder contracting unnecessarily and unpredictably?

If you can drink coffee without any negative gallbladder issues that is awesome.  I miss the drink badly from time to time.

However, foregoing coffee has provided me with many other benefits besides not causing my gallbladder to go squeezie on me.

My teeth are much whiter now.  Not that they are pearl white, but they sure are much brighter than when coffee stained.

Secondly my heart arrhythmias have decreased in intensity and frequency.

Thirdly my prostate is happier and urination frequency certainly has decreased.

Quitting wasn't really so bad.  It was more of a mental challenge than breaking a physical addition.  Morning routine is important to me though so I did substitute decaf for the high octane at first.

But one day I ran out of decaf.  The jar of organic powdered ginger sat on the counter right in front of me.  I shook several dashes of the golden powder into my water filled mug and placed in the microwave for 92 seconds.

Today hot ginger tea in the morning is my favorite drink - no bitter after taste and no acidic stomach.

And so quick and easy to make even when morning eyes are still foggy and unfocused.

The health benefits of ginger tea are described across the internet as significant, restorative and universal!

The aforementioned U.S. Library of Medicine too has a study indicating ginger does not stimulate the gallbladder to contract.  For me this is very good.  No unexpected squeezies.

I can have a hot drink in the morning without the worries of my organs becoming irritated or stimulated through caffeine use.

Easy Make Morning Ginger Tea

Fill mug with filtered water.

Shake in three of four 'shakes' of dried, powdered ginger (preferably organic).

Gallbladder Diet.  Shake in three or four good 'shakes' of powdered ginger.

Place in the microwave for desired water temperature (alternatively heat filtered water on the stove in a teapot).

Gallbladder Diet.  I heat my water for 90-100 seconds.

Carefully remove mug from microwave and stir with spoon.

Gallbladder Diet  The ritual of a warm drink in the morning is important to me.

Enjoy a stimulating and refreshing hot morning drink.

Your breath will smell so much nicer throughout the day.  And hopefully your gallbladder won't be doing the caffeine squeeze.

Cheers!  Kevin