Ensure Drink

[Tselere]

Hi Everyone,
Since My dad is not eating at all, Is it ok if I gave him an Ensure drink?

Thanks and Have a great weekend.
Liza

[jmjm530]

Our last posts crossed. Yeah, yours are expressed in a different calibration. Sounds normal to me. Still a good idea to have your total chol, hdl and ldl checked. Did you doctor say why you might have fatty liver? Did you perhaps drink a lot before leading the healthy lifestyle? Really don't know a whole lot about the subject though.

-- Jim

[jmjm530]

The more I think about it, your tri's are probably 158 because never heard of them expressed in a fraction. You still might discuss with your doc the next time you see him.

[jmjm530]

You might also want to check this link out and read down until you get to "low triglicerides". Still, I wouldn't get overly concerned until you discuss things with your doctor. It may be calibration, it may be that your veg diet affects the test differently. You certainly sound and act like one of the healthiest people I know.
www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/triglycerides_test.jsp

[jmjm530]

According to my lab (Quest) normal triglicerides are under 150.

As far as "1.58" -- never heard of a trigliceride reading that low but maybe your lab calibrates differently. Does it have a range next to it? You might call your doc or nurse and ask them. But it it turns out to be 158 instead, it's really not that high -- just a little high -- and remember, if you didn't have fasting blood drawn, the tri's tend to show higher than they really are.

-- Jim

[jmjm530]

Make sure you have your blood taken after fasting 12 hours to get an accurate triglyceride reading. Probably a good idea to check your total cholesterol, LDL and HDL cholesterol at the same time. But all said, genetics plays a HUGE role in health and longevity, you are a lucky dog.

-- Jim

[Forseegood]

be careful Rocker Dude, for all you know, I might be a dude myself, ha ha ha! Maybe I'm the infamous author of the Spacedick episode! ha ha ha! I better sign off, I'm getting way too punchie, I've been working to hard lately...everyone, have a great holiday!!!!

[Pdilly]

Another good thing is Gatorade.  It has electrolites (or something like that).  When my dad was dying of cancer (oh so slow) that is one of the things they said that would be good for hydration and his body.  Another thing he liked was Atkins chocolate liquid drink.  It does not have alot of carbs so if you are looking for that something else may be better.

[jmjm530]

Great that you're feeling well. Don't want to lecture you of all people on nutrition. LOL. But how is your triglycerides with all that fruit? I think I read somewhere that high triglicerides may be associated with fatty liver as well as pancreitis. If that's the case, maybe you need to tweak your diet some, although it sounds you're family (mother's side) is doing just fine without my advice. BTW I'm eating A LOT healthier now that I'm off the treatment drugs. Have a great Mem day weekend.

-- Jim

[Forseegood]

yeah, yeah, yeah, great, great, but do you got any pics of those pecs? that's what we want to know, ha ha ha!

[Forseegood]

WELL, WELL STATED SIR!!! MY HAT'S OFF TO YOU, AND I DON'T WEAR A HAT! NO MONEY IN NUTRITION!!!! NO MONEY IN APPLES FOR GODSAKES! NO PATENT AGREEMENTS IN A VEGGIE SALAD!!!

But I did found something encouraging, when Kalio told me about rapid weight gain with hep c, I went a searchin last night, and on the Veteren's Admin site, I found this whole section on how proper diet and nutrition can really benefit hep c sufferers, take down enzymes and inflammation, etc. It kind of astounded me, some of these orgs are finally getting some truth out there, I guess they see in in their patients!

[jmjm530]

That is weird! But then again, you also like Uni. LOL. BTW while my dinner was excellent, yours sounds even more excellent. Care to upload some of that soy, strawberry sorbet.

[Forseegood]

this is soooo weird, I'm making Linguini too! with some halibut in fennel sauce! just olive oil, roma tomatos and galic with the pasta, a nice artichoke salad, hmmmmm! a soy icecream strawberry sorbet! Chin Chin!

[jmjm530]

Rocker says: Why isn't your doctor giving you the fundamentals of nutrition?
---------------
Until you start seeing those hot young things walking into doctor's offices carrying apples and oranges instead of rx drugs. Until the raisin foundation starts taking doctors out to lunch instead of the statin foundation. Until the prune committee starts funding millions of dollars worth of studies, endowments, speakers and consultation fees, etc. Until all this, you're more likely to get the fundamentals of rx drugs from your doctor then the fundamentals of nutrition.  The other week I saw an epo rep (the longer lasting type) walk into my doctor's office and my jaw almost fell off. No surprise my doc ran a half hour late. LOL. So Rock...how are you doing? You are truly amazing given your low calorie diet and no sides but I think part of this has got to be genetic. Just an opinion.

-- Jim

[jmjm530]

for says: Ensure tastes funny to me.
--------------------------------------

All that stuff tasted funny to me -- real funny -- but I was able to get it down quick because of its low volume 2-3 times a day, keep it down, and still get in two meals a day  since I was unable to eat 3. Check out the Prosure ingredients per link in thread above. I'm sure it's nutrition by Herr Doctor Frankenstein (and I'm sure you'll let me know it LOL) but when you're injecting poison into your stomach each week, what's a little more if it keeps you going. Now that I'm back to err "normal" I do just fine with the volume. Did 12 oz of a nice Italian beer tonight with some linguini and white clam sauce. Yes, times do change. Fortunately.

-- Jim

[Forseegood]

fair enough, but there are many things that are very good tasting, maybe one powder doesn't float your boat, another will... Ensure tastes funny to me...and I have blood sugar probs, I'm hypoglycemic, if I drink Ensure I start feeling weird from the high sugar, so I'm glad I can avail myself of these other things as well..

[jmjm530]

This is what I used to drink early on -- the Prosure formulation for cancer patients which also contains Omega 3's. 300 calories in 8 ounces.
http://www.prosure.com/productDetails.asp

I did try the health shakes (whey and soy powder, etc) with milk or soy milk, fruits, etc, at the health bar at my gym but was unable to get them down -- and when I did force them down, I was then "full" for the day. With Prosure, I could squeeze in an 8 oz can between meals. My guess -- and only that -- is that your average whey shake is also 300 calories but has close to twice the volume and is more filling.

Not at all trying to promote Ensure, Prosure or any of these concoctions over more natural solutions -- just want to point out that what some people go through on treatment be it for hep c, hiv, cancer, etc. (and I'll use myself as an example) can be a complete alteration of appetitite, taste sensations and the ability to take down (and keep down) moderate volumes of food (even liquid). It is an anorexic condition with serious consequences. There is absolutely no similarity to normal appetitite and normal eating in the real world. You really gotta be there to understand what I'm talking about. I have never had a can of Prosure since I stopped needing it nor do I plan to.

If the health shakes worked for me, I would have taken them instead. That's why I urge people to experiment and see what works best for them. If the weight loss isn't significant, I wouldn't even bother with Ensure, Prosure, etc.

-- Jim

[Forseegood]

one more thing, because I do think this is important, once again, the docs prescribe Ensure and Boost because that's their field, that's what they know, those things are commercial and made by drug companies, drug co. do nothing but send samples of their wares to the docs, it's a big revolving door...

they don't know about these other things you get in health food stores, or not many docs do...some bother to really search these nutrition issues out, but most dont...

[dog_lover]

I'm glad it's working for you, I just wish when my time comes that it's an option.  I have mentioned on this board that I am a disabled veteran and get a monthly pension from the VA.  Since my disability is permanent and total I am also eligible for Social Security.  While on the VA health program, which by the way is really excellent, I have to meet with social workers, psychiatrists, mental health professionals and social workers.  If any of these "team" members feel unsure of me they deny my interferon.  Breaking my narcotic contract would constitute such a breach.  So I'm screwed, yes, it's free but at what price?  If I can get Social Security then I get Medicare and I can get the interferon in the private sector without the interference, drug tests, psychiatrists or other meddling jerks who think they know me better than I do. Besides, if I get Medicare then I can get a Marijuana card and smoke bowls of "Humboldt Hurricane" in the VA parking lot.

[Forseegood]

all I can tell you is, I had to cut down on the smoothies with whey protein powder...until treatment that is...because one was beginning to see my butt from space...no worries about this stuff packing on calories...and they aren't necessarily "empty" calories you get from too much sugar...it is more nutritious then that...

[jmjm530]

When it comes to adding weight in cases of significant and treatment threatening weight loss, IMO weight gain becomes the priority.

Ensure, boost and other such formulations were developed to pack the most amount of calories in the least amount of volume while being relatively easy to take down and digest while providing a modicum of nutriments. If you can get the same weight-gaining benefits (meaning calories you can actually get down without filling you up more) from a more natural, "healthier" drink teriffic. I'm a big believer in experimentation. But I wouldn't discount drinks like Ensure for health reasons when significant weight loss becomes a real problem. In the end, calories without volume have got to come from either carbs (sugars) or fat. I think drinks like Ensure load up on the carbs because they're less filling and have less volume then the fats while at the same time adding some protein and nutriments.

-- Jim

[lilmoma]

Yeah, I have seen the commercials for those!!!
They looked pretty cool, but you know how it is with commercials, you just never know if the product is really any good or not.
So you endorse this one huh?!
Maybe I will give it a whirl then, thanks.
lilmoma

[Forseegood]

If anyone's interested, I have a Magic Bullet that I bought a few years ago. It's really one of the best appliances that I have ever bought, and I am an appliance junkie, (nothing from you Goof, ha ha.)

If anyone is familiar with the product, it can blend a blender full of drinks, or you can blend just one drink at time in its own glass...that way it's way less messy to smooth up some smoothies and you can do it one at a time and not have to mess up a whole blender. It has a pretty powerful motor and it blends really well.

Strator, with this thing, I never have problems with things getting blended properly, it blends really smooth, so no lumps....it works with protein powders, nutritional powders, really, really well.

I think it's about 100 bucks but it's well worth it...I'm lazy when it comes to washing dishes and I would hate to have to wash out a whole blender every time I did a smoothie.

Once again, the powders are much more nutritious, not to mention taste better, then Ensure, and not half as expensive...but I can see if youre running out of the house, just opening a can would be convenient, though I've heard there are better canned drinks then Ensure as well with less sugar...good luck.

[lilmoma]

Do you know, I havent had even one moment of nausea since starting tx.
I am always reading how common it is, so I expected it, my hubby suffered from it something awful, still.
I guess I have been lucky in that area so far. Oh but the Ice-Pick headaches,...awful
lilmoma

[lilmoma]

hey how ya doin? I was readin your post, and sounds like your makin out alright these days.
lilmoma