Nutrition

I am trying to find ways to keep my dad's weight up with his ALS. Has anyone used any vitamin supplements, shakes, or anything.

Hi Skipper,

Rog used shakes, stews, soups, added coconut oil to food, protein powders until he got a g-tube in March. PEG tube sooner rather than later.. The longer you wait the more weight is lost and harder to regain!

Jen

If your dad is not bulbar onset AND if he is able to eat normally, I strongly recommend walnuts. They are full of beneficial fat and are considered to be antioxidant.

After my husband's weight plummeted from around 200 to 169, I started giving him 1/4 cup of walnuts every morning with his oatmeal, banana and prune juice. He quickly began gaining weight. At his last weighing he was 197 pounds.

I also give him a can of Ensure Plus (shake) every afternoon. Basically, fats have been found to be neuroprotective, so forget all the "wellness" advice you ever heard and give him fatty, comfort food instead. Another easy way to get "good" fats is to cook everything in olive oil. Avocados are also beneficial.

Good luck.

VL

Also a product called Benecal. Add whole cream sour cream and real butter to everything. How old is your Dad.

Thank you for all the helpful information. My dad is 77.

No calorie is a bad calorie. We do shakes with ensure and protein powder. Kettle cooked chips too...yum, while I still can

Go under Search and put in protein drink it should bring up some recipes

My husband lost 25 pounds right out of the starting gate and it scared me to death. He is bulbar and refusing a tube. Through the use of Ensure Plus or the store brand from CVS, plus mashed potatoes made with a whole stick of butter and thinned with Heavy Whipping Cream, he has put all of his weight back on. I just make sure that everything that passes his lips is as full of calories as I can get it. He still eats his (very well cooked) veggies and fruits, but no amount of ice cream is off limits.

Find what he likes, enrich it, and give him plenty of it.

Hope this helps.

On the downside, you should see the size of my backside!