Heal Gallbladder with Papaya!

Fresh cut papaya is not only tasty but useful in alleviating gallbladder issues for many.

Gallbladder diet.  Fresh cut papaya makes an awesome, gallbladder friendly snack!

I've found the best way to prepare papaya is to peel then cut up into bite sized chunks.  Once the papaya is prepared then store in a glass container overnight in the refrigerator.

The enzyme in papaya, papain, assists in digestion by assisting the breaking down of food proteins into easily adsorbable amino acids.

Ask your doctor about adding papaya to your diet, especially if you are pregnant.

Papaya seeds too provide some interesting and powerful health benefits, including potential liver health support.

As you know the liver and gallbladder are closely integrated with each other in function.

Check out this information packed article about the health benefits of papaya. 

And then look through this note about papaya seeds' properties.

Consider adding papaya to your refrigerator for a gallbladder healthy snack!

Cabbage and Bean Soup - Hey Don't Knock Soups!

Today I've a big pot of soup simmering on the stovetop.

Gallbladder diet.  Black bean, cabbage, and vegetable soup!

Delicious aroma fills our condominium from the kitchen up the stairs into the bedrooms!

And I'm enjoying a bowl just now.

Though we make soups often todays is cabbage and black bean, with garlic, banana peppers, onions, poblano peppers, rosemary, thyme and more - like one of my favorite seasonings - smoked paprika!!

Gallbladder diet.  Add your favorite spices to soups!

Certainly some people cannot tolerate beans with a touchy gallbladder.  Over time though as inflammation subsides beans may be slipped into the diet occasionally.

Today I eat beans on a regular basis, mostly in soups.

The beauty of soups is that us gallbladder challenged folk can easily and quickly adjust ingredients to match our finicky gallbladder.  Can't tolerate beans?  Then try mushrooms or carrots or greens - you get the picture.

Soups are so healthy and not only for our gallbladders but for our cardiovascular system and entire body!

Soups are an excellent way to provide protein, minerals, vitamins and beneficial phytochemical to our families.

And they smell wonderful!

So consider a gallbladder friendly soup soon!

Its been over a year & Gallbladder Diet is Working

My last and worst gallbladder attack occurred October 2015.

Over a year has passed and I've witnessed some amazing changes on the Gallbladder Diet.

First my gallbladder pain is gone.  No more out-of-breathness, no dizziness, no stabbing pain, no fatigue, no upset digestion.

Best of all I do not go hungry.

And I have weaned myself off Ursodiol.

On top of all those great happenings, I've lost over one hundred pounds. (Yes I know rapid weight loss is bad for gallstones).

But I eat all I want.  Just good food of course.

My weight has stabled and my muscle is building.

I feel great.

Without surgery.  You see one of the reasons I needed to avoid surgery was that I have an artificial heart valve and already have endured a really bad case of endocarditis.  So no surgery means reduced risk of heart infection.

I'll be writing much more about the Gallbladder Diet over the coming weeks.

Stay tuned!  You can heal your gallbladder too!

My ultrasounds show marked improvement!

Kevin

Gallbladder diet. Watch Out for Super Tricky Gallbladder Friendly Foods With This!

Watch out for gallbladder friendly foods with sugar in them!

Gallbladder diet.  Make sure Matcha contains no sugar.

I've been so guilty and over the weekend realized just how wrong I've been about sweet treats!

So today is day three of the "I Quit Sugar" lifestyle change for gallbladder health.

My very last post highlighted a Starbucks drink I was guzzling that actually was loaded with sugar!  According to the Starbucks nutrition webpage a green tea latte can have up to 30g sugar!

Gallbladder diet.  Organic green tea is the only ingredient in Teavana matcha.  My gallbladder is much happier.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA) women should limit their sugar intake to less than 24 grams per day while men should limit their sugar intake to less than 36 grams per day.

That means one Starbucks green tea latte can have more sugar in the drink than the AHA recommends women ingest in an entire day!

Oh oh.  I've been headed in the wrong direction.  But you know, I think it was ok for a while because the many recipes I posted here with sugar as an ingredient really helped me cope with making the dietary transition to gallbladder friendly foods.

My restored confidence that I can eat heartily without incurring a gallbladder attack is important.

But now its time to move on.  So "I Quit Sugar".

There is a really good book on the topic with the same name available in most public libraries, in Barnes and Noble bookstores and on the web through Amazon in both Kindle edition and paperback.

Gallbladder diet.  Sarah Wilson's 'I Quit Sugar' is a great book that ultimately will help with gallbladder issues.

Sarah Wilson's book really inspired me.  Her blog is an excellent resource for information on sugar and the human body and for sugar free recipes.

However the real reason I am quitting sugar is that through gallbladder friendly recipe research I have come across more and more medical evidence that sugar is truly NOT gallbladder friendly.

One study in particular ranked refined sugars right up there along with fats as a primary culprit responsible for gallstone formation.

While sugar may not trigger an immediate gallbladder contraction of pain, sugar can encourage gallstone formation and even cause existing stones to grow larger in size.

Ugh.

So I am quitting sugar.  Today is Day 3 of my new lifestyle and from here on out most posted recipes will be low sugar content to no sugar content.  Good for our hearts too.  Some may include Stevia as I still like my sweets.

So what about my Starbucks Iced Matcha Water?

One maxim I've learned in life that truly helps me is "its OK to disappoint as long as one is not disappointing ones self" or clearly put, "who can I disappoint today?"

Starbucks probably is not disappointed with my decision to ditch their matcha drinks after so glowingly talking them up last week.  However I've found a new, healthier love.

Matcha powder without sugar from Teavana!

I've heard Starbucks uses the same in their matcha drinks only theirs is mixed with sugar.

And I love Matcha powder from Teavana in hot water over ice with cold water.

Consider keeping your green tea latte habit going for gallbladder support but switch to unsweetened matcha (or add Stevia).  I like mine in water but one could also use non-fat milk and Teavana matcha too.

Gallbladder diet.  If Iced Matcha Water is too 'watery' for you, consider using fat-free milk and Teavana matcha.

Long term we may form fewer stones and reduce the number of big stones growing in our finicky little grief causing organ.

So bye-bye sugar, bye-bye belly and bye-bye future gallbladder problems.

Cheers!  Kevin   #gallbladderlife

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. Lime Juice & Key Lime Pastry Tarts May Dissolve Gallstones!

Lime juice can help break up and dissolve gallstones according to the Integrative Health resource site.

Gallbladder diet.  Lime juice in Key Lime Pastry Tarts may dissolve gallstones.

Integrative Health offers not only an excellent blog on gallbladder health but gives important insight on how to treat and successfully heal gallbladder issues through diet, lifestyle, exercise and other integrative behavioral factors.

One of my favorite lime juice recipes are Gallbladder Friendly Key Lime Pastry Tarts!

The Key Lime Pastry Tart recipe is so simple and quick, yet rich and full in flavor while not creating gallbladder inflammation.  And easy to eat too!

So here is the awesome recipe.

Gallbladder Friendly Key Lime Pastry Tarts

The secret to this marvelous desert is three fold. First, the phyllo (filo) dough must be fat free or the most contain right at or less than 1 gram total fat per serving.  Second, use key lime juice if you can obtain from your local grocer.  Third, the serving size is 'just right' - not so much where the leftovers (if any) would go freezer burnish in the ice chest.

Gallbladder diet.  Organic lime juice will do if key lime juice is not available.

Phyllo dough is usually available in no to low fat varieties all the way up to heavily larded with thick vegetable oils and lots of bad fats.  Flee from the big total fat varieties or you will pay dearly with an angry gallbladder!

Gallbladder diet.  Use low fat brands for gallbladder friendly recipes.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup key lime juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon dried and ground stevia (optional depending on just how TaRt you like your tarts!)
• two small containers of fat free whipped topping
• 1 small package of phyllo dough (low fat to no fat)
• 4 small baking bowls

Defrost one roll of phyllo dough.

Gallbladder diet.  Phyllo dough comes in low-no fat types as well as high fat.  Avoid high fat brands.

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a mixing bowl combine the whipped topping and lime juice.  Stir rapidly with a fork until smooth and creamy.

Gallbladder diet.  Mix lime juice and whipped topping.

Add in ground cloves and stevia, stirring.

Next mix in the ground cinnamon.

Place four or five layers of phyllo dough in the ungreased (duh) baking dishes, forming 'mini-pie crusts' with the dough by gently pressing into the form of the bowl with your fingers.  Don't worry if the phyllo dough breaks - just add another layer over the dough crack.  The more layers you add the more 'flaky' the cooked crust will be.

Gallbladder diet.  Layer in four or five sheets of phyllo dough, forming into the bowl with fingers.

Add a dusting of cinnamon powder to the inside of the phyllo dough crust.

Gallbladder diet.  Dust inside of crusts with cinnamon.

Place the phyllo dough filled baking bowls in the oven and bake until golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  This should take approximately 15-20 minutes.

Gallbladder diet.  Key Lime Pastry Tart crusts baking.

Once the 'pastry tart crusts' are cool to touch, fill each bowl with the blended whipped topping-lime juice-spices mixture.

Gallbladder diet.  Bake Key Lime Pastry Tarts until golden brown, or about fifteen minutes.

Place on a rack in the freezer until the filling is firm (these are really good once they sit overnight!).

Gallbladder diet.  Once crusts are cooled, crusts should be filled with whipped filling mixture!  Then cool in freezer!

Serve for a very refreshing dessert with powerful gallbladder healing potential!

Cheers!  Kevin  #gallbladderlife

Gallbladder diet. Crab Cakes Are Oh So Gallbladder Friendly

The more I learn about cooking and ingredients for Gallbladder life, the more I delicious and fun recipes I find.

Gallbladder diet.  Gallbladder friendly Crab Cakes with Zero Fat.

Crab cakes for the Gallbladder is one recipe sure to please your palate all the while keeping your little bile sac happy.

And those of us with sharp little stones in our GB are intent on keeping that tempermental little organ happy.

The secret ingredients in these crab cakes are celery, apple, ginger and turmeric; and of course - delicious crab.  Carrots, celery, ginger and apples "encourage liver detoxification, alkalise and cleanse the system and provide vitamin C (and fiber) to move the bowel"  and do wonders for the gallbladder according to AskaNaturopath.com

Gallbladder Happy Crab Cakes (low to no fat)

• Two 8 oz cups of jumbo lump crab meat
• 1 large onion finely diced
• 4 stalks celery finely diced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup Panco bread crumbs (fat free)
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon chopped or ground ginger (preferably fresh)
• 1 large green apple finely chopped
• 1 cup egg whites
• paprika for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Gallbladder diet.  Onions are an essential recipe for gallbladder diets.

Peel and finely chop one large onion.

Gallbladder diet.  Fresh and finely diced onions are a must ingredient for crab cakes!

Wash and finely chop four stalks organic celery.

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl with a fork.

Add parchment paper to cooking sheet.

Using your hand scoop out a small handful of the crabmeat-vegetables blend and pat into a small patty, placing on the parchment paper.  Continue until all the crabmeat blend is formed into patties and placed on the parchment paper lined cooking sheet.

Gallbladder diet.  Crab cakes ready for baking in the oven!

Dust each patty with paprika.

Place in the oven and bake until the crab cakes are golden brown and crispy on the outside but moist on the inside.

Serve with cocktail sauce.

Gallbladder diet.  Yummy golden brown giant lump crab cakes will please your taste buds and gallbladder too!

Enjoy!  They won't last long.

Cheers and happy gallbladder dieting!

Kevin  #gallbladderlife.