What You Need in a Good Gastric Bypass Supplement

The way you must eat changes dramatically after weight loss surgery. Gastric bypass supplements are specially formulated for individuals who have had bariatric surgery because these patients must take special supplements for the rest of their lives to maintain proper nutrition.

The fact is most supplement products on the market aren’t made properly for bariatric patients–even the ones that claim to be. We at Bariatric Vitamins 4 Life have found only one brand that addresses our unique digestive concerns and uses special concentrations of ingredients to maintain health after surgery.

They also come in a fast dissolving formula that reduces waste and maximizes absorption to the body. These supplements address common problems after surgery like protein, calcium and iron deficiency.

Addressing Malabsorption

After weight loss surgery, malabsorption of nutrients is a major problem and requires a patient to remain on special supplements for the rest of their lives. Without supplements, these vitamin and mineral deficiencies in the body can lead to hair loss, broken bones, chronic fatigue and dizziness, nerve damage, tingling in the hands and low blood count.

Bariatric patients are usually monitored on supplements every six months to ensure they are maintaining proper mineral and vitamin levels in their blood.

Avoiding Filler Products

Good gastric bypass supplements vary from other brands on the market in a few important ways. One major problem for most brands is is the filler content, which may be as high a 25%. Fillers are used to give a product size, flavor or even hold it together, but these fillers can prevent absorption by bariatric patients–even the chewy, tasty kind!

Supplements for gastric bypass patients are highly specialized and concentrated to avoid common nutritional problems after surgery. They are made with little to no filler and contain high levels of necessary ingredients to support the patient’s health, such as vitamin D, boron, calcium, iron and more.

The importance of a good bypass supplement can’t be stressed enough so it’s important to select a high-quality, specialty multi-vitamin to ensure good nutrition after the bypass.

Learning the Ropes about Bariatric Nutrition

After bariatric surgery it is completely normal to feel overwhelmed. Your body has been used to being overloaded with calories. Those calories may or may not have contained important nutrients. But now, post WLS, your nutrition needs are more important than ever.

Your physician may have guided you about what you should be eating and about taking bariatric vitamins. But as is true with most things, doing your own research is going to give you a thorough amount of knowledge. Not only will this help you to stay healthy but you will be able to help guide your family and friends about how to eat nutritiously.

Bariatric Diet Recipe Planning

You might like to stay on top of your nutritional needs by planning your menus in advance. There are a variety of bariatric recipes online. If you are an experienced cook you can probably come up with some great recipes yourself or modify some recipes you find. Making delicious meals is easier than you might think.

Planning a month in advance will put you in great shape and you won’t need to worry about what you are going to eat. It is easier to fall off your bariatric diet if you suddenly become hungry and grab the quickest (maybe even junk) food you can find.

Liquid Protein Supplements

Even with a great bariatric diet you may find that your labs show you are lacking in certain vitamins and minerals. One common deficiency is protein. Next to water, there is more protein in your body than any other substance.

Immediately following surgery protein is very important for helping to heal your wounds. After healing is completed you still will need to take protein supplements to make sure you are receiving adequate amounts. It is quite difficult to consume enough protein from food alone. A great predigested liquid protein should be included in your daily regimen.

Though spicy foods may not be able to be an early part of your bariatric surgery diet, you should be able to comfortably eat spicy food again after your digestive system has had some time to heal. But if you haven’t had spicy food yet, try a little spice to see how your system will react.

Carne Asada literally means “roast beef”, but it’s actually closer to a Mexican barbeque style beef. It is delicious by itself, over rice, or as it’s more traditionally served – in tacos or burritos.

Ingredients:

• 3 fresh limes
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, run through a garlic press
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1.5lbs of flank steak or sirloin
• ½ tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup of mild salsa
• Green or red onion
• Small avocado (optional)

1. Make a marinade by squeezing the limes and adding the salt, and pepper into a bowl or baggy.  Do not add the oil. The marinade doesn’t need it!
2. Add the meat to the marinade mixture. If you’re ambitious and want more flavor, turn the meat several times while it’s marinating to make sure it is well absorbed into the meat.
3. Marinate for at least a half hour, but for the most flavorful carne asada, marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
   Grill or broil the meat, letting the fat drain off.
4. While the meat is cooking, slice the onions into longish slices and quickly grill or sautee in the ½ tsp of olive oil. If you use red onion, you can cook until the onion starts to carmelize. The green onions taste best if they are just lightly braised.
5. Serve with the onions, salsa, and garnish with avocado slices (or combine the avocado and salsa for a quick and easy guacamole.)

Makes 4 Servings

Bariatric Nutrition Information: 350 calories; 17g fat (5 g saturated fat); 13 g carbs; 38 g protein;

Many gastric bypass recipes involve artificial sweeteners or processed foods. But by cooking in old-fashioned ways, you can increase the flavor of your food and even enjoy eating in ways you may not have experienced before your surgery.

Weight Loss Surgery Diet and Slow Food

There is a relatively new slow foods movement and it’s perfect for bariatric nutrition because it involves eating whole, healthy foods rather than dieting. Slow food is everything fast food is not. Slow food is the kind of food your grandmother ate. It’s not processed. It’s rich in nutrients. It doesn’t have additives or chemicals in it.

Slow food should also be eaten slowly and enjoyed. It’s shared with conversation and friends and family. Slow food might be organic. It might be a luscious heirloom tomato picked at the exact right time. Or it might be a simple preparation of quality ingredients.

It’s getting easier to find slow food without having to cook it yourself, so slow food is getting faster! Grocery stores with prepared foods are often doing homestyle cooking using fresh ingredients.

And new restaurants are opening that serve slow food, fast. That means they are using fresh, natural ingredients, not frying their food, and not using preservatives.

How to Give Your Body the Gift of Slow Food after Bariatric Surgery

While all of this is definitely a step in the right direction, it will still be up to you to cook most of your own slow food.

Slow Food–Faster and Easier

1. If you have leftover chicken, throw it into a pot and make a stock. Aside from chicken, you can also use beef or other animal bones. Add some celery, carrots, onions, and let it cook on low heat overnight. Skim off anything on the top, season to taste with salt and herbs of your choice, and then strain. Let the liquid cool and freeze it in an ice cube tray. Take out “stock cubes” when you want to add more flavor to your food.
2. Roast some zucchini, eggplant, asparagus, carrots, and other vegetables of your choice. You can buy a mister to put a tiny bit of olive oil over the veggies before you put them in the oven. Roast at 450 degrees until the vegetables look done. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt. I guarantee that this simple dish will create some of the best veggies you’ve ever eaten!

None of us can eat slow food all the time. And even when we can, it’s always good to take bariatric vitamins that are free of unnecessary additives or fillers to make sure that we are getting all of our proper nutrition.