Articles from June 2010

Let’s get right to the point. In order for you to get the nutrients you need from your bariatric vitamins and supplements, they should not have any added ingredients. They shouldn’t have any flavors and they shouldn’t have any chewability. It’s just that simple.

If the product you are using has anything listed in the supplement facts under ingredients besides the vitamins you need, it is not the right choice for you.

There is absolutely no need for any additives to be in your gastric bypass vitamins. If there are they are hindering the absorption and not letting you reap the full benefits.

Chewable Vitamins are not the Answer

You’ve probably seen advertising for chewable supplements. They are loaded with fillers and additives. They may taste good and look pretty but they simply cannot give you the full vitamin and mineral payload you need. This is because the very ingredients that make your vitamins easier to swallow, also make them more difficult to digest.

Improve Your Health: Don’t Hurt it with Fillers in your Bariatric Supplements

One of the main reasons you had bariatric surgery is to improve your health. You are more than likely well aware that you will need to take bariatric vitamins for the rest of your life. There is no reason to take ones that include fillers. Here is a list of just some of the fillers we have seen included in some of the most popular products:

• Silicon dioxide
• Stearic acid
• Titanium dioxide
• Povidone
• Ethylcellulose
• Shellac

Let’s take a closer look at stearic acid. Wellsphere, the popular online source for health knowledge says this about stearic acid:

While the companies that produce Vitamins and Supplements may want you to believe that the use of Magnesium Stearate and Stearic Acid in your pills is safe, they are not fooling anyone. You owe it to yourself and your future well being to go to the cupboard right now and remove any pills in there that might contain anything with either of these highly dangerous supplements in them. The market has supported this shoddy, irresponsible production for too long and the health of the industry’s consumers should not need to suffer for it.

That clearly should be enough to scare you away from using any product that has these fillers in them. Post gastric bypass surgery should be a time of getting healthy and staying healthy. Make sure you are getting the most out of your supplements and not making things worse.

Avoid Fat Soluble Vitamin Deficiencies After Gastric Bypass Surgery

Dr. Stephen Bittiker noticed that post gastric bypass patients develop a deficiency in fat soluble vitamins. Vitamins with lecithin can help this along with Vitamins A, D, E, and K. They are fat soluble. He also recommends taking a digestive enzyme suited for bariatric patients. 

What is Weight Loss Plastic Surgery? | Facial Plastic Surgery

Patients who choose to have weight loss surgery when nothing else helps them lose weight have some different types of surgery to consider. Lap Band Surgery makes the stomach smaller and leads to restriction of food intake. Surgical malabsorption reduces the intestine to reduce absorption of calories from food eaten. Gastric bypass surgery combines the restrictive and malabsorption surgery by a small stomach pouch to limit the amount of food you eat.

Is Your Gastric Bypass Making You Malnourished?

The goal of gastric bypass surgery іѕ tο һеƖр уου lose weight іח order tο avoid tһе co-morbidities οf obesity, аחԁ therefore, уουr diet following surgery іѕ аƖѕο specially designed tο achieve tһіѕ objective, аחԁ аƖѕο tο maintain tһе weight loss…You may be at risk for becoming malnourished. Tһе warning signs tο watch out fοr include lethargy, fatigue, shortness οf breath, pallor, tingling οf extremities, brittle nails, hair fall, bleeding gums, ԁаrk under eye circles, dry scaly skin, painful oral ulcers οr fissures, poor wound healing, easy bruising аחԁ frequent infections.

Gastric Bypass Complications

Post Surgery: Chronic protein and nutritional deficiencies. It can be difficult to make sure you take all vitamins prescribed post surgery and to make sure you eat the right foods to guarantee your body receives the nutrition and protein it needs. With such a reduced volume of food intake, you must be careful to make the right food choices each time you eat.

Weight loss surgery, be it roux-en-y, gastric bypass, or lap band, can be a great help to your health and well-being. Having the support of your family makes the success even sweeter. In talking with WLS patients we sometimes see that family members become very anxious and can even fight your success.

Staying Strong and Losing Weight Post Gastric Bypass

We have heard of couples who cannot agree with each other and object to their spouse having surgery because they like them just the way they are. People that have WLS are generally unhealthy because of their weight and staying that way is not a good or healthy idea.

Health benefits are associated with weight loss for the obese person. Staying overweight to please your spouse is simply not an option–especially when your health is at stake! Even if surgery is not your choice for how to lose weight, you must be diligent and follow through with losing the extra pounds. Staying strong and on track against adversity will work in your favor in the long run.

Educate Your Family about the Benefits of WLS

Although weight loss surgery is not for everyone the benefits can be significant for most that have the surgery. Your family needs to be educated about bariatric surgery and what those benefits are.

• Diabetics can often reduce or eliminate their diabetes medications. Blood sugar glucose levels often return to normal or nearly normal.
• Hypertension is often a problem with overweight people. Many people lower their blood pressure as they lose weight. Many patients are able to eliminate or reduce their dosage of blood pressure medication within a few months.
• High cholesterol or hyperlipidemia gets better in many bariatric patients.
• Sleep apnea is a common problem with the overweight population. Significant weight loss can cure this.

Include Your Family at Your Physician Visits

Whether you are contemplating weight loss surgery or you have already had it, don’t be shy about having your spouse and family come along on your doctor visit. Let them get their questions answered “straight from the horse’s mouth”. Involving them in the details and benefits is a great way to gain support.

Ask for Your Family’s Help

Sometimes it just takes asking for help to get it. If some of your family is doubtful about what they can do, asking them if they will help might get them more enthusiastic. They can help by encouraging your intake of healthy foods. Having them remind you to take your bariatric vitamins can help.  So can any way to include them in your daily bariatric routine.

Encourage your family to join you on your healthy journey. Everyone can benefit by eating nutritious foods and exercising. It’s more fun too – doing things as a group or with a partner could be just the encouragement you need to meet your goals.

Summer will officially arrive on Monday. There’s nothing better than a fresh and cold salad to add to your summer menus. This tasty salad will get your summer started with a bang.

• 2 large apples (red, green, or one of each) cut into slices or cubes
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 Cups carrots grated
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated black pepper
• 2 oz low fat feta cheese (can substitute other low fat cheese)

Place the apples in a bowl, add the lemon juice and toss together. Add the carrots, cabbage, olive oil, sugar, pepper and cheese.

Serves 6 as a side dish.

Celebrate the arrival of summer with new bariatric recipes and dishes and some planned activities. Swimming is one of the best exercises. Pools are open now so dive in and do some swimming. Look for aquatics classes too – you’ll be surprised the work out you will get. It’s easy on your joints too!

Even though you are eating healthy and trying new recipes you still need to take your bariatric vitamins and supplements. Be sure to be taking ones with no fillers or additives. Since it is more difficult for you to absorb nutrients you want to make sure there are no “extra” ingredients. If there is anything listed in the ingredients besides the vitamins and supplements it is not the product for you.

If you have any recipes you have tried that you think others might want to try please contact me at tina@vita4life.net. We love to share the goodness with others.