Importance of Protein Post-Bariatric Surgery

The Power of Protein: Essential Post-Bariatric Surgery Nutrition for Optimal Weight Loss

Protein is practically a component in each cell of our body. It is known for their ability to build and repair our tissues. Along with carbohydrates and fats, protein is also called a MACRONUTRIENT, which means the body needs a large amount of it for daily wear-and-tear activities. In your first consult with Team Bariatric, you are made familiar with the diet post-weight loss surgery, and the importance of protein is explained as a top priority.
A meal rich in protein and low in carbohydrates will help you lose weight faster, as protein makes the digestive system work harder to metabolise and digest the food. In simple words, you will burn more calories when you consume proteins.

What is your protein requirement?

Generally as per the RDA, an adult needs 50-60 grams of protein per day, but these recommendations change post your surgery. ASMBS recommends 60- 90g of protein daily, depending on their medical conditions, type of surgery, and activity level.

5 Best Sources of Protein Post-Bariatric Surgery

Meat and Poultry

This group is one of the most generous sources of proteins for you. 1 serving of 30 grams would give you approximately 7 grams of high biological value protein, which is easy to absorb by the body, and good news it is nearly free from carbohydrates. Choose only lean meats and don’t forget to remove the skin and fat.

Fish

Fish has been known to be the best source of not just protein, but also omega-3 fatty acids. 30 grams of fish would give you roughly 7 grams of protein and a good dose of healthy fats. Try flaky fish, including tuna, tilapia, or salmon.

Egg

Egg is my favorite and most versatile ingredient. One serving equals one egg or two egg whites, which gives you roughly 7 grams of proteins. Prepare eggs without added fat by using a nonstick pan. Make an omelet or scrambled eggs of whole eggs or egg whites with spinach, onions, cheese, or chicken for added nutrition.

Legumes

Dried pulses and peas, provide about 7 grams of protein in one cup. Add kidney beans (Rajmah) or chickpeas (white channa) or Black Channa to your salad or mix brown rice with peas. A mixture of rice and pulses becomes a source of complete protein. Soy and its products are another great source of protein for you.

Milk and Its Product

Dairy provides you with both calcium and protein, but choose the nonfat or low-fat options to avoid consuming too many calories. One cup of skim milk gives 8 grams of protein. Low-fat plain yogurt or curd is very good for maintaining the healthy bacteria’s in the gut and drinks made using it can be great to meet your protein and water requirements of the day. Buttermilk is your best bet. Paneer or low-fat cottage cheese can be used very flexibly.

Along with the above food items it is always recommended to include a high-quality low-calorie protein powder in your daily diet to help you meet your protein requirement.

Conclusion

It is best to discuss your protein requirements and options with your bariatric dietitian. They will help you plan your meals so that you can get the best result from your weight loss surgery. It is a very vital step towards a “new you”.

Good Luck

Home Care After Bariatric Surgery

Essential Care After Bariatric Surgery: Tips for a Smooth Recovery at Home

Now that you have been discharged from the hospital and have reached home, you might feel relieved but also apprehensive about home care after bariatric surgery. You might worry about whether stitches could break, experience pain at home, or have questions about how much to walk and whether or not to take a bath. These are some helpful points for your guidance.

Wound Care

Change the dressings every day, if your doctor tells you to do so. Be sure to change your dressing always whenever it gets dirty or wet.
You may have bruising around your wound or redness around the incisions, do not panic, this is normal.
Avoid wearing tight clothing to prevent rubbing against your incisions.
Stitches or staples are usually removed within 7 to 10 days after surgery. some stitches dissolve on their own. Your doctor will tell you if you have them.
You can have a shower when advised by your doctor, let the water run over your incision, and do not scrub over the incisions.

Personal hygiene

Take a shower daily.do not rub the wounds. let only water run on your incisions
You can oil massage and wash your hair daily to feel fresh and active
Change your clothes daily
Clean your skin folds well with soap and water once a day and keep them dry, especially during the rainy season

Activity

Walk as much as you can, move around, and use stairs at home
Do not lift things heavier than 5 to 7 kgs in the initial months
Increase your exercise slowly
Take short walks
Get up and move around if you have some pain in your belly, it may help
Do not join the gym until recommended by your doctor.

Follow-up

To help recover from surgery and changes in your lifestyle, see your surgeon regularly and other health care providers.
The dietitian will teach you to eat correctly with your small stomach.
The psychologist can help you deal with the feelings or concerns you may have after surgery.
Blood tests are important as recommended by your surgeon, get them done timely to prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

When to Call the Doctor

Temperature is above 100°F.
You have redness, pain, swelling, or bleeding around your incision
You have pain that your pain medicine is not helping
You have breathing difficulty
You cannot eat or drink
You are vomiting after eating

These simple precautions will help you tide over the initial difficult time at home after your bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery is the best way to lose weight and regain health.

Infertility in Women and Bariatric Surgery

Improving Infertility in Women with PCOS: The Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Reproductive Health

The relationship between PCOS, obesity and infertility has been documented for many years. Anovulation, miscarriage, impairment in follicle formation and altered activity are the known effects of these. These women also face difficulty in managing diabetes, pre-eclampsia, growth disorders, higher rates of caesarean delivery, higher maternal mortality, and increased children’s risk for metabolic disease in the future.

A considerable weight loss can increase the chances of spontaneous ovulation, which is why the solution – bariatric surgery. This surgery is known to improve both fertility and pregnancy in women with reproductive concerns, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), along with metabolic syndrome (MS).

Bariatric Surgery’s Positive Effect on Women

Bariatric surgery in reproductive-age women has been shown to decrease menstrual irregularities. Women suffering from hormonal imbalance show considerable improvement postoperatively, and chances of conceiving increase after this surgery. Sensitivity to leptin levels increases post-surgery, reflecting improved reproductive metabolic status. Many women (about 10%-25%) with subclinical hypothyroidism, haven also shown a significant improvement following surgical weight loss.

Women already take pregnancy into consideration when electing for bariatric surgery. Nowadays women undergoing surgery are aware of their own reproductive risks and a significant number of these women are thinking ahead.

Studies on Infertility in Women and Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery has attracted the interest of many scholars with more individuals showing improved fertility post-weight loss treatment. An older study implied that a BMI drop greater than 5 kg/m² was a significant predictor of fertility within 2.5 years of follow-up after surgery. There was also a trend of a reduced need for fertility treatment in women conceiving within 3 years of weight loss surgery compared to their need for fertility treatment prior to surgery. Reports also show previously anovulatory women conceiving post-operatively without ovulation induction agents.

Comparing Pregnancy Outcomes in Women Pre and Post-Bariatric Surgery

A study comparing pregnancy outcomes in women before and after weight loss surgery showed improvements in pregnancy-related hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and a significant drop in caesarean delivery rate too. Moreover, bariatric surgery did not result in increased rates of post-partum haemorrhage, infection, shoulder dystocia or foetal demise.

The benefits of bariatric surgery in women suffering from PCOS with metabolic syndrome are discussed extensively on various platforms, leading in favour of surgery in such cases. Nutritional and vitamin deficiencies in these women during that time frame of rapid weight loss can be dealt with supervised supplementation and regular follow-ups with the surgeon and obstetrician. There were no differences in maternal complications, foetal outcomes or delivery complications, making bariatric surgery a highly recommended solution and one of the best ways to lose weight in morbidly obese people.

The Gulf Obesity Crisis

Gulf Obesity Crises: The Global Health Challenge

Obesity is now the biggest healthcare challenge worldwide, approximately one in three is either obese or overweight. Gulf obesity has particularly surged, overtaking malnutrition and infectious diseases as the world’s no.1 health problem.

Obesity in the Middle East

The problem is even bigger in the Middle East. According to one study, 51 million people in the Gulf are classed as obese. An epidemic indeed. In the same study, Qatar is reported to have the highest incidence of obese men (44 percent) in the Middle East and North Africa region, followed by Kuwait (43 percent) and Bahrain (31 percent), while the prevalence of obesity among women exceeded 50 percent in three Middle Eastern countries; Kuwait (59 percent), Libya (57 percent) and Qatar (55 percent).

Economic Impact of Obesity

Not only does obesity carry serious consequences for people’s health, but it also carries a global cost of $2 trillion, consuming 2.8 percent of the global Gross Domestic Product and demanding approximately 15 percent from the healthcare budgets of developed countries, according to the authors of the McKinsey report.

Researchers have produced the startling forecast that if current obesity rates continue, almost half of the world’s adult population will be overweight or obese by 2030.

Rising Demand for Bariatric Surgery

The demand for bariatric surgery is increasing by 20 percent annually in Gulf countries, however in many cases it is out of necessity rather than choice. Bariatric surgery is proven to reduce the risk of serious health complications associated with obesity such as cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, certain cancers, and perhaps most pressing for the region, type 2 diabetes. According to experts, we must not believe that obesity is not self-inflicted or a lifestyle choice, rather than a critical health issue.

Challenges and Criticism

It is these damaging perceptions that have led to widespread criticism of bariatric surgery, which can cost between $8,000 and $15,000, as many claim that the procedure is becoming a substitute for a lifestyle overhaul. It is from this viewpoint that a serious stigma has emerged.

Economic and Health Benefits

An increase in bariatric procedures could also realize financial savings for governments and healthcare systems alike, as patients who have undergone surgery, are more likely to avoid life-threatening and costly conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, which currently affects approximately one in ten adults in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Youth and Bariatric Surgery in the UAE

More young patients end up undergoing bariatric surgery in the UAE

Doctors advise weight-loss procedures if children have high BMI and other health issues

Obesity Statistics in the UAE

Abu Dhabi: With obesity cases rising in the UAE, more and more younger patients are being recommended for weight-loss surgeries, experts have said.

The surgeries are a last resort in the fight against obesity and its related complications. They are often a better choice than letting children’s health get progressively worse.

Global Obesity Trends

Statistics compiled by regulator Health Authority Abu Dhabi (Haad), indicate that nearly 30 percent of school-going children in Abu Dhabi are overweight or obese and the proportion rises to 40 percent among teenagers. Worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980 and in 2011 more than 40 million children under the age of five were overweight (WHO).

Unless we take some drastic and wide-ranging measures, obesity will soon become the world’s biggest and most expensive health issue ever.

A food for thought, shall we say.