Re: "home-brew" version of Ensure, Boost, etc?

It is so sad for me to hear of your situation. I do hope that you will
get better, G-d willing.
With all my heart, I hope so. One drink I make I learned from an Indian
Restaurant tasted so good, I asked for the ingredients in it. 1 large
ripe mango, peeled. Add unsweetened nonfat yoghurt as much as you like.
Add some good unsweetened juice, (grape, pineapple or what you like) Blend
in blender. Has no sugar with these ingredients. Guess you can add
whatever else you like. Blueberries, 1/2 banana, strawberries etc. Hope
you have no problems with these ingredients. You may want to make sure
they are allright for your condition.
Please eat whatever you need, protein etc. Blend everything to make it
palatable. And maybe some cod liver oil capsules might be of benefit.
GOOD LUCK.
Gail
"David and/or Rena Covell" <dr-covell@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%hoRe.938$ZL4.909@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> I have an incurable leukemia and am in my third and apparently final
> relapse. Ever since my bone marrow transplant I have had difficulties
with
> appetite; many of the healthiest foods, including all green and yellow
> vegetables, are impossible for me to eat. Attempts to force myself to eat
> these things produce a gag reflex or even vomiting. In addition to
problems
> with most vegetables, I usually have little or no appetite. I am now
> considered terminal, with hospice somewhere in my near future. Still, I
> remain fairly active and involved in hiking and other outdoor activities
and
> playing music. These things are what give me quality of life. Now that
> eating is such a challenge, my nutrition suffers and adds to the weakness
> caused by my cancer.
>
> In the interest of saving money and improving the taste, I'd like to try
> using my blender to concoct a drink with the meal-replacement qualities of
> Ensure Plus (or whatever the high-protein version's name is). It seems
like
> I could acheive my goals by using whole milk as a base, and adding
soy-based
> protein powder, homemade yogurt, and then adding heavy cream to boost the
> fat and natural sugars. If I need additional calories I could add corn
> syrup, honey, or other unrefined sugars. I'm not too worried about
vitamins
> since I take supplements.
>
> The national brands are unjustifiably expensive ($9-11 per pack for the
> high-protein version), and not much cheaper at the discount stores like
> Costco or Sams Club. The store brands like Equaline are cheaper but not
> much, and they taste even worse, and might even be formulated in a way
that
> makes some of the ingredients less digestible. I object to the expense,
the
> taste, and the fact that they are pricing this product so high and making
it
> hard for elderly folks, cancer patients, and others who need liquid
> nutritional supplementation.
>
> I am currently only using two cans a day, but as things progress I will
> eventually be on a liquid-only diet and would need 6 cans a day to meet an
> 1800 calorie minimal requirement.
>
> My immediate concern is to give me more energy and pep; some of my
current
> weakness is undoubtedly due to the poor nutrition I've been doing for the
> past several months. I've neglected breakfasts, been sporadic about
lunch,
> and ate too little protein and too much fat and sugar in the form of
> desserts, and I think it has caught up with me. As important as nutrition
> is, an advanced cancer makes it even more critical. I think I've let my
> terminal status provide me an excuse to neglect nutrition, dental hygiene,
> and other things on the basis that it won't matter. This is foolish, as
I'm
> now seeing, because even in the short term these things can still haunt
us.
>
> Ideally I'd get proper nutrition from solid foods, but with the neck
tumors
> and radiation damage to the mouth and throat, plus my poor appetite most
of
> the time, it's easier to drink my meals some of the time. I hate the
> cost -- and the taste -- of Ensure and similar products, and I hate
> enrichening the price-gouging corporations that overprice the stuff.
>
> A homebrew liquid supplement makes good sense financially and would
probably
> taste better. Seems well worth a try. Suggestions welcome.
>
>
>


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