Protein - Yes it is a big deal
Monday, 16 March 2009 07:41
Kelly Tracy, Clinical Nutrition Specialist in Kansas City
Anyone who has ever looked into bariatric surgery knows that protein is considered the most important nutrient after surgery.
Protein is essential to maintain muscle mass, keep your hair and nails growing pretty, and (probably most important to band-ers) keeping your weight loss maximal. Your hair and nails are made up of protein.
If you do not get enough in, your body will not have enough protein to continue to make hair and nails at your normal rate, resulting in hair falling out and cracking nails. Interestingly, protein plays role in the speed of weight loss. If patients aren’t losing at the rate they should, the first thing I want to know is if they are getting enough protein. If you aren’t consuming enough protein, even if your calories are low, your body will think it is starving, and basically your metabolism will slow down, making weight loss close to impossible.
Protein’s Vital functions in the body
- Wound healing
- Hair and nail growth
- Muscle maintenance (including heart, diaphragm, legs and arms)
- Hormone and enzyme production
- Blood clot formation
- Blood pressure control
- Immune system function
Protein Deficiency can cause
- Hair loss
- Decreased pigmentation in hair
- Loss of muscle strength
- Your weight loss to slow or stop
- Fluid retention (especially in lower legs)
- Decreased ability to fight infections
Women: at least 65 grams/day
Men: at least 80 grams/day
The type of protein you get in isn’t very important, just the amount. We would prefer that you get your protein through whole foods like lean meats (chicken and fish), and low-fat dairy products. Remember, you had the band to help decrease weight, not so you would be drinking your meals forever. However, if you are unable to get your protein in through whole foods, I would rather you do something to get protein in, whether it is adding a non flavored protein source to your meals (like Unjury® or non fat dry milk powder), or drinking a protein shake for breakfast. If you must do a protein supplement, stick to a 3:1 protein: carbohydrate ratio. In other words, if a supplement has 15 grams of protein, it must have no more than 5 grams of carbohydrate. This will eliminate meal replacements like Boost® or Ensure® (which are made for little old ladies in nursing homes that are trying to GAIN weight.)
How to get your protein in:
- Always, always, always eat your protein first.
- Make sure you have a good source of protein with each meal.
- Educate yourself; find out how much protein your foods have in them. You can go to nutrition database websites such as http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ or http://www.calorieking.com/.
- Keep a food diary for a few days that includes protein. You may be surprised to see how much protein you are actually getting.
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