Replacement for Ensure?

[WillowJ]

hi, the doc wanted me to take Ensure, and I think this is sensible. I am underweight and not doing well.

However, I cannot have any soy, excitotoxins, potato, artificial sweeteners, or flax, oats, or other higher-fiber things (and more stuff, but this seems to be what I am finding in nutrient drinks: maltodextrin would be excitotoxin and could be potato). I used to take whey powder but then I realized it was giving me tinnitus (though not as badly as the amino acid liver detox formula I tried once). It's possible tinnitus would be preferable to being underweight? I am not sure about that.

I do not know what to do. Does anybody have any suggestions?

 

[WillowJ]

what about this:
http://www.iherb.com/Jarrow-Formula...rate-Vanilla-Flavor-17-8-oz-504-g-Powder/2494

Would that be in the general class of Ensure-type things? Or not enough nutritional stuff added?

Is that going to be an excitotoxin, too?

 

[sandgroper]

Good question. I have some here to try but i don't do dairy and rarely have soy or sucrose. I am underweight currently but its more that i sometimes have a hard getting food and preparing it, clearing up etc. I know that i usually need something solid so I am not sure it would satisfy as a meal replacement. Its expensive to open the tin and then not use it. i am not sure whether the food sensitivity is worse than note enough nutrition.

 

[WillowJ]

sorry about that, sandgroper. I do understand that it's hard to do meals. I'm fortunate that I have someone who can help with meals.

In my case, most of my food sensitivities cause digestion problems, so it's a moot point whether I should eat stuff anyway. It really doesn't do any good to eat something which will just cause everything to have rapid transit and not much nutrients will be absorbed anyway.

And I do find food to eat that's safe, it just isn't easy pre-prepared stuff. But much of that probably wouldn't help a sick person heal in any case (intolerances or not). However it would be better than not eating, unless it was causing problems, in which case I'm at a loss what to recommend.

Are you able to get help from social services?

For me, even though I am eating for the most part ok, I am still underweight. Ensure was recommended as an addition, not as a replacement, to my diet. Well, maybe as a partial replacement just for a day or so after some extra, somewhat severe but not terribly serious, GI problems.

 

[taniaaust1]

Maybe try to do the opposite to what those who wish to loose weight do (but with only doing the things you can eat) eg Do scrambled eggs using lots of egg yolks (for low calorie scrambled egg its often done with only the egg whites so do the opposite.. instead of adding milk to the scrambled eggs.maybe cream would work.. you can also add cheese). How about adding in some high calorie fried bacon to go with that scambled egg. One should be able to have a very high calorie breakfast.

I notice that you didnt say you cant have dairy.. so maybe do what my daughters nutritionist had me do for her when she was very underweight. Add milk power to all your normal milk to boost the calories.

..............
(I was about to edit out what I posted below as I since found what was in it and it isnt suitable for you as its a "Maltodexrin" Glucose Polymer" but I've decided to leave in this info in case someone else at this site has same issue but has no issue with Maltodexrin.. this product thou is used in even babies http://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/RHW/Newborn_Care/Guidelines/Medication/pdf/Polyjoule.pdf ).
There is also a product when my daughter was 3-4 years old which one added into ones drinks into fruit juice or whatever one was drinking which was was something which really helped to boost calories of things which she also got put on due to low weight and trying to boost it. From memory it wasnt a whey or dairy based thing, it was a tasteless product called "Polyjoule" http://www.monashchildrens.org.au/icms_docs/8053_Suggestions_for_Polyjoule_Use_in_Children.pdf

Maybe small amounts of that could help adults too with ME/CFS and low weight issues?

 

[Kati]

Willow, if you want to try Ensure but have nutritional concerns/allergies, i'd suggest you speak with a dietician if at all possible, they know their formula better than anybody, because that's what they do.

Best wishes. i'd love to give you 20-30 lbs-or more- cuz I got the opposite problem. Working on it.

 

[WillowJ]

Maybe try to do the opposite to what those who wish to loose weight do (but with only doing the things you can eat) eg Do scrambled eggs using lots of egg yolks (for low calorie scrambled egg its often done with only the egg whites so do the opposite.. instead of adding milk to the scrambled eggs.maybe cream would work.. you can also add cheese). How about adding in some high calorie fried bacon to go with that scambled egg. One should be able to have a very high calorie breakfast.

good thought, Tania. I have been using half and half on my cereal/porridge and in my tea. Lately I've added scrambled eggs, again with half and half. I eat macaroons. I put olive, coconut, or seseame oil or butter on or in my food when appropriate. If I drink milk or make hot chocolate, I use whole milk.

Kati, dietician is good suggestion, but I worry they won't like my list of intolerances. I guess I won't know unless I try, eh?

 

[xchocoholic]

Hi Willowj,

I can offer you some of my weight too ...

I just ran into this after getting poisoned from Levafloxin and needing an easy source of nutrition. I can't have soy, gluten or dairy. And I couldn't find any nutrient supplements or meal replacements that I could handle.

I'm using Rice Dream organic enriched rice milk and vanilla Almond Breeze enriched almond milk. I found the large box of rice milk at Walmart for $3+ and 86oz of almond milk at BJ's for $3.69. Both have sugar but I seem to be ok with it for now. Besides, it makes it tastey ...

Both have calcium, etc. I can't handle a lot of oxalates, found in nuts, etc, and the calcium binds any oxalates it may have in it. So far so good ...

I'm adding organic rice protein, organic hemp protein and flax meal to mine. These are the only protein powders I can handle.

And when I'm up to it, I'm making smoothies with the above plus fresh fruit and some greens.

hope you feel better soon ... X

 

[_June]

I have been using half and half on my cereal/porridge and in my tea. Lately I've added scrambled eggs, again with half and half. I eat macaroons. I put olive, coconut, or seseame oil or butter on or in my food when appropriate. If I drink milk or make hot chocolate, I use whole milk.

That's a good start, but not enough.

Cook 3 eggs using 4 or 5 tablespoons of butter. You don't need the half and half. Instead of half and half, add more eggs.

Ask local farmers if they have lard or tallow for sale (don't buy it from the grocery store, it's from gross animals). Now use 4 tablespoons of this fat whenever you cook.

You can find local farmers by searching Google: "easy chair washington farmer's market"

For example, I slice some cabbage and fry it in 4 tablespoons of bacon grease. That's not counting the 3 or 4 tablespoons of grease I used to cook my steak. Make sure that the meat/vegetables absorb all the fat so you actually consume it.

When you drink hot chocolate, make it with heavy cream (no milk).

You might find this extreme, but this is what I eat. (I'm female, very sedentary, gaining muscle but losing fat. I used to have very little muscle and very little bone density, and eating like this really helped a lot. But I was really jiggly/flabby, so it was nice to lose that. I only eat twice per day, you will likely need to eat 3-4 times per day)

How much meat do you eat, and how many times per day?
How about starchy vegetables like sweet potato, squash, turnips, beets...?

I have a question though, if you can't eat fiber, why are you eating cereal and porridge? Could this be what makes the food go right through you? It was certainly the case for me.

Cereal doesn't have much nutrition, that's why I think, "if I'm going to eat something, why not make it worth it?"
So I eat leftovers for breakfast; a very rich soup is specially good. But steak and buttered carrots is nice too

I'm pretty good at cooking several meals and snacks at once (without having tasteless boring leftovers!), so if you want help, feel free to ask me.