Denver Bariatric Highlights the Need for Proper Nutrition this National Nutrition Month

March 26, 2013 - PRLog -- The Denver Center for Bariatric Surgery (www.denverbariatrics.com) is putting the focus on post-surgical nutrition to steer patients towards healthy habits. The people in this country are getting bigger and bigger. Lifestyle is a large component in that escalating trend. Through awareness events like National Nutrition Month, the healthcare community is fighting a war against obesity. The staff at the Denver Center for Bariatric Surgery is doing their part through nutrition education.

Making the decision that surgery is the right course of action is just the first step in regaining control of your body. Bariatric surgery is a tool that helps manage weight, but there is more to it. Post-surgical nutrition is a key part of success. With the help of the nutrition experts at the Denver Center, patients learn the basic rules of a healthy diet.

There are strict guidelines to follow after a person has bariatric surgery to maintain the integrity of the procedure. The aftercare process teaches you not only what to eat, but also how to chew, the best swallowing technique and where to buy goods.

The clinic provides at least six classes in the first year after the surgery. These sessions lay down the basic rules for managing post-surgical digestion. In addition, the center contracts with third-party agencies to provide support groups that answer questions and put patients in touch with others in similar situations. These groups are available both online and at local meeting places.

The procedure bible issued by the staff at the Denver Center for Bariatric Surgery offers a systematic guide to nutrition that improves health and enhances the weight loss. The goal is to teach a lifetime of good eating habits and proper nutrition using a number of available techniques.

The basics of weight loss are simple. Calories are the energy one gets from food. Weight loss comes when you use more energy than you take in each day. In other words, you must burn more calories than you eat. This forces the body to look for other types of energy, such as stored fat.

With the help of the dietitian experts from Denver Center for Bariatric Surgery, patients learn to eat five to six small meals a day. Stretching out the food helps stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent hunger. Controlling hunger is a major obstacle in developing a healthy and fit lifestyle. The center teaches about getting the taste and enjoyment from foods through seasoning, not by cooking in fat.

On top of learning to manage a proper diet, patients also must adhere to strict guidelines to stay healthy after the surgery. They must avoid sauces, butter and fat-laden condiments such as mayonnaise. They learn to avoid junk foods and processed meals that may harm them and to stop snacking.

The Denver Center for Bariatric Surgery educates patients on the importance of exercise, as well. The body will look to burn away unused muscle before turning to fat for energy. This is why daily exercise is so critical. Getting tone will also improve the efficiency of the body furnace by maintaining a proper basal metabolic rate – the rate at which you burn calories with base body functions. With exercise, the system gets a message that the muscle tissue is necessary, so it look for fat to burn instead.

The process of weight loss through bariatric surgery doesn't end after the procedure. That is the starting point for developing a new relationship with your body and food. The Denver Center for Bariatric Surgery goes the extra mile when it comes to nutrition education and lifestyle retraining to get you there.