>> Protein shakes for after surgery.
Protein shakes are vital to your health after surgery.
They are the main source of nutrition for the first year post op.
Remember, protein helps to keep you satisfied and helps to preserve your muscle mass.
If you aren't getting enough protein after surgery, you could become malnourished.
Your goal is to get in at least 60 grams of protein per day.
And most of that will have to come from protein shakes for several months after surgery,
because you won't be able to tolerate a large volume of food.
The type of protein shake that is strongly recommended
for post op use is whey protein isolate.
Whey protein isolate is a very pure form of protein filtered from cow's milk.
It is very quickly digested and absorbed, and it is used primarily
for muscle repair and maintenance.
With fast absorption and use, whey protein isolate can maximize weight loss
because it is preserving your muscle mass and metabolism better than other sources of protein
that don't get absorbed or utilized as quickly.
There are many types of shakes available online and in stores.
It is important that you are getting in protein after surgery.
So, if you don't find a whey protein isolate that works for you,
it is acceptable to use a protein blend concentrate or alternative.
However, there are very many brands and flavors of whey isolate, and it is your best bet
for preserving muscle mass and your metabolism.
Here are some of the most popular examples of whey protein isolate.
In the upper left, Bariatric Advantage and UNJURY are two medical grade proteins.
They are more expensive, but they are well tolerated by our patients.
UNJURY has a couple savory flavors of protein powders, which is a nice option
if you're getting sick of the sweet protein powders.
UNJURY and biPro in the bottom also have unflavored protein powders.
It's recommended that everyone has some unflavored protein powder
so that you can flavor it yourself, mix it into foods without changing the flavor drastically,
and you can use half of a scoop of unflavored protein powder with half of a scoop
of flavored protein to help cut the flavor if it's too intense for you.
Syntrax Nectar in the upper middle portion is one of the most popular protein powders.
You can go online to their website and find a sampler box of their flavors.
The nice thing is they have many options of flavors,
and they also have juice flavored protein powders that you just add to water.
These are a nice option because many other brands commonly carry the milkshake
like flavors, such as vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.
On the far right, you'll see pre mixed juice flavored proteins, like PROTEIN2O and ISOPURE.
These are the only pre mixed whey protein isolate options.
While it's nice to have something that is pre mixed or a grab and go option,
these protein waters seem to not be as filling as the powdered shakes that you mix yourself.
And they often have fewer grams of protein than the powder types.
Unfortunately, at the moment, there are no pre mixed protein shakes
that are whey protein isolates.
This slide shows many of the more popular examples of whey protein isolate shakes.
There are lots of brands available at stores and online, so do your research,
try different flavors, and have options available before surgery.
Here's an example of a nutrition label from a whey protein isolate.
This particular example is from the Syntrax Nectar Naturals line.
The first thing you should look for on the Nutrition
or Supplement Facts label is the first ingredient.
You can see here the first ingredient is cold pressed, cross flow,
microfiltered whey protein isolate.
All that really matters here is that you're getting a whey protein isolate
as the first ingredient.
You'll notice that whey protein isolate is not in parenthesis after the words protein blend
or protein concentrate, or later in the ingredients list.
You do not want a protein shake that is a protein blend or a concentrate,
or where whey isolate is later in the ingredients list.
Also, take note of the serving size.
In this example, the serving size is one scoop.
And each scoop has about 25 grams of protein.
Each protein shake should supply about 20 to 30 grams of protein per shake.
Remember that your body is unable to process more than about 30 grams of protein at a time.
There are many places to purchase protein shakes, and you may need to shop around online
or in stores for a while to find shakes that work for you.
Most patients tend to buy their products on Amazon,
but you can also browse the other listed sites and look at health food sections at stores.
Online, you can look at Amazon, Vitacost, Nashua Nutrition, My Bariatric Pantry,
Bariatric Eating, Puritan's Pride, and then other bariatric specific brands.
In stores, you can purchase some protein shakes at Walgreens, Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco,
Apple Wellness, GNC, HyVee, Complete Nutrition, and The Vitamin Shoppe.
Here are some tips when looking for and experimenting with protein shakes.
You get what you pay for.
Cheaper isn't always better.
Remember that protein shakes will make up the majority
of your grocery bill for several months post op.
Get something that you like and can tolerate.
Cheaper isn't always better.
Buy different flavors for the first month for a variety.
Make sure you have an unflavored, a savory flavored,
and some pre mixed waters to get you through.
Use a blender or a bottle with a metal whisk ball to mix the powder in.
Make sure you let the foam or froth settle before drinking it.
Experiment with temperatures and textures.
Some temperatures will cause protein powder to clump.
It's recommended to keep temperatures of the liquid you're using
at refrigerator temperature or around 40 degrees.
Use a lid.
Help cover up the smell if you are sensitive to it.
Most protein powders taste better than they smell.
You are welcome to use sugar free syrups found in the coffee section at the grocery store,
sugar free gelatin, puddings, herbs, or spices to help change up the flavors and textures.
You can also stir protein powder into your foods like yogurt or applesauce.
You can make them into puddings, ice creams, or popsicle like products.
Look online.
There are many recipes available online and in various cookbooks.
Here is a brief look at what you can expect to be consuming as far
as protein shakes for the first year post op.
Protein shakes are required for at least the first year post op.
After that, they are no longer required, but a nice tool to use to make sure
that you're getting in adequate amounts of protein.
Right after surgery, as your pouch is healing, you will need more protein shakes,
three per day, to get in adequate protein because you won't be able to get in much food.
After that, as your pouch heals and you're able to tolerate more food in your pouch,
you can decrease how many shakes you take in per day.
The dietician you see will help you determine how many protein shakes are recommended
at each stage during your follow up visits.
If you have questions about protein shakes, they will be discussed
in detail during one of your pre op classes.
Write down questions that you have and start experimenting with various brands
and flavors to find what you like.