What do the following people have in common…?
- The Dalai Lama
- Eric Clapton
- Jack Black
- Crown Princess Mary of Denmark.
- Marilyn Monroe.
Any ideas?
They’ve all had their gallbladders removed.
Eek.
Marilyn Monroe’s operation caused a massive scar, which she had during filming of her final movie, Something’s Got To Give.
Footage photo from the film was retouched to remove the scar – but then she was fired from production and the film was binned.
It’s never pretty when you get a gallbladder problem.
One of the most common is gallstones.
Symptoms include pain in your right upper abdomen, which can spread to the back or shoulder blades, causing nausea, vomiting, and possibly bloating.
You can even get jaundice if a gallstone blocks your bile duct.
However, it’s possible that you could have gallstones without having any symptoms – they can only be discovered when you have tests for other conditions.
Severe cases typically lead to surgery, with laparoscopic cholecystectomy being the most common procedure.
Other methods like ERCP can remove stones from the bile duct.
In the past, there were medicines for gallstones, like ursodeoxycholic acid, but it was suitable only for small, cholesterol-based gallstones and not those which contained calcium.
It wasn’t a magic bullet solution either – medical treatment with drugs could take up to two years, with the risk of gallstones reoccurring later.
There were side-effects too, including nausea, vomiting, and itchy skin. Plus, it could interfere with certain oral contraceptives, leading to unwanted pregnancies.
This is why, for most people with gallstones, the GP will offer treatment options including pain management and (if they’re doing their job properly) dietary advice.
Here’s what you need to eat (and avoid) to keep your gallbladder healthy and reduce the symptoms of gallstones.
How to Lower Your Gallstone Risk With Food
To lower your risk of gallstones, a healthy eating plan is crucial.
This includes eating plenty foods high in fibre, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, peas, and whole grains like brown rice, oats, and whole wheat bread.
You should drastically reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates and sugar.
Possibly spicy food might be a trigger, so keep your eye on that and – if possible – keep a food diary to track any other foods that cause problems.
You should up your consumption of oily fish, along with an omega 3 supplement (like our krill one here), as well as olive oil.
These can help improve your gallbladder function.
It’s also worth noting that rapid weight loss can contribute to the formation of gallstones.
If you are on a diet, aim for a gradual weight reduction of 1-2 lbs (0.5 to 1 kg) per week to minimise your risk.
As always, I recommend that you cook mostly whole ingredients from scratch, which will help you control your intake of sugar, refined carbs and unhealthy fats.
- Milk thistle is known for its liver-protective effects, potentially helping to manage liver-related conditions.
- Peppermint can aid digestion and may relieve digestive symptoms like bloating and gas.
- Turmeric, rich in curcumin, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, potentially benefiting overall health by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.
You could also try acupuncture which to stimulate your body’s nervous system, which can modulate pain perception and aid the digestive process by activating the production of certain neurotransmitters and hormones.
But before you experiment with the above, do seek out medical advice and a diagnosis if you are worried that you have gallstones.
And I’ll finish today with some news…
Update on the soapnut saga!
As you know, the Good Life Letter has been on a mission to bring the greenest ever version of soapnuts to our subscribers at the lowest price.
As you recall, soapnuts are a natural product that can wash your laundry without detergents that irritate the skin and pollute the environment.
To do that, we have sourced the best soapnuts from India and got them bottled ourselves in 100% recycled materials.
But it hasn’t been easy.
The whole project has been cursed with delays, bad timing and awful luck.
If you’ve been reading the Good Life Letter over the past couple of weeks, then you’ll know the saga…
Suppliers going AWOL… emails going unanswered… shipments being caught up in political turmoil in the Red Sea… deliveries being turned away from factories.
So, we haven’t been able to take delivery of this amazing product…
Until now!
Finally, I am told that our bottled soapnut liquid is arriving at our storage facility and will be ready to deliver THIS WEEKEND!
I’m going to send you an email on Sunday that (hopefully) will confirm this, along with a link so that you can place an order.
I’m so glad this is finally happening!
Stay tuned for more on Sunday.
