Weight Loss: How Digestion Works For the Body

Have you ever heard of the saying, "you become what you eat"? This is very true and is quite literal at that, as the food that we eat becomes part of our body. How, you ask? We will need to review how our body digests food.

Digestion is the process by which our body breaks down the food we eat into nutrients, which the body then uses for cell repair, growth and energy. Food and drink, once broken down into nutrients, is then absorbed by the blood and is carried to the cells throughout the body.

Digestion starts from the Digestive System. Our digestive system is made up of the gastrointestinal tract, also called the digestive tract, and the liver, the pancreas, and the gallbladder. The digestive tract is a series of organs responsible for digestion. These organs are hollow to let food pass through from the mouth down to the anus. These hollow organs are the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and anus. Once the food goes through our digestive tract, it mixes with the digestive juices causing the food to break down into smaller molecules that the body can absorb.

The breakdown of food starts when we chew. Chewing starts to break big chunks of food into smaller chunks. Meanwhile, the saliva produced by the salivary glands in the mouth moistens the food so it can easily be swallowed. The saliva also contains enzymes that break down the starches (carbohydrates) from the food.

The swallowed food is then stored in the stomach. The stomach then mixes the food and liquid with it's digestive juices, called stomach acid or gastric acid. From the stomach, the food is then moved to the small intestine. The small intestine then mixes the food with it's digestive juices together with the digestive juices from the pancreas and the liver for further digestion. The body completes the breakdown of food in the small intestine, and this is where the food is absorbed into the blood and passed to other parts of the body.

In the United States, obesity has become a majo`r health issue. According to recent statistics from the CDC more than a third of U.S. adults (78.6 million or 34.9%) are obese. Eating habits are one of the causes identified. To combat this health issue, there has been an increase in promoting weight loss options. This has given rise to numerous diet regimens and workout routines adapted specifically for almost every type of individual. Several exercise machines have also been marketed targeting people who want to lose weight easily.

 Medical practitioners have also developed surgical procedures to help individuals with severe obesity to lose weight. A good example is the gastric bypass procedure. Gastric bypass is surgical procedure that changes how the stomach and small intestine handle the digesting of food. This surgery will make the functional stomach volume smaller, making the individual fuller with less food. If you need consultation, Dr. Christian Birkedal is the most trusted physician for weight loss surgery in Orlando Fl with over 15 years of experience.

How Does Weight Loss Surgery Changes You From Head To Toe?

Weight loss operations are ideal to get back in shape and regain your health. If you have already made up your mind about the type of weight loss surgery you will undergo and your health insurance company already agreed to toe the bill, you are all set. But before you undergo the process, you might want to learn more about the effects of weight loss surgery from your head to your toe.

Weight loss surgeries can affect just about every aspect of your life. These usually include your eating habits, self-image, and relationships. In order to set realistic expectations, you may want to speak with your surgeon about how much weight you can expect to lose.

The type of weight loss surgery you’ll undergo may determine how much weight you may lose. According to WebMd, weight loss surgeries that affect digestion are generally the ones that result in faster and greater weight loss compared to adjustable banding procedures. Gastric bypass is a good example of this type of surgery. Those who undergo weight loss procedures may expect to lose weight for up to 2 or 3 years after surgery.

Your Eating Habits 

You should expect that weight loss surgery will alter your eating habits. Since most procedures make your pouch tinier, you should expect that you will eat less after the surgery. Meals that appeared tiny in the past will suddenly make you feel full more quickly. The trick is to eat small amounts and chew well.
Surgeons would suggest eating a number of small meals per day. Patients are advised to take more foods that are high in protein. You might also need to avoid drinking any type of fluid when you eat. Taking in fluids will hamper with your feeling of fullness.
And since you will have to eat less than you were used to, you’ll need to keep your focus on nutritious foods. Some types of weight loss surgeries may make it more complex for your body to absorb nutrients. It is highly recommended to speak with your nutritionist on what sorts of foods to eat after weight loss operations. Your nutritionist may require you to take supplements.

Your Self-Image

The positive effects may happen right after gastric bypass or certain other types of weight loss surgery. Health conditions that are related to obesity are expected to improve dramatically. These include high blood pressure, arthritis, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, and other health conditions.
You may start to regain your self-confidence as you see the positive effects of weight loss surgery. As you lose weight, however, you should expect that your skin may look loose and baggy. You may opt for plastic surgery in order to get rid of the extra skin.

Your Relationships

The way you socialize may change after weight loss surgery. If your bonding with friends usually includes eating and drinking, you may need to think of new ways of meeting up with them after your weight loss operation.

Photo Credit: Jasmine Kaloudis  , Caitlin Regan

Best Stomach Surgery for Weight Loss

What’s the Best Stomach Surgery for Weight Loss?

You should know by now that obesity is a serious problem.

Health related conditions tied to obesity can last for a lifetime. This is the very reason why you need to act before it is too late. 

You may consider bariatric surgical procedures for safe weight loss.

First and foremost, you need to understand that most weight loss operations require that a person is obese. In order to know if your case can be considered as obesity, you can visit a reputable bariatric clinic in Volusia, FL. A bariatric surgeon will be able to give you the right advice about your specific case.

There are different types of weight loss surgeries that you can choose from. Of course, you need to choose safe weight loss. In order to know the best type of weight loss procedure that is right for you, it is best to speak with a professional medical practitioner. You may also do your own research. Here are some important details to guide you in whether or not you should consider stomach surgery for weight loss and an ideal type of surgery to consider.

Bariatric surgical procedures can cause a patient to lose weight by restricting the amount of food the stomach can hold. It causes a combination of both gastric restriction and malabsorption. Aside from these, this type of weight loss option can also cause some hormonal changes.

As technology advances, weight loss operations become faster and less risky. Most techniques are being performed with minimally invasive methods. Some of the most common bariatric surgery procedures in Volusia, FL include gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and adjustable gastric band among others.

Gastric Bypass Surgery

If you want to undergo bariatric surgery, it might be best for you to choose the gold standard which is the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass is more popularly known as gastric bypass.

Gastric bypass has two components. The first one is when a small stomach pouch is created. The purpose of such is to divide the top of the stomach from the rest of it. The second component is when the first portion of the small intestine is divided and the bottom end of the divided small intestine is brought up. It will then be connected to the stomach pouch.

Benefits of Gastric Bypass Surgery

Many people choose to undergo gastric bypass because it promotes long term weight loss. It can reduce as much as 60 to 80 percent excess weight loss. 

This particular bariatric surgery procedure also reduces the amount of food you can consume. It requires a lot of hard work and discipline but it can cause great results in the long run.

Many people choose to invest in weight loss to improve the quality of life. It’s just a matter of choosing the right procedure and the best medical team that you shall trust. If you have a friend or a family member who have undergone weight loss procedures, ask for recommendations. Invest in health because health always comes first.

Photo Credit: Sandra Cohen-Rose and Colin Rose Alan Cleaver Jackie Bese