Liquid Diet Anyone?

[Racer]

I was told I should try to switch to a bland liquid diet until we figure out my GI issues!?! I was told I should try to stick with liquids, but could add some mashed or pureed food, but only stuff I know I wont vomit and that will digest easy.

Any suggestions anyone? My mom has went and bought a stockpile of liquid foods, but I just cant imagine living on liquid diet! I looked up "pureed food" and many of the recipes looked very far from appetizing! I so badly want to dig into a Flintstones size rack of ribs

[westernmass]

Green smoothies are a huge part of my diet, so look into those! Also soups and stews... Especially in a crock pot or slow cooker so everything is very cooked by the time you eat it! Mashed potatoes, rice, sweet potatoes.

I am on a similar diet- as "soft" as possible. Basically trying to avoid the liquid/baby food diet which is the next step for me.

As you hinted at, the hardest part for me is resisting the urges to eat my favorite, "normal" foods- and every time I slip up it's so painful.

It's a really horrible process, but it's possible to do in a healthy way. Sorry you are also going through this! Good luck!

[looneymom]

All I can suggest is protein shakes and a NutraBullet. GNC makes several good shakes with high protein and vitamins added. With the Nutrabullet, you can make smoothies, fruit, or vegetable juices.

Rachel

[Zap]

I recently did a 12-day juice fast, which helped a lot with some of my symptoms - sadly it isn't exactly sustainable. I guess I'm not the only one with unexplainable GI symptoms. Recent testing shows some issues, but now the GI doctor seems to have blown it off. (Gastric dumping, esophageal dysmotility).

I had thought about doing a regimen again as it helped drop some of the excess weight that was gained from crummy medications that didn't even help enough to be worth it. It is interesting that abstaining from most foods seems to help - I might have some food allergy testing done at some point, but unless it says I am allergic to everything - I can say that I have done enough elimination diets to find all major sources of allergy, and come up without any answers from all that frustration.

[E Soskis]

This sounds terrible but, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with such GI issues! I'm so sorry anyone else has to go through it! The past few months have been a nightmare - my abdomen swells so much that I can't hardly sit down or breathe deeply. Constipation followed by diarrhea is common. GERD symptoms and gas with loud rumbles and squeaks are quite embarrassing. The only thing that has relieved any of the symptoms (especially the bloating and swelling) is to quit eating solid foods. I have been on a soft diet for a few weeks and my abdomen has finally returned to a normal size. I can zip up my pants and sit comfortably now. I only eat anything that is readily digestible - does not require contraction of the stomach muscles - I started with liquids and progressed to very mushy things like mashed potatoes, soups, etc. I have recently branched out a little to very soft tiny bits of chicken that I chew very well - only a tablespoon or two at a time. I mash up vegetables after first cooking them to death - so far, so good.....not an exciting diet at all but, sure feel better with it. I dream of hamburgers, steak, tacos, and other "sinful" dishes - it's a killer to watch all my co-workers order out and have lots of delicious looking foods - the temptation to cheat is great but, I stand firm! (or mushy)

[spinner]

Read the ingredients carefully----most soups are loaded with MSG or high fructose corn syrup.

Beef broth might be a start. Oatmeal, pudding, apple sauce much like liquid diet.

Smoothies: yogurt, fruit, ice, wheat germ or flax seed.

Ensure or Boost im pretty sure has lots of protein as well.

[kim5204]

I tried baby food diet worked for 6 m months then my dysautonomia progressed and ended up on a liquid diet. and now i am in hospital recovering from j ube surgery from weight loss.

when I was on baby food diet I bought ones with meat in them to keep protein and iron up, also they make infant cereals with lots of vitiams and minerals in them rice cereal, oat cereals. I also used pumpkin seed podwer in yogurt has lots of iron, b vitiams, magnesium, phosphorus, protein. that worked for a while for me.

good luck.

[Racer]

Thanks everyone for the tips

As you hinted at, the hardest part for me is resisting the urges to eat my favorite, "normal" foods- and every time I slip up it's so painful.

It's a really horrible process, but it's possible to do in a healthy way. Sorry you are also going through this! Good luck!

I know that pain, I decided to try a few solids yesterday and it was so painful. This liquid diet seems to be working so far, it is the only thing that has been able to keep the pain and nausea manageable.

At first they threw around the idea of having IBS, but it was determined that my symptoms are a bit to severe to leave it at that. None of the meds for this have worked. My bowel motility is next to nothing, and with solid food my bowel keeps becoming blocked, so I was told to try the diet until I have my colonoscopy. I am just hoping I dont need surgery and can avoid a feeding tube.

[Guest maia]

Do you have a juicer? If not, i highly recommend getting one. You can make some pretty fabulous veggie juices that are super nutritious. There are blenders that liquify and heat also which look great for soups. add a couple carrots or apples or pears to just about any mix vegetables you can think of and they taste pretty darned good.

For me avoiding anything premade is a must and i eat very few carbs except plain rice. luckily there are lots of varieties of rice. I also find i do best with fish. Actually now, salmon and cooked greens makes me feel good. Protein and vitamin shakes make me sick, but pea protein from a 'health food store' is very tolerable. Have you tried digestive enzymes? They helped me a ton when there was nothing i could eat without pain or illness an my bowels were nearly stopped too. They took a lot of burdon off my body so it didnt have to work so hard to digest. I started with 2 super stregnth capsules every time i ate anythign and then adjusted from there as i felt better and found out what i could and couldnt eat.

Try keeping to warm liquids for a while too. your body wont have to use its energy to warm up the food before it has to work at digesting it too.

[RichGotsPots]

If its gastroparesis then fiber is not a good idea so puree stuff will be bad, if its pooling then carbs are not good. That' what it is in my case and I switched to a 90% carb free paleo diet which is also good for autoimmune too. But most likely its the fiber and motility because that can cause vomiting. If it's acid reflux which can also cause vomiting the. Google some acid free diets. I have heard of all day apples the first day with intro foods the following days and some natural and otc meds..like a zantac and Prilosec combo

[Racer]

If its gastroparesis then fiber is not a good idea so puree stuff will be bad, if its pooling then carbs are not good. That' what it is in my case and I switched to a 90% carb free paleo diet which is also good for autoimmune too. But most likely its the fiber and motility because that can cause vomiting. If it's acid reflux which can also cause vomiting the. Google some acid free diets. I have heard of all day apples the first day with intro foods the following days and some natural and otc meds..like a zantac and Prilosec combo

I was negative for gastroparesis, and had a normal upper scope. I am being treated for bowel motility problems. I have noticed that the liquid diet goes threw much easier and helps with the pain some. Since starting liquid, I have tried eating solid food a couple times to test my body, and it was like a brick was trying to wind its way threw my gut, very painful!