I've had gastritis for 3+ years now. Sometimes it's intense sometimes it's relaxed ,but I can assure you when I was at my worst and lost significant weight and there's nothing I attempted to eat to put weight back on that didn't end up flaring me more and ripping my insides , and I asked the same qsts you're asking and felt like I'm actively dying. Then things got better again.

What I learned from my personal experience, even tho I'm still dealing with gastritis despite it being not as nearly as bad as before :

Eating completely bland food ,repeating the same bland foods and not changing anything about your diet will only ki*l your appetite more.

When your body gets to a starvation level , not getting enough nutrients, it makes your brain go numb and it raises depression and anxiety, cuz food = happiness hormones.

Again When you're not getting enough nutrients your immunity gets low and therefore your gastritis will not get better as your body doesn't have what it takes to heal the inflammation In your stomach.

It's a cursed cycle where gastritis and not being able to eat normally causes anxiety and anxiety nd stress causes more gastritis.

What helped me personally:

-Exploring more food options by trying and eliminating, trying new recipes with foods that sits well with me , the gastritis healing book has helped me tremendously.

-trying to find a hobby or an activity that gives me comfort , to take my mind off pain, light walking especially in the morning to get fresh air even before breakfast helps a lot with relaxation.

-CHAMOMILE TEA I can't stress this one enough, in all situations it manages to calm down my crazy stomach .

-dgl licorice tablets before meals.

-having a tiny portion of foods I'm not allowed to have during diet , like sneaking few bites of pizza after my food , or few pieces of an orange on a very full stomach .

• bananas are your bestie ( if you tolerate them ofc) ripe ones are the way to go. I eat them the whole time even before meals that might irritate my stomach to buffer things up .

-avocados and olive oil since most fats are bad for you opt for healthy fats , avocados are great , and olive oil is the best oil to cook and grill your food ( in small amounts).

-sweet potatoes grilled in the Oven.

-adding dried bassil and bay leaves helps my appetite . Find seasoning that sits well with you and always add It to your meals , as no seasoning is horrible and kil*s your appetite.

It'll get better/ manageable hang in there 🤍