Usually people, especially girls, tend to be slim. What sacrifices women just don’t make: hard diets, exhausting workouts, taking dietary supplements. In men, however, the exact opposite attitude, in which weight loss is a big problem. However, both men and women may experience underweight. The causes of this deficiency are often diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) - gastritis, for the most part. How to cope with the problem of weight loss? How to gain weight with gastritis?
Disease characteristics
Gastritis is a disease of the stomach, which consists in inflammation of its mucous membrane. For various reasons, mucosal irritation occurs, which sometimes leads to unbearable pain in the solar plexus. Ignoring such body signals ends with the fact that the cells of the gastric epithelium atrophy, digesting the incoming food is difficult.
In medical practice, two main types of gastritis are distinguished - acute and chronic. An acute type of gastritis can be caused by expired food, the ingestion of an irritating element (acids, metals), as well as infection with intestinal infections. In fact, the phenomenon of acute gastritis occurs once and suddenly against the background of negative effects on the gastric mucosa.
Chronic gastritis is divided into 3 types: autoimmune, bacterial and reflux gastritis. Bacterial gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori infection occurs in 9 out of 10 cases. However, the question of how to gain weight with gastritis and GERD is relevant in the case of reflux gastritis. The reason for its occurrence is the periodic release of bile from the stomach into the esophagus, which a healthy person should not have, because the closed sphincter usually protects the esophagus from the contents of the stomach.
Symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases
The main symptom of almost all diseases associated with the digestive system is acute or aching pain in the abdominal cavity, specifically in the stomach, under the right and left hypochondrium, in the intestine. Pain can be accompanied by heartburn, nausea after eating, loss of appetite, heart palpitations. Of the external manifestations, one can distinguish a white coating on the tongue and a sour breath.
Gastritis, especially chronic, is characterized by loose stools, periodically replaced by constipation. Patients may complain of weakness, increased fatigue, frequent headaches, discomfort, and bloating. Upon transition to the acute form, vomiting after eating and severe pain in the stomach can be observed.
Why does weight loss occur?
Before answering the question: "How to gain weight with gastritis?", It is necessary not only to understand the reasons why weight loss has a place to be, but also to get rid of them. The main reason, of course, lies in the presence of a disease of the digestive system, or rather, in the presence of an inflammatory process in the digestive tract.
With gastritis, the inflamed walls of the stomach are not able to fully digest and assimilate food. A large proportion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates are not broken down and not absorbed. Also, quite often, patients with a sick stomach complain of loss of appetite, which ultimately leads to a rapid decrease in body weight.
For many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, especially in the period of exacerbation, liquid and even watery stools, diarrhea are characteristic. Also, after eating, nausea and vomiting may occur. The combination of these symptoms leads to dehydration. He is forced to use reserves in the form of fat deposits, as he is not able to provide himself with enough calories. This ultimately leads to a sharp weight loss.
Weight Gain
Starting to gain weight without getting rid of the reasons for its decline is a futile exercise. To begin with, it is necessary to cure gastrointestinal diseases, in which complete assimilation of nutrients is impossible. Or, at least, translate chronic diseases into remission. Only after this you can think about how to gain weight with gastritis and esophagitis.
Treatment of gastrointestinal diseases is under the supervision of a gastroenterologist. Depending on the severity of the problem, the course of treatment can be carried out both at home and on an outpatient basis. First, an anamnesis is collected: the patient says that he is worried and talks about the course of the disease. Next, a collection of tests is carried out, including a general and biochemical blood test, urinalysis and feces. Required examinations such as ultrasound and gastroscopy.
Treatment of gastrointestinal diseases
After the doctor has diagnosed one or more diseases associated with the gastrointestinal tract, the course of treatment begins directly. In any case, it will include a specialized diet - table No. 5, aimed at minimizing the risk of new exacerbations. The right diet is an important help in answering the question of how to gain weight with gastritis. Food should be fractional, in small portions, 4 to 7 times a day.
However, one diet will not be enough. Only the attending physician can cure gastritis, pancreatitis, esophagitis, or at least achieve remission of such gastrointestinal diseases. He will draw up an individual program for taking medications, without which it is quite problematic to cure erosion and inflammatory processes in the digestive tract. Gaining weight with atrophic gastritis is possible only if the course of treatment is successfully completed.
Typically, for gastritis, drugs are prescribed that reduce the acidity of gastric juice ("Maalox", "Gastal") and inhibit the production of gastric enzymes ("Nolpaza", "De-Nol"). Additional food enzymes (Mezim, Pancreatin) and antibacterial drugs can also be prescribed for the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection (Amoxicillin, Clarithromycin).
The principles of good nutrition
During the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, it is mandatory to follow a special diet, mentioned above table No. 5. You should also increase the number of meals per day to 6, with an interval of 2-3 hours. The volume of each portion should be reduced to 200-250 grams. Chew food thoroughly.
For gastritis, pancreatitis, esophagitis, fresh baked goods, mushrooms, fried meat, smoked meats, cakes and pastries, chocolate, fast food, soda and alcohol should be excluded from the diet. From the menu you need to remove everything that is difficult to digest: cooked in oil, solid food with coarse fibers. The diet menu cannot boast of high calorie content. Therefore, losing weight due to dieting is the norm. Then how to gain weight with gastritis? Later, removing the inflammation and negative symptoms of gastrointestinal tract disorders, the diet can be diluted with more high-calorie foods rich in fats, amino acids and protein. These are baked fish, boiled turkey, rabbit meat and beef, pasta of hard varieties.
Sample menu for the day
When compiling the menu, one should proceed from the following ratio of nutrients: 50% carbohydrates, 35% fat and 15% protein.
- First and second breakfast. For the first breakfast after waking up, porridge is ideal - herculean, semolina, boiled in milk. You can eat cottage cheese mixed with honey or jam, or casserole. For the second tomorrow, porridge is also suitable, but you can cook baked fruits, make a fruit salad or milk souffle.
- Dinner. Answering the question: "How to gain weight after gastritis?", One cannot fail to mention the importance of proper lunch. As a required first course, chicken soup with noodles, meatball soup, mashed pea or pumpkin soup are suitable. On the second, as a side dish, you can make mashed potatoes or cook pasta without forgetting about meat (it is best to eat chicken or turkey).
- An afternoon snack. During afternoon tea, you can drink a weak, sweet black tea. Eat fruit, yogurt or a small portion of cottage cheese.
- Dinner. It should always consist of meat dishes: meatballs, zrazy, meatballs. Eating meat should be accompanied by vegetables, and preferably a fresh salad of cucumbers or tomatoes. On the side you can cook rice, buckwheat, pasta or mashed potatoes.
- Before bedtime. For an hour and a half before going to bed, you can drink a glass of yogurt or fermented baked milk, eat a couple of crackers, bagels or bread.
Diet for gastritis with low acidity
In addition to acute and chronic gastritis, gastritis with low and high acidity is also distinguished in medicine. Classification is based on the principle of allocating the amount of produced gastric juice. If it is not enough, then it is gastritis with low acidity. If a lot, then with an increased.
How to gain weight with gastritis with low acidity? Adhere to diet and special rules for eating:
- Food must be chewed for a long time and carefully. The meal itself should be measured and take a long time, about 15-30 minutes.
- 10 minutes before a meal, you should drink a glass of mineral water to stimulate the production of gastric juice.
- During meals, you can and even need to eat vegetables. After eating, you can eat sour fruits, but you should refuse from sweets.
The diet itself should be rich in protein. Boiled meat of turkey, chicken, rabbit, as well as beef is perfect. Of vegetables, carrots, broccoli, and cabbage are recommended for use. You also need to add dairy products to the diet.
Diet for gastritis with high acidity
With gastritis with high acidity, the activity of gastric juice is very high, so it is necessary to reduce not only its activity, but also to reduce the volume.
How to gain weight with gastritis with high acidity? The following rules must be observed:
- Foods with hard fibers and coarse fiber (bread with bran, granola) should be excluded from the diet.
- Some products stimulate the production of gastric juice, they must be discarded. These are soda, fatty broths, cabbage, sour fruits, coffee and alcohol. Excluded from the menu should be fermented milk products, fresh pastries.
- Food should be warm. Excessively hot or cold food negatively affects the walls of the esophagus and stomach.
With gastritis with high acidity, you can eat boiled meat and low-fat fish, various seafood, cereals. The diet should be diluted with vegetables and fresh herbs, grated berries and fruits.
Useful folk recipe
Our ancestors also encountered various gastrointestinal disorders. To cope with them, they used herbs and plants, what was at hand. This knowledge, embodied in the form of folk recipes, is still relevant and useful as an aid in answering the question: "How to gain weight with pancreatitis and gastritis?"
So, for example, it perfectly stimulates digestion and improves the appetite decoction from the rhizomes of calamus. It should be drunk for half an hour, half a glass before each meal. To prepare the broth, chop the calamus roots. 3 teaspoons of crushed roots need to be poured with two glasses of water (400 ml), after which the resulting mixture must be boiled over low heat for 15 minutes.
Sport is the best way to gain weight.
Strange as it may seem, it is physical activity in combination with proper and balanced nutrition that gives the greatest result in the framework of the issue of weight gain. How to gain weight with gastritis in a man? The ideal option is a gym. Hour or one and a half hour classes in the hall 3-5 times a week will not only improve external data, but also help to gain muscle mass. Muscle mass itself is heavier than fat mass, so you can gain weight by converting one mass to another.
In order to play sports in favor of, and not to the detriment of, at first it is recommended to take several classes with a professional trainer. He will show how to do the exercises correctly and draw up a training program, taking into account medical indications and current physical condition. The trainer can also advise on proper nutrition with power loads and regarding protein intake. Protein is an extremely effective way to quickly gain muscle mass. Moreover, it can also be used for gastritis, since it is easily absorbed by the walls of the stomach. However, the protein must be clean, without flavoring.
General conclusion
In most diseases associated with the gastrointestinal tract: gastritis, pancreatitis, esophagitis, GERD, weight loss occurs. The inflamed mucosa of the digestive system is not able to properly digest food, which leads to incomplete absorption of nutrients. Possible loss of appetite, diarrhea and vomiting greatly deplete the body.
It is possible to gain weight with gastrointestinal disorders, however, first you need to cure or transfer to the remission stage all diseases associated with the digestive process. Both during the course of the disease and after it is necessary to follow a special diet - table No. 5. It can vary slightly depending on the type of problem, as, for example, in the case of gastritis with high and low acidity. You must also follow the special rules of food intake, so as not to irritate the digestive system.
As part of the issue of weight gain, training in the gym is extremely effective. Exercise, proper nutrition and protein will help you gain muscle mass quickly. However, you first need to consult a doctor, and then with a personal trainer.