Ensure and other drinks like these?

S

Steel Toe

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Hi all. Here is my story. I have a digestive disorder and cannot seem to absorb much nutrients. So I am now on a liquid multi vitamin and am drinking ensures for post work out.

Each can has:

350 calories (100 from fat) (I am 28 year old male 6 foot tall and only 140 pounds)

13 grams protien
no trans fat
16 grams suger

My concern is that this item contains soy and I know soy is not the best protien. But I really want a pre made shake in a can ready to drink. I do not like a lot of the ones made for work outs cause they are made to stay lean and have no calories and are made with splenda or other artificial sweetners. Will drinking the soy protien ater a work out hinder growth or repair for a man? It has milk protien isolate listed higher on the list of ingridients is that whey? then lower down has the soy listed.

On one last note it has tons of great nutriets like 25 % of a bunch and over 50 % of a few too!

Thanks veryone for tips/advice!
 
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Why ensure over a protein shake? A protein shake is pretty darn liquidy.
 
I agree, why not get a good protein powder, especially a blend of proteins, instead of limiting yourself to a soy shake? you can avoid 16g of pure sugar, and get twice the amount of protein, and I'd wager its a lot cheaper than Ensure (or even generic brands).

I would go with either Optimum Nutrition's Pro-complex (whey isolate + egg albumen) or At Large Nutrition's Nitrean (whey isolate + casein).
both have fast absorbing whey, and then a slower digesting protein (egg or casien)

Also, just because Ensure has 50% of a vitamin, doesn't mean its a form of the vitamin the body can easily absorb. it could be a really poor form, where you only get 20% absorption, and 20% of 50% brings the total amount to 10%.

get a protein powder, buy a decent multivitamin, and eat healthy foods, and you won't ever have to wonder "am I getting enough vitamins?"

what specific digestive disorder do you have? someone here might have some tips for your particular needs, like stuff to get and stuff to avoid.
 
Well I actually like the high sugar in this stuff as I need the calories. And my digestiv disorder may be from stress but whtever the case I have cronic diarrhea. Solid foods I eat I feel that I get not to much out of em. And as far as the protien shakes they almost all have artificial sweetners (which I do not want) and I do take a multi vitamin also liquid. I am just wondering about how they might help gain weight as I am 6 foot tall and 28 year old male and only about 140 lbs. they have 350 calories per serving. I am not trying to get lean here. I am already WAY LEAN. I have a six pack and only just started sit ups. I need fat.
 
I discussed this post with my wife, who's a diet tech. at the state's largest heart hospital.
They don't even have Ensure there, because its too high in sugar and isn't great nutrition-wise.

In fact, I see Ensure giving you more diarrhea, not less. I bet you don't eat nearly enough fruits, veggies, or fiber, and that's the source of your mud butt.
Ensure isn't gonna bulk you up, and may give you stomach aches from the Soy protein in it.
 
wow I had heard so many good things about it. I heard it was good for people with an illness to get nutrients and maintain weight to avoid weight loss.

I love how convienient it is in a can and all no mixing needed. I would consider a weight gain protien shake but those have like 100 grams of suger per 1000 calorie serving. Seems high. I just don't know. Bottom line is I need some form of liquid calories to gain weight without having to digest it. Not just a protien for muscle but I need the fat and whatnot.


And yes I need to eat more veggies and fruits. I know.
 
Steel Toe said:
Bottom line is I need some form of liquid calories to gain weight without having to digest it.
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why do you think this??

you don't NEED a single supplement to build an awesome body. they can be used effectively to help make things easier/more convenient, but you don't NEED them one bit.

I think you need to look at what you're currently eating and how to make it better before you think about liquid meals as the 'only way to get enough calories'.
and btw, you still digest liquid calories, they're just less filling. all the sugar in that Ensure will just make you hungry and spike insulin when you don't want it spiked.
 
Soy protein always tore up my insides personally. I do not touch the stuff.

I gotta give a +1 to the protein shake idea though. Whey is fast absorbing, and to get the most out of a post-workout shake, you would add dextrose to it to spike your insulin levels, in turn making your body absorb all the nutrients from your protein shake anyways. Sugar, post-workout, is desired as long as it's dextrose. Your body needs it to recover from an intense workout.

Malkore, I know you 2nd that as well...so I'm suprised you said something about the 16g of sugar in the Ensure...hehe.

Either way, I think Ensure is not the best way to solve your dillema. Besides, I wouldn't think that an "all liquid" diet would be the best thing for diahrea anyways.

On another note, a flaxseed oil supplement would help slow down your digestive process too, which may help with your condition
 
Thanks guys for all the info. yeah my gf and I had our first baby 11 months back. Baby girl. Anyway ever since she arrived my stress levels have been higher than average. I went from 180 lbs to 140 lbs in a few months time due to foods going right through me. I lost all my water weight too and I have had to go up about 4 belt notches due to my ass just flat out going away. It is scary. My first thing was to go get tested for aids and everything checked out okay. I go so many tests done. I even had a stomach xray and they saw nothing wrong such as tumors or anything. It looks like it may be stress. I will try another whey suppliment but I want something with tons of calories to help me gain back weight without the sugar being too high. I was thinking about mus l blast. anythoughts on that brand?
 
Alright, here's a home made weight gainer and meal replacement:

1 cp full fat plain yogurt.
1 cp milk (any kind).
1/2 cp cottage cheese
1 scp whey protein.
2 tbsp natural peanut butter.

The carbs, with the fat, should put some mass on you. If you're weight training, you'll get some as muscle.
 
does that taste good? hehe I might try it out. The natural peanut butter has seemed to make my stomach upset more than usuall and same with milk. the yogurt and cottage cheese I would have no problem with. Same with the whey.
 
xtonymarsx said:
Malkore, I know you 2nd that as well...so I'm suprised you said something about the 16g of sugar in the Ensure...hehe.
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mostly because I have no clue what KIND of sugar it is...table sugar? fructose?? HFCS!?!

when its an unknown variable, I assume its bad. especially in a pre-fab shake, HFCS is highly likely since its a texture/body enhancer, would make the Ensure less watery, and its cheap as dirt.

ok ok, I went and googled it. its actually sucrose and maltodextrin for sugar sources, so not terrible.
but it also says "It is suitable for use by people recovering from general surgery or from hip fractures."
 
ok ok, I went and googled it. its actually sucrose and maltodextrin for sugar sources, so not terrible.
but it also says "It is suitable for use by people recovering from general surgery or from hip fractures."
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haha I know I know. That is why it seems like it must work for people with issues. So far I like it but am considering all you guys advice as well. It is why I asked.

I like the looks of the GNC gainers but man 136 grams of sugar?! I have stress already and do not need to be wired off of a sugar high ya know? I saw one called mus L blast at my local grocer that looks like a posibility.

It is a whey protien with tons of amino acids and a gainer too. It has around 70 grams of sugar though and not even 600 calories. I could get 700 calories from 2 ensure shakes and only have eated 32 grams of sugar.

But this one does have they whey and aminos too. Hmmm it only has 20 grams of protien though for a heaping 4 scoops with the 70 grams of sugar.

If I find a good gainer that has whey and a good amino list along with high protien (higher than 20 grams) per serving and not too much sugar I will try it out.

Any thought on using the GNC stuff but spliting it up into smaller portions? Like the 2000 calorie shake mix I could hald and get around 1000 calories, 35 grams of protien and only 70 grams of sugar or something. I dunno how their amino listi s on those though.


Hmmmmmm decisions decisions.
 
Steel Toe...honestly, I think you are better off getting some ON Whey Protein and mixing in whatever you want with it OR getting some AT LARGE Whey + Casein and mixing in whatever. Whey is cheap, absorbs FAST, and shouldn't upset your stomach.

You may also want to consider eating more carbs (and I mean breads) since those will fill you up and have a better chance of "sticking" with you than other foods. That COULD help with your digestive problems, but I can't say for sure since I am not a doctor.

I'm still just blown over how an all liquid diet is good for you when you have your particular condition.
 
malkore said:
mostly because I have no clue what KIND of sugar it is...table sugar? fructose?? HFCS!?!

when its an unknown variable, I assume its bad. especially in a pre-fab shake, HFCS is highly likely since its a texture/body enhancer, would make the Ensure less watery, and its cheap as dirt.[/B]"
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I was just busting your balls man. I figured you had a reason behind the things you said. I trust you more than myself when it comes to nutrition.

On a side note, I know that "health" concious people tend to steer away from breads, but do you think that those might help him out some???
 
Newf...muscle milk is overpriced for my pocketbook. It does taste damn good though. I think it's just another fad that will soon fade away like all the others
 
I dont want anything with creatine in it. so muscle milk is out. I also just saw that the 2000 calorie gnc one has creatine in it. I will keep looking. I do like plain whey for health benifits but I really need calories with ease of use.
 
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