"This is my understanding how the Pyloric Valve works.
The Pyloric Valve function and how it pertains to your VSG.
The function of your Pyloric valve is the single most not talked about important part of understanding how and when you should eat and drink.
The Pyloric Valve is just that....It is a valve that is located at the bottom of your stomach/sleeve. This valve is in between your sleeve and the lower intestine. The basic definition of a valve is an apparatus that opens and closes.
When open this valve it is about the diameter of a dime. When closed it’s opening is closed down to the diameter of the head of a ballpoint pen.
Dense proteins and harder to digest foods will cause the Pyloric valve to close to hold the food in your stomach for pre-digestion...... stomach acids breaking down this “Rough” food.
That’s why we are told to eat dense proteins first.....To close the Pyloric Valve so food stays in your stomach/sleeve longer so we have a sense of satisfaction.
It takes about 30-60 minutes for the food to clear the Pyloric Valve...... Than it’s OK to drink.
That is also where the term slider food comes into play. A slider food does not close the Pyloric Valve and as the term is intended.....food slides right past an open Pyloric Valve.
There is a video that gets posted every so often that is supposed to explain food going past the Pyloric Valve. The guy uses a funnel and has apple sauce or something in it....and it shows the apple sauce dripping out the end of the funnel very slow. Than he pours water on top of the apple sauce to dilute it, illustrating drinking after eating.....and the diluted apple sauce runs through the funnel end faster. Than he concludes that this is how your pyloric valve works.
Well, it is a great video that only tells half the story.....remember it’s a valve...and he is only showing it in the open position....
So now the other half of the Pyloric Valve function..... You eat a dense protein like chicken that causes your Pyloric Valve to close. Say for example your sleeve has a 4oz. capacity.....and you eat 4oz. of chicken.....your sleeve is full and holding all 4 oz. of chicken for pre-digestion because your Pyloric Valve is closed.
So now try and drink something....where is it gonna go? Up.....Up until it hits another valve of sorts..... the Esophageal Sphincter (valve) and above that is a flapper valve. The function of these two valves is to hold food, bile and stomach acids in your stomach and not backing up into your air way. This is a very high pressure system. Thats why when you eat to much or drink after eating a hard to digest food and your Pyloric is closed.....It hurts cause you pressurized your intake track. Vomiting would be a natural pressure release.
So you can see how learning and understanding how the Pyloric Valve works is important as it pertains to eating and drinking with a Gastric Sleeve.
So that was kinda like VSG and the Pyloric Valve 101
As you get further a long you will want to use the Pyloric Valve in other ways to keep food in your sleeve longer to stay satisfied longer.
A sleeve empties faster than a stock un altered full size stomach so sometimes it’s beneficial for you to learn what foods stay in your sleeve longer to extend satisfaction.
Dense proteins are #1 in closing the Pyloric Valve. Chicken, steak, pork, fish.....in that order seems to be the way it goes for me.
Other foods that are hard to digest and help close the Pyloric Valve are foods like:
- Broccoli Stalk
- Asparagus
- Celery
- Cucumber with Skin
- Radish
- Cabbage (I’m testing this right now)
- Bell Pepper
So I hope you understand my 5 cent tour of the Pyloric Valve and how it effects the way we eat with a VSG and how important it is to work the Pyloric Valve to your benefit.
frisco"
frisco"
Doesn't that make it so much easier to understand?? I thought so anyway. I'm hoping Frisco won't mind I totally have stolen it! ;)
I forgot to mention when I went to the dietitian last time I asked her about the shots after surgery and she said that unless the person has a condition that requires them it is not standard protocol. YAY!
I have had three separate people tell me this week that this blog has made an impact for them and helped them to make better choices.... this makes my heart so glad!! This was the main reason for starting the blog!! ...Also to keep me engaged and motivated...well, guess what?? You guys keep me motivated!! I love hearing from you that you are taking steps to get happier or healthier!! <3 Keep up the good work you!!
And thanks for coming with me on this journey!
~Mikki
Loved how you explained this issue...THANK YOU! And, it's good to know that you won't have to have the dreaded shots after surgery...I will admit, I'm a bit jealous of that. LOL The whole water thing, once I knew exactly how much I should be taking in, is pretty daunting...but, I am doing it! :) Getting the Teen (our daughter) to in take more water too, although she is not such a fan...so going to hunt down those flavor enhancers you told me about. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading. Don't let the water thing scare you..it's a goal to get to. Making sure we progress to better levels is all we can hope for. :) It is great that you're trying to get your teen to hydrate more...she will experience less headaches if she is hydrated ( a common occurrence when me girls were teens). Our PCP told my youngest that is what was causing hers! I found the stevia here at a health food store, but I hadn't really looked for them any place else yet.
Delete