BD Experience Survey Results!

Alright everyone,

as promised, here are the results.  If you included your email address in your response, you have already received an email directing you here.

My apologies firstly for the delay - life has had other plans for me it seems (I'll spare you the details) but at last, here we go!

Please note, the responses linked here are in their original, unedited form, EXCEPT that they have had all the demographic and identifying data removed - names, email addresses and such.  Also, although there were 131 who started the survey, only 112 successfully completed it.   Many of these were because people came back to it after getting partway through and being interrupted (or whatever) but unfortunately the survey software did not recognise this and started a new survey. The software limitations are such that I cannot remove those who did not complete the survey from this type of report sharing, but the data outcomes are almost entirely identical each way.  For more academic purposes, these part-completed surveys can be redacted also.  Anyway:  Here it is:

http://svy.mk/fg6rvo

EDIT: Oops! My bad.  In my zealousness to protect people's names etc, I accidentally also hid the rest of the 'background' section - ages of the subjects, dates for feeding problems starting, tube emplacement etc.  Fixed now though!

So, what happens next?

Well, that's partly up to you.  I will now, as able, recommence studying the data more closely for interesting and edifying cross-correlations and so forth, and will post them up here from time to time.  How can you help?  First, by asking questions (email me HERE or even better post as a comment below to inspire others) about what you would want to know from the data (for example, of those who had little significant improvement in reflux, what was the percent that did/did not report giving free water regularly - that sort of thing), and secondly, by alerting me to any of your personal contacts who may wish to take this further.  Maybe there's a final year med student you know needing to do a case study, or someone like that?  Be creative in your thinking.

Lastly, thanks hugely to everyone that completed the survey, and even more hugelyer to those who gave of their time and brainspace to help and to encourage along the way..  We have results to show for it, and now they can be free for everyone.  Thanks.

Oh yeah, and very lastly, if you wish for a printable pdf form of the results, just email me.  At present, it seems the pdf can only do the results minus all the comments and open-ended responses, but all the data is otherwise there.

BD Experience Survey Results!

The BD Experience Survey Is Now Closed

Thank you everyone; those who completed the survey, those who have helped spread the word, and all those who helped me get it all up and running.  I am a little humbled by the responses, which has been an unexpected joy for me in doing this.  So....yes, thank you all.

I shall now bunker down a little and go all nerdy for a spell, chase the data around for interesting correlations and  prepare a document for release.  There will be charts, and graphs, and cool things like that. At that time I will also publish the entire data (minus identifying information) so anyone can follow up and draw their own conclusions.  Those of you who included their email addresses will get the release emailed directly to you, and all will be posted on this site also.

Watch this space, as they say!

The BD Experience Survey Is Now Closed

What I blended just then

It's been a while since I posted a blend, so here was today's.  There will be another to do shortly as I want to stock up a bit, but here's what happened in round one:

Quinoa, large handful, raw
Chia seed, half handful, raw.
Biodynamic almonds, raw, handful
Goji berries (dried) maybe 40 or 50
Cannelini beans, 1 tin (organic, drained)
Coconut milk (small tin)
Handful basil leaves (from garden)
2 smallish cucumbers from garden
Sweet potato, a mediumish one
2 strawberries (that's all I could find growing today - I blame the oral eater of the family for that one :-)
Dill tops (dried), turmeric, ginger (dried) all about 1/2 tsp each
Local organic EVOO, a large slurp
Flaxseed oil, small slurp
Agave syrup, dark, decent squirt
Oat milk around 750 ml
Beetroot and apple juice (75% beetroot) 750 ml.

Made just under 3 litres, and I'm guessing is around 30 cal/oz.

Lovely colour too.

What I blended just then

Nancy's blend for Leigh. Wow!

This is what I give Leigh everything but the prune juice is organic,

 1-cup quinoa rice or bulgur wheat

1-teaspoon cinnamon, cumin, cardamom

1-tablespoon yeast

3 gg bran wafers

8 cups of vegetables, what is in season. Kale, spinach, celery, carrots, parsley, Swiss chard, peas, edame, bok choy, beets, beet tops, carrot tops, zucchini, string beans, broccoli, collard greens

1 cup of prune juice

1-tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1-inch fresh ginger

3 garlic gloves

2"by 2'" of tofu silken

2-tablespoon magosteen juice

1-tablespoon olive oil, flaxseed oil, molasses black strap

2 canned organic tomatoes

1 piece of farm raised salmon, 2 inches by 2 inches

A handful of walnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds

3 Brazil nuts

2 eggs hardboiled

2 tablespoons ricotta cheese

1 cup beans   black, or lentils or garbanzo beans

3 servings of fruit   1 cup. Purple grapes, apple pear strawberries blueberries mango papaya

A bunch of homegrown what grass

1 tablespoon flax seen freshly ground

2 scoops of beneprotein

1 yukon gold potato 

1 yam or sweet potato

Nancy's blend for Leigh. Wow!

Great new how-to pics for feeding teh kiddos!

I've just discovered a new friend's blog site, and especially wanted to share with y'all her pictures of how she and her daughter do their feeding times.  Very useful and lots of cuteness too.  I've not read all the blog, but what I've seen makes me think you'll want to spend some time there.  Thanks Heidi!

Here it is:  http://heidi-french.blogspot.com/2011/02/blenderized-diet-how-naomi-gets.html

Enjoy!

Great new how-to pics for feeding teh kiddos!

Survey Results - early tease

Well I have tried to resist peeking too much at the survey data as it comes in, but today I had a browse through for the second time.  And there was quite a bit to browse.

So far, there is much that is unsurprising to me, and seems to confirm much of what the common talk has been saying since I've been involved online the last year and a half.  A few things are popping up though, like exactly how many people use a very high percentage of unprocessed or whole foods in their blends, and the fact that across the board doing BD seems to be more expensive than using the subject's previous forms of nutrition.  Hmm.

What was unexpected for me was how emotional - teary is the right word actually - I became reading through  scores and scores of comments about what incredible things people have experienced on their journeys.  How a return to simple food has in so many cases proved to be such a major turning point in health and happiness.  Something about a long, long list of such moments really can make your heart glad.  I am a very lucky guy to have accidentally got a list of such good news stories.

And of course, redacted for any identifying info (not much there anyway) I'll share it all with you when we're done.

Anyway, data-wise the *really* interesting stuff will come when I can close off the survey (I'll leave it a week or so yet,there are clearly a few who did not manage to quite complete it so far at least) and cross-reference stuff.  You know, of people who reported significant reflux prior to incorporating BD, looking at how that matches with what nutrition source they were using.  Correlating improvements in gastroparesis since BD between those with a high wholefood content versus a lower wholefood content, and those who do or don't receive free water....tasty stuff for nerds, yes?

The data set is approaching a size where such results can be statistically meaningful.  But, and you saw this coming, we really want more.

I think if everyone makes the effort to reach out to those few people you think mightn't have done the survey yet and jolly them along a little, we can get another 50 or so this week coming.  This can be done.  Just this last 48 hours I have seen an awesome display of people power and passion in a very related way.  Let's harness some of that to help this great tool for the future of every person with a tube that much better!

  Here it is for those who need it:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/bdexperience

Cheers, all, yay team!

Survey Results - early tease

Great new resource!

This site right here was started in large part because there just wasn't a good place to get all of that start-up and how-to information in one place, especially valuable for those just starting out on a tubefeeding or BD journey.  The main online resource I found when I got my tube was the Yahoo! groups 'Blenderized Diet' list, which is really busy and chock full of great supportive, experienced and knowledgeable members.  But the nature of such a list means there's no easy way to just have a read for example about different ways to approach your first blend.  Or what the deal is with bolus feeding.  That sort of thing.

This site can do some of that, but of course has its limitations too.  What if there were a more thread-based forum where you could easily browse headings for subject matter, like "Why do a blenderized diet?"  or focus down on a single area like "Adults with g-tubes" and read what others have to say....follow the conversations, and join in?

Well now there is, it's blenderizeddiet.net.

I can't claim any credit at all for its inception, but I do know the person behind it to be a motivated, conscientious and committed person who'll make an excellent job of it.  It's only brand new and like all new things will go through a few settling-in changes and such, but I'd encourage everyone to hop on board, hit "Forums" and jump right in.  You can start new topics, reply to others, and soon there'll be a recipe-sharing and photo-sharing facility too, so I'm told.

Can never have too many options for information and support, I reckon.

Great new resource!