My Month of No Eating... Just Drinking

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Every challenge creates an opportunity.

For the past month, I have been only able to drink liquids and eat only very soft food. A broken wired jaw, means I am unable to chew my food or open my mouth. So anything that doesn’t go in a blender and turn into mush is out of the question. When I was first told of this strict diet was shocked and thought I would never be able to last, but I had no choice.

During the first week having a broken jaw, I lost almost 5kg. I was hardly drinking or eating enough and as a result wasn’t getting enough nutrients. I was tired, dehydrated and constipated.

When I was able to start doing a little bit of gentle training, I knew I had to work on improving my diet. I was used to eating foods like steak and salad, stir fries, fruit and bread to fuel me for my training. I knew that I had to improve my diet to ensure I had enough protein to avoid my muscles wasting away. I needed enough energy to function and repair my jaw bone and enough carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals to keep my body and mind healthy.

Variety is key. Pumpkin soup and banana smoothies taste great at the beginning but start to become a bit monotonous after a while. I started making smoothies that contained all the nutrition I needed: vegetables, fruit, dairy, good fats, grains and of course protein!

I started researching smoothie recipes, watching documentaries on food and studying more about nutrient dense real food. I experimented in the kitchen and became quite creative with making soups and smoothies.

To make my smoothies and soups I would go to the local farmer’s market and stock up on fruit and vegetables that were in season…plentiful and cheap!  Then I just experimented with different combinations. I am eating for function but also for taste!

So…. I thought I would share with you some of my favourite smoothies so far!!

Green Smoothie

  • Kale
  • Broccoli
  • Celery
  • Coconut water
  • Apple
  • Frozen mango (not currently in season but luckily I have a stash in the freezer from summer)
  • Ginger

 

Not your regular banana smoothie

  • Banana
  • Natural yogurt
  • Almond milk
  • Nut butter (peanut, brazil nut and cashew spread)
  • LSA 
  • Coast Nutrition Pea Protein
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Oats
  • Flax seed oil
  • Honey

Coconut Mango & Papaya Smoothie  

  • Papaya
  • Mango
  • Coconut milk
  • Fresh mint
  • Lime juice

 

Protein berry smoothie

  • Almond milk
  • Almond meal
  • Frozen mixed berries
  • Silken tofu
  • Coast Nutrition Natural Protein
  • Raw honey

Buying protein can be a bit daunting as there are so many different brands and types on the market. So many products have a long list of ingredients -  if I don’t know what’s in it, I don’t take it. It’s best to keep things simple and clean. I prefer Coast Nutrition natural pea protein because the ingredients are natural and simple and combine well with all of my smoothies.

When I can finally start to eat properly again I will certainly keep my smoothies a regular staple to my diet, especially the green smoothie as it is jam packed with veggies and tastes great too.

Harriet

xx

 

 

Grace McCalmon