
September 16, 2019 | 43 minutes, 39 seconds
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Did you know that the number one cause of gallbladder disease is a low-to-no-fat diet? Considering gallbladder removal is the number one abdominal surgery in the US, I think this is worth talking about!
In order to contract the gallbladder and use our bile properly, you need good quality fats. If you don’t eat enough fat, the gallbladder does not contract and empty properly. You need at least 10 grams of fat per meal to contract and empty the gallbladder.
When you fast for long periods of time, you don’t contract the gallbladder, which can cause problems!
In Ayurvedic medicine, they weren’t big fans of prolonged fasting. A day or two here and there was common in India, but fasting was mostly for kapha body types or during kapha season. Ayurvedic cleanses always use ghee to contract the gallbladder and protect you from issues that can ensue from a lack of fat.
Stem cell research by Dr. Valter Longo and his Fasting Mimicking Diet allows you to eat enough fat to properly contract the gallbladder, while also getting the benefits of fasting—very intriguing!
I’m always fascinated by how Ayurveda knew to build cleanses around consumption of ghee. A part of it is: first, do no harm. Ghee allows the benefits of a prolonged fast without the risks.
I have three ghee- and kitchari-based cleanses that mimic the benefits of fasting; the Colorado Cleanse, the Short Home Cleanse, and the Kaya Kalpa Cleanse, an ancient cleanse which exactly mimics the stem cell research performed by Dr. Longo.
If you have never cleansed before, this is a great time to get started and take advantage of the early bird sale for my upcoming group cleanse October 15-28, 2019!
Shop now with 15% off CODE CCFALL2019
With this amazing offer, you can purchase not just a cleanse kit, but additional guidance for your cleanse, which includes daily emails from me, three live Q&A calls, and a forum where you can connect with other cleansers as well as the staff here at LifeSpa, so you can get all your cleanse queries answered!
Customize your cleanse kit today and save with code CCFALL2019
Ayurvedic Weight Balancing eBook
The Longevity Diet by Valter Longo, PhD
The Hidden Dangers of Digestive Enzymes
Learn more about all my cleanses here.
LifeSpa Cleanses: Colorado Cleanse, Short Home Cleanse, Kaya Kalpa Cleanse
Podcasts with Dr. John Douillard, DC, CAP are dynamic, hour-long lectures blending ancient wisdom of Ayurveda with modern science!

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Anita Hill says
Dear Dr. John:
I have issues with upper abdominal epigastric pain/ fullness, and sometimes a nagging discomfort just under my rib URQ. Not excruciating but annoying. My Gi physician did an US and did not find anything, however, he came up with a plan to do MRIs and HIDA studies, which are done with contrast and nuclear agents, to look at the gallbladder function, he states. I am uncomfortable with this and I wonder if perhaps I should try your cleansers to see if that would help. Any thought?
Thanks, Anita
LifeSpa Staff says
Hi Anita,
We will reach out to you privately about this.
Best,
LifeSpa Staff
Arletta says
Well, I am allergic to everything dairy related, regardless of the animal it comes from. Tried ghee. It was worse for me than butter. Also, my gall bladder was removed in my late 20’s after over a decade of it being infected, more often than not. So, now what?
LifeSpa Staff says
Hi Arletta,
You are not alone! Some of my favorite non-dairy oils to use are high quality EV Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, and Flax Oil.
As you’ve had your gallbladder removed, take a look at this article for tips on digesting fats:
https://lifespa.com/gallbladder-or-not-10-tips-to-digest-fat/
Essentially, you can still cleanse! Just be more gentle with your oil doses during that phase and increase more slowly to build tolerance.
Be Well,
Dr. John
angie says
What cleanse is safe to do without a gall bladder or what are your suggestions for digestion and issues when gallbladder has been removed
LifeSpa Staff says
Hi Angie,
We have many folks who do our cleanses very successfully without a gallbladder.
We just start out with lower doses of ghee and build slowly to build tolerance.
Be Well,
Dr. John