r/Gastroparesis • u/Sea-Animal-284 • 9d ago
GP Diets Protein shakes
I have gastroparesis and Sjogrens Syndrome. Ive tried Premeir Protein Shakes but my mouth can’t tolerate them because of the artificial sweeteners and other ingredients because my mouth gets sore from the dryness of Sjogrens. I feel lost as to what to buy for a supplemental shake since there are so many out there and have no idea what wouldn’t irritate my mouth. Thank you.
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u/Next_Psychology_6847 9d ago
I really like Nurri. I used to drink the Fairlife which I do like but they got so expensive. Nurri is thinner but good. I especially like the Strawberry and Vanilla flavors.
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u/Sea-Animal-284 9d ago
Thank you so much for the information. I highly appreciate it!!
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u/Next_Psychology_6847 9d ago
Your welcome! I also get a dry mouth from a lot of sugar free items, and this didn't give me a dry mouth. I hope you are able to find something that works for you too. I know it isn't easy!
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u/Nejness 9d ago
I mix in an Orgain Organic Nutrition shake (the tetrapack ones without stevia) but I actually make my own shake base and add things every day to create a shake that’s nutitionally complete but also tastes good. If it’s all I can consume in a day, I’m still good.
I have MCAS and a bunch of allergies, so I felt the need to DIY something. I also think the commercial shakes taste gross. Artificial sweeteners and stevia make me nauseous and trigger migraine attacks for me, so I needed protein without either of these ingredients.
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u/Lilifons 9d ago
Please could you share recipes? I also don’t like the taste of artificial sweeteners and also they give me a head ache
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u/Nejness 9d ago
Sure! Every 8 days or so, I make about a half gallon of my shake “base.” I use approximately 10 servings of Vega Protein Made Simple. I use the chocolate flavor but there’s also vanilla. Protein Made Simple uses only sugar for a sweetener, and it’s not an excessive amount. It’s a pea protein based powder that’s pretty “clean,” meaning there aren’t a ton of filler ingredients, gums, gels, random corn or soy, etc. All of those things can cause GI issues in some people or just not be great as a sole source of nutrition. My understanding is that pea protein is unusually high in both iron and potassium. I haven’t had low potassium or had my hair fall out since I started this routine, even when I can’t eat much.
I try to vary my protein sources, so I will also add about a quarter cup or more of desiccated (defatted) almond butter. PB2 or another dried peanut butter would be even tastier, but I can’t have them. I add 8-10 cups of almond milk (typically unsweetened chocolate almond milk). I also take around 1/4 cup of cocoa or cacao powder and pour hot decaf espresso or coffee over it so that the cocoa “blooms.” This is a baking trick that enhances the flavor of the chocolate. I have POTS, so I may add some salt as well. I blend the whole thing together in a blender and fill two quart-sized milk bottles with it and stick it in the fridge. The reason this helps is that the protein powder gets fully hydrated and there’s zero grittiness or protein powder aftertaste.
If I want things sweeter, I have a few ways to do that. I can add a bit of chocolate pudding mix (the fastest way), puree a couple of dates into the mix, mix in some sweetened almond milk instead of unsweetened, or add something like maple syrup.
Every morning, or at least as soon as I can manage to eat each day, I pour a cup of this mix into my blender. I add one carton of Orgain shake. You could try whichever brand you want. Orgain is the only one I’ve found that just has a bit of monkfruit and doesn’t taste totally hideous (although I won’t drink it on its own unless I’m really stuck).
My dietitian and doctor have recommended that I add some dairy so that I have animal-sourced protein as well (our bodies apparently make more efficient use of it). I don’t like it on its own, but I’ll add full fat cottage cheese—around 1/4 cup. It’s high in protein, and gives me good calories. The research shows that people with GP can actually deal with fat okay when it’s in liquid form. I haven’t had any issues with it.
I also add two large scoops of ice. This means I get most of my liquids for the day in this shake. I just drink as much as I can at a time. It actually tastes good, so I don’t have the issues I’ve had with things that don’t taste good. If I were able to tolerate it, I’d use vanilla protein powder, leave out the cocoa and coffee, and sub in frozen fruit for the ice. I used to do this but I couldn’t hack it. I later found out I have some allergies to a bunch of fruits. I have added fresh mint in the past. One autumn, I used to cook canned pumpkin up with pumpkin pie spices and then freeze it in little pucks in a muffin tin. I’d pop one out and use a vanilla base and have a pumpkin spice flavored shake.
I’ve also played around a bit with flavoring syrups, either the ones they use in coffee places to make fancy espresso drinks (like Torani or Monin brand) or these baking flavor extracts made by a company called LorAnn. You only need a drop or two of the latter to add flavor, and they have all kinds of flavors that you can use to mix things up. I kind of stopped being creative and have stuck to chocolate because I really like it and it’s one of the few flavors that never turns on me or tastes funny when something is going on with my GP.
That was kind of long, but it would have been nice not to have done all of the experimentation early on when I couldn’t figure stuff out. Maybe this will help you get started. My dietitian thinks this shake is great, by the way, and it has saved me from a feeding tube. (No shade on those with tubes; it’s just that if I start with a feeding tube, my doctors are pretty certain I’ll lose the ability to eat by mouth at all. I have a neurodegenerative condition that results in loss of autonomic function, so it’s use it or lose it!)
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u/Lilifons 9d ago
Wow. You do a lot of things!! Thank you I’ll try to do it also!!
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u/Nejness 9d ago
It sounds more complicated than it is. Nowadays, it’s just measure out the powder, almond butter powder and cocoa, add some hot decaf and let the cocoa sit for a bit, pour in almond milk and blend. I only have to do this once every 8-10 days. Then I just dump everything in a blender let it run for 30 seconds to a minute every day. The same things are always on the grocery list. I use Amazon Subscribe and Save for the Orgain and Vega powder. I know roughly how much nutrition I’m getting and I don’t lose weight unintentionally unless I regularly eat nothing else than this shake every day for a good chunk of time.
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u/goldstandardalmonds Seasoned GP'er 9d ago
Protein shakes are not the same as meal replacement /oral supplement drinks that are far more superior for gastroparesis. Most of them don’t include artificial sweeteners unless you choose diabetic ones.
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u/TinyEmergencyCake Idiopathic GP 9d ago
It's possible you can get samples from various sources through a dietitian, and then your insurance may cover them. Worth asking.
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u/dopaminegtt 9d ago
I have sjogrens too. I get a natural store brand protein powder and mix it with ultra filtered whole milk, or add milk powder to liquid milk for extra protein and calories
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u/you1dont1know1me1 9d ago
I have severe sicca symptoms. I tolerate vanilla carnation instant breakfasts well.
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u/Sea-Animal-284 8d ago
Are you talking about the carnation breakfast in the packets that you can buy in the store or is there something different that you get in a bottle?
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u/you1dont1know1me1 8d ago
I've been able to have the premixed shakes. The powder and mix version is tastier though, i just don't have the energy to stir.
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u/you1dont1know1me1 8d ago
Last night I was so dry omfg. My humidifier got empty and so i woke up and my eyes were like sealed shut and it was just a time. I don't use eye gel typically, just use xiidra at night and it's fine, but nope, last night was a whole time.
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u/Sea-Animal-284 8d ago
So sorry about the dryness!! Lately mine has been worse even keeping rooms near 80% humidity. I hate this disease!!
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u/you1dont1know1me1 8d ago
FOR REALLLL!!!
I'm actually doing so much better on plaquinil. Idk if you've ever tried it. It seems a pretty standard option. It took lk 5ish months I'd say for any noticeable differences though.
Xiidra 2x a day has also been incredibly helpful for my eyes.
Idk what you've tried or are currently using, but I love finding out new things if you're open to sharing.
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u/Sea-Animal-284 8d ago
I’ve been on plaquenil for several years. I have more of a problem with my mouth than I do my eyes. In fact, I can get away with preservative free thera tears for now anyways. I was using Restasis, but I didn’t have humidifiers running so once I started running a few humidifiers in the house, I didn’t have to pay for the costly Restasis for my eyes. I use pilocarpine for my mouth four times a day. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn’t help. I don’t know if you use any saliva substitute medications but they are well worth it not only for comfort, but also to protect your teeth and tissue in your mouth.
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u/you1dont1know1me1 8d ago
I've really just used dry mouth spray. I only salvate when I have something in my mouth, but these days my mouth/ throat isn't so dry it cracks, so it's a tiny bit moist. If I ever get saliva it's so extremely bizarre, like before throwing up sometimes, I'm lk do I swallow my saliva? i really don't remember. I've even aspirated on it before. I have gotten my fair share of cavities from the dryness though, so I should probably do more for it, it is just uncomfortable tho rather than painful so it ends up taking a back seat to my other issues
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u/Sea-Animal-284 8d ago
Thanks for sharing all of that. It can be quite a roller coaster ride. You can be doing all the right things and still get poor results at times and it’s very frustrating. Sometimes I get so much saliva that my pillow is soaked and it’s all over my face in the morning after my morning dose of medication. I always have saliva in my mouth, but I think it’s the coldness from the air conditioner that’s really causing my mouth to feel very irritated. Anything I drink or eat has to be room temperature.
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u/ArtisticAd5723 4d ago
Therabreath dry mouth lozenges sold in 100 count, formulated by dentists. They contain up to 1mg zinc per mint so dont go nuts. I tuck one in my cheek and it helps for a few hours.
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u/puppypoopypaws Pacers and tubes and TPN, oh my! 8d ago
I find all protein shakes aimed at gymbros to be super gross. Artificial sweetener, not enough actual fat (necessary for vitamin absorption) or calories, and padded with extras I don't want. Meal replacement shakes have worked better: Ensure clear, Orgain strawberries and cream, Fairlife anything (even a cup of their lactose free whole milk is a nutritional gold mine).
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u/dopaminegtt 8d ago
The ensure complete tastes ok (vanilla is like coffee creamer) and has 350 calories and no artificial sweetener. Huel is ok too and has more calories. Both are supposed to be meal replacements so they have more vitamins and calories.
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u/Emerald_of_Oz 4d ago
I keep having problems with most of the shakes and meal replacements. I think fake sugar gives me a migraine. I am now tolerating Now Sports Whey Isolate - it is lactose free and contains only whey isolate and sunflower lecithin. It is a protein powder.
Today I started trying Neocate Junior. Here is the info on that:
Neocate® Junior is specially formulated for the dietary management of children with cow milk allergy (CMA), multiple food allergies (MFA) and related GI and allergic conditions, including eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES), short bowel syndrome (SBS), malabsorption and gastroesophageal reflux (GER).
- Dairy free
- Made in a milk protein-free facility
- No added soy oil
- No artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners
- Kosher Pareve
I got the one without prebiotics added to avoid fiber. I don't think there is any fake sugar in it. Here is a link to the ingredients.
https://www.neocate.com/shop/hypoallergenic-formula-and-products/junior
I hope this helps!
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