Nutritional Considerations: Nutrient Content & Variety Living - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Nutritional Considerations:

Nutrient Content & Variety

Living (Well!) with Gastroparesis Program Class 7

Nutrient Content Variety Balance (class 8) Quality (class 8)

Nutritional Considerations in the GP-friendly Diet

 Nutrition is about more than just calories.  Malnutrition is about more than just weight loss.  Your body needs adequate nutrition in order to function properly and to repair/recover (especially important for idiopathic/post-viral GP and those with underlying medical disorders, including diabetes and hypothyroidism.)  In my opinion, at least some of what appears to be a progression of the condition may be due to increasing malnutrition & vitamin/mineral/fatty acid deficiencies.  Our goal in this program is to find a dietary “sweet spot” that minimizes symptoms and maximizes nutrition (remember diet is not our only tool for symptom management, but it IS our only tool for obtaining proper nutrition).  Chewing thoroughly, eating slowly and relaxing at mealtimes will help improve digestion and absorption, and therefore overall nutrition.

Things to Remember

 Volume is limited in the gastroparesis diet, so nutrition must be maximized in each bite/sip.  Nutrient-poor (“empty”) foods take up space and may provide calories, but do little to promote health and healing. Empty foods may actually exacerbate blood sugar issues and other underlying medical conditions.  Choose nutrient-rich GP-friendly foods as often as possible.  In general, fruits and vegetables contain the most vitamins and minerals, and therefore offer our bodies the most nutrition.  Extra challenge for GPers: choose nutrient-rich foods that are also GP-friendly and maximize calories  it can be done!  Up the nutrient content of current mini-meals and dietary staples with “nutrition maximizers”(see Maximizing Nutrition Handout)

Nutrient Content

 Typical GP-friendly diet is mostly white, packaged, processed foods.  Many GPers get into a food “rut,” relying on just a handful of “safe” foods/staples.  BUT different foods offer different nutrients and we need a variety

• f foods to meet our nutritional requirements.

 Eating a variety of foods is more satisfying physically and mentally and may help prevent food sensitivities due to Leaky Gut.  Easiest way to increase variety and incorporate more fruits and veggies (remember: prioritize nutrient content) is to eat by the GP- friendly rainbow.

Increasing Variety

 Red: watermelon, beets, tomato sauce*, pureed roasted red peppers, pomegranate juice, cherry juice  Orange/Yellow: sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, cantaloupe, peaches, winter squash, mango  Green: avocado, spinach, honeydew, green juices, baby food peas/green beans/etc.  Blue/Purple: purple potatoes, grape juice, acai juice, blueberry juice, baby food prunes/berries  White: bananas, pears, potatoes, parsnips, turnips, cauliflower puree, mushrooms

The GP-Friendly Rainbow

 Easier to digest than whole fruits/veggies (“grinding” of food has already been done)  May allow you to eat fruits/veggies that aren’t GP-friendly in

• ther forms

 Can be added to other foods to increase nutrient content and variety  Can buy commercial “baby food” or make your own purees  See Pureeing 101 Handout

Fruit & Vegetable Purees

 Juicing  Smoothies  Purees (“baby food”)

Not every GP-friendly diet has to incorporate all of these, BUT if you struggle to consume a variety of fruits and veggies, it’s worth experimenting with these techniques to see which works best for you.

GP-Friendly Ways to Increase Variety AND Nutrient Content

1. Review the Maximizing Nutrition and Pureeing 101 handouts.

• 2. Using the GP-Friendly Rainbow Worksheet, circle the foods

that you eat regularly and answer the questions.

• 3. Continue experimenting with one new GP-friendly food each

week, perhaps prioritizing your missing color(s).

• 4. Listen to the GP-friendly Juicing & Blending Bonus Class

(optional but recommended).

Action Steps

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Class 7