Fair, fat, forty and fertile. At least my doctor was diplomatic enough to not say fat but I remember the ditty from my nursing days. It seems I supposedly fit all the criteria for gallbladder disease: fair (female), fat (overweight - well maybe - just), forty (closer to fifty than forty but it still applies) and fertile (several pregnancies) except for one critical one - I don't eat a diet high in unhealthy fats.
Sure I eat organic chicken, fish, and wild game (which tends to be very lean) when the guys can get it (and only red meat once a week), free-range eggs, avocadoes, nuts and seeds, and I have raw milk and make my own yoghurt and feta cheese (well I have done twice and it's spoilt me for anything bought), and small amounts of butter, olive oil and coconut oil, but I avoid all vegetable oils (especially those hidden ones in things like crackers and peanut butter) and store bought snacks like cakes and muesli bars that are bad for trans fats, and ice cream (except on occasion).
I eat lots of fruit and vegetables, with some rice and rolled oats thrown in, but avoid wheat, refined sugar as much as possible, takeaways, and never eat packaged cereals ... so how is it that I am a candidate for gallbladder disease not once but twice? This is my second bout in just over a year. Admittedly I'm in far less pain this second time around but I'm frustrated.
FRUSTRATED in capital letters!
I've been told to eat a low fat diet so I've eaten no meat, chicken or fish since the weekend and am trying to drink my tea without milk. I have switched to low fat milk but am still trying to avoid it as much as possible. I've also said no to chilli, legumes, and anything else known to irritate the gallbladder until I get this pain under control. Which means cooking two separate meals which is a real pain. It's like having a baby in the house again: take out one portion before adding all the seasonings and yummy stuff!
I asked my doctor if there was a genetic link and he didn't seem to think so apart from the fact that I may have inherited some 'faulty' genes. I have a feeling that my maternal grandmother had her gallbladder removed at some stage and that one of my maternal aunts had hers removed when she was just 24! That suggests to me a strongish link to not exactly having the healthiest fat-breaking gallbladders around, don't you think?
Because of course it can't be that I'm doing anything wrong!
Sure I eat organic chicken, fish, and wild game (which tends to be very lean) when the guys can get it (and only red meat once a week), free-range eggs, avocadoes, nuts and seeds, and I have raw milk and make my own yoghurt and feta cheese (well I have done twice and it's spoilt me for anything bought), and small amounts of butter, olive oil and coconut oil, but I avoid all vegetable oils (especially those hidden ones in things like crackers and peanut butter) and store bought snacks like cakes and muesli bars that are bad for trans fats, and ice cream (except on occasion).
I eat lots of fruit and vegetables, with some rice and rolled oats thrown in, but avoid wheat, refined sugar as much as possible, takeaways, and never eat packaged cereals ... so how is it that I am a candidate for gallbladder disease not once but twice? This is my second bout in just over a year. Admittedly I'm in far less pain this second time around but I'm frustrated.
FRUSTRATED in capital letters!
I've been told to eat a low fat diet so I've eaten no meat, chicken or fish since the weekend and am trying to drink my tea without milk. I have switched to low fat milk but am still trying to avoid it as much as possible. I've also said no to chilli, legumes, and anything else known to irritate the gallbladder until I get this pain under control. Which means cooking two separate meals which is a real pain. It's like having a baby in the house again: take out one portion before adding all the seasonings and yummy stuff!
I asked my doctor if there was a genetic link and he didn't seem to think so apart from the fact that I may have inherited some 'faulty' genes. I have a feeling that my maternal grandmother had her gallbladder removed at some stage and that one of my maternal aunts had hers removed when she was just 24! That suggests to me a strongish link to not exactly having the healthiest fat-breaking gallbladders around, don't you think?
Because of course it can't be that I'm doing anything wrong!
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