How to Treat Gastropariesis With Diet

If you suffer from gastroparesis, your stomach doesn't empty as fast as it normally would. Diabetes and many other conditions can cause gastroparesis, and common symptoms include nausea, stomach pain, bloating, decreased appetite and abnormally high or low levels of blood sugar. Complications include overgrowth of bacteria in the digestive tract and intestinal blockage. Doctors typically recommend a special diet to help treat the condition, although diet alone does not always relieve all symptoms. Make sure to consult your physician prior to trying a new diet for your condition.

Instructions

• 1

  Eat small meals frequently instead of eating three large meals each day. Small meals digest faster and are less likely to cause nausea or stomach pain. Eating this way helps keep blood sugar levels stable, and frequently also reduces the feeling of unpleasant fullness, enabling you to get adequate nutrition without discomfort.

• 2

  Avoid hard to digest foods like broccoli, fruit and vegetable skins, nuts and seeds. Peel raw fruits and veggies before eating them. Foods high in fiber can increase unpleasant symptoms of the disorder; however, a diet low in fiber sometimes leads to constipation, so talk to your doctor about using a mild stool softener if that becomes a problem for you.

• 3

  Eat soft foods or even stick to liquids if solid foods cause severe pain or nausea. Soft foods digest more easily and leave the stomach faster than solid foods. Try foods like soups, yogurt, cottage cheese, well-cooked vegetables, canned fruits, scrambled eggs and soft cheeses.

• 4

  Use dietary supplements like protein shakes or meal replacement shakes, if necessary, to get adequate calories and nutrition. If you cannot eat enough food to get the nutrition you need, you may develop nutritional deficiencies or experience excessive weight loss leading to health problems.