In my recovery from my eating disorder, I put up a fight whenever my treatment team suggested I take Ensure supplements. I thought it would be the worst thing in the world and though I didn’t enjoy it per se, it helped my body to get healthy during my recovery. These nutrition supplements are available to help make sure you are getting the nutrients you need when eating or keeping that food down is a challenge. Here are some signs that you may need to take Ensure supplements.
1. Your Team
If your treatment team is insisting that you take Ensure supplements, then it’s a surefire sign that you should. They have more training and specialization when it comes to getting you healthy so it’s important to listen to what they have to say. I feared that starting Ensure supplements would mean I was a failure. My eating disorder told me that lie time and time again but I was quite surprised when the world didn’t end when I started them. Listen to your team and express your concerns so that you can work together to get you healthy.
2. Your Body
Whether or not your body is emaciated, you may be deprived of some vital nutrients it takes to getting healthy. Ensure supplements pick up the slack for nutrients that may be lacking in your diet such as protein and calcium. My nutritionist encouraged me to take Ensure because it would help me get those nutrients on days when I didn’t. I wasn’t a skeleton but taking these supplements helped me get back into a rhythm of healthy eating.
3. Challenging Meals
Is there a meal or time of day that is exceptionally challenging? Drinking an Ensure supplement at this time can help redirect the thoughts away from food but makes sure that you are getting the nutrients your body needs. I would drink one each morning to kick off the day with protein. Snack time is also a great time to have an Ensure supplement. You should not be drinking more than two Ensure supplements a day because it can mess up your digestion system if you are consuming more liquids than solid food. Listen to your nutritionist or dietitian to see what they think is a good place for you to start.
4. Weight Restoration
If you are admitted into an eating disorder clinic, then you will more than likely be required to start Ensure. If you are working on getting to a healthier weight then Ensure supplements will be a must. If you are at a healthy weight upon your admission to the clinic then you may take Ensure supplements to fill the nutritional gaps in your diet as you work to establish the routine of a meal plan or intuitive eating.
5. Routine
If there is no routine in your diet right now then that’s a good indicator that you should start drinking Ensure supplements. In my recovery, I used Ensure supplements as the foundation to establish regular eating times and filled those slots with food as I began to work myself off drinking Ensure.
6. Stuck
Are you stuck in recovery and don’t know what to do? I know I tried so hard to avoid drinking Ensure supplements because I felt threatened by them in an inexplicable way. But starting them actually made me really focus on getting better and staying healthy. I didn’t want to stay on them forever but used them when I needed to, comforted that they were there if I needed to fill any nutritional gaps in my diet.
7. Yourself
If you have that feeling that your diet is lacking nutrients or that you feel off, you should start drinking Ensure supplements. They can help you get to the point where eating regularly isn’t challenging and encompasses all the nutrients you need. It may be scary starting them up because it is a big step but it’s worth it and your recovery is worth it.
If you are starting to drink Ensure supplements, I recommend the milk chocolate and coffee flavors. They were always my favorite! Another supplement brand you may check out is Carnations Instant Breakfasts. If you have taken Ensure, how did it change your recovery? What’s your favorite flavor?