This is a question I’ve wanted to provide a good solution to for a LONG time:
I’m ready to give up the elemental diet (IBD remission diet), but I’m not ready to switch completely to solid food yet. What should I do?
So here’s the thing: Absorb Plus is an expensive product because it is completely elementary shakethe ingredients for which are also expensive.
However, not everyone needs to switch to an elemental diet! I have always presented options for other, less expensive healing options when possible. But let’s say you’re one of those severe cases where an elemental food source is the only thing your body can tolerate and absorb nutrients from, and you’ve just completed three or six weeks of the IBD remission diet.
You will now use the Food Reintroduction Chart (Chapter 5 of the IBD Remission Diet) to thoroughly test your food allergies and intolerances and gradually reacclimate your body to eating normal foods.
But during the food reintroduction phase, you may not get enough calories by eating carrots and pumpkin, for example. So what do you do?
Many people have continued to take several Absorb Plus shakes per day to maintain their nutrition and protein intake while gradually transitioning back to solid food. And while this is certainly an option, we come back to the question of price. And also about the carbohydrate content (tapioca maltodextrin) of the shakes – which is also not optimal if you no longer need to gain weight.
The great thing is, as the supplement industry has grown and opened up, we now have more high-quality options available to us during this transition period (and beyond) – at a lower price per serving – than Absorb Plus. Here’s my video about it, or you can just read on…
Casein-free grass-fed whey!
After years of searching, I finally found a grass-fed whey protein that is minimally pasteurized and comes from purely grass-fed herds. BUT it also contains less than 1% casein AND less than 10% lactose! Can you believe it? Wait, it gets even better: It contains only natural flavors and is sweetened only with stevia. Seriously, I’m in heaven.
For those of you who follow my stuff and are familiar with the technicalities of whey extraction… This product is technically a whey concentrate or whole whey protein.
But not really, as most of the casein and lactose have been removed. Trust me, there are A LOT of whey concentrates on the market and some that are grass fed too. But this is the only one I have found that is minimally (quickly) pasteurized, but also has most of the casein and lactose removed. Casein is the milk protein that most people are allergic to.
The lactose content of this purely grass-fed whey is 1 g per 10 gram serving, which is below the limit for people with lactose intolerance. Laboratory analysis also confirms that the whey contains less than 1% undenatured casein. Although I get bloated when I eat yogurt, cream, or milk, I don’t bloat when I eat/drink this whey.
The chocolate is my favorite flavor. We also offer an unflavored, unsweetened version – because I know many of you prefer that.
Clean, sprouted brown rice protein
Now for those of you who prefer a vegetarian protein or just want some variety: I also (finally) found a vegan sprouted brown rice protein. Not only is this sprouted, but it’s also free of all the usual tons of greens, seeds, roots, and other nutrients that are good for the normal digestive system. (But not so good for sensitive systems). Especially if you are just switching to solid food.
Like the whey I brought for you (and my family!), this sprouted brown rice protein is completely natural and only contains a little salt. Soaking and sprouting the grain improves its digestibility.
The flavored versions are also completely natural and contain only a few fairly harmless thickeners:
- Pectic
- Xanthan gum
- Rice oligodextrin and
- sweetened only with stevia.
Using protein shakes to transition from an elemental diet
Okay, now that you have your two excellent sources of clean, easily digestible protein (a vegan and a whey protein source), how do you prepare them so that they can be consumed alongside the allowed foods at each stage of the food reintroduction table? By the way, this table I keep referring to is the one I provide in the book The IBD Remission Diet. (chapter five)
Here are some transition shake recipes that should be well tolerated:
Transition Shake #1
Transition shake #2
*For ground chia or flax powder, start with 1 teaspoon and gradually increase to 1 – 2 tablespoons depending on what your body likes. BUT drink plenty of water, as chia and flaxseed are stool softeners and bulking agents – and can have the opposite effect if you don’t drink plenty of water with them. Personally, I prefer chia to flax.
Combine vegan or whey shakes with regular food
And there you have it, your easy way to deviate from the Elemental Diet or the IBD Remission Diet.
Simply use the above shakes instead of Absorb Plus along with the foods listed in the food reintroduction chart. (Chapter 5 of the IBD Remission Diet)
The good news is that these shakes are really healthy for long-term use and very affordable.
My children drink the whey shake No. 1 made from raw milk and an extra portion of stevia before school, before gymnastics or soccer – GREAT nutritional value and super quick to prepare. For a really picky child, add a splash of chocolate sauce and then shake it in the BlenderBottle.
I drink shake #2 as a constant breakfast shake. I USED TO Add these additions:
BUT NOW I simply add 1 scoop of MultiAbsorb Immune Booster! And you get the same supplements + the eye/vision health supplements + the super greens/herbs. This supports the immune and hormonal systems as well as the liver and kidneys.
I also add 1 serving of Bone Matrix as listed.
and then I go work with horses for 3 hours – I have lots of energy and only feel hungry on the way home!
I’m really happy that MultiAbsorb is now available to all of us! Unless we grow our own vegetables year-round in composted, worm-rich soil, we are not getting the nutrients we need for optimal, thriving health from our food supply.
Original post September 2013. Last updated February 2024.
Jini Patel Thompson is an internationally recognized expert in natural healing for digestive diseases. She healed herself from widespread Crohn’s disease and has been medication and surgery free for over 25 years. Jini has appeared on numerous podcasts, TV and radio shows in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, giving people hope and vision on how to heal their colitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) using all-natural methods. Her books on natural healing of digestive diseases have been sold in over 80 countries worldwide. Jini is married and has three children, nine sheep, 11 horses, a cat and three dogs.
