Whenever i eat vegetables they always come out the same way they came in. It was making me think, what's the big deal with vegetables? They're supposedly packed with all this goodness yet when they come out of my pouch it looks like no absorption has taken place. Am i missing out on all the natural goodness of fruit/veg or am i more or less in the same boat as people with colons?
Replies sorted oldest to newest
If it has a husk/hull (peas or corn) or lettuce, I have the same result. I would presume the nutrient is inside the hull and I cut my lettuce into smaller pieces.
We absorb plenty of extremely useful nutrients from vegetables, particularly if we chew them well. Unlike people with colons, though, we don't get much benefit from the insoluble fiber. That's the most visible part of the vegetable, but not the most valuable.
I tend to purée my veggies or use a hand blender to get them to a place where my pouch can get the best out of them...
I don't do well with really high fiber or hard husk veggies (peas, beans, corn...)...I do the same with fruits, other than bananas I tend to blend them into smoothies to get the goodness out.
As for nutrition and absorbtion, my surgeon told me that if I can absorb the calories then I can absorb the rest.
True or not, I am not sure but I do know that I absorb those darned calories really well.
Sharon
I don't do well with really high fiber or hard husk veggies (peas, beans, corn...)...I do the same with fruits, other than bananas I tend to blend them into smoothies to get the goodness out.
As for nutrition and absorbtion, my surgeon told me that if I can absorb the calories then I can absorb the rest.
True or not, I am not sure but I do know that I absorb those darned calories really well.
Sharon
Short answer is yes!
The long answer is that humans just do not digest cellulose, which is what the frame work of the plant-based food is. You don't digest it with a colon either, but the colon is like a trash compactor, making everything unrecognizable (except peas and corn, of course!). 95-99% of the digestion occurs in the small intestine, so yes, you are getting benefit from those veggies.
Digestion begins in the mouth, so please chew well! It reduces your risk of obstruction too.
Jan
The long answer is that humans just do not digest cellulose, which is what the frame work of the plant-based food is. You don't digest it with a colon either, but the colon is like a trash compactor, making everything unrecognizable (except peas and corn, of course!). 95-99% of the digestion occurs in the small intestine, so yes, you are getting benefit from those veggies.
Digestion begins in the mouth, so please chew well! It reduces your risk of obstruction too.
Jan
I have not had my surgery yet but I am curious about the nutrition especially veggies. I eat clean and lean with LOTS of veggies. I am wondering if making them into a shake would give me a better opportunity to absorb nutrients as well as easier on the pouch?
A shake will do the chewing for you, and for some people that helps mechanically. It won't have any effect on nutrition, unless you put things in the shake that you wouldn't have otherwise eaten.
KatKane: You will just have to see how your system reacts. Most likely you will have to add things gradually. I have had times where eating large amounts of veggies has had no ill effect on me. I've had other times when it makes my output watery and I had serious butt burn. I will tell you that things come out better when I used a blender to mechanically break them down. But it was not good for me because I enjoy eating and all the different flavors and textures of food. At that point I had a pouch revision and with it working really well now, I never have to drink my veggies. FYI, I'm vegan.
So, don't worry. And be ready to be flexible till you figure out what works for you.
So, don't worry. And be ready to be flexible till you figure out what works for you.