On a daily basis, I both work toward maintaining a diet that is beneficial to my pancreas while at the same time destroying it with... uhhh... crap foods I shouldn't be putting into my system.
I'm human. This means I'm not perfect, so I don't beat myself up for it. Although, I do try to keep my foot downfalls at bay and to a relative minimum.
There are some things I do for my body on a regular basis - especially when I haven't been eating as well as I could - to help maintain a decrease in inflammation of the pancreas.
- Proper dietary intake (necessary for living without pain)
- Decreasing stress levels (huge for decreasing pancreatic attacks)
- Sunshine (for Vitamin D)
- Gently detoxifying the body through teas (such as Chrissy's Tea)
- Brazil Nuts (the level of selenium is very cleansing)
- Oatmeal (great cleanser for the liver)
Two of my favorite friends that fight off pancreatitic inflammation are ginger and turmeric. Both roots are all natural and can be bought in any store. I have turmeric powder and buy ginger in the bottle both sliced and minced, by the root, and as a tea. Both are great for cooking and can be very helpful in intercepting inflammation at the time food is eaten since the spice is on the food at the time you are eating it. Now that is proactive!
It doesn't mean I can eat anything with a little ginger on it and all of a sudden I get to go hog-wild. It means that if I eat a limited amount of something with ginger or turmeric I find that the food intake is far less likely to cause me pain. Again, moderation is always essential for me since overworking the pancreas is now always a very real problem that causes very real pain.
Small meals are always a must. Never eating until full is always a must. Then, on top of that, eating foods with anti-inflammatory benefits such as Broccoli with minced ginger and paprika (another anti-inflammatory spice) in limited quantities makes the process of eating easier.
One of the problems with Western medicine is that it refuses to incorporate natures cures into it's prescriptions. Prescribing ginger instead of morphine doesn't buy their new house - so to speak.
In my recovery and longevity, I find it important to address my chronic pancreatitis with foods that heal and cure.
The other day, I read that turmeric heals tissues around tumors which makes tumors less likely to metastasize. As I understand it, a metastized tumor is one that has exploded which is when and how cancer happens. Therefore, the stronger the tissue around the tumor, cyst or fibroid, the less likely it will metastasize.
It is still necessary to decrease the size of the tumor (inflammation) which many say can be done through foods.
When a person has pancreatitis the pancreatitic enzymes are not working properly - and the pancreatitic enzymes help to decrease the likelihood of cancer - people with pancreatic issues need to be especially careful to decrease their chances of creating cancer in their bodies. Decreasing the risk of cancer can be done through better eating and mostly knowing what that means. Decreasing white flour, sugars and processed foods. I like the saying, "Read the ingredients. If you don't know what it means, don't eat it."
Showing posts with label Pancreatitis and Spices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pancreatitis and Spices. Show all posts
Monday, June 25, 2012
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Curry Squid with Rice - Pancreatic Diet
Deep sea fish are high in iodine. Iodine is necessary for proper thyroid function. The thyroid is part of the endocrine system. The pancreas is part of the endocrine system. Therefore, my thought is the healthier I can keep my thyroid and endocrine system, as a whole, the easier things will be on my pancreas. As it is, I have problems with my thyroid so I am trying to take special note of things that could help to keep it strong or improve its condition. Eating is often a difficult proposition for people with pancreatic problems. My pancreas likes to
become inflamed at the thought of food. Therefore, a goal of mine is to keep my pancreas from becoming inflamed while still eating... and preferably while enjoying my diet!
Today, I made Squid (or Calamari, if you prefer) with rice. The spices I used are ground black pepper, iodized salt, curry and turmeric.
Curry and turmeric are anti-inflammatory spices. My experience has been that these spices tend to decrease pancreatic irritability.
I cooked the squid in a pan (Frozen squid which I took out of the freezer yesterday) with iodized salt, freshly ground black pepper, turmeric and curry.
In a separate pan, I cooked the rice to which I added curry and iodized salt.
Note: I am not currently experiencing pancreatic pain. If I were then I would probably not be eating solids. Rather, I would probably be better off with either straight liquids - if I needed to allow my pancreas time to rest and heal - or easier foods to digest such as yogurt, baby cereal, tapioca pudding and perhaps oatmeal and toast with jam or maybe an english muffin.
Related Articles
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Pancreatitis & Shrimp Dinner
I love shrimp. It never seems to hurt my pancreas, seems easy to digest and tastes great!Also!! You can cook it with turmeric and curry. Curry is made from turmeric. I use them both anyway. :-) Turmeric is a known anti-inflammatory. Since foods can inflame the pancreas I love it when I can add anti-inflammatories to my meals. The goal is to counter-attack any onset of inflammation from the get-go.
So, I put some shrimp in a pan, Add a little margarine or olive oil. Add some iodized salt and freshly ground pepper. A pinch of curry and a pinch of turmeric. Two bay leaves. A little shrimp juice in the bottom of the pan. And voila! A mid-low heat for 12-20 minutes and I have a
fabulous meal that doesn't bother my pancreas and tastes fantastic!
Food for thought: If there is left-over sauce it takes fantastic with a little curried rice. Rice is fairly easy on the pancreas (for people who are back on solids) and again, the curry is an anti-inflammatory which I assume to be helpful in reducing my chances of bloating and discomfort in my abdomen.
The happier I keep my pancreas, the longer I get to live. Well... at least that is the hypothesis I'm working with. :-)
If you have any recipes that work for you, please share them! Especially when we're newly on a diet which is kinder to our pancreas it can be difficult to know what foods and we can eat.
Related Articles:
- Tumeric
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Pancreatitis & Roast Beef
I love protein. I love red meat. Always have. Always will. If that were a crime, I'd be a lifer.Over the past 3+ years of living with chronic pancreatitis I've learned to limit my steak intake, as well as cook steak with ginger in hopes of decreasing any negative effect it might have on my pancreas. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory. Pancreatitis is an
inflammation of the pancreas. Therefore, as the theory would go, ginger might work as an anti-inflammatory for the pancreas. My personal experience is that I like ginger and it does seem to work for me.No that doesn't mean I get to eat whatever I want whenever I want. It means that if my pancreas is sore that I tend to eat foods with added anti-inflammatory spices to decrease the risk of my pancreas getting further inflamed.
What does this have to do with Roast Beef? Hmmm. Nothing!But it does have to do with Steak!
Recently, while visiting family in NYC I got in the habit of buying roast beef instead of steak. Ends up, I eat roast beef in smaller portions than I do when cooking a piece of steak.
With roast beef, I find myself nibbling on it throughout the day rather than sitting down and having a 4-6 ounce steak in one sitting.
Nibbling small amounts of food might be the ideal diet for someone like me who suffers from
chronic pancreatitis. It means I'm never eating too much at once. Therefore I'm not overloading my pancreas with more than it can handle yet I'm able to happily nibble away at my favorite food, red meat!Note: I buy the roast beef without any additives, preservatives or MSG.
Pancreatic Diet & Curry Rice
I'm making a little rice with margarine and curry. I'm trying to be rather gentle on my pancreas these days.I was recently in NYC where I perhaps ate a little more all-natural sausage, steak, roast beef, chicken and yogurt.
It's not that I can't have these foods. It is just that my pancreas doesn't like it when I eat too much of them. I, on the other hand,
could eat protein rich foods all day long... if I didn't have a pancreas. So now, I'm trying to give my pancreas a break.Rice is bland. My pancreas prefers very small quantities of bland food when it is 'resting'.
Curry is an anti-inflammatory spice. Therefore, my thought is that using curry might make food consumption easier when my pancreas is inflamed but not to the point where I can't eat at all.
In the hospital the doctor said no spicy foods.
Actually, some spices like ginger and curry might be good to cook with since these spices act as anti-inflammatories to the system. This means curry and ginger could potentially help decrease the inflammation of my pancreas while still allowing me to eat small meals.Related Articles:
How to Stop a Pancreatic Flare Up
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Use Ginger When Cooking Steak
As of late, I've taken to cutting up a substantial amount of ginger and adding it to my chopped steak. While I love steak and try to buy lean cuts I still love to eat a lot of it. This is never the best idea for my pancreas. So, I try to be proactive in an attempt to keep down the swelling.Ginger is an anti-inflammatory. So, by adding it to the steak I am helping my pancreas keep from becoming inflamed.
The other thing I do to stave off inflammation is I take three pancreas tablets. I used to only take one or two tablets but never felt the over-the-counter pills did any good. One time,
I took three tablets and noticed a difference. Now, before I sit down to eat a delicious bowl of chopped steak with ginger I take 3 pancreas tablets.
Today, I did as written above and have had absolutely no noticeable swelling or discomfort in my pancreas.
I feel that the least often the pancreas becomes inflamed the longer my pancreas will stay healthy.
Sometimes, I have to give up certain food or at least give them up for the most part. Sometimes I just need to find the right combination.
Ginger and steak seems to make for a great combination! Just as my pancreas...
Monday, March 7, 2011
Pancreatic Diet: Steak with Ginger
I used to eat a lot of Steak with Ginger but after being diagnosed with Pancreatitis I was told to lay off spices. So, I stopped using ginger. There is no need to stop using spices altogether. In fact, some spices are good for you and work as an anti-inflammatory which means these spices can actually help to balance your pancreas while you eat. Ginger is one of these spices.
Once I learned that ginger is an anti-inflammatory I started adding it to my diet. I was recently
on a cruise where I ate some ginger that was served to me with sushi. I noticed an almost immediate anti-inflammation in my pancreas. At that point, I started taking the benefit of ginger much more seriously.
I try to buy non-fatty meat since the fat tends to aggravate the pancreas causing inflammation. Non-fatty steak doesn't seem to have much of a negative effect if (like with all foods) I eat reasonable amounts. Tonight, I had steak with cut up ginger. I probably ate a little more than a half pound of steak. I noticed no negative effect or inflammation as a result of the meal.
If you recently got out of the hospital or are having a pancreatic flare-up eating might not be the best solution for you at this time. Sometimes it is best to just allow the pancreas to rest and heal. This is often done by going on a liquid diet for a few days.
That being said, I have noticed the necessity of potassium and the harm it can create to the kidney if I neglect the need for potassium. Therefore, now I try to make sure I eat enough food with high potassium levels so that when my pancreas flares up my system kidney doesn't go into a problem mode as a result of the loss of potassium.
Note: Sometimes balance can be difficult. It's a process.
Related Articles:
Pancreatitis & Hunger
Pancreatitis & Hunger
Bookmark this blog! That way, when you have more questions and you would like to hear the experience, strength and hope of another person with pancreatitis you'll know where to come. See you soon and have a great day!
Pancreatitis: Marijuana, The Anti-Inflammatory
A few years back, I went to Amsterdam where I not only found myself eating a pot brownie but also found my pancreas feeling better than it had in sometime. As a result, I realized that marijuana made my pancreas feel better. In the States, pot is still illegal. I'm against marijuana being illegal simply because I think it is better to treat drug addicts than to put them in jail. Drug addicts can be rehabilitated. Jail should be for those offenders that cannot
be rehabilitated. It is better both for the individual who may have a problem with drugs and the overall population that must pay for the prison system.
Nonetheless, I don't like
what pot does to the body and mind. It takes away ambition and inhibits creativity. It decrease sperm count and makes pregnancy more difficult.
Still, there is a time and a place for everything. Basically, if marijuana is used as a form of escape, then I don't approve of it. It is better to face your demons, work through it and move forward with your life.
That being said, I don't believe drugs and painkillers are a suitable answer for treating pancreatitis (as well as many other illnesses) and feel that if marijuana can counteract the inflammation of the pancreas then perhaps in reasonable amounts used in addition to other anti-inflammatories - such as ginger, Turmeric, blueberries, broccoli and sweet potatoes - marijuana would benefit the body and help ease the discomfort suffered by those with chronic pancreatitis.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Pancreatitis & Ginger
A few weeks ago, I was on a 5-night Bahamas cruise. It was lovely! One of the offerings was a Sushi Bar. After receiving my limit of 4 pieces of sushi I got a side of ginger. In case you are unaware, ginger cleanses the palette and that is why it is served with Sushi. The idea is that you c
an have a little ginger before you eat the sushi... at least that's the story I heard some odd years back. Sounded good so I bought into it.
I like ginger. I enjoy the taste of it. So I was sitting there eating my ginger and realized that my pancreas was feeling less inflamed. I knew that ginger was an anti-inflammatory but was quite surprised to feel such an immediate result from eating it.
Food for thought. Need an anti-inflammatory. Reach for a little ginger! Your pancreas just
might thank you for it!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Pancreatitis Diet: Bad Spices & Healthy Berries and Honey
Soooo, once again, I ate a fried egg with a seasoning I love but which hates my pancreas and inevitably causes pain.
Odd thing happened today, after my pancreas began to flare up I had an urge to eat some frozen berries & honey (red raspberries, blackberries & a few strawberries with ample honey). I'm eating it and I just realized my pancreas isn't hurting anymore.
I'm not drawing conclusions, just passing on information.
My goal is to understand what works, what doesn't and how foods are affecting my pancreas.
I'm really beginning to love frozen berries with honey more and more.
I would guess fresh berries are better for you but I can keep frozen berries in the house and at my disposal and therefore do!
Chronic Pancreatitis & Bad Spices I Love
I love Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning on fried eggs and steak.I've used it for years. Only problem is that now I have chronic pancreatitis and this spice is not good for my pancreas.
I just fried an egg and put this fabulous spice on it. Okay, for my system this spice is more like Halloween than Christmas and my system is terrified of Halloween and panics going into a rage anytime Halloween gets near it.
I just threw out my Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning. I threw it out because I am undisciplined and will continue to use it on the foods I love to have it on if it is in the house.
It is now in the trash can soon to be in the dumpster and if I have any sense about me I'll never buy it again. Rather, I'll have the ability to suggest it to my non-pancreatic challenged friends and to always have very fond memories of it.
The bottomline is that I would rather have an extended life than any spice which inflames my pancreas!
Additional Information:
Pancreatitis: Healthy Foods
Pancreatitis Diet Tips and Information
Cooking With Pancreatitis: Spices
One major change in my diet, after being diagnosed with pancreatitis, is that I veer from spicy foods and refrain from adding the to the dishes I prepare. At restaurants, I request the spices be held or order items that are not spicy.Spices are hard on my pancreas. Spices can create a pancreatic flare-up or add in a flare-up if my pancreas is already vulnerable due to other elements - if I have the flu, stress, too much food in general, etc.
Therefore, in the name of feeling good I simply choose not to eat spicy food. Spicy food will hurt my pancreas. I want to feel good and keep my pancreas as healthy as possible for as long as possible. No need to tempt fate or lose wanted years from my life. The elimination of spicy food seems to be a wise choice.
That being said some spices are considered anti-inflammatory. Therefore, it would make sense that using such spices would be a benefit to the pancreas rather than a hindrance.
I've listed some anti-inflammatory spices below:
Enhance Your Anti-Inflammatory Diet With the Right Spices
The Benefits of an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
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