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Advice for Sick Mum: Energy Food?
Karis
Posts: 6,380 Forum Member
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I need some help. My mum is currently very poorly indeed and she's dying from undernourishment. She's on total intravenous food but she's still not putting on weight.
She can eat a little, and I was wondering if energy bars that are packed with energy would really help (it certainly can't help), but which ones would be the best to eat.
Basically I'm asking: what are the best calorie packed foods that a person can eat if they can't eat a great deal.
At the moment she's eating the odd bit of fruit, which just isn't providing the nourishment she needs.
Before you ask: the doctors have been less than useful and the diet they've put her on she simply can't eat in the kinds of amount she needs to survive...
She can eat a little, and I was wondering if energy bars that are packed with energy would really help (it certainly can't help), but which ones would be the best to eat.
Basically I'm asking: what are the best calorie packed foods that a person can eat if they can't eat a great deal.
At the moment she's eating the odd bit of fruit, which just isn't providing the nourishment she needs.
Before you ask: the doctors have been less than useful and the diet they've put her on she simply can't eat in the kinds of amount she needs to survive...
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Also, if your Mum is supposed to be eating other foods herself but can't manage it, then you need to tell her doctor so they can increase the calories of her IV food.
Hopefully someone here more qualified can help, but do keep on at the doctors to give you more advice, sometimes you really need to hassle them before they help you.
Thanks for taking the time to reply. This has been going on for literally years now, and so we're going to try and give her some food as well as the hospital is insistent that she can eat (which she can, but three meals a day is, to her, just repellent).
You're welcome. Sounds like a complicated issue, but as hospital insists she can eat, there must be some foods you can try. Probably unlikely, but is there any food which she particularly likes? If so, perhaps you could bring some of that, even if it's unhealthy or fattening to a degree (providing doctor agrees). How about smoothies or milkshakes, would that seem less like "food" to your mum? Wish you both good luck and health.
I have little appetite most days but can often manage an omelette or soup - chicken or Baxters Royal Game seem to go down well.
That's the kind of thing I was hoping to hear. Thanks so much!
She isn't on TPN (it's a long story caused by a huge amount of utter incompetence) although she should be.
I'm going to sort things out on Friday, but I'm going to try her on some milkshakes with Ensure Plus in, etc...
Thanks for this advice, though. Very helpful.
I supposed that is classed as healthy on your diet
Id stay away from dairy since its the worst offender of the lymphatic system.
The OP wanted foods with max "energy" i.e. calories. The Doner, chips and mayo is one of the most calorie-filled foods that I can think of too!
Other stuff could be chocolate, crisps, salami, advocado...
Good luck for tomorrow, hope things improve for your mum and that the Ensure are helping
Why would you shove food down a sick person is totally beyond me. If you are not absorbing obviously the digestive system needs healing. Natural foods heal so give the digestive system a rest and just give it the green juices. Sometimes we eat to solve our problems but need to learn not when to eat.
Personally, I think the OP should listen to the doctors. But he/she seemed to think they had gone beyond that.
I agree. If you're poorly and can hardly eat, and presumably haven't eaten much in a while, your system will be very delicate. Eating tiny portions of very very tasty natural things is what's needed, things that won't upset the system, but will give a bit of pleasure and get your body used to eating again.
I think natural fruit juices & smoothies could be good. Possibly really nice poached eggs, or some nice smooth vegetable soups.