Nutritionally complete beverages for IBD?
February 21, 2010 12:11 AM Subscribe
Elemental diets/ enteral feeding/Liquid nutrition for IBD: any recommended brands or recipes you can share? What has worked for you when your body won't let you eat solid food? Bonus points for low cost, Ensure is expensive!
I'm a 25 year old female with Crohn's disease. I just had surgery about six months ago to take out a bad section of my intestine, and already I'm having problems again. Mostly back pain, gas and diarrhea.
I've been intrigued about studies showing that going on elemental diets is as good as steroids for reducing inflammation. I'm not having a flare up yet, but there are definitely days that even my "safety foods" aren't tolerated and I'd rather just drink my nutritional input.
I want to make sure what I'm eating is healthy however. I've been eating low-fat, low-sugar, low-fiber as recommended by my doc, and that leaves me with lean meats and carbs and it just doesn't seem like a balanced diet.
Boost and Ensure seem to be recommended online, but cost an arm and a leg and I'm broke given my medical bills and tuition bills. Is there something I can mix at home given initiative and patience? Are there any brand names I should know about? Just how gross do these things taste? All studies referring to elemental diets don't say what they are or mention a gastric tube, which isn't needed in my case, so I'd prefer something palatable at least.
I saw this previous question but its more related to sports and less to chronic illness. I have asked my doctor for input but I like to do my own research as well before I go in so I can ask questions and be informed. Any suggestions and personal experiences would be great!
I'm a 25 year old female with Crohn's disease. I just had surgery about six months ago to take out a bad section of my intestine, and already I'm having problems again. Mostly back pain, gas and diarrhea.
I've been intrigued about studies showing that going on elemental diets is as good as steroids for reducing inflammation. I'm not having a flare up yet, but there are definitely days that even my "safety foods" aren't tolerated and I'd rather just drink my nutritional input.
I want to make sure what I'm eating is healthy however. I've been eating low-fat, low-sugar, low-fiber as recommended by my doc, and that leaves me with lean meats and carbs and it just doesn't seem like a balanced diet.
Boost and Ensure seem to be recommended online, but cost an arm and a leg and I'm broke given my medical bills and tuition bills. Is there something I can mix at home given initiative and patience? Are there any brand names I should know about? Just how gross do these things taste? All studies referring to elemental diets don't say what they are or mention a gastric tube, which isn't needed in my case, so I'd prefer something palatable at least.
I saw this previous question but its more related to sports and less to chronic illness. I have asked my doctor for input but I like to do my own research as well before I go in so I can ask questions and be informed. Any suggestions and personal experiences would be great!
Is n;t this something you should talk to your gastroenterologist about? Different foods work for different people with IBS and enteral nutrition is likely to be the same (there is lots of research backing this up). Also it's possible in my country at least to get subsidised Ensure etc on prescription when applicable, so there may be something similar for you. Modulen is something you can look at based on research papers I've read, but again your gastro or dietician will be the person to actually ask.
posted by shelleycat at 1:38 AM on February 21, 2010
posted by shelleycat at 1:38 AM on February 21, 2010
Carnation instant breakfast is another choice. You can get it in a powder form in the classic version or a "no sugar added" version. The "no sugar added version" tastes great mixed with skim milk (if this is OK for you) or cold water.
You can also get them in pre-mixed bottles, like boost and ensure. I remember it being significantly cheaper than boost and ensure if you bought the powder, and similarly priced if you bought the bottles.
I should disclaim this saying that i know nothing about IBD and especially enteral feeding, I've just used these for diet drinks before and they've worked out great for me.
posted by robokevin at 6:14 AM on February 21, 2010
You can also get them in pre-mixed bottles, like boost and ensure. I remember it being significantly cheaper than boost and ensure if you bought the powder, and similarly priced if you bought the bottles.
I should disclaim this saying that i know nothing about IBD and especially enteral feeding, I've just used these for diet drinks before and they've worked out great for me.
posted by robokevin at 6:14 AM on February 21, 2010
Most drugstores, Target, and probably Walmart sell their own non-name-brand version of Boost/Ensure which is somewhat cheaper. Boost/Ensure do have a fair amount of sugar, however, if that's a concern. There's also Glucerna, and the drugstore knockoffs, which is aimed at diabetics, which is a similar product (nutritionally complete), but low enough in sugar for diabetics.
I know Ensure comes in a powdered form you can mix with water, which is a little cheaper. If you could find one of the knockoffs in that form (I'd look online), that might be a pretty reasonable cost.
Like Robokevin said, Carnation Instant Breakfast is another complete nutrition product and comes in a no-sugar-added version. I've only seen the full sugar version at my local grocery store, but if you bought the no-sugar version online, the price would probably be reasonable. But, it's intended to be mixed with skim milk - I don't think it's complete nutrition if mixed with water. Doesn't matter if you're using it as a supplement, matters a LOT if it's all you're eating.
I would definitely talk to your doctor before starting an all-liquid diet - the above is just some info about what's out there.
Re enteral feeding - I think they actually have additional products for that, on top of the normal Boost/ Ensure. I'm not familiar with those products, though.
posted by insectosaurus at 7:33 AM on February 21, 2010
I know Ensure comes in a powdered form you can mix with water, which is a little cheaper. If you could find one of the knockoffs in that form (I'd look online), that might be a pretty reasonable cost.
Like Robokevin said, Carnation Instant Breakfast is another complete nutrition product and comes in a no-sugar-added version. I've only seen the full sugar version at my local grocery store, but if you bought the no-sugar version online, the price would probably be reasonable. But, it's intended to be mixed with skim milk - I don't think it's complete nutrition if mixed with water. Doesn't matter if you're using it as a supplement, matters a LOT if it's all you're eating.
I would definitely talk to your doctor before starting an all-liquid diet - the above is just some info about what's out there.
Re enteral feeding - I think they actually have additional products for that, on top of the normal Boost/ Ensure. I'm not familiar with those products, though.
posted by insectosaurus at 7:33 AM on February 21, 2010
The cheapest place I've found to buy brand-name Ensure is Costco, but you should be able to find coupons in the Sunday paper or at your grocery store. I can't bring myself to taste it, but the person I buy it for likes the vanilla flavor.
Muscle Milk has a reputation for a slightly better taste; you can buy big tubs of it, powdered.
Do you have a Super Supplements store near you? (They might be a local chain, I just realized.) The manager of one I went to was very helpful about recommending various brands and flavors of nutritional drinks when I needed to stock up on them.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:16 AM on February 21, 2010
Muscle Milk has a reputation for a slightly better taste; you can buy big tubs of it, powdered.
Do you have a Super Supplements store near you? (They might be a local chain, I just realized.) The manager of one I went to was very helpful about recommending various brands and flavors of nutritional drinks when I needed to stock up on them.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:16 AM on February 21, 2010
If you or anyone you live with is eating any meat at all, save the bones, stick em in a crock pot with water and you will end up with stock that's very very nutritious.
I and others have had success with diets higher in fat. But if you want to get rid of the fat, leave it in the fridge and skim the solids off. Mixed with pumpkin puree, this was my staple when I had horrible stomach problems. I don't know if this is what you are looking for, but good luck finding something that works!
If you are going on a true elemental diet you should def consult with your doc. Sometimes insurance will cover the liquid nutrition.
posted by melissam at 5:13 PM on February 21, 2010
I and others have had success with diets higher in fat. But if you want to get rid of the fat, leave it in the fridge and skim the solids off. Mixed with pumpkin puree, this was my staple when I had horrible stomach problems. I don't know if this is what you are looking for, but good luck finding something that works!
If you are going on a true elemental diet you should def consult with your doc. Sometimes insurance will cover the liquid nutrition.
posted by melissam at 5:13 PM on February 21, 2010
You might also be interested in the specific carbohydrate diet, which is what I did to heal
http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/
but I did a paleo version...no dairy at all
posted by melissam at 5:35 PM on February 21, 2010
http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/
but I did a paleo version...no dairy at all
posted by melissam at 5:35 PM on February 21, 2010
Here is one more patient of IBD.
What my recommendation is, take your medicines regularly and eat everything (exception being spicy and hot). Thats what I have been doing for last 5 years and have had exceptional flare ups.
What is more important in my belief is, keep yourself stress-free. Stress is a triggering factor in IBDs. And, there is a large IBD community on Healing well, may be some one has got an answer for you. One thing though, reading through posts there made me rather depressed, so once a regular visitor, now I visit these forums once in a while.
posted by zaxour at 9:46 PM on February 21, 2010
What my recommendation is, take your medicines regularly and eat everything (exception being spicy and hot). Thats what I have been doing for last 5 years and have had exceptional flare ups.
What is more important in my belief is, keep yourself stress-free. Stress is a triggering factor in IBDs. And, there is a large IBD community on Healing well, may be some one has got an answer for you. One thing though, reading through posts there made me rather depressed, so once a regular visitor, now I visit these forums once in a while.
posted by zaxour at 9:46 PM on February 21, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by gilsonal at 12:13 AM on February 21, 2010