Eating my curds and whey....or at least my whey!

Little Miss Muffit sat on her tuffit.........

A while back I had asked the Facebook world for input on protein powders.  Boy are they expensive!  Unfortunately, most of the brands my friends are using, are whey protein concentrates (much more affordable).  Bariatric patients should only use whey protein isolate.

Let's start by discussing what whey actually is.  Whey is the by product of making cheese.  Yep, cheese.  Once upon a time, it was considered a waste product and today it is recognized as one of the best sources of quality protein.  It is digested and absorbed more efficiently than other other protein.

What is the difference you ask?

• Whey protein isolate (WPI) is processed further than whey protein concentrates (WPC).   This allows the removal of most of the fat and lactose.  WPI is more pure and better absorbed than WPC.

Whey is absorbed at a rate of 8-10 grams an hour where as casein protein is absorb at a rate of less than 5 grams per hour.  So, when you are trying to get in 100 grams of protein a day, whey is definitely the best choice.

Of course you may experience some side effects when you use Whey protein.

• Increased bowel movements
• nausea
• thirst
• bloating
• cramps
• reduced appetite
• fatigue
• headaches

Bariatric patients have to do liquid diets early after surgery and slowly work their way up to solid foods.  Protein shakes are a good way to get in the required protein.  Thankfully, there are tons of companies that make these products.  They have fun flavors like chocolate bliss, peanut butter cookie, peanut butter cup, blueberry cheesecake, pumpkin, etc. If you are looking to add protein shakes into your diet, I recommend getting sample packets if available.

Here are some of the companies I purchase from:
http://www.bariatricadvantage.com/catalog/categoryHandler?cat=Complementary%20Products%20:%20Protein%20Powders%20:%20Nectar&expand=1

http://www.mybariatricpantry.com/Syntrax_Nectar_Protein_s/4.htm

http://www.bariatriceating.com/

http://www.unjury.com/?tag=Bing_Brand&utm_source=Bing&utm_medium=Branded%20Paid%20Search&utm_campaign=Brand

https://chikenutrition.com/


People also get very creative with the protein flavors, here is an example of red velvet dream.  You can add sugar free coffee syrup to them and really change things up!