Advice after your nerve block for surgery
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Have you lost weight recently, need to gain weight, lost interest in food or missing meals?
If you are answering yes to any of the above, this booklet could help you. In order to feel well it is important to eat well.
If you have been seen by a speech and language therapist and they have given you recommendations for modified consistency diet and or fluids, it is important that you follow those recommendations. It is possible that not all suggestions in this booklet will be appropriate if you are unable to swallow normal food and fluids. If you are unsure, please liaise with your speech and language therapist or dietitian.
Step 1: A little and often eating pattern
- Eat little and often - try small, nourishing meals, snacks and drinks every two to three hours throughout the day.
- Try not to skip meals - if you cannot manage a full meal, just have something small. For example, have a milky drink and some biscuits.
- Choose nourishing foods and drinks that are high in calories and protein. Try full fat milk and dairy products. Avoid foods labelled ‘diet’, ‘reduced/low fat’ or ‘healthy eating’ at this time.
- Wait to have a drink until you have finished eating - drinking with meals can make you feel fuller sooner or only have sips with meals.
- Eat whatever you particularly fancy and if your appetite is better at certain times of day, aim to eat more then.
- A small glass of alcohol before a meal can help to stimulate your appetite. You may need to check this with your doctor or pharmacist before taking alcohol whilst on medication.
| Savoury snack ideas | Sweet snack ideas |
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Step 2: Fortify your foods to make every mouthful more nourishing
Fortifying is when small quantities or everyday foods, such as cream, cheese or butter, are added to a food or meal to increase the nutritional content, without increasing the portion size.
Ways to fortify your food:
- Change to full cream milk and use butter.
- Add extra butter, pesto, cream or cheese to potatoes, (boiled, mashed or jacket), soups, sauces, gravies, vegetables, meat and fish.
- Add double cream, evaporated milk/condensed milk, ice cream or full fat yogurt to fruit, (fresh, tinned or stewed), desserts, custards, milky drinks and milkshakes.
- Add sugar to hot drinks, fruit juice and puddings.
- Add sugar to breakfast cereal and sugar and/or honey to porridge.
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Fortified milk can be made up and used in place of ordinary milk in teas and coffees, on cereal etc. Mix four tablespoons (50g) of milk powder e.g. Marvel, Plus Pints or your supermarkets own brand, into one pint of full cream milk. Once made up, keep it in the fridge to use throughout the day. Tip: A 200ml glass of fortified milk makes an excellent nourishing drink! |
Step 3: Have nourishing drinks
Nourishing drinks can provide protein, vitamins and minerals as well as extra calories. Try to have two nourishing drinks each day, taken between your meals.
Nourishing drinks consist of milk, milkshakes, fruit juice and smoothies.
You could try homemade drinks:
| Milkshakes | Fruit Juice | Energy shot |
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| Serve chilled Dose: twice daily |
Served chilled Dose: twice daily |
Serve chilled Dose: up to three shots each day |
Ready-made drinks: Mars, Yazoo, Frijj, Galaxy, Aero, Bounty, Alpro, Flavoured milk can be bought from most supermarkets and convenience stores.
Over the counter supplements: these are high energy and protein drinks that are available from most supermarkets and chemists, without a prescription. There are two varieties, those that are ready to drink straight from the bottle and powders that need to be made up with milk before drinking.
- Ready-made: Nurishment, Nutrament, Supligen. Serve chilled
- Powder: Build up and Complan. These should be made up as per the packet instructions using whole milk. Serve chilled.
If you have a history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes or stroke, you should discuss the advice on this leaflet with your GP.
If you have diabetes, you may need to continue to choose sugar free drinks and/or monitor your blood sugar levels more closely than normal; follow your GP’s instructions.
Please seek medical advice if you are still following this advice after six months and have not gained significant weight.
Additional Help: Ready Meals
If you are having difficulty preparing meals, consider ready meals, either from the supermarket or a food delivery service (Wiltshire Farm Foods, Oak
House Foods). Avoid low calorie or diet versions.
www.
0800 077 3100
www.
0333 370 6700
Adapted from a leaflet created by
NHS North East Hampshire and Farnham Clinical Commissioning Group
Contact us
If you have any queries relating to this information, please contact the Dietetics service.
About this information
Service:
Dietetics
Reference:
DT/046
Approval date:
31 August 2024
Review date:
30 August 2027
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Important note
This page provides general information only. It is developed by clinical staff and is reviewed regularly every 3 years for accuracy. For personal advice about your health, or if you have any concerns, please speak to your doctor.