The first week, there was a 2 day fast (which if you are having a gallbladder attack, is no problem since the last thing you want to do is eat). The following days are slowly adding fruits/veggies into your diet. So, days 3 and 4 you eat Grapes and only grapes. 2-3 oz. every 2 hours (of course, if you have certain diseases/illnesses, you'll have to substitute). I got the diet from GallbladderAttack.com. It's actually worked very, very well for me.
The first week was the hardest. I was tired, I was really depressed, I was stressed out, and I was upset with only eating grapes for the first couple of days. However, once I started to feel better (a few days into the diet), I stopped minding my very restricted food. It felt good to eat and not be in pain. I'm now going into my 3rd week on the diet and I'm able to add more food in (although, I am still not eating meat, grains, or dairy). It helps that my husband is a great cook and can make some amazing vegan dishes for me (although I still find I cannot be around when he's making his own food or dinner for the kids. It's hard to smell all of the foods I love, so I usually stay out of the way for dinnertime).
It is recommended to try small amounts of the foods you "want" (for me, it was chicken). I had a very small piece of chicken (1 bite) and within just a few minutes of eating that, I could tell I was not ready for it...so I'll just keep on with the vegan diet and try again in another week or so.
If you can check out the site I linked earlier, it will really give you a lot of information about the gallbladder, thyroid, and a bunch of other things you most likely will not learn from your doctor. Of course, not everyone is the same and what works for me may not work for someone else. And, I do have to say that it is best to be checked out by a specialist before going onto this eating plan (to make sure there are no other issues going on).
Ok, so at the beginning of week 3 for me, I feel energetic, happy, well rested, and hopeful. I jump up in the morning ready to face my day as opposed to ready to crawl into a cave. My skin looks much better and most people I know are commenting on how different I look (and act). The bounce is back in my step and the sparkle in my eyes. It's been an amazing shift from just a few short weeks ago.
Speaking of which, I was looking over the eating plan I got from my doctor and it was kind of sad. It basically talks about the same type of diet (very restricted at first, but slowly adding in foods that meet certain criteria) but it recommends replacing sugar with sugar substitutes (Aspartame, etc). I couldn't believe that! Please, whatever you do...please do not use sugar substitutes as they have been proven to cause a whole bunch of other ailments...and that is exactly what we are trying to prevent.
The first week was hard since I couldn't have any breads, etc. But, I promise that the longer you are on the diet and the better you feel, the less you will crave those other things. It will come to a point where you can slowly add small amounts of grains, dairy, etc. back into your diet, but until you can eat those things and not have issues, you'll feel much better leaving them out.
Finally, a lot of Thyroid issues also affect the Adrenals. It was so important for me to turn off the computer and other stimulating electronics and go to bed at an early hour (I'm now going to bed at the same time the kids do...around 8pm or 9pm). I get up whenever my body is ready (usually about 12 hours after falling asleep), as long as my husband is around to get the kids ready for school. This need for so much sleep is starting to taper off and I'm finding that I am naturally, without an alarm, getting up at 6:30am. So, it's definitely helping me to feel better.
This week, I have lemons, grapefruit, kale, celery, cucumbers, spinach, and beets in my eating plan. Next week (the 4th week), I get to add more fruit. It's the little things that make me happy, these days.
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