pancreatitis (again!) need recipes...

vodka started this discussion · 2/20/2010

🙁 turns out, i have pancreatitis again! oy. for those of you who don't know, it pretty much means that i can't eat anything or my abdomen starts seizing up in these awful pains that i can't fix. i am on day 3 of my clear liquid dieting. (read: starving to death slowly 😨 ) and i hate it...i have ZERO energy. i've missed school. i've missed work. and most of all, i have missed poling. 😢 it's not fair! the docs are unsure why i have it, but i do know that it is not something they have a cure for. just something they can help quell the pain for. i am going to have to totally change my diet, not that it was horrible to begin with, but there are now many things that i can't have, because this can be triggered by so many things. so...i am now in desperate need of some good recipes for quick snacks or foods i can eat, when i can eat again. if anyone has had this too, please share! i need recipes for low-fat or no-fat foods...also, can't have red meats, spicy foods or butter (agh!!). also, if you have anything that will give me some much-needed energy within these guidelines, i would REALLY love to know about it! thanks! >>>VODKA.... 😢 and no alcohol anymore...ohhhh to be 21 and not get to drink anymore!!! what rotten luck....

12 replies

MilienElayne · 2/20/2010
I think you'd also need to avoid refined sugars (bread, pasta, most cookies? not sure) as well as bad fats, caffiene and alcohol. Maybe wholemeal stuff is ok? Check with your doctor and ask to see a dietician! I read somewhere that smaller and more frequent meals helps not to over stress the pancreas as it has to make less juices at a time to help with digestion. What's recommended seems to be: whole grains, legumes (beans, peas, chickpeas...), fruits and vegetables and very lean meat (but again check that with your doctor and ask for a referal to a dietician). All good to keep your energy up. I'm not on a diet for medical reasons or to really lose weight or anything, but I do try to eat low fat, natural, whole and fresh foods as much as possible because my body seems to like it and then my mind does as well. I love whole rolled oats, muesli, raw fruit and veggies in a big variety, but steamed is good too (only it makes me gag if over done), can roast veges and to cut down the oil you just have to roll them lightly in it and you can even pat some of it off with paper towel... meat and protien is where I have trouble... Sometimes I'll have a hard boiled egg (but is that fatty?)...low fat chicken which I get as lunch meat that's nearly fat free breast meat, or just chicken roasted in its own juices with a simple herb crust and then cut off the skin and extra fat, or you can cut everything bad off and poach it in a clear asian vege soup maybe... Lean white fish is easy to do steamed or is yummy baked wrapped in foil with some fresh herbs and lemon slices. Soups are good and easy to make entirely fat free vegetarian style and/or you can add lentils or beans or chickpeas or noodles or some meat or tofu. I never have time to make soups though and my partner hates them for some reason. Hmmm.... so high carb and fruit brekkie, some carbs and protien for lunch with fruit and veg sides or snacks, and veges and meat or meat subsitutes for dinner. If I feel low I have a piece of fruit, a sweet vege like capsicum or a slice of cheese for a small quick snack and make sure I drink heaps of water cause I mistake hunger for thirst and vice versa sometimes. (Not sure if you can have much diary though, bit fatty?). But perhaps you could bake oat type cookies? With grated carrot and raisins and ginger is yummy and energising. Lemongrass tea would also help keep you awake. Not sure if this was helpful? I cook as little as possible for myself and the babies I care for at work who I cook for have no diet restrictions (except they should eat healthy, duh) as to fats and carbs/sugars and they're growing. So their food recipes wouldn't be helpful to you. Most of what I eat is like cut lunch style if I can get away with it. Not helpful as to recipes... Sorry!
chemgoddess1 · 2/20/2010
Pick up the Clean Eating cookbooks and magazine. There are so many really good low fat/good fat clean recipes in there. I feel so much better and look so much better when I try to stick to this way of eating.
monica kay · 2/20/2010
I don't eat dairy butter- but I eat vegan butter. It's called Earth Balance and it is SOOOOO GOOD. I think it's better than butter- so you won't have to miss out on that. You can use it to replace regular butter. 😎 Kale smoothies are currently a fav of mine. Soymilk, agave nectar to sweeten, 2 leaves of kale, a banana, and ice. yum 😁
Runemist34 · 2/20/2010
and no alcohol anymore...ohhhh to be 21 and not get to drink anymore!!! what rotten luck.... It's really not that bad. I never drank until I was about 20/21 (personal choice) and since then, ever drank more than a couple of sips in a night, never been drunk, and actually haven't found a lot of drinks I would want to participate much in. Ciders, maybe. Just maybe. So, I know what it's like. The only thing for younger people to do in my dingy little town is drink, party, have sex, work, go to school, and drink. It's really boring here, and yet...I've never thought of drinking as something "life enriching." I'm a crazy hippie like that! So, if you want any tips on what to do when everyone is drunk and "having a good time" and you can't drink, just let me know! 🥂 Also, I have a friend (my best friend, in fact) who gets major health problems. Things like ulcers, tonsillitis like seven times, and all sorts of things. I've seen her have to turn down things like chocolate and meat, and lots of other delicious things I know she loves. However, she gets through it! I would go back to the doctor, and ask a lot of questions. Things like what you should be eating, if there are any tests you can take to find out why this is happening, any allergies you may have that may cause this kind of thing. If you can figure out the why of things, the how and when and what to do usually falls into place, too! 🫡 Also, wanted to add...I'm lactose sensitive, and caffeine gives me migraines, and I'm totally allergic to eggs. So, yeah, I gotta watch my eating, too. 🐱
vodka · 2/21/2010
thanks for all the helpful hints...and yeah, i never really drank that much, but i did enjoy drinkin once in a while...! i am feeling quite a bit better today, so that at least is a start!! yay solid foods!!! 🥂
HunnyHeatha · 2/22/2010
I have Type 1 Diabetes so I understand the need to eat healthy! And a high 5 for both of us having pancreas' that suck! lol! I googled and found this link that has some really good information about pancreatitis and what you can and can't eat. http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=68739 Have you been to see a dietician? They should have created a meal plan for you and gone over what you can and can't eat.
poledanceromance · 2/22/2010
Veggies and whole wheat breads dipped in hummus! Yum yum YUM! And hummus can be made with a variety of flavorings to it, from creamy and fatty to lemony or even with a kick when you get to feeling better. Good way to get fiber, dipping broccoli and cauliflower in it. I like carrots and good whole weat bread personally. Tomatos are good in it too!
vodka · 2/23/2010
thanks for all the advice...what IS hummus exactly? i saw it tonite when i went grocery shopping, but i have no idea what it is! lol...
monica kay · 2/23/2010
🙂 hummus is a staple in my daily diet. it's basically a bean dip the ingredients are chickpeas (sometimes referred to as garbanzos) garlic, tahini, lemon, and salt. Since I don't eat cheese, I put "nutritional yeast" in my hummus occasionally to give it a cheezy flavor. you can eat it with pita bread, pita chips, tortilla chips, on toast, on celery- i sometimes even stir a huge spoonful of hummus in cooked brown rice.
vodka · 2/23/2010
ah! lol i never would have guessed that...and i am a cheese-addict, so maybe that one suggestion would do me some good! 😀
Vdub · 2/26/2010
Vodka, There are some really great recipes out there and once you try them you'll be hooked! I'm a vegan 99% of the time (I eat salmon once a week). I've found some great recipes on fatfreevegan.com and vegancoach.com. You should also probably invest in a good probiotic and take it regularly. Other foods you'll want to eat include spinach and blueberries. Try looking up quinoa recipes....great hearty grain that you can do a lot with. I have a quinoa paella recipe, as well as a quinoa loaf and salad recipe that I love. Either way, hang in there. For the first 18 years of my life my mother served something fried, a starch and a canned vegetable for dinner. I suffered many health problems in my mid 20's and finally figured that I needed to change my diet. It was difficult at first because I focused on what I couldn't have as opposed to all the other great foods out there. Once I started experimenting with fresh veggies I was hooked. Let me know if you need some encouragement or someone to talk to. I'm a health and wellness coach and have a lot of experience helping my clients change their diets. And for you, my pole sistah, there would be no charge!
Vdub · 2/26/2010
Vodka, I have a recipe for vegan cheese that takes only 10 minutes to make. Lots of great substitutes for cheese!