Some conditions and illnesses such as Chron’s disease can mean that digesting solid food is difficult. Swallowing solid food can be hard if you have had throat surgery or a similar procedure. In fact, there are many different reasons you might find that eating becomes difficult at some point in your life, either temporarily or permanently.
What can be done if this is the case? Speaking to a doctor or dietician is the best thing to do first, as they will be able to recommend different ways to help you. One of these options might be a liquid diet – you will essentially be drinking calories rather than eating them, and you can choose either to use specially designed powders that are mixed with water or milk, or you can blend up solid food into a liquid. In this way, you will still get the nutrients you need in a way your body can use them.
A liquid diet can be hard at first but certainly worthwhile if it’s something you need to do. Read on for some useful tips on how to do it successfully.
Immediate Relief
Even if you don’t like the idea of trying a liquid diet, if you are having a flare-up of symptoms, or you are in great pain generally within your stomach and digestive tract, then switching to a liquid meal should help you. You will ideally see immediate relief from those symptoms and be able to go back to your life very soon after you’ve digested your liquid meal.
Even if you don’t enjoy consuming your food in this way, the fact that you can get relief from potentially agonizing symptoms of Chron’s disease or other digestive issues should be something you bear in mind; it might make things more palatable knowing that relief is on its way.
Thickening Agents
Not all liquified food is going to be unpleasant to eat, but it can often feel unfulfilling as a meal, especially if you are used to eating solid food. To combat this issue, you can use a thickening formula such as Simply Thick. Adding this to food thickens up the consistency and makes it more enjoyable to eat. It won’t change the flavor, and it won’t take away any of the goodness, but it will make the liquid food feel more satisfying, and you will be more likely to stick to the liquid diet you need to try.
Batch Cook
If you’re not using the readymade liquid food sachets or bottles (which, although convenient, can become expensive over time), then it’s a good idea to make your own good and liquidize it yourself. The cost of the liquidizer or blender might be fairly high depending on the type you go for, but it’s a one-off cost, unlike the constant buying of more convenient liquid foods.
To make things even easier and more cost-effective, you can cook larger meals than you need and freeze what you don’t use after liquifying it. In this way, you’ll always have alerts you can quickly defrost and eat when you’re in a hurry.
