A person who has undergone Bariatric surgery should maintain some diet regulations for their lifetime, to maintain the weight and to get rid of any side effects over the period of time. There will be a strict routine in the foods for the first three months after the operation, after that you can have regular diet with certain restrictions.
6 Best Tips for Long Term Bariatric Surgery Diet
Eat Proteins first: Proteins are the most important nutrient for a patient who has undergone with bariatric surgery. It is recommended to eat the food that is high in protein first. Every meal you eat must include protein. Most of the dietitians and bariatric health care experts suggest an intake of 60 to 100 grams protein every day.
Eat Small Meals: The patients who had bariatric surgery, generally can eat around 1 to 1.5 cups of food in one attempt. It is recommended not to eat more than eight ounces at once, and you can have up to six small meals a day. Stop eating just before you feel full, this helps a lot in digestion.
Eat and Drink Slowly: To ensure that nothing gets stuck in the narrow outlet of the newly made small stomach pouch, it is most important to chew the food thoroughly.You can have your small meal for 20 to 30 minutes and around 30 minutes for drinking a cup of fluid.
Avoid Drinking Fluids with Meals: Having fluids while eating can force the food out of the small stomach pouch and make you hungry in no time. This may cause vomiting, nausea, and abdominal pain.
Keep Hydrated: Drink atleast 8 cups of water every day, and you can have non-carbonated beverages like flavoured water, broths, decaf coffee. Carbonated beverages produce gas, which can stretch the small pouch made or the opening to intestine.
Don’t Forget Supplements: For preventing vitamin and mineral deficiency, the patient should take some mineral and vitamin supplements each day for life. These should be prescribed by by your dietitian or surgeon.