Undergoing surgery is a crucial process used in the curing of countless conditions nowadays. 

However, any surgical procedure induces psychological stress on the body. So in order to recover from the surgical procedure, having a good diet is necessary.

Restoring Health After Surgery Through Good Diet

In a tie-up between the PanAsia Surgery Group and Frunatic, with the two brands aiming to restore health after surgery through nutraceuticals by developing therapeutic meals for post-surgical recovery in order to enhance long-term wellness beyond surgery.

Frunatic introduced Singapore’s first Therapeutic Wellness Meal concept and they house their own team of wellness professionals, in order to create their own series of therapeutic wellness meals for clients.

Designed to retain the maximum nutrient value of every ingredient used, Frunatic’s meals are 100% vegan and with no dairy, no gluten, no trans-fat, no additives, no cholesterol, and no preservatives.

Invited To Therapeutic Lunch with Frunatic

To mark their collaboration, PanAsia invited me to a therapeutic lunch with nourishing food and wellness activities, where I got to sample for myself, some regenerative effects of food and drink pairing, as well as finding out more about eating right post-surgery and how to maintain good health in the long term, from dietician, Caleb Mok.

Touring Frunatic’s Facilities 

The session kicked off with a quick tour of Frunatic’s facilities. 

Alkaline Ionised Water

This began with finding out the differences between Alkaline Ionised water and ordinary drinking water. Apparently according to Frunatic, consuming Alkaline Ionised water with a PH value of 10.0, is important to neutralise an acidic body caused by having a diet rich in red meats, processed fruits, dairy and sugar.

And as well, some of the benefits of taking such water include improving bone health, reducing risk of cancer, and being essential for heart health.

Heat Processing and Nutrients 

The second stop of the tour had then been to find out more about the effect of heat processing on nutrients, we tasted fruit juice prepared via an ordinary blender, as well as some fruit juice made with a cold press machine.

Apparently the cold press machine juice had tasted substantially sweeter and smoother in texture than the blender juice.

As well, using the cold press machine helps to retain most of the enzymes, vitamins and minerals from the raw ingredients as well as promoting the absorption of these nutrients into the human body, according to Frunatic.

Activated Nuts

After that, we learned the difference between activated nuts versus natural raw nuts. Activated nuts are prepared by soaking for 24 hours and then dehydrated for another 24-48 hours; this increases the nutrient value of the nuts and promotes their absorption within the body.

Here, we tried the raw versus activated version of almonds and walnuts too. And I have to say that the activated version of both nuts definitely tasted crunchier and more flavoursome.

Dehydrated Snacks

The final station was the dehydrated snack area, where water and liquid content is removed from vegetables yet retaining their minerals and nutritional content. 

Apparently Frunatic’s dehydration process retains the nutrients in their dehydrated vegetable chips, and the process takes three days from scratch.

We got to try some store-bought kale snacks versus Frunatic’s dehydrated kale, and I thought that the Frunatic version seemed to be crunchier and fresher.

How Good Diet Helps Post-Surgery

Following the brief tour, Mok shared more about eating right post-surgery. Apparently surgery induces immense physical and psychological stress on the body and causes inflammation to the cells, so a good diet becomes very important in helping to repair this damage and speeding up the body’s healing process.

This is therefore where Frunatic comes in. Their concept of a post-surgery meal plan is to provide the body with much-needed immune support, as well as to boost the body’s immune system and prevent infection at the same time. 

So the body will need different vitamins, minerals, proteins and amino acids to replenish the blood loss and stimulate the production of new blood cells.

Thus, such a meal plan would be high in proteins, to provide adequate energy and proteins for wound healing, and they would distribute the proteins throughout the day, replenishing the ingestion of proteins every one to two hours.

Breakfast would comprise of healthy oil from as avocado, eggs, yoghurt and fruits.

Then a standard lunch would be chicken noodle soup, because of the proteins in the meat.

There would then be an afternoon snack of nuts, followed by a dinner of fish and vegetables, with fruit for dessert.

Finally, there would be a bedtime snack of milk or soy milk, as the proteins from this will be especially needed at night for the body to repair itself.

As well, Mok also recommended supplements such as the micro-algae Euglena to help the body with immune detox and repair.

Added the dietician, “While post-surgical nutrition is very important, but if you already have a good diet before the surgery, then this too, will enhance your recovery following the surgery.”

An Eight-Course Nutritious Omakase Meal

This talk was then followed by an eight-course Omakase meal from the Frunatic restaurant, comprising of many of the nourishing ingredients that had been discussed earlier.

Our first course had been a Herb-Infused Alkaline Ionised Water, which we had earlier seen the production of. This was a Chinese white peony root, liquorice and red dates brewed in alkaline ionised water for a sweet and soothing tonic. 

Such a beverage is supposed to boost blood circulation, delivering more oxygen and nutrients to the brain. And not only is it nutritious, but I also thought that this drink was very refreshing and a great way to begin the meal with.

Our second course had been a Pineapple Mint Smoothie, consisting of honey pineapple, fresh mint, ginger and coconut juice. Pineapple, which contains the powerful digestive enzyme bromelain, is supposed to detox the body and break down the proteins and fats in foods. And mint is natural stimulant, helping to boost mood and relieve headaches.

This drink was also enjoyable at the same time, with the pineapple and mint combining nicely to result in a very refreshing flavour.

The third course was an Anti-Ageing Antioxidant Salad – consisting of shaved coleslaw of purple cabbage, carrots and bell peppers, served with vine ripened tomatoes and sprout, in pineapple dressing.

In terms of the health benefits, it contains of plenty of antioxidants from the tomatoes and pineapple, both of which can reduce risk of cancer, heart disease and other chronic ailments.

I thought that the salad was crunchy and fresh, with the tangy taste from the pineapple dressing going together nicely with the sweetness of the tomatoes and the carrots.

Our fourth course was a fruit juice – a cold-pressed “Citrus Sensation With Chia Seed” consisting of grapefruit, orange and lemon mixed with Granny Smith apples and topped with chia seeds.

Packed with Vitamin C, fibre and Omega 3, this juice helps to reduce inflammation and aids the body in the absorption of iron. And it also lowers the risk of fatigue and dehydration after not only intense exercise but also after intense surgical procedures. 

And taste-wise, I thought this drink was refreshing and sweet, yet had a slight tangy flavour at the same time.

The fifth course was a Matcha Truffle With Raspberry Surprise which turned out to be an energy ball with a raspberry center and made with activated almonds and cashews, mixed with desiccated coconut dates, raw cacao and finally, coated in matcha powder.

In post-exercise and post-surgical recovery, almonds are a great source of protein to build muscles and help with the repair and growth of the body, while matcha contains L-theanine, an amino acid that helps to reduce stress.

This turned out to be the most surprising course. I hadn’t been sure what to expect based on the menu description, but this had been both sweet and nutty at the same time, and with a very slight hint of bitterness that came from the matcha flavour too. It was very complex.

Our sixth item was the Apple Cinnamon Crisp, which was a dehydrated apple snack sprinkled with cinnamon. As apples are meant to be rich in antioxidants, flavonoids and fibre, this powerful, natural food can therefore block some of the damage caused by free radical, as well as boosting the body’s resistance against infectious agents.

And I thought that the dehydration process had brought out the natural sweetness of the apples well.

The seventh item was the main course, a Quinoa Mushroom Risotto, cooked in vegetable stock and sautéed with sliced Shiitake and button mushrooms, baby spinach, garnished with arugula salad, parmesan truffle, sliced white cabbage and red radish.

The Quinoa was light and fluffy, and full of flavour. It reminded me of fried rice, and the mushrooms helped to add some moisture, as well as bringing some flavour to the dish. And the salad provided a crunchy note to everything.

After eating the Quinoa, we got a small surprise, in the form of a Myco-protein ball that had reminded me of a fishball. Paired with a cayenne pepper sauce, this was quite interesting and unusual. The ball had no taste on its own, but with the sauce, it gave it a nice, spicy kick.

Our final dish was a Triple Chocolate Banana Cake. This nutritious combination of ingredients was chosen for the dessert because bananas contain magnesium and tryptophan which aid in falling asleep and lifting a person’s mood. And Dark Chocolate contains flavonoids that can also lower blood pressure for people with hypertension.

And this had been easily my favourite dish mainly because I have a sweet tooth. The chocolate tasted rich, dense and smooth and the addition of the bananas gave it a nice, fruity flavour. I thought that it was a great way to end the nutritious meal.

Through the course of the meal, we were also given Frunatic’s Activated Nuts and Dehydrated Vegetable Crisps to snack on, as and when we were feeling peckish.

According to Frunatic, the synergistic food pairings that had been present through our meal, were arranged to ensure our body’s optimal absorption of the nutrients in the food. 

Curated For Optimum Nutritional Balance

Our Omakase menu had been curated by their team of Nutritionists, Physicians, Dieticians and Naturopaths and combined a good mixture of Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs together with Western herbs, for the best nutritious balance.

And through the various food combinations, the nutritional benefits of the foods are also greater than when eaten separately, according to Frunatic, thus allowing the body to reach its harmonious state of balance and goodness.

After the meal, I left Frunatic feeling full, but energised and nourished, and then later that evening, when I did a track running session with my running club, I found that I somehow seemed to have more energy than usual for my weekly track run.

Post-Surgery Packages

In line with eating well and stepping up the recovery process, Frunatic is offering month-long Post Surgery Recovery Programmes for S$988.

Each package will comprise of two health screenings, weekly consultations with their in-house dietician, delivery of eight customised Therapeutic Wellness Meals and a Customised Supplement Prescription. Find out more about them at www.frunatic.com.