Save Your Gallbladder: What to Do Before Surgery Is Even on the Table

Told surgery is your only option? In this episode, Nurse Doza shares five evidence-informed actions to support your gallbladder—clean up diet, detox the liver, fix the gut, fast strategically, and use hot/cold exposure—so you can reduce symptoms and keep your gallbladder functioning as designed. Keyword: gallbladder 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS  1. Cut inflammatory foods (processed oils, sugars, most dairy; refined grains) and favor proteins, healthy fats, and veggies.  2. Support liver detox with foods (turmeric, garlic/onion, crucifers, omega-3s) and targeted nutrients (NAC, milk thistle, ALA, taurine, Bs/minerals).  3. Restore the gut with fiber-rich “gut foods,” glutamine, and consistent motility.  4. Use 24–36-hour fasting windows to improve bile dynamics and metabolic signaling.  5. Add heat/cold exposure to influence bile acids, cholesterol handling, and energy balance. The Good Poops Protocol — A targeted, gut-first bundle crafted to support regularity, microbiome balance, and healthy bile flow. By improving motility and digestive comfort, it helps you follow the diet, fasting, and liver-support actions discussed in this episode—key steps to protect your gallbladder before surgery is even on the table. https://www.mswnutrition.com/products/good-poops-protocol TIMESTAMPS 00:00 START – Welcome, mission, and how this show helps 01:30 – Why “save your gallbladder” (and why removal isn’t the only path) 03:30 – Action 1: Change your diet now (what to cut and what to add) 06:30 – Healthy fats & proteins: salmon, avocado, turkey; veggies over fruit (for now) 09:00 – Action 2: Detox the liver with foods + evidence-backed nutrients 13:30 – Turmeric, garlic/onion, crucifers, omega-3s: how they influence bile 16:30 – NAC, milk thistle, ALA, taurine, Bs/minerals: supportive roles 19:30 – Action 3: Fix your gut (microbiome, motility, glutamine, “gut foods” list) 23:00 – Action 4: Fast 24–36 hours—why timing matters for bile acids and AMPK 26:30 – Action 5: Get hot & cold—sauna, shiver, BAT, and bile acid metabolism 29:30 – Putting it together: a simple week-one starter plan 31:30 – When to seek help: symptoms, labs, and consult options 33:00 – Closing recap and next steps RESOURCES  1. “Gallbladder Diet – Foods to Eat & Avoid.” https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317196#foods-to-eat  2. Curcumin and gallbladder contraction (study PDF). https://apjcn.qdu.edu.cn/11_4_4.pdf  3. Omega-3s and metabolic health (review). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8118138/  4. Cleveland Clinic: Gallbladder diet guidance. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/gallbladder-diet  5. Garlic/onion and cholesterol gallstones (study). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20153000/  6. Milk thistle and liver support (review). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27321822/  7. N-Acetylcysteine in non-APAP acute liver failure (review). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7903568/  8. Alpha-lipoic acid and MASLD. https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12986-025-00954-9  9. Taurine, cholesterol, and bile acids. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8836270/  10. Bile acids, microbiome, and fasting-related signaling. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10377837/  11. Glutamine and gut barrier function. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5668683/  12. Cold-induced BAT, cholesterol, and bile acid synthesis. https://www.nature.com/articles/nm.4357  13. Sauna, dehydration, and intestinal permeability model. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8324874/ 🔗 Connect with Nurse Doza: JOIN MY SCHOOL for $5: community.schoolofdoza.com/signup • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwcKyagDi468WscAOWM5VHA • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nursedoza/  • Website: http://www.nursedoza.com/  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-mendoza-dc-aprn-np-c-0609a038/ • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nursedoza • Twitter: https://twitter.com/nursedoza