5 Bariatric Metabolism Protectors for the Holidays

Building a resilient bariatric metabolism for the holidays is the best way to protect your surgery. 

In fact, the holidays have a track record of derailing your activity and food choices.  Yet, more profoundly, your stress!  So this year, choose to do it differently.  Although there’s no magic pill, there are some foundational principles that will help protect your metabolism throughout November, December and beyond. 

So how can you build a resilient bariatric metabolism for the holidays?…

1. Stabilize blood sugar
2. Maintain healthy Digestion
3. Protect Gut bacteria
4. Practice Stress Management
5. Maintain muscle mass

Stabilize your blood sugar to protect your bariatric metabolism 

Firstly, glucose(aka blood sugar) is your body’s main source of energy and a critical component of healthy metabolism.  In fact, having elevated blood sugars sets you up for pre diabetes.  And also eventually diabetes if not addressed. 

A study published in 2020 “Comparing the 5-year diabetes outcomes of sleeve gastrectomy & gastric bypass” found the diabetes recurrence rate to be 30-40% after 5 years.  Although a 60-70% remission of diabetes is fabulous, it’s not so exciting if you’re in the 30-40% who need diabetic medication again. 

As a matter of fact, pre diabetes is a severe metabolic disorder. If you’re also experiencing pre diabetes numbers on your blood tests after bariatric surgery, this is influencing your metabolism. I talk about why bariatric patients should care about blood sugar in this post. The key to a healthy bariatric metabolism is maintaining a fairly stable blood sugar.  An optimal blood sugar is somewhere between 72-110mg/dL at all times, as found in this study.

So how do you keep blood sugars stable? Just by making sure your meals contain three properties.

1. Protein first
2. Fiber-filled carbohydrates
3. Healthy fat

Not to mention, some individuals have a genetic predisposition for. 

• dysregulated blood sugar
• larger volume of food to feel satisfied

So, if you feel like you already do well with all the foundation principles from this blood sugar post. You might want to consider your genetics driving the dysregulation.  There are ways to override your genetics so no worries, I’ve got you! My best advice is to honor these three foundations to help put the odds in your favor for your blood sugar to stay consistent, protecting your metabolism.

Maintain healthy digestion to protect your bariatric metabolism

A healthy metabolism starts with having healthy digestion.  This requires adequate stomach acid, enzymes, pepsin and bile to appropriately digest protein, fats and carbohydrates. 

First off, stomach acid is your first line of defense in killing off pathogenic bacteria.  If you have low stomach acid, otherwise known as hypochlorhydria you have an increased risk for C-diff, H. Pylori, SIBO, or even just food poisoning.  So the moral of the story…you need stomach acid!

Now, it’s been well established that bariatric surgery lowers stomach acid.  You can learn more about that here. Where I go into full detail about stomach acid, stomach pH and what it takes to optimize digestion and protect your health.  But it’s also about the downstream affects.  Without adequate stomach acid, bile, enzymes and pepsin to digest food.  Your gut bacteria are impacted increasing your risk for gut dysbiosis. But more on that in a little bit. 

So how can you maintain healthy digestion during the holidays?

1. Chew your food well
2. Eat mindfully
3. 3 slow deep breaths before a meal to turn on your parasympathetic nervous system(Rest & Digest)
4. Add digestive bitters
5. Add digestive enzymes with betaine HCL if you qualify
6. Consider papaya enzymes after a meal

When your digestion is functioning optimally, your body will naturally fight off pathogenic bacteria.  Further preventing the cascade of events that eventually destroy your gut microbiome leading to an unhealthy metabolism. 

Protect gut bacteria for a healthy bariatric metabolism

It’s been well documented how the gut microbiome plays a role in regulating your metabolism.  Which can be found in these research articles just over the last six years.  There are several more, but this gives you the background to understand the power of your gut microbiome. 

• Functional Gut Microbiota Remodeling contributes to the caloric restriction-induced metabolic improvements
• Linking the gut microbiome to metabolism through endocrine hormones
• Antibiotic-induced alterations in gut microbiota are associated with changes in glucose metabolism ion healthy mice
• Host-microbiota interaction induces bi-phasic inflammation and glucose tolerance in mice
• Human gut microbes impact host serum metabolize and insulin sensitivity
• Diet drives quick changes in the metabolic activity and composition of human gut microbiota in a validated in vitro gut model
• Microbiota depletion promotes browning of white adipose tissue and reduces obesity
• Role of Gut adaptation in the potent effects of multiple bariatric surgeries on obesity and diabetes

Glucose tolerance influencing your metabolism

In fact, the enteroendocrine cells within the mucosal lining of the gut synthesize and secrete a number of hormones including CCK, PYY, GLP-1, GIP, and 5-HT.  Which have regulatory roles in key metabolic processes such as insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, fat storage, and appetite. A mini review article published in 2019 helps pull together the connection of the gut microbiome.  Explaining the release of these hormones can be influenced by the presence of bacteria and their metabolites within the gut.  And as such, microbial-mediated gut hormones release is an important component of microbial regulation of host metabolism. 

They further elaborated that dietary or pharmacological interventions which alter the gut microbiome therefore pose a potential therapeutics for the treatment of human metabolic disorders. And this can be seen with the explosion of the GLP-1 pharmaceuticals for weight loss.  I’m not against using these medications, but I want you to see there are alternative. This is where we dig into how making different choices can help protect a bariatric metabolism, especially during the holidays. 

Gut dysbiosis that is influencing your metabolism

You see, bariatric surgery has already shifted your metabolism and for you to maintain it takes intentional effort.  Not perfect, but intentional. I like to think of it like you’re choosing prevention.  You’re intentional about choosing your long-term health. So first, if you have gut dysbiosis you will need to heal this.  Unfortunately, bariatric surgery only partially rescues the dysbiosis seen in obesity.  You can learn more about that here.   Working with a provider like myself can help you reverse gut dysbiosis that is influencing your metabolism. 

Hopefully you’re seeing the big picture of how much you gut microbiome influences your metabolism. But what can you do over the holidays to at least protect your bariatric metabolism? Honestly…A LOT!!! Whole real food is what your metabolism needs to shift it.  And maintain it.  Following a “diet” for a period of time and then going back to your previous choices will not deliver long-term results.  This is why weaving in these ideas daily, weekly, monthly, yearly….LIFE LONG is the only way you will maintain it. So the combination of these foods make the outcomes powerful.  

Kind of like bariatric surgery.  You follow a bariatric diet, take your vitamins, drink protein shakes and water, and move your body for your bariatric surgery to be a success.  So here are a FEW ways to protect your bariatric metabolism during the holidays…

First, drink black & green tea.  

They’ve been associated with a few great benefits.  This includes increasing bifidobacterium species in fecal samples with green tea.  Whereas black & Oolong tea generate short-chain fatty acids(SCFA).  Which is important as SCFA production have protective effects against obesity and alterations in your metabolism. One important consideration is adding sugar, sweeteners and honey.  Unfortunately, these influence your gut bacteria in most cases negatively.  With honey providing the least impact.  This is all very individual though and may require a continuous glucose monitor to individualize your response. 

Second, consume polyphenols.  

This has been well documented.  Eventually, polyphenols are organic compounds found abundantly in plants.  There are over 8,000 polyphenols accordingly identified to date.  We currently understand that polyphenols have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and preventative and/or therapeutic effects for cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, cancer and obesity. But Noting that consuming them in food is the best delivery. They’ve also found they boost the beneficial gut bacteria Akkermansia.  Which has been proven to improve weight loss.  Akkermansia loves polyphenols and grows in its presence. 

Some of the foods to consider are…

• Blueberries
• Beets
• Cherries
• Green tea
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Cloves
• Cocoa powder
• Dark chocolate
• Hazelnuts
• Plums
• Cranberries

Third, consume prebiotic foods.  

Prebiotics have been shown to improve weight loss after roux-en-y gastric bypass by >50%.  In fact, they’ve found combining prebiotics with probiotics to be a powerful combo in improving abdominal circumference, blood sugar, insulin resistance and inflammatory markers. 

Some great prebiotic foods to consume during the holidays are…

• Milk
• Asparagus
• Tomato
• Garlic
• Onion
• Barley
• Rye
• Wheat
• Chicory
• Honey
• Jerusalem artichokes

Fourth, limit alcohol.  

Especially, this has been associated with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, gut dysbiosis and increased intestinal permeability(aka leaky gut).  This has been well established to be an issue after bariatric surgery. The consistent intake of of alcohol over the course of a couple of months can definitely alter your gut bacteria negatively.  This is why using wisdom and learning to say no to drinking nightly. 

Fifth, take a probiotic.  

This is your protector of your intestines, your immunity, also your overall health.  Without it you are vulnerable. Consuming a blend of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Saccharomyces boulardii can provide powerful protection of your bariatric metabolism.

So, hopefully you can appreciate the importance of nourishing, nurturing and healing your gut microbiome.  

Practice stress management

This is probably the most influential of all.  

In fact, you can eat perfectly.  Maintain a perfect blood sugar range. Also add all the supplements to help you digest your food.  Protect gut bacteria.  Consume all the gut protecting foods.  Work you muscles consistently.  Yet, unmanaged stress and unresolved trauma will negate all of these. This is where developing a practice where you pay attention to your nervous system.  Regularly working on stabilizing it can’t be ignored. 

Chronic anxiety, depression, irritability, agitation are all signs your nervous system may be dysregulated.  Working with a therapist can help you establish protocols that work best for you. You can also start with meditation apps.  I like Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer or CBT-i Coach.  Start with two minutes a day and build on that.  This could look like first thing in the morning or before bed.  As you are able to recognize your bodies messages you can add meditations throughout the day.  The key is first having awareness to your nervous system.  

Maintain muscle mass

Additionally Muscle.  The ultimate metabolism optimizer.  So if you’re looking to protector your bariatric metabolism this holiday season, than maintain your muscle mass! basically try to keep things simple. Thus maintaining muscle mass can be done in just minutes a day.  Also setting a daily practice first thing in the morning can get your day started right. 

This can be with exercise bands, weights, your body or a couple cans of beans or 1/2 gallon jugs filled with any level of fluid.  You just need resistance. 

Conclusion

So after all as you can see, protecting your bariatric metabolism is possible.  Each day remind yourself to prioritize these five things…blood sugar balance, healthy digestion, protect gut bacteria, practice stress management and protect your muscle mass. This is what it means to be intentional.  Although you are putting into practice things in your life that can set you up for lifelong success!