Gastroparesis is the medical term for delayed stomach emptying. This condition occurs when the vagus nerve in the stomach becoming damaged and delays the release of food from your stomach, which could lead to feeling bloated or full after you eat just a small amount of food. Adjusting your diet so you eat smaller, more frequent meals can alleviate these problems. Consult your doctor before beginning any new diet, or if your gastroparesis symptoms worsen.
Small Meals
Eat six small meals per day, rather than the customary three. Eating smaller meals will decrease the volume of food in your stomach; less food in your stomach will mean fewer symptoms. With larger meals the food can linger in your stomach longer than necessary, leading to nausea, heartburn, vomiting and abdominal pain, the Motility Society notes in its "Dietary and Nutritional Recommendations for Patients with Gastroparesis."
Soft Foods
Choose foods that are thoroughly cooked. Avoiding tough-to-chew or lightly cooked foods will help with your digestion. Vegetables, meats, rice, potatoes and fruits cooked until soft will pass faster from your stomach. Chew your food thoroughly, too. Solids empty more slowly from the stomach and can leave you feeling full and bloated, the Motility Society notes. Chew even soft foods to toothpaste consistency before swallowing.
Low Fat
Follow a low-fat diet. Fat is known to slow gastric emptying and increase feelings of fullness. Chose low-fat cuts of meat like flank steak, sirloin, white-meat chicken and turkey without the skin and low-fat fish like tilapia. Avoid cooking with lots of butter or oil, as this can add more fat to your meal and delay emptying from your stomach. According to dietitian Carol Rees Parrish, your stomach seems to tolerate fat better in liquids, so adding oils to a protein shake or smoothie may improve tolerance. Using fats in liquids can help prevent any deficiency in essential fatty acids.
Low Fiber
Avoid high-fiber foods like, skins of fruits, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, potato skins, sweet potatoes, celery, berries, apples, sauerkraut, nuts, seeds, corn, popcorn and oranges. High-fiber foods can bind in the stomach, the Motility Society cautions, and lead to bezoars --- pieces of undigested food that sit in the stomach and, potentially, block your stomach opening, Drs. Mark Beers and Robert Berkow note in the "Merck Manual."
Liquid Meals
Increase your intake of liquid supplements between meals, or substitute them for your final meals each day. Those suffering from gastroparesis generally tolerate liquids well, Parrish reminds. Having your solid foods during the earliest part of the day will help decrease the chance of food sitting in your stomach overnight, causing heartburn and nausea.
References
- "Dietary and Nutritional Recommendations for Patients with Gastroparesis"; Motility Society; 2006
- "Nutrition Issues in Gastroenterology"; Nutrition Intervention in the Patient with Gastroparesis; Carol Rees Parrish; March 2003
- "Merck Manual"; Bezoars; Mark Beers, M.D., and Robert Berkow, M.D.; 1999
