Suggestions for handling a liquid diet?

[Maskedlioness]

Hello all,

I'm currently on a forced liquid diet and I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for surviving it for about a week.

Let me explain first. Starting Friday I woke up with a very swollen cheek and jaw joint on one side. Friday and Saturday it got worse to the point that I couldn't eat anything. On Sunday I went to the hospitol and they diagnosed me with a swollen siliva gland and TMJ. I expect it to take about a week to work itself out and in the mean time I'm stuck on liquids.

Can anyone suggest something to make this more tolerable? I don't feel hungry but I think it's because the pain in my mouth scares it away. I was really tired yesterday because I wasn't getting enough calories for energy.

Hope other's have had a better weekend than me.

[carolejo]

Have you got a food processor / blender? Try a fruit and yoghurt smoothie - made with proper full fat yoghurt and none of that horrible low-fat low-cal stuff. It can be made thinner for easier drinking by putting some more fruit juice in it. If you want to make it more wholesome still, try to get some wheatgerm (the bit of the grain that contains most of the vitamins) and add that in.

or you could go for the really lazy option - lots of drug stores and supermarkets will sell ready-prepared meal replacement drinks - I don't mean the low-cal weight replacement ones (ie, slimfast), but things specially designed for re-feeding of people who have been sick for a while or are unable to eat properly for some reason. These are mainly powders that you mix into water or milk. The powders contain a fairly balanced mix of protein, carbs and some fats and are enriched with vitamins and minerals.

Good luck and hope you feel better really quickly. It doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun right now.

C.

[Kevin]

I wish I had some good suggestions. Other than beer, I mean. :0)

Seriously though, these are S days (sick). Get some calories and get better.

[vmelo]

I often have a fruit smoothie for breakfast; it's delicious and has no sugar. Here's the recipe:

1 frozen banana (this is a great use for all those overripe bananas--just freeze them and save them for this)

any other frozen fruit of your choice (I like frozen cherries, strawberries, and/or blueberries).

about 3/4 cup of 1% milk

Blend this all together. You'll get a fabulous fruit "milkshake."

Be sure to use a ripe banana, though; it is what gives the shake its sweetness. Also, be sure that all your fruit is frozen; the frozen fruit gives the drink its thick consistency without having to use ice, which would water down the drink.

Hope you feel better soon!

[Maskedlioness]

Thanks for all you suggestions and well wishes. I've been consuming an Ensure a day and smoothies and really really blended soups. My swelling is going down, so hopefully this will all be over soon.

In the past 3 days, since this all started, I've lost two pounds. Too bad that won't say off.

[reinhard]

Hi maskedlioness,

Ouch. Sorry to hear about this...

Soup, maybe? Pureed if it's too chucky?

I know 2 (probably temporary) pounds aren't much consolation, but take what you can get! Sickness beats the pants off any crash diet on the market

Best wishes for a speedy recovery,

Reinhard

[Jammin' Jan]

Fruit nectars are thicker than juices and so are more satisfying.

Puree a can of baked beans with some water. Heat it up and call it a bean soup. Very nourishing and sustaining.

Put some instant oatmeal in the blender and really pulverize it. Mix with hot water or milk for a filling breakfast. We used to buy this as a ready-mix powder when we lived in Colombia.

Boxes or cans of chicken broth, warmed up, are comforting.

Hope you feel better soon!

[Maskedlioness]

Thank you for all your great suggestions. I'm doing much better now and I'm back on solid food. Back on the bandwagon tomorrow.