low-fat diet

[witchbaby]

i was diagnosed with gallstones the other day and put on a rather strict low-fat diet. while i needed to eat healthier in any case (and this is forcing me to ingest even more fruits and veggies than i was already), i'm unable to eat much in the way of fats or protein, being allowed only 3 tsp. of fats (butter, margerine, oil, etc) and 6oz of lean meat a day. at this rate, because of the severity of the attacks i've had, we're trying to avoid fats and meats altogether, so we're looking at close to a vegan diet (the only thing i'm really allowed is non-fat milk and fat-free yogurt).
what should i be doing to ensure my milk supply? m is 7 months old and not really interested in solid foods-- he still has a pretty strong gag reflex and rejects most foods. i'm completely comfortable with this and am not interested in pushing him into foods he's obviously not ready for. i understand vegan and vegetarians can easily breastfeed, do any have any advice? any recipes (preferably low on oil)?

[Laurel723]

http://www.westonaprice.org/askdoctor/gallstones.html

This might give you some additional info.....

HTH-good luck!

[joliebebe]

While I dont know much about gall stones , I do believe a no fat diet is harmful, not only for baby but also for us. Even a tbsp a day would be better than nothing.
We are completely meat free, but we eat plenty of full fat dairy, I have been exclusively bf for 8 months now. If I had to limit my fat intake, I would make sure what ever fat I was eating is healthy fat, so no vegetable oils, margarine, polyunsaturated and trans fats etc. Butter would be the best way to go.

I would definatly get a second opinion on this issue, maybe from a less mainstream source?, if you dont mind me saying, as I believe that a complete fat free diet might compromise the quality of your milk. Also I would definately check out the wesite mentioned by the pp.

Best of luck

[witchbaby]

Originally Posted by joliebebe

While I dont know much about gall stones , I do believe a no fat diet is harmful, not only for baby but also for us. Even a tbsp a day would be better than nothing.
We are completely meat free, but we eat plenty of full fat dairy, I have been exclusively bf for 8 months now. If I had to limit my fat intake, I would make sure what ever fat I was eating is healthy fat, so no vegetable oils, margarine, polyunsaturated and trans fats etc. Butter would be the best way to go.

I would definatly get a second opinion on this issue, maybe from a less mainstream source?, if you dont mind me saying, as I believe that a complete fat free diet might compromise the quality of your milk. Also I would definately check out the wesite mentioned by the pp.

Best of luck

gallstones are formed by fats not being properly digested and forming hard little "stones" in the gallbladder. most people have them, but they're large enough or small enough they don't cause any problems. in other cases, such as mine, they're just the right size to get lodged in the bile duct and cause inflimation and spasming of the gallbladder. this causes extreme pain and can result in infection and possibly pancreatitis, which can be fatal.
it's become apparent that my attacks are triggered by fats (usually oil). i'm allowed a certain amount of fat per day (more than just the 3 tsp i mentioned, since i've cut out meat altogether, so i can replace the fat from the meat with other fats), and i'm being sure to get it. we're eating very healthily.

[joliebebe]

I hope you dont mind me posting again on this. Ive become a bit 'research happy' lately.

I checked out the link the pp mentioned and it offers a very new perspective on this issue

A few quotes stand out in particular:

The gall bladder is a reservoir or holding tank for bile salts, which the body uses to digest fats. When we eat fat, the body releases bile into the digestive tract to break it down into absorbable fatty acids.

Bile salts are made of cholesterol. Gall stones are a sign that your body has "decided" to increase its reservoir of cholesterol. Why would it do this? The obvious answer is that it has become "afraid" that the supply of cholesterol is low, therefore it uses the strategy of storing extra for a "rainy day."

And this seems to be the interesting bit:

So what should you do? First, do not believe that your gall bladder is diseased! Second, give your body what it needs, in this case more cholesterol. Once your body is convinced that you are serious and will provide it with a steady stream of cholesterol, which it desperately needs to stay alive, it will give up the flawed strategy of storing extra, the stones will dissolve and you will be well again. I know of two people who adopted this strategy, and within a year their stones completely dissolved. Actually, you might want to thank your gall bladder for devising such an innovative strategy for keeping you alive until you learned how to eat in a way that provides your body with the materials it needs to be healthy.

The best way to provide your gall bladder with cholesterol is to eat plenty of animal fats. If you eat a lot of vegetable oils and trans fats, the gall bladder is likely to become inflamed. If you are on a lowfat diet, the gall bladder atrophies because it does not have enough work to do.

Just a different perspective: