People who have gastroparesis have stomachs that take too long to empty their contents, leading to slow movement through the digestive system, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders. If you have gastroparesis, your doctor may recommend that you adopt a specific diet plan to help you manage your condition.
Cause/Symptoms
Gastroparesis occurs when damage is done to the nerves in your stomach that control your digestive system's contractions. Your body uses these contractions to move food through the stomach and into the intestines. Diabetes often causes gastroparesis, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, although surgery, infection and other conditions can also result in the condition.
If you have gastroparesis, you may experience indigestion or heartburn, pain and nausea in your abdomen and vomiting. You may also feel full after you've eaten only a small amount of food.
Diet Basics
Once your physician has confirmed your diagnosis of gastroparesis, you'll probably need to change your diet to control your symptoms, according to the Ohio State University Medical Center. If your symptoms seem severe, your physician may counsel you to maintain a high-nutrient liquid diet or pureed food diet at first. Patients with severe gastroparesis often can digest liquids more easily because they pass through the stomach faster.
Solid Food Diet
Once your symptoms have subsided enough for you to eat solid foods again, you should begin eating multiple small meals a day rather than a few large meals each day, according to the University of Virginia Health System. You're likely to tolerate fat better if it's in liquid form, so try drinking milkshakes or whole milk rather than eating solid fatty foods, which can slow down your digestion.
Foods to Avoid
You should avoid foods that can be tough to digest, such as citrus fruits and legumes, according to the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Raw fruits, vegetables and whole grain products can also exacerbate your condition, so you should avoid these or eat only very small amounts. If your diabetes caused your gastroparesis, you also should watch your diet to make sure it's balanced enough to help keep your insulin under control.
Considerations
The diet plan for gastroparesis may seem daunting, but there are plenty of foods you can eat, according to the Ohio State University Medical Center. For example, you can enjoy fruit juices instead of fruit, lean meat, poultry and fish, reduced-fat peanut butter, tomato juice and well-cooked vegetables without the skin on. Desserts can include low-fat options such as angel food cake and gelatin.
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