When feeling nauseous try these tips:
- Eat and drink little and often where possible
- Try eating a dry biscuit first thing after waking
- Avoid greasy & spicy foods which are a common trigger
- Cold foods may limit nausea
- Salty foods (i.e. crisps, marmite, and salted biscuits) may limit nausea
- Products containing ginger (i.e. ginger biscuits, ginger ale/beer, ginger tea, and ginger chewing gum) may limit nausea
- Avoid cooking smells if you can – ask someone for help when preparing food
- Ice lollies and fizzy juice may be easier to tolerate
- Drinking through a straw may help
- Have plenty of fresh air in your home
- Wear loose clothing
- A gentle walk prior to eating may aid relaxation and digestion
- Try to not lie down for least two hours after eating
Dietary changes:
For some changing their eating habits can help control their gastroparesis.
You may be advised to change to six small meals a day rather than three large ones for instance, as smaller quantities may ease bloating and nausea symptoms and aid speedier digestion.
You may be advised to avoid high fat and high fibre foods, as fat naturally slows digestion and fibre is more difficult to digest or contain materials that are indigestible i.e. oranges and broccoli to aid avoidance of potential bezoars (mass of undigested material).
Take drinks after rather than before meals to ensure you do not overfill yourself.
Limited food tolerance:
For those with severe gastroparesis a liquid or pureed diet may be prescribed either orally and/or via parenteral nutrition/tube feeding.
Note: For those that have been limited to a liquid diet due to gastric conditions and/or intolerance or allergies, it may be necessary to reintroduce solid food gradually over a 2-4 week period and/or by limiting food types to eliminate symptom triggers – for example the LOFFLEX diet.
Also see Crystal Saltrelli's web page regarding SIBO (bacterial overgrowth) & FODMAP's (mal-absorbed fermentable carbohydrates) for information on small dietary changes may have a positive effect for some sufferers
http://livingwithgastroparesis.com/sibo-fodmaps-gp/ and the FODMAP diet app page
http://www.med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/fodmap/iphone-app.html
Nutrition:
Maintaining adequate nutrition and fluids is vital and the aim is to have a balanced diet of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
Weight loss:
1. Many of those with gastroparesis suffer severe weight loss due to their limited capacity to absorb food. Many are advised to increase they calorie intake by the simple addition or extra quantities of things such as:
- Fortified milk
- Full cream milk
- Cream, yoghurt or fromage frais
- High calorie drinks
- adding extra butter, margarine or cheese to the dish
- mayonnaise or salad cream
- Oil in the cooking process
2. Supplementary drinks such as ‘Build up’ and ‘Complan’ can be used to aid nutrition.
3. Some find it easier to absorb food in a pureed or liquidised form – almost any food type can be liquidised:
Adding gravy, sauce, milk, condensed soup or stock can make the process easier, and enable you to adjust the final consistency.
For a smoother consistency, the liquidised food can be passed through a sieve.
Adjust seasoning after liquidising.
Food can be liquidised in bulk and stored in the fridge or frozen.
Easily digested food:
Fruits & vegetables are the easiest food types to digest as they contain fibre that helps speed up the digestion process. Cooked fruit/vegetables rather than raw and juiced rather than raw cut fruits are easiest to digest.
Easily digested fruits include:
- Apples
- Avocados
- Banana
- Blueberries
- Figs
- Pears
- Plums
- Papaya
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
- Fresh fruit juices
Easily digested vegetables include:
Note: Pulses and beans although easily digested should be sprouted, steamed or germinated for quick digestion and should not be eaten in large quantities.
- Beans
- Carrots
- Kale
- Lentils
- Peas
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Yams
Other easily digested foods include:
- Fish – preferably boiled
- Millet
- Oats
- Porridge
- Quinoa
- Rice – boiled
- Rice cakes & crackers
- Rice pasta
- Skinless boneless chicken – preferably boiled
- Soup
- Toast
- Whole grains
- Whole wheat bran
- Yoghurt
Foods that are harder to digest and should therefore be eaten in limited quantities include:
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Cake flour
- Celery
- Coconut
- Fruit or vegetable skins
- Maida flour (starch)
- Milk & Milk products
- Mushrooms
- Nuts
- Oranges - raw
- Pineapple
- Rye
- Seeds
- Soy products
- Super fine wheat products
- Sweet corn
- Tomatoes
- Wheat
Enriched nutritional products:
Enriched nutritional products such as 'build up' and 'complan' can be purchased in many outlets and pharmacies.
Or you may be prescribed specialised nutritional products in liquid form by your specialist - they are available in several varieties i.e. savoury, sweet, milk, juice style:
Nutricia Fortisip: www.nutricia.co.uk/fortisip/products-milkshakes/fortisip_compact
Abbott Nutrition: www.abbottnutrition.co.uk/ have numerous products look under 'product finder' tab
Sleep & Exercise:
It is advisable to have meals 1-2 hours prior to rest or any physical activity. Sleeping or lying down directly after a meal can disrupt the digestive process.
Exercise or physical activity can aid digestion.
Recipes:
Nutritious - drinks
Fortified milk
(300 calories 20g protein per serving)
½ pint full cream milk
2 tablespoons dried milk powder
Stir ingredients together.
This milk can be used as you would standard milk.
Fruit smoothy
1/3 pint full cream milk
½ carton fruit yoghurt or Greek yoghurt
Scoop ice-cream
1 teaspoon honey
Any soft fruit i.e. banana, strawberries
Blend together & chill
Chocolate dream
(300 calories 9g protein per serving)
1/3 pint full cream milk
1 tablespoon drinking chocolate
2 teaspoons sugar
Pinch cinnamon (optional)
Whipped cream
Marshmallows (optional)
Heat the milk. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate powder & sugar. Serve
warm topped with cream & chocolate powder or marshmallows.
Banana froth
1/3 pint full cream milk
1 small banana
1 scoop ice-cream
1 teaspoon sugar
Mash the banana and then mix all the ingredients together. Serve chilled.
Honey Malt
(250 calories 9g protein per serving)
1/3 pint full cream milk
1 tablespoon clear honey
1 scoop ice cream
1 heaped teaspoon malted milk powder i.e. horlicks, ovaltine
Dissolve malt powder in a little hot water before adding all the other
ingredients and mixing well. Serve chilled.
Ginger lime
(215 calories 7g protein per serving)
1 glass ginger beer
1 small carton natural yoghurt
2 tablespoons lime syrup/cordial
Mix lime syrup/cordial and yoghurt together and top off with ginger beer. Serve
chilled.
Iced coffee
(230 calories 9g protein per serving)
1/3 pint full cream milk
2 tablespoons coffee powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1 scoop ice cream
Dissolve the coffee powder with a little of the milk heated, then add the rest
of the ingredients and whisk. Serve chilled.
Fruity float
(200 calories per serving)
½ glass fresh fruit juice
½ glass lemonade
1 tablespoon sugar
1 scoop ice cream
Mix all the ingredients together and serve chilled.
Cinnamon spice
(180 calories 7g protein per serving)
1/3 pint full cream milk
1 tablespoon golden syrup
Pinch cinnamon
Pinch mixed spice
Heat milk then add rest of ingredients and mix well. Serve warm.
Enriched milkshake
(230 calories 8g protein per serving)
1/3 pint enriched milk
Milk shake syrup/powder
1 Scoop ice cream
Mix all ingredients together and serve chilled.
Mango shake
1/3 pint full cream milk
1 scoop ice cream
1 fresh or tinned mango
1 teaspoon sugar
Mash the mango then add all the other ingredients and blend well. Serve
chilled.
Pineapple or banana yoghurt drink
(450 calories 20g protein per serving)
1/2 pint full cream milk
1 pot thick & creamy yoghurt
1 tablespoon milk powder
3 pineapple rings or 1 banana
Liquidise all the ingredients together. Serve chilled.
Badam doodh – Almond milk
¼ cup blanched almonds
1 cup full cream milk
Pinch cardamom powder
Honey or sugar to taste
¼ teaspoon powdered pistachio nuts
Grind almonds in a blender with a little of the milk. Add the milk and blend
again. Add the cardamom powder and transfer to a pan and bring to a boil.
Simmer for 5 minutes. Sieve into a cup, add the sugar or honey and whisk until
frothy. Top with pistachio nuts. Serve hot or chilled.
Nutritious - Savoury
Nourishing cup-a-soup
(270 calories 15g protein per serving)
1/3 pint full cream milk
1 heaped tablespoon milk powder
1 packet of cup-a-soup
Heat the milk, then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Serve hot.
Cheesy scrambled eggs
1/3 carton of neutral milk supplement
Seasoning
2 medium eggs
Butter or oil
40g cheddar cheese
Whisk the eggs, neutral supplement and cheese together then season.
Heat the oil or butter in a pan and gradually add the mixture, cook gently,
stirring constantly until eggs are set.
Serve hot.
You could also add some tomato, bacon, ham, tuna or
salmon, to the pan prior to the eggs, for additional nutrition.
Creamy soup
1 small can of any flavour ‘cream of’ soup
½ carton of neutral milk supplement
Heat the soup gently and gradually add the milk supplement being careful not to
boil the soup. Serve hot with a swirl of cream, croutons or grated cheese.
Nutritious – Desserts
Jelly
(4 servings)
1 carton juice supplement
1 packet of jelly
Dissolve jelly as per packet instructions; allow cooling a little, and then
adding a complimentary flavoured juice supplement – top up to 1 pint with cold
water. Allow to set in fridge and consume within 24 hours.
Jelly fluff
(4 servings)
1 packet jelly cubes
1 carton milk supplement
Dissolve jelly as per packet instructions, make up to 2/3 pint with cold water.
Cool in fridge until just set.
Add milk supplement and whisk until light and fluffy. Leave to fully set in
fridge and consume within 24 hours.
Fruity blancmange dessert
1 carton juice supplement
4 rounded teaspoons corn flour
A little water
Gently heat juice supplement in a pan, being careful not to boil. Mix the corn
flour with a little water, then add to the pan and continue to gently cook
until thickened.
Can be served warm or cold with fruit or cream.
Fruity custard
1 carton of fruit flavoured milk supplement
3 rounded teaspoons custard powder
A little milk
Gently heat milk supplement in a pan, being careful not to boil. Mix the custard
powder with a little milk, then add to the pan, whisk and continue to gently
cook until thickened.
Can be served warm or cold with fruit if desired.
Information supplied by SNDRi & NDR-UK
You can also find recipe idea's on the 'living with GP 'website at