Another very successful product review here at The Bypassed Life. I picked up some Isopure Smoothies at Vitamin Shoppe the other day when I saw them for buy one, get one, and I think I’m in love!
\Little Bottles of Love (and Protein)
I’m pretty sure it says something for a product when you continue drinking it as you sit down to type up the review. Yeah, I’m still sipping the grape Protein H2O as I type this. It’s yummy.
For a while, there was a product available that was remarkably similar to this, in theory. Protein and fiber, along with hydration. But Protein H2O does what this other product was unable to do: it tastes good. So good, in fact, that I just keep drinking it.
Note: An updated version of this document can be found in PDF form here. Please download and share.
Many years ago, the gold standard for post-operative supplementation was Flintstones children’s chewable vitamins, as well as Tums for calcium. Unfortunately, this regimen was woefully incomplete. Without the proper supplements, people developed deficiencies. Not always immediately—the body has stores of many vitamins—but they did eventually appear. In some people, circumstances helped to accelerate nutrient depletion. My friend Andrea had babies. Greedy little (adorable) things that they were, those babies stole from her vitamin stores. Her Flintstones and Tums simply couldn’t keep up. Andrea got rickets.
These cautionary tales are everywhere in the weight loss surgery world. There are countless post-ops five, ten, or more years out who have dug themselves out from deficiencies that were caused, at least in part, by bad medical advice. Despite these stories and the giant strides that have been made in bariatric and nutritional research, the recommendations given by surgeons are still outdated.
It’s review time here at The Bypassed Life! I’ve had these babies waiting for review for quite a while now. Instead of posting about them, I’ve just been taking them. I guess that’s a review in and of itself…
Celebrate's Chewable Multivitamin in Pineapple Strawberry
Continue reading ‘Review: Celebrate Multivitamin Chewable (Pineapple Strawberry)’
Misinformation makes me angry. Let’s just put that out there. And? There’s a lot of misinformation in the bariatric community. There are a lot of companies looking to make a buck off of bariatric patients. Let’s face it. We’re a pretty willing audience much of the time. Your protein will help us lose weight 10% faster? Awesome! Sign me up! You make sugar-free gummy vitamins that I can take once a day? Send ‘em my way! Utensils that blink when I’m supposed to take a bite? Where do I enter my credit card information?
But there’s a difference between looking to make a profit and actively toying with our health. When you have a prominent role in the bariatric community, you need to hold yourself to a higher standard. When you yourself are a bariatric patient? That standard should be exceptionally high. It’s a matter of personal integrity. Unfortunately, personal integrity appears not to matter to some people.
I’ve already written about Journey Vitamins after trying their product in Houston. I’ve tried to keep my mouth shut on a lot of their faulty advertising for two reasons. First, I really hoped that people were smart enough to see through the bad science on their own. Second, there are others out there pointing out the flaws much better than I ever could. But I’ve reached my breaking point.
Source: Journey Vitamins
Continue reading ‘More Misinformation from Journey Vitamins’
Post-op nutrition and vitamin supplementation is an often-overlooked aspect of bariatric surgery. For patients who have had a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or a duodenal switch, the bypass of portions of the digestive tract places patients at risk for nutrient malabsorption (1). Moreover, “postoperative deficiencies in protein, iron, and other vitamins and minerals are common and require supplementation to maintain normal levels” (2). Even patients without surgical malabsorption, such as adjustable gastric band or vertical sleeve gastrectomy patients, are potentially at risk for deficiencies, resulting from reduced intake and avoidance of nutrient-dense foods (3).
Unfortunately, many surgeons do not prescribe sufficient supplements and do not order adequate laboratory testing. Andrea Ullberg, of WLS Vitagarten, has created a product to fill that gap. Earlier this month, at the ObesityHelp Houston conference, she debuted the WLS Vitagarten: Lab Tracker Workbook. I have had my book in hand for a few weeks now, and I’d like to share my thoughts with you.
Susan Maria Leach and the people at Bariatric Eating have started a new venture: bariatric vitamins. The line was represented at the ObesityHelp conference in Houston last weekend. Susan Maria was there herself, advocating Journey Vitamins as the end-all, be-all of bariatric supplementation.
Me, sampling a new bariatric vitamin in Houston.
Photo Credit: Beth Sheldon-Badore
Yes, it really was that bad.
I’ve wanted to start reviewing products here for a while now, so here goes! I attended an Obesity Help conference back in September, and my swag bag included several samples. I got packs of Building Blocks vitamins, and this is the first one I’ve tried!
Continue reading ‘Product Review: Building Blocks Chewable Iron Black Raspberry’
