Bariatric surgery in a Mexico Bariatric Center is an excellent alternative to treat overweight and obesity problems, greatly benefiting your health. However, this type of surgery comes with its share of responsibility. Post-operation, you must pay close attention to what you include in your diet and the number of calories you consume per day.
Protein intake is critical to recovering from bariatric surgery. However, because bariatric surgery involves reducing the capacity of the stomach, it means that it’s impossible to consume enough proteins without supplementation. The following article highlights the importance of protein supplementation for bariatric surgery patients of the Mexico bariatric center.
Mexico Bariatric Center: Why Protein Is Important After Bariatric Surgery
All your cells, your muscles, and organs are made up of protein. Every day, protein breaks down naturally in your body, which means you must replace it. An ordinary person can consume enough protein through food sources compared to a bariatric patient.
As such, protein supplementation becomes even more critical after weight loss surgery because of the body’s limited food intake capacity. Lack of protein in your body can lead to the deterioration of your muscles. Without additional protein from outside sources, your muscle mass will be broken down as protein. Aside from building muscle, protein has other advantages to your body.
Proteins help bariatric patients heal much faster. Other notable benefits of protein include having healthy skin, hair, nails as well as a robust immune system. Not to mention, protein also helps you feel fuller for an extended period of time, which means it suppresses hunger and reduces your overall food intake per day. Now that you know the importance of bariatric surgery after surgery, you need to know how much protein you should consume per day for optimum health.
Mexico Bariatric Center: How much protein do you need?
As a bariatric patient, knowing how much protein you need to consume after the procedure is vital. Your doctor will recommend your diet requirements post-operation. As a patient, you should be aware of your diet requirements after an operation. Generally, bariatric patients are required to take in at least 60 to 80 grams of protein daily. However, some patients may need a customized intake requirement based on their health condition and the doctor’s instructions. For example, patients who have gone through biliopancreatic diversion with the duodenal switch are required to consume at least 90 grams per day.
Again, the doctor should have the final word depending on the body’s nutritional requirements. Sometimes, too much protein can be harmful after surgery, particularly if you’re hydrating sufficiently. To fight dehydration, most patients are advised to drink between 60 to 90 ounces of water per day. Dehydration can end up limiting your body’s ability to absorb and process other essential nutrients, especially if you’re weight loss patient. In a nutshell, if you’re consuming lots of protein per day, then you must drink plenty of water.
Mexico Bariatric Center: What is the best protein supplement?
Supplementation is the only way you can meet your body’s protein requirements after weight loss surgery. After rapid weight loss, your primary source of protein will come in the form of supplements. Generally, most protein supplements are made up of whey, egg whites, and soy. These supplements are packed with proteins in small quantities and are easily digested by your body. You can either consume them in the form of isolates or concentrates.
Isolates
Isolates tend to have a higher concentration of protein compared to concentrates. For instance, whey protein isolate goes through the filtration process, which removes lactose, minerals, and fat; thus, the reason why they have a high concentration of protein per gram. What’s more isolates are highly recommended for bariatric patients with lactose intolerance. Overall, isolates can be blended with other diets and have a cleaner taste.
Concentrates
On the other hand, whey protein concentrates have lesser protein concentration and are packed with lactose. When buying protein concentrates, it’s essential to check the nutritional label to understand what you are buying. You should purchase the quantities recommended by your physician.
Mexico Bariatric Center: Tips to Incorporate More Protein Into Your Diet
As stated earlier, protein is essential after weight loss surgery. But how do you incorporate protein supplementation into your diet? Here are some of the steps to take:
- Always consume protein first. This way, even if you feel full much quicker, you’ll have already met your daily intake requirement.
- Add protein shakes into your diet. Shakes are an excellent way to add more protein to your diet because they come in a variety of flavors. Adding peanut butter and fruit can make your protein shakes more delectable.
- Choose lean protein all the time. Chicken and turkey are examples of lean protein that should be on your menu.
- If you’re vegetarian, there are plenty of ways you can add protein to your diet. Eggs, tofu, bean, peanut are some of the foods you should add to your diet. Also, you can purchase protein shakes and bars made of products such as whey, brown rice, and soy.
- Keeping a food diary is highly recommended by doctors. Over time you can go over your dairy and check if you are consuming enough protein as advised by your surgeon.
In conclusion, protein makes up every cell, tissue, and organ of your body. Because the body regularly breaks down protein, it means you must keep replacing it. If you have undergone weight loss surgery, you need extra supplementation of protein because it’s not possible to meet your dietary protein requirements through conventional food sources due to your stomach’s reduced capacity.
Adding protein supplements such as whey protein in the form of isolates or concentrate is therefore essential. Remember, after bariatric surgery; you need to build more muscle to enhance your health and aid weight loss.
Talking to your surgeon is the best way to know the exact amount you should consume daily. Your doctor means well for you and wants you to recover and lead a healthy lifestyle after bariatric surgery. However, it would help if you also took the time to educate yourself about your dietary requirements post-operation.
If you want to know more about surgical treatment options for obesity, we invite you to contact us. Health & Wellness Bazaar works with the best Mexico Bariatric Center specializing in weight-loss surgery and have a multidisciplinary team of professionals who will offer top-notch care for weight loss at a great price.
