Liquid Diet For A Few Days?

Tesseract · Jul 31, 2006

I'm thinking I might need to go all-liquid for a few days because I have this nasty boil sort of thing on my lip that won't heal because I keep biting it while I'm chewing. It has been here for 3 weeks now, and I'm getting quite concerned about it, but part of me thinks if I can just stop biting it at really unfortunate moments, it might actually heal. (I'm making an endodontist appt tomorrow to get a tooth looked at, and I'm going to ask him about this THING, too, so there are plans to get medical attention.) 
Anyway, if I want to stop biting it, I think I need to stop chewing for a few days, which means liquid food. What would you recommend for 3-5 days of no solid food? And I think it may require no chewing or chewing-type movement at all, so I fear even things like mashed potatoes and pudding might be out. I dunno, I'll give them a chance. 
Smoothies are pretty much a shoe-in, but I have no experience making green smoothies. Or really smoothies of any kind. I've always gone to Smoothie King if I want a smoothie. There's clear or cream soups, soy drinks of all kinds, fruit juices, ice cream... what else can you think of to help me get complete nutrition during this time? Do you think a powdered supplement like a Slim-Fast sort of thing (probably not vegan, but I bet there are vegan alternatives at Whole Foods) would be a good idea?

Katt Fink · Jul 31, 2006

Oh boy <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sick.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> I don't have very many useful suggestions to offer but I'm going to hop right on this thread because I'm having all 4 of my impacted wisdom teeth surgically extracted next week and I'll be in the same boat! I'd really check out what meal replacement powder things they have at Whole Foods.. I've always been curious myself. Bolthouse Farms makes a mighty fine Vanilla Chai type protein drink as well as a strawberry banana flavor.. they have other fruit/veggie drinks too but I haven't tried them. Naked makes a really yummy protein drink called Chocolate Karma and Amazake (if you can ever find them) has some very tasty things too. 
Do you think it could be a canker sore? Those are sons-a-b*tches! Have you tried salting it away? Bleh... I get lots of mouth sores so I can really sympathize. Hope it clears up soon!

Tesseract · Jul 31, 2006

It's not a regular canker sore, which is a blessing in a way, because it's not nearly as painful as most canker sores. It's like a blister on the inside of my lower lip. It's mainly just an irritant because it's there pressing on my lower teeth and getting in the way, and of course it hurts like the dickens for a few minutes when I acually bite it. Salty foods only seem to make it worse -- it swells up more. It's been gradually growing and shrinking over the course of the last three weeks, and several times I thought it was nearly gone, but invariably I bite it while eating and the blister rapidly swells up with blood. Very nasty. 
Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness is good, and super nutritious. It will definitely be involved.

raw jess · Jul 31, 2006

ITS A TOOMAH! (It's not a toomah!) 
I recommend juicing if you have a juicer. Good luck!

Tesseract · Jul 31, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by raw jess <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
ITS A TOOMAH! (It's not a toomah!) 
I recommend juicing if you have a juicer. Good luck!</div>
</div>
 
Haha, I loved that movie! Mainly for that line. But seriously, that very thought crossed my mind. What can bleeding sores that won't heal be a sign of?? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/worried.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":worried:"> 
I used to have a juicer, but after several years of not using it, I got rid of it. Ditto my bread maker. Sometimes I wish I had them both back.

raw jess · Jul 31, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Tesseract <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Haha, I loved that movie! Mainly for that line. But seriously, that very thought crossed my mind. What can bleeding sores that won't heal be a sign of?? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/worried.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":worried:"> 
I used to have a juicer, but after several years of not using it, I got rid of it. Ditto my bread maker. Sometimes I wish I had them both back.</div>
</div>
 
It might be trying to heal but everytime you bite into it, it reinfects. 
It could be a detox of some sort. 
Could be a virus that you just have to let it run its course. 
Eat (or drink!) well and let it take care of itself. If you're too worried, see the doc. Stressing out about it won't help it heal if you're that worried!

Tesseract · Jul 31, 2006

I've been poking around, and I did find some sort-of helpful links. None of them are particularly veg-friendly, and they're mostly selling cookbooks for amounts ranging from $1.25 to $13.00. I personally don't feel much like paying for a guide that is going to tell me to eat chicken broth and jello, do you? <a href="http://cancer.about.com/od/treatmentoptions/a/fullliquiddiet.htm" target="_blank">http://cancer.about.com/od/treatment...liquiddiet.htm</a> <a href="http://www.springboard4health.com/notebook/diet_full_liquid.html" target="_blank">http://www.springboard4health.com/no...ll_liquid.html</a> <a href="http://www.liquid-diet.com/" target="_blank">http://www.liquid-diet.com/</a> <a href="http://www.uihc.uiowa.edu/fns/Publications/Brochures/A%20Blended%20Cup%20Liquid%20Diet.htm" target="_blank">http://www.uihc.uiowa.edu/fns/Public...uid%20Diet.htm</a> <a href="http://www.liquiddiet.net/" target="_blank">http://www.liquiddiet.net/</a>

Vegan Joe · Jul 31, 2006

<a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/canker-sore/DS00354" target="_blank">http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/canker-sore/DS00354</a> 
Introduction 
Small and out-of-sight, but painful, persistent and annoying. That's what canker sores, also called aphthous ulcers (aphthae), are for people who experience them. These shallow ulcers in your mouth can make eating and talking uncomfortable. They may occur on your tongue, on your soft palate, inside your cheeks or lips, and at the base of your gums. 
Canker sores differ from cold sores in that they occur on the internal soft tissues of your mouth and aren't contagious. Conversely, cold sores almost always start out on the lips and don't often spread to the soft tissues of your mouth. In addition, cold sores are caused by a form of the herpes virus, making them extremely contagious. 
Canker sores are common, but the cause in many cases is unknown. Canker sores can occur at any age, but often they first appear when you are between 10 and 40 years of age. 
Most of the time, treatment isn't necessary for canker sores. Pain usually decreases after several days, and canker sores typically heal within one to three weeks. Occasionally canker sores can develop that are larger than 1 centimeter in diameter or last longer than two weeks. 
Signs and symptoms 
CLICK TO ENLARGE 
Canker sore 
Signs and symptoms of canker sores may include: 
Painful sore or sores inside your mouth — on your tongue, under your tongue (soft palate), inside your cheeks or lips, and at the base of your gums 
Tingling or burning sensation prior to appearance of the sores 
Round, white sores with a red edge or halo 
You also may experience the following signs or symptoms, though they may not be related to the canker sores: 
Fever 
Listlessness 
Swollen lymph nodes 
Causes 
The cause of most canker sores remains a mystery. 
Researchers generally believe that stress or tissue injury may cause the eruption of canker sores. A minor injury — caused by biting the inside of your mouth or by eating rough foods, such as nuts — may trigger a canker sore. Other causes may include: 
Faulty immune system function 
Nutritional problems, such as a deficiency of vitamin B-12, zinc, folic acid or iron 
A disease of the gastrointestinal tract 
Food allergies 
Menstrual periods 
Though anyone can get cankers sores, they tend to run in families and may be an inherited condition. 
When to seek medical advice 
If you experience any of the following conditions, see your doctor: 
Unusually large sores 
Persistent sores, lasting three weeks or more 
Pain that you can't control with self-care measures 
Difficulty drinking enough fluids 
High fever with canker sores 
In such cases, the sore may be a sign of some other medical condition. See your dentist if you have sharp tooth surfaces or dental appliances that seem to trigger the sores. 
Treatment 
Often treatment isn't necessary and your canker sore will heal on its own. Your doctor may suggest prescription medication if your sores are large, painful or persistent. To relieve the pain and irritation of canker sores, your doctor may recommend a prescription mouthwash, a corticosteroid salve or an anesthetic solution. 
Self-care 
The following practices may provide temporary relief of canker sores: 
Avoid abrasive, acidic or spicy foods, which may increase the pain. 
Apply ice to your canker sores or allow ice chips to slowly dissolve over the sores to ease the pain. 
Brush your teeth gently, using a soft brush to avoid irritating the sore. 
Rinse your mouth with salt water or over-the-counter preparations. Try diluted hydrogen peroxide or elixir of diphenhydramine (Benadryl). Be sure to spit the Benadryl out to avoid absorption, so that the medication doesn't make you sleepy. 
Dab a small amount of milk of magnesia on your canker sore a few times a day. This can ease the pain and may help the canker sore to heal. 
Use an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others). But don't give aspirin to children. Aspirin may trigger a rare, but potentially fatal, disorder known as Reye's syndrome.

remilard · Jul 31, 2006

I'll be on a liquid diet next weekend. <a href="http://rogue.com/events/BonesAndBrew.pdf" target="_blank">http://rogue.com/events/BonesAndBrew.pdf</a>

Gita · Jul 31, 2006

soup is good. You can pure and flavor tofu too. You may want bland flavors due to the sore. I would die without my jalapenos.

karenlovessnow · Jul 31, 2006

when I was still eating dairy I would puree cottage cheese with peach/apricot nectar and make it thin enough to be able to drink from a straw. I would also add milk to yogurt to make it drinkable. You can control the thickness to what works for you. I would also go with the pureed vegetable soups and protein fortified smoothies.

Diana · Jul 31, 2006

If you're only going to go liquid for a few days, I wouldn't worry too much if you're getting full nutrition or not. It's not a few days that are going to make your body go haywire.

GhostUser · Jul 31, 2006

Spirotein makes a ready-to-drink shake along the lines of Ensure that is vegan. it's 330 calories per can, which is nice and high for a meal supplement or replacment- I drank 3 a day after my surgery in addition to yogurts and the like.

Tesseract · Jul 31, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Diana <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
If you're only going to go liquid for a few days, I wouldn't worry too much if you're getting full nutrition or not. It's not a few days that are going to make your body go haywire.</div>
</div>
 
Yeah, that had occurred to me. It also occurred to me that I could just juice fast for a few days. I've never fasted for more than 1 day before, so I'd probably be pretty miserable... 
Having a banana-pineapple-orange-raspberry smoothie for breakfast... aside from being littly yecky with orange pulp, it's working for me. 
Katt, I went to the grocery store this morning and bought the following: 
Potatoes, leeks and no-chicken broth to make vichyssoise 
Extra potatoes to make mashed potatoes 
Extra no-chicken broth to have as a clear soup 
Bananas, frozen berries and rice milk to make smoothies 
Bolthouse Farm juices: Perfectly Protein, Green Goodness, and C-Boost 
Pudding 
Applesauce 
Several cartons of ready to eat pureed soups: Campbell's, Pacific, and Imagine all make good ones. 
Chocolate Almond Breeze 
Ice cream 
Fruit sorbet 
I already have plain soymilk and regular orange juice at home 
While I was at the checkout, it occurred to me that pumpkin pie filling might be a good idea, too. 
Also, if we can handle things like mashed potatoes, pudding, and pumpkin pie filling, we can probably also manage guacamole and hummus. No chips or pita crisps, though.

Tesseract · Aug 1, 2006

After 1.5 days of liquid diet, I can say it takes quite an adjustment to get enough calories. Even adding fatty foods like pudding and ice cream to my regime in addition to things like pureed soups and smoothies didn't help me get over about 800 calories yesterday. I think if you want to get up over 1200 calories, you have to "graze" and consume your liquid/soft foods every 1-2 hours instead of eating 3 regular meals. On the plus side, I'm getting plenty of protein, and my fat percentage is the best it's been in ages despite eating Haagen Dazs ice cream! 
Fiber is another potential issue, which could become a problem even after just a few days. I picked up some hemp protein powder to put in my smoothies. It's loaded with both fiber and protein.

Liquid Diet For A Few Days?

Tesseract

Registered

Katt Fink

Registered

Tesseract

Registered

raw jess

Banned

Tesseract

Registered

raw jess

Banned

Tesseract

Registered

Vegan Joe

Banned

remilard

Banned

Gita

Registered

karenlovessnow

Registered

Diana

Vegan Police Officer

GhostUser

Registered

Tesseract

Registered

Tesseract

Registered