Category Archives: Helpful Hints

stress reducers for tubie living

Stained Containers

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Before
Before

Anyone’s Vitamix container looking like the first two pictures?  Don’t worry.  It’s not dangerous.  I blend lots of fruits and leafy greens and I only recently started having this problem.  Normally this is my routine after blending:

  • Rinse the container thoroughly
  • Fill 1/2 way with warm water and 2 drops of dish soap
  • Run the machine on high for 1 minute
  • Rinse and dry upside down in a dish rack

The container can be put into the dishwasher but, I use mine so much that it I need it ready at all times and you can’t beat a 1 minute wash cycle.  So why is my container looking like this now?  I began using peppermint and chamomile tea as the base for Matthew’s green smoothie instead of plain water.  The film is a build up of oils and minerals from the tea. So, now when the container starts looking like that I:

  1. Add 1/2 cup of white vinegar for 32oz containers and 1 cup for 64oz containers.
  2. Add hot water until the container is half full.
  3. Turn the machine on with it set to Variable 1.
  4. Quickly increase the speed to Variable 10, then to High.
  5. Blend for 15 seconds to mix the water and vinegar.
  6. Let sit for about 15 minutes.
  7. Pour the vinegar and water solution over a clean sponge or dish cloth then dump the rest down the sink.  Use the sponge or dishcloth to clean any tough stains that might be left behind.
  8. Rinse the container then refill half way with fresh water.
  9. Repeat steps 3-5.
  10. Empty and let stand upside down to dry completely.
Clean Container (2)
Clean Vitamix Container

If you have let your container build up a thick film or if you are a stickler like me, you may want to put a little baking soda on the cloth or sponge and give the inside another go.  This is totally optional.  It you are on a tight time schedule, this step is not necessary.  FYI, if you are thinking of short cutting by using the baking soda and vinegar from the beginning, DON’T!  Remember that active volcano replica you made back in grade school?  No?  Ok, I may be dating myself.  If you do you will end up with:

Ooops!
Oops!

What is Carrageenan?

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what-is-carrageenan

So I just got through having a very interesting conversation with a fellow tubie mom.  She was looking for advice because her son had suddenly been vomiting his morning blends.  At first she thought it might be a cold but no other symptoms arose.  He was tolerating broth and baby food so it did not sound like a flu bug.  Then she mentioned a change in the coconut milk she had been buying for her blends.  She went from using Silk coconut milk to using Simple Truth coconut milk.  She questioned whether or not it might be a particular additive in the Simple Truth that was not in the Silk.  That additive was Carrageenen.  Since I make my milks fresh, I hadn’t thought about additives and the side effects they might have. I vaguely remember hearing the name but had no idea what it was so I hung up the phone and went looking.

After clicking on the first website that spoke about it and reading the contents, a light bulb went off.  There was a quote from an article that made me feel that this mom had hit the nail on the head:

“Although derived from a natural source, carrageenan appears to be particularly destructive to the digestive system, triggering an immune response similar to that your body has when invaded by pathogens like Salmonella. The result: “Carrageenan predictably causes inflammation, which can lead to ulcerations and bleeding,” explains veteran carrageenan researcher Joanne Tobacman, MD, associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Illinois School of Medicine at Chicago. She says the food ingredient irritates by activating an immune response that dials up inflammation. Her previous work showed a concerning connection between carrageenan and gastrointestinal cancer in lab animals, and she’s involved with ongoing research funded through the National Institutes of Health that is investigating carrageenan’s effect on ulcerative colitis and other diseases like diabetes.”

And what do pathogens like Salmonella trigger the body to do?  You guessed it.  Vomit.  Unfortunately a lot of organic foods add these ingredients to stabilize their products and add shelf life.  So it could be that or a number of different additives that could be causing this little tubie’s tummy troubles.  The best answer is to go back to what was working.  If the vomiting stops, you’ve at least solved the immediate problem.  Then, keep a list of ingredients of the problem item in a file.  If a similar problem arises from another product compare the ingredients to see what they have in common.   Then research the side effects of those ingredients so that you can narrow down the list culprits.

It is best, whenever possible to make your own milks.  That way you know exactly what is in it and what, if anything, needs to be removed.  It is also much more cost effective.  I do understand that not everyone has the time to do this.  But, if you are cooking and/or blending for someone on a specialized diet or has multiple allergies/sensitivities, it is well worth the time and effort.

If you are interested in reading more about Carrageenan this article contains a lot of interesting information.

Blend Cooler

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One of the objections health professionals have for not using home blended meals is food-born illnesses. Though they are justifiably concerned, it need not be a road block to good nutrition.  Individuals who must or choose to use a feeding pump don’t have to be excluded from enjoying the benefits of a whole food blenderized diet.  Where there is a will, there’s a way.

That being said, many of us may have some idea about what proper food storage is but not have the whole picture.  So I took a look at what the FDA had to say.  Even though it was a confirmation, it felt good to see it in writing.  When it comes to blends, I don’t keep them in the refrigerator for more than 48 hours.  That’s why I freeze in small portions.

Still not convinced?  Take this scenario, for instance.  You have to go to work or school and you choose to bring your lunch.  Do you get to your lunch break and toss your nutritious lunch in the trash?  No?  Why not?  Because it’s been in your lunch box with an ice pack all morning, you say?  Exactly!  We don’t think twice about for those that eat orally.  So, when I was faced with the same issues, here’s what I came up with:

 

  1. Find a lunch box that will fit your feeding bag.
  2. Cut a whole in the top of  it to thread the loop through so that you can hang it on the IV pole.
  3. Cut a whole in left side to allow the tube to exit and connect to the pump.
  4. Add Bag filled with the feeding and ice packs front and back.
  5. Zip up the lunch box and start you feed.

It is best to start with a cold blend if you can-by.  That way the food stays fresher longer.  Depending on how long the feeding runs, you may need to replace your ice packs.

If your pump came with a mini backpack,  you may use it but I had a hard time fitting ice packs in with the feeding bag.  If anyone reading this has figured it out, feel free to add your idea to my comment section.  If you need something more portable, you can get a regular backpack that has sections to hold the lunch box and the pump so the tubing doesn’t get kinked.  Nowadays they usually have an opening for headphone wire.  If not, adapt it yourself.

At first I was afraid to do this thinking the blend would upset Matt’s stomach because it was too cold.  Then I realized that, by the time the food got to the extension tube, it was room temperature.  Besides, we eat cold food all the time without even a thought.  He as not had any issues.  As with anything you do with your tubie, when you try something new, watch them closely.  Look for signs of discomfort and stop the feed if there are any.

I hope, pray and dream of the day when manufacturers of feeding pumps get on board with those of us who choose food over formula.

Hemp Seed

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Hemp Seeds

I recently joined a group that focuses on blenderized diets. Originally my goal was to share my experience in order to help others with g-tubes live healthier lives.  Little did I know I was going to need their help as well.  Because Matthew is getting older and in need of more calories but not able to handle large volumes, I posed a question to the group regarding “milks” that were high in calorie.  Hemp seed milk (something I hadn’t heard of) was on the list.  Since this was coming from a group of people that had lot’s of experience, I began looking into it.

What I found was, it is yet another super food.  So, as always, I dug deeper.  Here’s what I found:

  • Hemp seeds have 9 grams of protein per serving.  They contain all of the essential amino acids making them a complete protein.
  • They are a good source of iron and Zinc.
  • They are an excellent source of Vitamin E, Magnesium and Phosphorus.
  • There is also 2.8mg of Manganese which is 140% of the DV.

Hemp seeds are also over 30% fat but they are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 which is more than both chia seeds and flax seeds.  These fatty acids, in balanced proportions, have been linked to a host of health benefits.  “The typical American diet contains 14 to 25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids, which many nutritionally-oriented physicians consider to be way too high on the omega-6 side.

The Mediterranean diet, on the other hand, has a healthier balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Many studies have shown that people who follow this diet are less likely to develop heart disease.”

One bit of information I found was very important to know.  Matthew has a condition called Chronic Thrombocytopenia.  Due to a severe infection he had at the age of 4, Matthew has a lower than normal number of platelets in his blood.  Since platelets are the part of the blood that allows clotting to occur, it is important for me to know that the oil in hemp seed may slow blood clotting.  this is why it is so important for anyone being followed by a physician for any medical condition should research any and all super foods that hit the market and, check with and/or inform your doctor if you have or are interested in adding them to your diet.

Sometimes people have g-tubes and don’t have a lot of other medical conditions so just trying out this healthy high calorie food.  Still others, like Matthew, are so complicated medically that research has to be done before even considering it.  Healthy or not, medically complicated or not, my treat all super foods the same.  See what is being said and check it against other websites.  Health food websites tend to only give the health benefits and not the side effects or contraindications.  Medical websites will sometimes do just the opposite.  I choose to look at both sides and decide whether or not it’s something that will benefit Matthew or make conditions worse.  If I am unsure, I check with his doctors.  I especially make sure to alert his GI doctor of any dietary changes I have made.  I also don’t give him anything I haven’t tried myself.

In closing, I follow the “less is more” rule.  In other words, just because a super food has some really enticing health benefits, ingesting lots of it can cause problems.  Look for sites that will give you therapeutic doses and stick to them.  Our goal is to stay out of the doctor’s office, not end up in one.

Coconut Milk/Pros and Cons

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Coconut Milk
Coconut Chia Seed Pudding

As Matthew grows it gets harder and harder to keep up with his calorie need without adding more formula.  To complicate things more, in the last 2 years, his bowel has begun functioning much less efficient.  Because of that I tested him for 4 days with coconut oil to make sure he wasn’t allergic to it.  Once I saw that he was not allergic to it, I began making his oatmeal with fresh coconut milk I blend myself.  Since I had already done research on it, I felt comfortable giving it to him.  I will post that recipe and my recipe for coconut seed pudding soon.

Since there is a lot of confusion about the health benefits of it, I thought it would be good to pass on what I have read.  I feel strongly in educating myself on anything I eat but much more so for Matthew.  So many of us race off after every new “super food” that hits the news without looking into the particulars of it.  I tend to look for articles done with research behind them and, because of my medical background, articles written by MDs.  I know there are many doctors who are anti whole food healing but not all of them are.

I read this article about coconut milk and I felt it gave a good picture of the pros and cons of it.  Take a look and decide for yourself.