Gastric Bypass Surgery Diet
Gastric Bypass Surgery Diet information including what to eat and what not to eat and drink.
A strict gastric bypass diet guideline has been designed and made to follow by those who have undergone surgery to suit and fit one’s new stomach. It is to ensure an accurate healing of the staple line, as well as aid you to not overeat. To get a clearer picture, a normal stomach can hold approximately 6 cups of fluid at a time while after the gastric bypass surgery; one’s stomach pouch will only be able to contain about half of a cup of fluid at a time.
After the surgery, it is essential that one would take daily supplement of multivitamins or minerals to support their daily nutritional requirement. A certain degree of malabsorption is likely to happen after the surgery since one will not be able to eat much food then. One must also take additional intake of Calcium. You can either drink milk as much as you drink water, or eat Calcium-rich foods. Calcium citrate is recommended by nutritionists to meet the daily requirement of calcium needs of the patient.
Aside from Calcium, it is also important that one meets its daily requirement of protein. An adequate amount of protein in your diet after surgery aids you in the healing of your wounds, muscle and skin re-growth and repair, as well as in preventing hair loss. A protein goal of 60-70 grams per day is recommended by nutritionists. And yes, your food choices must be low-fat. This is because fats may be difficult for your new stomach to digest which will even lessen your food intake. However, small amounts of fats are tolerable such as those found in lean meat, fish and low fat dairy products. This will also help you sustain a weight-loss diet after the surgery, but still keeping your body healthy.
This diet is also low in added sugars. Eating concentrated sweets or fatty foods after the surgery will trigger the occurrence of the “dumping syndrome”. This syndrome happens when food leaves the pouch faster swiftly than it should do and “dumps” its way to the intestines. The intestines however, are not accustomed to fatty foods or to concentrated sweets which makes it pull water out of the rest of the body to dilute the food. Again, the food then rapidly enters and leaves the large intestine making its way out of through the rectum. This syndrome is characterized by diarrhea as well as uncontrollable diarrhea, nausea, light-headedness, flushing and stomach cramps. Artificial sweeteners are good alternatives for real sugar, so make sure to check the nutritional facts and food labels.
One will be made to follow a specific progression of diet for about 12 weeks. The progression would begin with intake of liquids only, to pureed and soft foods and finally to regular foods.
Then again, fluids are of outmost importance in any diet. Gastric bypass patients are in dire to drink at least 4 cups of low calorie liquids between meals, essentially during the first month to avoid dehydration. Liquid intake also require a time interval of 30 minutes from your meal so as not to overfill your stomach and cause vomiting, dumping or cause you to feel hungry quickly than the usual. Carbonated beverages are highly discouraged by nutritionists.
Exercise is also an essential part of the diet. In order to sustain a weight-loss diet after the surgery, not only will you need to be committed in sticking with healthy foods but also in exercising regularly, especially during the first year of the surgery.
