Product Review: Real Food Blends

Being told your child is going to need a feeding tube, is heart breaking. Not only does it initially feel like a failure, or a loss of hope that your child will be able to eat, but there's a lot to deal with when a g-tube is placed and it's a pretty scary situation at the beginning. Not only that, but I have yet to hear from a parent that anything other than formula was suggested for their child's enteral nutrition. Sure, there may be the option of one formula brand versus another formula brand, but that's it, formula is the only option given to parents.

I believe in nutrition as a form of healing and unfortunately, corn syrup doesn't rank high, or at all, on the list of foods leading to a sustainable and energetic lifestyle. This is why when I saw that my son was not thriving on formula, I had to make a change, and that change began with whole foods.

Julie Bombacino is another mom who quickly learned the effects formula had on her son. She did her research and began feeding her son a blended diet rich in good fats, protein and calories that weren't based on unpronounceable ingredients and mainly comprised of corn syrup. Julie realized the need for tubies to have an option other than formula, and she also had the knowledge and wherewithal to become the founder and CEO of the company Real Food Blends.

I think it is incredibly exciting to see this company develop and launch their first few meals. Recently, Isaac had the opportunity to try out the three meals offered by Real Food Blends, and I have to say, it was so convenient and I loved having a break from mixing up my own blends and doing all of the cleanup that is involved. Unfortunately, Isaac can't share his own opinion, but he didn't have any adverse reaction to the ingredients. I did slightly thin the Quinoa and Chicken Meals with water or hemp milk since Isaac doesn't need quite that many calories and fat in eight ounces, but it was great because I was able to get a little more than one feeding out of each pouch. I also thinned the meals because Isaac is very particular about his feeding routine and cooperates best when we use the pump for his feedings. Using the pump requires that the blend be relatively close to the thickness of formula.

Now, as for the ingredients. It really is made out of real food. Check it out:

Salmon Oats and Squash: Water, Squash puree, salmon, pomegranate juice concentrate, rolled oats, flaxseed oil. 

Quinoa Kale and Hemp: Water, Kale, Grape Juice Concentrate, Hemp Powder, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Quinoa, Cinnamon 

Orange Chicken, Carrots and Barley: Orange Juice, Cooked Chicken, Carrots, Pearl Barley, Grapeseed Oil, Water, Ginger, Roasted Sunflower Seeds

As stated on the company's web-site: "We are not medical professionals and are not making any medical claims about our food.  Our meals are truly just real food.  Please work with your medical team before making any changes to your diet, especially if you are tube-fed."

The company's Advisory Board does include a dietitian and the first two meals are FDA approved and the chicken meal is USDA approved. Real Food Blends also makes no claim that their blends provide complete nutrition and readily state, "The same way that oral eaters need to eat a wide variety of foods over the course of a day or week to achieve necessary nutrients, our meals are just that – meals. They are not intended to be anyone’s sole source of nutrition. They are each well-balanced and together offer a good variety. We developed these first meals with the intention that someone who is living off 6 or 8 cans of formula a day could easily add some nutritional variety to their diet by replacing a can or two with some real food meals. Those that already blenderize for tube-feeding can use our meals as a convenient option."

A big consideration for families with high medical costs is always whether or not insurance will cover enteral nutrition and all of the other medical supplies that are required for tube feeding. Real Food Blends is working hard to gain insurance coverage and reimbursement for families caring for a loved one with a feeding tube. Just last week, they were able to announce this exciting update: "We are pleased to announce that Real Food Blends™ products have been approved by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) for code B4149.  The code B4149 applies to enteral formula, manufactured blenderized natural foods with intact nutrients, includes proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, may include fiber, administered through an enteral feeding tube, 100 calories = 1 unit." 

Please check the Real Food Blends web-site for more information regarding Medicare and Medicaid coverage. 

I think it's revolutionary that Julie saw a need for children and adults dependent on enteral nutrition, and she did something about it. Even for someone like me who is already creating my own blends, Real Food Blends has it's time and place. This past weekend, in preparation for an overnight trip to visit family, I packed up two days of blended meals for Isaac and was counting on the fridge in the hotel room to be cold enough for his food, and it wasn't. I had to dump all of that food I'd prepared for Isaac. Thankfully I always travel with formula, so I had that on hand, but I wish I'd had Real Food Blends instead. If you are already used to blending your own meals, that's great, and I know that Julie is not trying to use her company to replace the work you are already doing at home. What she is trying to do, is provide convenience for traveling or hospital stays. 

Please also take a moment to read an adult tubie's review of Real Food Blends. Not only does he endorse this product, but he also shares what it feels like to live on a formula diet. Most children with special needs are unable to verbalize how food makes them feel. I have to observe Isaac's mood, bowel movements, sleep and energy levels in order to know anything about how what he eats is making him feel. It really is amazing what a difference in diet can do for a person, especially someone who is already battling a host of medical issues. It seems that in cases such as these, medical professionals should be more willing and open to the clear benefit of a healthy diet. Now that Real Food Blends is on the market, I think it will help more parents begin the conversation with dietitians and physicians in an effort to move from formula to whole foods for their loved ones who depend on enteral nutrition. 

Links: 

Julie Bombacino's story (founder and CEO, Real Food Blends)
Product Endorsement: The Blog of the Traveling Tubie 
Nutrition Facts, Real Food Blends

To order Real Food Blends click here!

Quick Update

Walter and I have been a little discouraged lately. It feels like we've taken several steps back with Isaac and this is very disappointing for us. Today was the gastric emptying study, and Isaac actually did very well and now we will just wait for the results. His overall health has been good so I am hoping that a diet change has led to what seems to be a happy tummy. His mood though has been...well, I shouldn't even talk about that. 

These pictures are from several weeks ago. The first two pictures show how we manage Isaac's feeding tube and extension set (which is the tube hanging down into his pants). Several months ago, I watched a video of a mom cleaning her son's stoma (the name for the hole where the g-tube goes in) and since watching her technique, I began following relatively the same approach and he has had a beautiful stoma ever since (that sounds like an odd thing to say, but it used to get rather crusty, so this has made a big improvement). 

Basically, I clean the area with a q-tip, and apply (depending on my mood, or the look of the site) neosporin or Calmoseptine (your pharmacy can order this for you) to the site with a q-tip and then place two gauze pads around the tube. It works perfectly (for us). Also, because Isaac doesn't like us to touch him or mess with his tube, we keep the extension set attached to the g-tube. Most people do not do this, and instead, unhook the extension after each feed. We've found that it is less stressful for us if we use the tab on the diaper to secure the tube in place and keep it all tucked in the onesie. 

I love watching my kids play. They have such focused and interesting play habits, so it's always fun to see what they come up with.

We often play the "grocery game" so that Isabella can practice counting money.

Acrobatics...

Surprisingly, Isaac has been in a good mood today. We can hardly believe our good fortune since the past two weeks have been a struggle in terms of dealing with his mood. I'm sorry for the relative boring post, but not much beyond survival is happening on our end.

Inniswood Gardens

We've had some growing health concerns regarding Isaac, so the last couple weeks have been very hard for us. Right now we are waiting to have some testing done on Tuesday, and then we will have a better idea of what we are dealing with. The concern is that he has developed gastroparesis, which is basically a condition where the stomach has a hard time emptying its contents. This causes stomach discomfort, vomiting, and diarrhea, among other things due to a decrease in fluids. It is a miracle we weren't in the hospital over the weekend. Times like these make us grateful for the g-tube because we are able to control what goes in despite what unfortunately, comes out. After phone conversations with the doctor, a visit to the doctor, blood work, stool cultures, and a visit to GI just in this week alone, the goal is to maintain hydration and next week work on rebuilding calorie and fat intake, and also have a gastric emptying test on Tuesday. By Sunday night it looked like our little man was disappearing before our eyes, but his energy is beginning to improve and by last night he was able to tolerate his required daily fluid intake. His GI has suggested a blend of almond milk, applesauce, a carbohydrate, and kefir, to work on getting his system back on track. We've had two days now of no vomiting and just pray that continues. 

For now, here are some pictures from the Inniswood Gardens in Westerville, Ohio. We had the chance a few weeks ago to visit my cousin who was in town from Florida. Due to my inability to sit still, I dragged everyone to three different parks that day. Inniswood won out as the favorite, followed by ice-cream, which was Isabella's favorite. 

Venturing away from the stroller and considering the rope bridge. Don't get all excited, it didn't happen--he started screaming right after I took that second picture.

Isaac was fairly unhappy, so we parked him in place while touring the small secret garden, and pretended he wasn't there. Sometimes, the less we acknowledge his existence, the happier he is. He's a very interesting child.

Singing, Rainbows, and a Fairy

Yesterday evening Isabella performed with a group of other kids her age, during a church family night of worship. About half way through the event, I said to Walter, "This is amazing, a year ago, or even six months ago, Isaac wouldn't have made it through something like this." We've come so far. Six months ago, he would have been screaming inconsolably--unable to tolerate the crowd, and noise. Yesterday though, he made it until the end. I could tell he was shut down for most it, but I'm so proud of him for holding out and tolerating a challenging situation for him.

And what about Isabella? She was great, just like all of the other little kids who were singing their little hearts out. Her bravery constantly amazes me. She walked right up on stage like it was nobody's business. I don't know if I could have done that.

Gearing up for the show...

Even though he's outgrown it, the bouncy seat still comes in handy. In case you're curious, that's butternut squash soup going through the tube. 

Isaac helped mix the spices for our chili. He was pretending that the Motrin bottle was his salt grinder.

When I take out my camera, he says, "eeee" (cheese)...

Exhausting morning at Sunday School. 

 Fairy Moments: 

We had a sunny day today, and as usual Isabella and Stella went out to play. I found a rainbow when I went out to get the mail.

Carrots as rockets

I'd shared my feeding therapy frustrations many times with Isaac's therapists, and then finally, we dropped out of the second feeding therapy approach we'd tried...and failed. Well, maybe not exactly failed. For awhile we would have been given a D...maybe a C-. Many months ago, Isaac's Occupational Therapist told me that she was going to attend a conference on an approach to feeding therapy that she thought would be a good fit for Isaac. I was all for it, and looked forward to hearing what she thought after she attended the conference.

Heather (his OT) returned from the conference full of excitement. She planned to start as soon as possible, but she warned me that we would have to do some weird stuff. Uh, okay, I guess I'm up for anything, I just want the kid to eat one day...or at the very least, touch food. She told me that once we reached a certain point of success during the program, we would have to put food in our mouth, chew it up, and spit it out, so that he could visualize what chewing does, or that food is safe to eat, or something like that. And then she told me that you begin with green and orange foods, which meant, broccoli. Oh man, Heather, I really don't like broccoli. She said we could use asparagus instead. For whatever reason, we've been using green apples, so I'm cool with that.

You have to know something about me. I don't like messy eating. Can't stand it. It disgusts me. I'm okay with Isaac being messy. He can smear food, throw food, smash food, I really don't care, whatever gets him to touch it and eventually, eat it. But as for me, I'm the person who cuts up my slice of pizza into small bites so that I don't risk something getting on my face. I would never eat a cone of ice-cream, bowl and spoon for me. Messy appetizers that are not offered without a plate and fork--forget it. The only people I am truly comfortable eating in front of, is my family. Obviously, Isaac isn't the only one who has problems. I'm just going to admit here, that I have been in therapy for my own problems, including but not limited to my issue with eating in front of people. Either way, therapy is awesome, and I firmly believe everyone (probably some people more than others) should have a good therapist, so go out and support the mental health professionals!

Well, obviously the idea of spitting out food onto my hand, had me concerned. But I knew it would just be Heather, Shelly (Isaac's speech therapist), Isaac and me, sitting at the table, so I was sure I could be brave enough. We've had four feeding therapy sessions so far, and Heather is super outgoing, and full of energy, and silly...basically, everything I'm not, so if she's cool with looking ridiculous, I try to spend those forty-five minutes being okay with looking ridiculous. Isaac was being very brave this week. During most of the session he stares at Heather like she is completely insane, but this week, he actually touched the carrot and the cheese to his face--huge step for him. How did we get him to do this? Obviously, we pretended the carrot was a train and chugged up our arm, which was the mountain, to the top of our head, the peak of the mountain, and then back down the other side. Then, Isaac shocked us by putting the carrot to his face, so obviously the carrot had to be a rocket that shot out of our mouth, so that just maybe, Isaac would be cool with putting something, anything, aside that infant, hospital issued pacifier, in his mouth. I shot a carrot out of my mouth like it was rocket. Isaac thought it was hilarious, and we all laughed. And I was brave, just for him, because I want my kid to eat.

Bribery

If you don't watch the show Parenthood, you should. It is one of the best shows that television has to offer, in my opinion. Person of Interest is another favorite of mine. Jim Caviezel just so happens to be my virtual boyfriend--don't worry, Walter knows all about this. It's no secret that Walter has a thing for Rachel Bilson, so it's all good.

There's a story-line in Parenthood about a woman named Julia and her husband, who have adopted an older child, and things aren't going well. So, she headed over to Christina's house to ask for some parenting advice. For anyone who hasn't watched the show, Christina's son, Max, has autism, and they are used to dealing with a challenging child and angry outbursts. Julia, who was feeling at a loss with their newly adopted son, asked what Christina's trick is with Max. Bribery. And she pulled out a giant container of candy and told her, plain and simple, if he does this thing, he gets this many pieces of candy...that thing, and a few more pieces of candy.

There you have it. The secret of parenting.

When I was pregnant with Isaac, and couldn't get Isabella to take a nap, I bribed her with M&Ms. Every day I reminded her, "if you take a nap, you may have two M&Ms when you wake up!" My mom was like, "seriously, she only gets to have two?" In a house without candy, two M&Ms to a two year old was like hitting the jackpot.

Remembering that, makes me wish I could bribe Isaac with some candy. It doesn't work so well to promise to blend it up and push it through his tube. Alas.

What I have discovered though, is that the iPad, is the perfect tool for bribery. This was all very exciting for me since we're really struggling to get Isaac to wear his braces. When we put his braces on, he considers himself immobile, which doesn't help me at all. I did manage to get him to walk across the living-room while holding the iPad just out of reach. And later, he even walked from the living-room to the kitchen all of his own volition. He was quite proud of himself, until he looked down, and I watched as the pride washed from his face, and he remembered how truly terrible it is to wear braces, and started crying.

Isabella is in the process of learning many sight words. She picks up on them pretty quickly, but I thought it might be fun to have a sight word scramble. I said the word, and she erased the correct one from the board. She got it right every time.

Here she is, explaining to me how she set out buckets of water so that the tops would freeze and she would have ice plates.  

"Mommy, you have to be very careful with ice. It breaks very easily and then I would have to wait a long, long time to make more ice plates."

While in the car this week, she told me I'm a really amazing singer. Just so you know, I'm not, but all that matters is that my favorite little girl, thinks that I am.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Sierra