More About Phase 3 Eating

I had an excellent session with WRD yesterday, which really helped me understand the Phase 3 pureed food diet.

Two pieces about this phase seemed particularly challenging: the protein requirement and drinking enough water. And one instruction was confusing.

Protein

The hospital guidelines call for 60 grams of protein per day. That seemed like a high bar, but I was able to do it with a milk-based protein shake (protein from both milk and powder) plus small amounts of protein throughout the day, such as tuna or salmon salad. 

But... WRD told me that Health Canada says when you're recovering from this surgery, your requirements are much higher -- 70-120 grams per day. How on earth am I going to make that happen, at serving sizes of 3-5 tablespoons?

The answer -- as vegans and body-builders know -- is protein powder. I have unflavoured whey protein, and I can add it to almost anything. Depending on the food, it may change the texture slightly, acting like a thickener, but it doesn't change the flavour. This morning I pureed some low-sodium chicken-vegetable soup with a tablespoon of protein powder: 12 grams of protein. 

WRD recommends doing this for everything I eat. This can really increase the range of eating, too -- oatmeal, baby food fruit or vegetables, and soups can all be on my menu. Not at all once, of course, but over the course of the next couple of weeks. 

Water

The hospital instructions say I'm supposed to drink 2 litres (64 ounces) of water per day. I literally cannot do this. There aren't enough hours in the day to get both the protein requirements and drink that much water!

WRD thought 2 litres was excessive, especially considering I am also drinking a protein shake, V8, and soup. She feels that 1 litre (32 ounces) is adequate. I'll be able to do that without any trouble.

Pureed but higher-fat food

The hospital guidelines suggest hummus and smooth peanut butter as good go-to food for Phase 3. I enjoy both of those and would be happy to eat them (although I can't put them on a vegetable or cracker at this point). However, everything I read says to avoid high-fat food... so there's a contradiction there.

WRD recommended staying away from hummus and pb for another week, then trying in small quantities, and adding protein powder to the hummus. I've ordered some PB2 and look forward to trying it.

Vitamins!

Now is also the time to begin taking vitamins, which I will have to take for the rest of my life. Some people find this difficult or oppressive, but fortunately I have no problems with it. I already take several vitamins and supplements, adding a few more into the mix is no big deal.

The requirements are:

- A prenatal multi-vitamin that contains folic acid, zinc, magnesium, and iron

- Calcium citrate

- Vitamin B12

- A higher dose of Vitamin D (Everyone in Canada is supposed to take Vitamin D, and these guidelines double the recommended dose.)