The Impact of Gallbladder Removal on Skin Health

Nearly all skin diseases such as eczema, acne, and psoriasis have one factor in common: gallstones in the liver. Almost every person with a skin disease also has intestinal problems and impure blood, in particular.  This is due to an inefficient fat metabolism system as well as metabolism problems with vitamin A.  A common symptom of a gallbladder issue is peeling of the skin on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.  It is also common to have a deficiency in essential fatty acids over time after the gallbladder is removed.  This can cause all sorts of aches and pains, dry skin and scalp, stiffness, and chronic diseases. It’s also possible to have a vitamin deficiency since vitamins A, D, E, & K require fat in order to be absorbed.   

Gallstones contribute to numerous problems throughout the body – particularly in the digestive, circulatory, and urinary systems. In its attempt to eliminate what the colon, kidneys, lungs, liver, and lymphatic system are unable to remove or detoxify, the skin becomes flooded and overburdened with acidic waste. Although the skin is the largest organ of elimination in the body, it eventually succumbs to the acid assault. The toxic material is deposited first in the connective tissue underneath the dermis. When this tissue becomes saturated, the skin begins to malfunction.

Excessive amounts of noxious substances, microbes and various toxins from improperly digested foods congest the lymphatic system and inhibit proper lymph drainage from the various living layers of the skin. The toxins from damaged skin cells attract microbes and become a source of constant irritation and inflammation of the skin. Skin cells begin to suffer malnourishment, which may greatly reduce their normal interval of turnover. This may also cause extensive damage to skin nerves.

If the sebaceous glands become nutrient deficient, hair growth becomes abnormal and, in particular, scalp hair may fall out. When the body’s melanin supply becomes deficient, the hair turns gray prematurely. On the skin, vital nutrients are depleted which act as a bacterial and fungicide counter-agent, preventing the invasion of microbes. These nutrients also prevent drying and cracking of the skin.

Healthy skin functions are often completely restored and hair growth (particularly among women) can be returned to normal once the GI microbiome is restored to balance.  Once the gallbladder is removed this becomes a greater challenge but with professional care and guidance the adverse effects on skin and hair can be corrected.

Second only to the brain in complexity, the liver manages the most intricate processes of digestion and metabolism, thereby affecting the life and health of every cell in the body. Gallstones in the liver are a major cause of illness and disorders in the body, including skin disorders.

At Living Proof Institute we care about restoring health and vitality through a functional approach to restoring the balance to your system, please contact us to make an appointment- a healthy life is just a call away.

The Impact of the Gallbladder Removal On Hormone Health

The gallbladder actually plays a very important role in your body.  And while many people do seem to live a normal life without it, many others have health issues that are due to their gallbladder being removed.  But most people aren’t aware that their health issues are related to this.

The fats and oils you consume are part of the building blocks of many of the hormones in your body.  And so if you don’t have a gallbladder, then your ability to make and metabolize hormones will be impaired.  This of course is also the case if you still have your gallbladder, but it’s not functioning correctly, which is the case with many people.  If you have a malfunctioning gallbladder then you can expect to have problems with hormone metabolism.  Someone who has a malfunctioning gallbladder will have some of the same symptoms as you might expect from a person who has had their gallbladder removed: bloating, belching, indigestion, and pain between the shoulder blades.  

Top 5 Ways Your Gallbladder Affects Your Hormones

Ø      Gallbladder function affects hormones when you eat. When you eat food and fill your stomach, your body naturally produces a hormone called cholecystokinin. This hormone triggers the gallbladder to release bile into the small intestine to help you digest the food you ate.

Ø      Gallbladders contain hormone receptors. Inside the gallbladder are hormone receptors for the hormones estrogen and progesterone. These receptors make the tissue inside the gallbladder highly sensitive to increased presence of these two hormones.

Ø      Increased estrogen levels affect function. People who receive estrogen therapy are at a higher risk of contracting gallbladder disease and developing gallstones. The estrogen receptors located in the gallbladder are more sensitive to the increased levels, and the result of this sensitivity can be decreased gallbladder function, gallstones and gallbladder disease.

Ø      Pregnancy hormones are a factor. Women who are pregnant can experience increased levels of the hormone progesterone. Because the gallbladder contains progesterone receptors, the increased presence of this hormone can inhibit gallbladder function.

Ø      Women are more affected. Because women are more likely to have increased estrogen and progesterone levels, they are more likely to be at risk for gallbladder disease, gallstones and decreased gallbladder function as a result of the presence of hormones.

Estrogen Dominance And Gallbladder Issues

Estrogen dominance is a condition involving a hormone imbalance between estrogen and progesterone.  This condition causes bile to become thick and sluggish, which will cause problems with the processing of fats, and can impair hormone metabolism. 

At Living Proof Institute, a few simple tests can help us determine the best course of regaining balance and avoid unnecessary surgery to remove your gallbladder

What can you do if you have already had your gallbladder removed?  There are certain supplements people can take to help process the fats.  You need to eat a balanced diet consisting of protein, quality fats, and a minimal amount of carbohydrates.  But in order to break down the healthy fats you eat, you either need a properly functioning gallbladder, or if your gallbladder has been removed, then you will need to take certain supplements which help prevent the bile from becoming thick and sluggish.

Bile is a dark green/yellow-brown fluid and contains about 10% bile salts. The bile acids (salts) have a strong relationship to hormonal regulation as they share many of the same synthesis pathways as hormones. This is why people with hormonal problems, especially women with estrogen dominance, are more susceptible to gallbladder problems. The more hormonal stress on the body the lower the bile acid, which in turn disrupts normal hormonal metabolism.

Bile not only helps to break down fat, but it also helps in hormone regulation since bile salts share many of the same pathways as hormones. It is easy to see how bile salts and hormones are related if you understand that the fats and oils that you consume are part of the building blocks of hormones. If fats are not properly metabolized then hormone metabolism is also disrupted and hormones – specifically estrogen and progesterone – become imbalanced. 

The relationship between bile and hormones is a co-dependent one. When estrogen is high, progesterone is low.  Estrogen dominance has a huge impact on the health of the gallbladder.  If you are taking birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy or have an IUD (especially copper), the hormone-gallbladder connection may be very strong. If you are having gallbladder issues, it would be a great idea to seek the help of a Living Proof Institute we could help you obtain a hormone panel, see the actual levels, and recommend supplements that can help regulate hormones.

The gallbladder also plays a role in insulin regulation. The cells that produce insulin in the pancreas also occur in the gallbladder. Insulin is also metabolized by the liver and can therefore have an effect on the bile salts – so diets high in refined carbohydrates and those with insulin resistance will also be more likely to have troubles with their gallbladder.

Even though people can live without a gallbladder, this doesn’t mean this organ isn’t important to our health.  Without a properly functioning gallbladder, not only will this affect the ability to break down fats, but it will also affect the formation and metabolism of hormones.  

It is so important for us to realize how much control we have over our own health, if we have the knowledge about how to look after ourselves. 

How Stress Affects the Gallbladder

Studies have suggested that stress may play an important role in the formation of cholesterol gallstones. When bile becomes over concentrated, it can harden, producing deposits, or stones that are devastatingly painful to pass. Stressful situations cause our body to divert energy from digestive processes to combating anxiety-filled environments.

Stress also raises levels of the hormone cortisol, which depletes bile. This is why abdominal bloating is typically worse late in the day and subsides overnight, while we sleep and de-stress.

We all know that stress can make us emotionally upset, physically tense and mentally confused, but have you ever considered the effects on your biochemistry?  Stress can be to your body what lightning is your your computer.

We have put together a 35 minute video on Understanding Stress.  This video is packed with amazing information that can transform your life.  We recommend that you watch the video in short intervals, free from distractions.  

Stress is the leading cause of chronic disease and suffering and it prevents proper healing and repair from taking place.  

We always appreciate your feedback, so please feel free to reach out to us and give us your input.

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The Impact of the Gallbladder on the Microbiome

The World Within You:  The Microbiome

• Scientists have long known that the human body coexists with trillions of individual germs, what they call the microbiome. 

• Microbes are organisms too small to be viewed with the naked eye. They can be single- or multi-celled and include bacteria, algae, archaea, protists, fungi, and viruses. Typically, we each play host to around 1000 different species of microbe, with as many as 7000 different strains, or subtypes, found in the gut alone. The specific composition of each human microbiome is unique, like a fingerprint. The main focus of microbiome research is its role in health and disease.

  That some microbes have a negative impact upon health is widely known. For example, fungi cause thrush, aspergillosis and athletes foot; bacteria cause salmonella, tuberculosis and syphilis; viruses cause the common cold, influenza and AIDs. Microbes are also thought to induce around 20% of all fatal cancers, and have been associated with multiple sclerosis, diabetes and coronary artery disease. Whether or not a species of microbe promotes or undermines good health often depends upon its interactions not only with its human host, but with neighboring microbe species and the wider environment.

  The microbial population of the gastrointestinal tract is extremely dense, made up mostly of bacteria. While a core community of gut microbes—approximately one third—is common to most healthy adults, the composition of each gut microbiota varies according to factors including genetics, diet, age, state of health and geographical location. Microbes are considered essential to digestion. The gut microbiota breaks down substances that the gut alone is unable to digest and is also involved in synthesis of vitamins.

• Our microbiomes help us digest food and fight disease, all the while evolving fast and flexibly in service of their own interests.

Gallstones are associated with an increase of certain bacterias, which suggests an overgrowth of bacteria previously linked to gastrointestinal disorders.  There are three common gut bacterial in patients with gallstones, indicating a correlation between these bacteria and gallbladder attacks

Bile and the microbiota
The biliary tract is the path by which bile is processed by the liver and gallbladder, then transported to the first part of the small intestine. In gallstone patients, high levels (around 70%) of gut bacteria were detected in the biliary tract.  Certain bacteria in the biliary tract of patients increase the risk of gallstone formation

Manipulating the microbiome could be an important part of the prevention and treatment of gallstones. Although more studies on the GI microbiome are needed, results indicate that prebiotics, dietary changes, fermented foods etc. could be useful in the prevention and treatment of gallstones.

Imbalances in gut bacteria have been implicated in the progression from liver disease to cancer. 

There are trillions of microorganisms in the human microbiome — they outnumber their host's cells by around ten to one — and their exact role in health and disease is only now starting to be explored. Studies have found that people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease have a different composition of bacteria in their gut from healthy individuals, various factors — including a high-fat diet, alcoholism, genetic susceptibility and the microbiome — can each contribute to the progression from minor to severe liver damage, and from severe liver damage to cancer.

Whatever comes from the gut enters the liver and is processed through the gallbladder.  As blood leaves the intestines it passes through the liver, carrying nutrients extracted from our food. It also carries our own digestive chemicals as well as fragments of the bacteria that live in the digestive system (such as bits of DNA and cell walls) and their metabolic by-products. Some of these by-products help us to access energy and nutrients in food, but some are toxic. 

The liver has several crucial functions, and it does more than just filter toxins and produce digestive chemicals.  The gallbladder is not a useless organ but instead works as a means to process and filter in conjunction with the liver.

The liver and gallbladder have an important role in immune surveillance and helps to maintain bacterial balance in the gut. Specialized cells in the liver and intestines monitor the microbiome by keeping tabs on bacterial by-products as they pass through. These cells can detect infections and help to fight them.  They can also pick up on subtler changes in the bacterial populations in the gut. When certain types of bacteria become too numerous — a state called dysbiosis — the immune system becomes activated and triggers inflammation, although at a lower level than it would for an infection. 

Immune reactions aimed at fighting infectious bacteria and other foreign invaders can have off-target effects that lead to disease. Dysbiosis causes inflammation that contributes to the worsening of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. 

The key to maintaining balance of the various species of bacteria in the gut is the health of your gallbladder, without a gallbladder the liver function is taxed and bile is insufficiently managed. An out-of-balance microbiome promotes a constant state of inflammation, which can contribute to all kinds of problems throughout the GI tract, As an inflammatory process: these same immune reactions that help the body to fight infection and disease can also promote unchecked cell growth.

Out of balance

The liver generates bile acids, which are stored in the gall bladder and are released into the intestines to digest fatty foods. They act as a kind of digestive detergent, helping the body to take up dietary fat along with fat-soluble vitamins. The acids then get absorbed by the intestines and passed back to the liver, which sends them back to the gall bladder.

Some gut bacteria chemically alter these bile acids to produce secondary bile acids, which are toxic to humans and even to certain bacteria. Fat is carried in the same way by these secondary bile acids and follows the same path from gut to liver to gall bladder but can't be processed as effectively without your gallbladder.

An abundance of these secondary bile acids has been connected to obesity. Some of the earliest research on the human microbiome, demonstrated that the balance of gut bacteria in obese people is different from that in people of healthy weight. In particular, obese people tend to have greater numbers of the bacteria that produce secondary bile acids. The result is a fundamental change in the composition of the microbiota in the intestine and can cause dysbiosis.

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Researchers are looking for ways to understand the composition of people's bile acids, they believe it might be possible to get microbiomes back in balance by treating them with 'good' bacteria that have been genetically engineered to produce an enzyme that converts secondary bile acids back to their primary form.

There is also some early clinical evidence that specially formulated probiotics — cocktails of good bacteria — can bump the microbiome back into balance and that delivering bacteria to the gut can have positive therapeutic effects on the liver.

At Living Proof Institute we believe a balanced microbiome is the difference between health and a premature loss of vigor and vitality.  You can choose to feel good again, contact us to arrange a consultation to learn more.

Why Gallbladder Surgery Never Really Solves the Problem

Every year in the United States, over 700,000 people get an important part of their digestive system removed. Cholecystectomy, or gallbladder removal, is often billed as a permanent solution for gallstones. That solution comes at a high cost, because the gallbladder is an essential part of the digestive system.  Without it, things just don’t work quite right.

Bile produced in the gallbladder is especially important for breaking down fat, so the typical solution from doctors who think fat is unhealthy has been an ultra low-fat diet. But there’s just one problem with this: high fat diets don’t cause gallstones or any other gallbladder problems, and low-fat diets are not a solution.

What is the problem then, if fat isn’t to blame? For starters, sugar has something to do with it: one study found, obesity and a high-carb diet both independently contributed to gallstones. Genetics also play a role, and various groups of people are more likely to suffer from stones (for example, they’re more common in women than in men). And in fact, a low-fat diet can even contribute to forming gallstones. 

Your gallbladder is an organ that stores bile, a fluid that helps you digest fat. When you eat a nice, fatty meal, your gallbladder releases the stored bile, which breaks down the fat so that your other fat-digesting enzymes can do their job.  Unfortunately, if you never eat a nice fatty meal, the bile just sits around in the gallbladder getting more and more concentrated. Eventually, cholesterol and other substances start to collect and form painful gallstones. That’s why a very low-fat diet can actually make gallstones worse – and why a diet rich in healthy fat can help prevent them.

What happens when you don’t have a gallbladder?

Your liver continues to manufacture bile, but there is no longer a place to store it or concentrate it.  Therefore bile continually slowly trickles into the intestines.  If you eat a fatty meal, you will not be able to secrete a large enough amount of bile into your intestines, therefore the fat will be poorly digested.  This means many people experience diarrhea, bloating, nausea or indigestion.

Not digesting fat well means you will not be able to digest essential fatty acids, including omega 3 and omega 6 fats.  It also means you’ll have a hard time absorbing fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins D, E, A and K.  A lot of the antioxidants in vegetables are fat soluble: lycopene, lutein and carotenoids are all fat soluble.  If you don’t produce adequate bile, you will not be adequately absorbing these life saving compounds from foods.  If you take any of the above mentioned nutrients in supplement form, without sufficient bile you will sadly not absorb them well.

How to have a healthy liver and good digestion without a gallbladder

First of all it’s important to realise that you developed a gallbladder problem in the first place because you had an unhealthy liver.  If your liver is not healthy, it will make poor quality bile.  The bile will be prone to forming sludge and stones.  Just removing the gallbladder doesn’t solve that problem, and in fact sludge and stones can form within the liver, compromising its function.

Here are some vital tips to follow:

• Keep your intake of dairy products and grains to a minimum or avoid them altogether.  Dairy products (milk, cheese, ice-cream, yoghurt) worsen all cases of gallbladder disease, liver disease and they are very difficult to digest.  Food intolerance is a common cause of gallbladder problems, and there is research that links gluten intolerance with gallstones.  A good reason to keep your intake of grains low is to reduce the risk of developing a fatty liver.  

• Take a good quality liver tonic such as Livatone.  The herbs St Mary’s thistle, dandelion root and globe artichoke leaves all increase bile production and bile flow.  Taurine is an amino acid necessary for bile production.  This should help to make you feel more comfortable after a meal, and should reduce the risk of stones forming inside your liver.

• Take an ox bile supplement.  This is the most important recommendation for people who have lost their gallbladder.  A lack of bile can produce symptoms such as bloating and indigestion after meals, light colored stools, diarrhea, fatigue after meals and nutrient deficiencies.  Taking a good quality ox bile supplement with each meal is wonderful for completely eliminating these symptoms in most individuals.

• Eat some good fats and avoid the bad fats.  Your doctor may have recommended you follow a low fat diet after having your gallbladder removed.  This is not necessary and in fact, can be harmful.  Your body desperately needs good fats and I recommend you include moderate quantities of extra virgin olive oil, avocados, coconut milk and oil, nuts and seeds in your diet.

• You may need a vitamin D3 supplement.  People with compromised liver or digestive function are often vitamin D deficient.  Exposure of your skin to the sun’s UVB rays enables your body to manufacture vitamin D.  However, this process occurs in your liver and kidneys.  People with a sluggish liver often do not manufacture vitamin D adequately.  Therefore it’s a good idea to get a blood test  before you begin this supplement, but 5000 IU of vitamin D3 is a safe and effective dose for most people.

• Include some bitter and sour foods in your diet.  They should help to improve your digestion and make it easier to tolerate good fats in your diet.  Suitable bitter and sour foods include lemons, limes, radicchio lettuce, chicory, endive and dandelion leaves.  

Why You Need Your Gallbladder

Your digestive system needs bile to aid in the break-down of fats. Not having enough bile to emulsify fats is like trying to wash greasy dishes without soap. 

It is nutritional ignorance that proliferates the idea that removing the gallbladder is harmless, however.

In fact, the constant presence of bile will eventually result in increased risks of other issues over time, namely pancreatitis and colon cancer.

If You Still Have Your Gallbladder

You might be surprised to learn that enough scientific evidence exists to affirm that exercise is the most effective method for preventing gallbladder problems. It is not sufficient, though, to simply take a leisurely walk around the block.

The human body was designed for rigorous activity, so exercise routines like bodyweight calisthenics, plyometrics, high intensity interval training, and those like them, are best. You want to move and challenge your entire body, not just swing your arms and legs back and forth.

I believe that some people with gallbladder problems have a degree of Celiac Disease and when the small intestine is damaged, the chemical signal that tells the gallbladder to release bile can be hindered, causing bile to back up into the gallbladder and cause gallstones.

The key here is to fix the gut by eliminating grains, legumes, dairy, processed food, fried food, and artificial sugar from the diet and eating lots of raw, whole fruits and vegetables as well as moderate amounts of raw, unprocessed nuts. A quality probiotic is also necessary to help in digestion and to replenish proper ratios of intestinal bacteria.

Two other natural substances shown scientifically to prevent gallstones and other gallbladder issues are fish oil, and curcumin.

If Your Gallbladder Has Been Removed

Gallbladder surgery is simply a Band-Aid. It does not address the real problem any more than replacing a worn tire on your car corrects a misaligned front-end

Nutrition is always the best place to start when addressing digestive issues because an improper diet is the most common reason GI problems begin.

Anyone who has had their gallbladder removed needs to supplement with the right fat-digesting enzymes to do the job that bile can no longer do. This will often eliminate the horrible symptoms that can occur after surgery.

Omega Ultra Zyme is our #1 recommendation for anyone looking for help in the digestion of fats and protein after gallbladder removal.

It is baffling that so many people undergo gallbladder surgery every year and NO ONE tells them about requiring these supplements for proper fat digestion. Patients just continue living with a loss of appetite, severe nausea, vomiting after meals, and bowel problems, while physicians remain mystified as to the cause of their misery.

At Living Proof, we offer non-surgical solutions, and nutritional and supplements to balance and heal your body, before you rush to surgery, contact us for a consultation.

What Your Doctor Didn't Tell You About Having Your Gallbladder Removed

After the excruciating experience of passing a gallstone, your doctor tells you to avoid further occurrences that your gallbladder must be removed so you can avoid that pain once and for all.  We humans are all about avoiding pain so you have the surgery and find you have traded one set of symptoms for another.  When you ask the doctor about this he says, "It will pass",  or "Eat this not that" -an idea he did not mention before.  Putting the gallbladder back is not an option, but the new symptoms are hard to live with: stomach aches, bloating, and embarrassing episodes of diarrhea.

I strongly recommend that people who are considering this surgery first look at natural options, because removing a functional organ from your digestive tract is never a health-enhancing solution. It's just something that's too easy for conventional medicine to do. They do hundreds of thousands of these surgeries a year. They don’t consider it a big deal so the patients don’t think it’s a big deal either!

But it really is a big deal. It's sort of like saying, "Well, doctor, my tongue hurts." And the doctor says, "Let's cut out your tongue." In fact, your gallbladder is far more important for digestion than your tongue.
Do everything you can to protect your gallbladder. Along those lines, one of the most important things you need to do is physically massage your internal organs through body movement. A lot of people are surprised to hear this, but your internal organs need to be massaged just like your muscles and skin.

Massage therapy is something that I recommend everyone pursue to enhance his or her health. Massage moves lymph fluid around the body. It stimulates the skin. It even stimulates the brain indirectly and helps create an immunostimulating relaxation response in virtually everyone. The internal organs need this same massage and the very best way to massage these internal organs, such as the gallbladder, is to engage in gentle body movement exercises.

Also along those lines, one of the most important things you need to do is engage in breathing therapy because conscious breathing and deep breathing offers an outstanding massage to all the internal organs in your torso. Your lungs take up a tremendous amount of space in your chest cavity, and when you inhale and really expand your lungs, you are moving the other organs in your cavity and giving them a massage at the same time. Breathing is an excellent way to oxygenate your internal organs and get some movement.

Your average conventional medicine physician isn’t going to recommend any of this -- nor will he or she even believe any of it. They've never been taught that massage is important for internal organs. In fact, most doctors I know don't think massage is useful at all, which sort of just goes to show you how little they know about how the human body really works! But massage is critical. And of course, so is nutrition. Once again, your best strategy here for your gallbladder is to avoid removing it. Instead, support gallbladder health through diet, nutrition, and physical exercise.

Laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder

Definition Of Gallbladder And Its Functions

Gallbladder is a small, muscular and pear-shaped structure  on the underside of the liver, on the right side of the  abdomen. It’s function is storage of the bile (bile  tastes bitter, hence the word bitterness). Gallbladder holds  about a quarter of a cup of a yellowish-green, pasty material called bile. Bile is produced in the liver before the bile is  secreted into the intestines, which then helps the body to  digest fats.
A healthy gallbladder keeps bile moving in several ways: mucosa, the inner lining, secretes hydrogen ions into the gallbladder contents, which maintains the  balance of  acidic environment, that keeps calcium from  precipitating, and consequently forming gallbladder stones. Next, as food is digested, bile is washed away by water and  electrolytes.

Symptoms Of Gallbladder Disease

A gallbladder attack consists of abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant, just under the rib cage on the right side, and is usually followed by nausea and vomiting. Pain may be severe and can last even up to several hours, and is often followed by soreness of abdominal area for at least few days. Attacks are usually caused by fatty meals.  In some cases, patients even have fever and chills. In more severe cases gallbladder stone symptoms indicate jaundice.

Gallbladder Disease Treatment, Risks And Diet

Surgery is most common solution for gallbladder problems. The treatment involves removing the gallbladder, and in most cases is done by using laparoscopic surgery. However, even after surgery certain risks are still present. To avoid any sort of complications, patient must strictly follow healthy diet. One must eat low-fat, high in fiber and preferably organic food. Refined  carbohydrates and hydrogenated oils must be avoid. Probiotic products, such as yogurts are often recommended (although over consumption of dairy products is discouraged).  With the removal of the gallbladder, the liver may be ‘overloaded’,  you must reduce the chemical footprint on the liver. This can include pre-packaged food, minimizing use of perfumes, cosmetics and even personal care products.

Why is diet and elimination of all those products so important?

Once the gallbladder is gone, there’s nowhere for that bile to collect. Instead of that, fatty foods cannot be regulated as it was before when person still had a gallbladder. Without bile to regulate the fat, the small intestine can become flooded with water. This happens because the fat draws water from surrounding regions of the body, which, when combined with intestinal bacteria, can cause bloating, bad diarrhea, and stomach aches.  The body adapts to the gallbladder‘s absence over time, and few months after the surgery patient should be able to resume more or less regular eating habits.

As they say, we are left with "closing the barn door after the cows are out".  Your gallbladder is gone. Now it is important to educate yourself in getting better and eating healthier.

At Living Proof Institute we have options to get your digestion balanced  that are time honored and clinically tested.  Contact us for a consultation and become Living Proof!

The Impact of Not Having A Gallbladder and Digestive and Systemic Health

Gall bladder surgery has become one of the most common surgical procedures, but it isn't always medically necessary.  While in some cases, gall bladder surgery is necessary, too often, even surgeons themselves will say that gall bladder surgeries happen more often than they should due to a lack of understanding and the unfortunate financial realities in our healthcare system.

And if you talk to people who've had their gall bladders removed, you'll often find they still suffer from pain, gas, bloating, diarrhea and other symptoms that they thought would be "cured" by gall bladder surgery.

What To Expect After Gallbladder Removal

If you have had gallbladder problems and need to have your gallbladder removed, there is a chance you could experience uncomfortable symptoms from living without a gallbladder.

Living Without a Gallbladder

Obviously, when you’re living without a gallbladder, it can no longer store bile, as designed.  Bile is a liquid that helps you digest fatty foods. The gallbladder releases it into your small intestine. But, when you are not eating for a long period of time, such as at night when you are sleeping, your gallbladder stores the bile.  However, when you remove the gallbladder, you remove the reservoir, so even though you will have the same amount of bile in your body, you will not have as much bile in your intestine after your gallbladder is gone.  The bile is constantly being delivered into your intestine instead of being stored, this means that you will not digest food as well.

Digestion Changes After Gallbladder Removal

In the first few weeks after your surgery, your doctor probably will recommend that you eat a mostly low-fat diet while your body adjusts to living without a gallbladder. After that, 90 percent of people go back to eating the way they did before, the most common symptoms is people have include:

·                                                Chronic diarrhea. Some people who did not previously have more than one bowel movement per day will find themselves having more frequent bowel movements after gallbladder removal. These can sometimes be loose and watery, and be accompanied by a sense of urgency. Recent studies have found that men younger than age 50, especially if they are obese, have the highest likelihood of long-term diarrhea after gallbladder surgery, but a significant number of people without those risk factors may also have diarrhea for months to years after surgery. Eating a low-fat diet may help lessen symptoms, and treatments with medications which bind the excess bile acids — which are thought to be the cause of this bothersome symptom — often alleviate the problem.

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·                                                Temporary constipation. Some people become constipated from the pain medications they take after gallbladder surgery. Eating a diet that is rich in fiber — beans, bran, whole grains, fruit, and vegetables — can help prevent and perhaps relieve constipation. Your surgeon may prescribe a stool softener to help you.

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·                                                Retained stone in a bile duct. In some cases, a gallstone will remain in your common bile duct after gallbladder surgery. This can block the flow of bile into your small intestine and result in pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, bloating, and jaundice soon after surgery. You may need an additional procedure to remove gallstones that are retained in your common bile duct.

Intestinal injury. Although it is rare, the instruments used during your gallbladder surgery could damage your intestines. Your doctor will take measures to minimize the risk of this complication during the surgery. If it occurs, you might experience abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Any post-surgical symptoms like this require immediate medical attention.

Managing Digestive Problems After Gallbladder Removal

The body has amazing abilities to heal itself but to restore balance, some people need to take medications or make lifestyle changes to help manage their symptoms. 

Some of the lifestyle changes that can help ease digestive symptoms when you’re living without a gallbladder are:

·                     Adopt a healthy, well-balanced diet (Including some fats)

·                     Avoid eating large meals of fatty foods, such as fried foods

·                     Eat smaller, but more frequent meals

·                     Avoid eating a very large dinner after fasting all day

Gallbladder surgery can cure gallstones and help relieve pain, but this procedure is not without risks. In addition to the more immediate post-surgical risks of bleeding, fever, and infection, having digestive problems is a potential risk after gallbladder surgery.

If you have any of the above post-removal symptoms, the best thing to do is consult a doctor to determine your condition and discuss your options for treatment.

If you are considering having your gallbladder removed, know that there may be other options to surgery, so explore them all before you decide which step to take.

Your Liver And Your Gall Bladder

Did you know that problems with your gall bladder may be caused by a weak, insufficient or overactive liver?

Your liver is a filter of toxins, a biliary organ and an endocrine gland. It plays a key role in your digestion, formation of blood and guarding against infection.

During digestion, your liver secretes bile into your small intestine, lubricating your intestinal walls. Bile is stored in your gall bladder between meals.

After eating, your gall bladder releases the bile. Bile is important because it regulates the level of your friendly bacteria, destroys dangerous organisms, helps you digest fats and other nutrients and stimulates peristalsis to move fecal matter out of your body.

When your liver is not able to remove toxic substances from your body, toxic bile is secreted into your small intestine, creating what is referred to as leaky gut.

In Asian medicine it is well understood that when your liver and gall bladder are impaired, energy is drained away from your spleen, pancreas and stomach meridian - organs that are also important for your digestive health. Your intestines, too, are affected by the health of your liver and the bile it produces. Because so many organs are impaired you will experience many different kinds of symptoms and this makes it more difficult for your doctor or naturopath to give you an accurate diagnosis.  The belief of Asian medicine is that your liver and gall bladder are paired. This means that anything you do to strengthen one will strengthen the other.  Often, once balance is created, symptoms start to go away... you may even find that the surgery you thought you needed is no longer necessary.

Start Feeling Good Now

It's never too late to empower yourself with great health. But great health, unfortunately, does not have a quick fix in the form of a pill or a surgical procedure. Like all things worthwhile, it takes commitment and an investment of time to see the results.

Most of the time, it's the simple desire to feel good that motivates us to change.

Somewhere deep inside, we all KNOW that feeling good is possible with some small changes. And that with each small step we take, we can experience a greater shift over time. Your health is worth it and YOU are worth it!

Start with one small step today and you'll feel the difference tomorrow.  Contact Living Proof Institute for a consultation today!