Patient's question:
There is something pressing on the chest and back, then frequent belching. Liver and gallbladder ultrasound, electrocardiogram, and chest X-ray are normal.Doctor's answer:
Analysis of the Condition: Hello, based on the symptoms and examination results you mentioned, it appears to be symptoms of gastritis. I recommend you consult a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner.Advice: Dietary methods for gastritis. Gastric diseases primarily involve nourishment, with a greater focus on dietary attention.
(1) Dietary Principles
1. Consume soft, easily digestible foods while avoiding large-volume, hard, and high-fiber foods to reduce mechanical irritation to the ulcerated area.
2. Eat small, frequent meals at regular intervals. Small portions can reduce gastric acid secretion, while frequent meals can compensate for insufficient food intake. Generally, meals should not be overly full, with a recommended portion size of 2/3 of normal. Aim for 4–5 meals per day. Regular meal times are crucial for maintaining gastric acid secretion and normal physiological functions.
3. To promote ulcer healing, it is essential to provide a nutritionally balanced diet, especially selecting high-protein foods.
4. Cooking methods should prioritize steaming, boiling, stewing, braising, and simmering, avoiding deep-frying, frying, pickling, and stir-frying. Avoid overly sweet, salty, hot, or cold foods.
5. Chew food thoroughly and slowly.
6. Ensure sufficient energy, moderate protein, low fat, and a rich vitamin intake.
(2) Sample Meal Plan
- Breakfast: Rice porridge (50g rice), steamed rolls (50g flour), steamed egg custard (40g eggs), fermented tofu (20g).
Snack: Milk (300ml, with 10g sugar), biscuits (25g).
- Lunch: Soft rice (100g rice), stir-fried fish fillets with carrots (100g fish, 50g carrots, 10g cornstarch), spinach egg soup (50g spinach, 40g eggs).
Snack: Soy milk (300ml, with 10g sugar), cake (25g).
- Dinner: Rice porridge (50g rice), steamed gluten cake (50g flour), stir-fried minced meat with potato puree (50g pork, 100g potatoes).
Total cooking oil: 25g per day.
Total energy: Approximately 10,080 kJ (2,400 kcal) per day.
(3) Key Points for Food Selection
1. Avoid foods that strongly stimulate gastric acid secretion, such as coffee, strong tea, cocoa, chocolate, concentrated meat broth, chicken soup, overly sweet foods, alcohol, sweet potatoes, etc. Also limit various spices and strong seasonings like MSG, mustard, pepper, chili, fennel, and Sichuan peppercorns.
2. Restrict high-fiber foods such as cornmeal, sorghum, dried soybeans, lotus root, bamboo shoots, celery, lotus root, chives, and soybean sprouts. Avoid hard foods like preserved meat, ham, sausage, clam meat, and peanuts.
3. Gas-producing foods like raw scallions, raw garlic, raw radishes, onions, and green garlic are not beneficial for gastric conditions. For those with poor spleen and stomach health, it is advisable to maintain a healthy lifestyle, minimize cold and cooling foods, and consume more soft, easily digestible foods.
4. Maintain a positive mindset, avoid stress, anger, and frustration, as stomach diseases are often influenced by emotions. For conditions like superficial gastritis, symptoms can improve with a regular lifestyle, relaxation, and an optimistic attitude.
5. Reduce stress and avoid excessive fatigue.
I recommend searching on Baidu for "Haibao Network – Medical Health Logs" and the "Liver, Stomach, and Intestine Health" section, which contains a wealth of knowledge on this topic and may be helpful to you. Examples include:
- Five foods that are good for your stomach
- Chronic gastritis dietary therapy to alleviate pain
- Fourteen dietary methods to nourish stomach qi
- Family meal plans for stomach disease patients
- 41 home remedies for treating stomach conditions
- Recipes for warm, stomach-nourishing porridge