Pancreatitis is the result of the inflammation of the pancreas which is present near the duodenum at the back side of the stomach in the human body. This article will give you a good diet plan along with suggestions and recommendations.
The main function of the pancreas is to secrete the digestive enzymes through the pancreatic duct to the small intestine. The carbohydrates, fats and proteins are digested by the enzymes secreted by the pancreas. A person suffering from pancreatitis does not get sufficient quantities of essential nutrients from the food which he eats.
Diet Plans
A diet for people with pancreatitis should be followed only after consulting a specialist and an experienced medical practitioner. A low-fat diet and a low card diet are known to be good and effective diets. Let us discuss them one after other.
Low Fat Diet
The presence of large amount of fats in the blood of humans is a major cause of pancreatitis. The aim of a low-fat diet is to keep the daily fat intake strictly under control and ensure that it is not more than thirty percent of the total calorie intake of the body. Such a diet is very useful in preventing steatorrhea, which is due to the pancreatic insufficiency. Following a proper diet will result in less than one-fourth as much steatorrhea, as compared to the fat intake by following a normal diet.
For your breakfast, you can have yogurt along with fruits and honey. The reason for the inclusion of yogurts is that they contain Lactobacillus acidophilus, best known form of probiotics. They help to reduce the inflammation of the pancreas by balancing your digestive system and increasing your body immunity. The foods suggested for lunch are cheese sandwiches and for dinner are grilled fish. Salads can be included in your diet.
Low Carb Diet
A diet with low carbs focuses on the utilization of fats as the chief sources of energy and reducing the insulin production capacity of the body. The Atkins diet, Zone diet and Hollywood diet are known to be the best low carb diets.
The Atkins diet consists of four phases – induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. In the induction phase, the carbohydrate intake is only twenty grams a day. In the induction phase, you can eat salads, broccoli, cauliflower, fish, poultry, vegetable and olive oils. On the other you should avoid alcohol, green beans and caffeine in excess. In the ongoing weight loss phase, there is an increase in carbohydrate intake, but it does not exceed levels where weight loss occurs. Now, you can eat asparagus in stalks, cauliflower and avocado. In the pre-maintenance stage, you increase the carbohydrate intake by ten carbs every week while the lifetime maintenance aims at maintaining the habits of the earlier phases.
As per a zone low card diet, you can have you can have yogurts for breakfast, Italian chicken for lunch, and salmon and fruits for dinner. In the Hollywood diet plan, do not eat solid things and consume drinks made from fruits.
Something More
If you are following a pancreatitis diet, you should quit the intake of alcohol and tobacco. Avoid eating spicy foods, margarine, ghee and butter, and red meat too. Green leafy vegetables, soups and juices are highly recommended. Eat fruits and vegetables which contain antioxidants and avoid allergy causing foods like dairy products and wheat. The intake of useful vitamins and minerals should be sufficient. Spinach which contains vitamin B and high iron levels, blueberries for fighting free radicals, red reishi mushrooms, will help you deal with your health problems.
Fat free tortilla, scrambled eggs, sandwiches, tofu crumbles and raspberry vinaigrette are some more options, which can be a part of your diet. People with pancreatitis are known to face a problem of water shortage in the body, so you need to drink enough water to make up for this loss. So get going with this diet and get rid of the inflammation of pancreas.