Sunday, September 7, 2008

Exciting and Important News for Bariatric Patients

Dear Friends,

I have something exciting and important to share with you!

Deciding to take your health and your future into your own hands was an enormous first step in becoming the healthy person you are today. Unless you have made that decision and gone through with it, it is hard to understand the emotional and physical changes your body and soul find themselves in. Bariatric surgery is not for the faint-hearted. You were strong, committed, and basically you decided to take charge of your life.

You went into this knowing your life would change, and knowing that there would be certain life-long commitments. Basically you were reinventing yourself and your life and your habits. Two of the requirements you may have overlooked, or undervalued were the constant need for good protein sources and the beginning of perpetual vitamin regimes….the necessary, costly, sometimes painful, and often insufficient routine that becomes a daily chore.

How many times have your health care providers reminded you or chided you for not following their supplemental recommendations and advised the consumption of more protein? Who would have imagined the potential of protein deficiencies causing hair loss and dental problems? Or the possibility that a lack of Vitamin B and potassium might damage nerves and create leg cramps.

Gastric surgeries cause a slower, less efficient absorption of nutrients and vitamins. Many of us have tried protein drinks from chain stores and local pharmacies, vitamins by the handfuls in order to bring our bodies into alignment. Products on the market are not meant for bariatric patients but for athletes and geriatrics. Lactose intolerance often makes traditional, commercial, whey products unusable.

We have all experienced this depressing cycle: take vitamins, eat protein, and don’t feel too good as a result. Who hasn’t searched for a product that would effectively address these issues in a pleasant, efficient manner?

You all know how I am constantly looking for ways to make our lives easier and healthier. I have literally travelled from one coast to the other, looking specifically for a protein/vitamin source that would apply itself to bariatrics. There have been NO SUCH PRODUCTS dedicated to our unique needs……UNTIL NOW!

While there are several manufacturers who do provide products for bariatric patients, they often seem to have developed lines that are not really created with our specific needs in mind.
I recently had the opportunity to meet with 2 individuals who have taken the time to identify the bariatric niche and who have developed a protein/vitamin supplement that holistically approaches our nutritional needs.

Jeffrey S. Bliss is a product designer, developer, formulator, holistic nutritionist, and compounding expert, who is well regarded in both the nutritional and pharmaceutical worlds. Early on, he confided to me, that his experiences with traditional medicine forced him to realize that the body is best healed and maintained with a mixture of both conventional and holistic approaches. He has written the seminal treatise on Acai as antioxidant, and is currently writing books on personalizing the integrity of your own health care.

Kersten Conway is an art teacher who has studied alternative health systems, energy healings, shamanic healing and lifestyle. Since the death of her father to misdiagnosed and mistreated cancer, she has pursued the methods available to our bodies to help heal themselves. She enjoys working with computers, graphics, and design.

I was approached by this dynamic duo who wanted my opinion on our special needs, and I instantly felt a connection to their commitment and integrity. We talked and talked and emailed and phoned and ended up discovering a mutual passion for helping others. Imagine how excited I was to talk to these two who listened, asked me questions, and answered my questions in turn! I was amazed by how quickly we seemed to bond, and how just as quickly an answer to a major bariatric problem was solved.

As a result, the three of us have created a product line that is uniquely geared towards bariatric patients and our needs. It is so exciting for me to be able to tell you this: We will be launching Basically You™ this fall in the Houston area. If you are familiar with the journal, My Story of Transformation, which I published two years ago for bariatric patients, you already know that this has been my heart’s desire. Basics™, a powdered power drink, will be introduced in November.

Anyway, now that I have shared this with you, I want you to please, share your thoughts with me…and if you have any questions, specific concerns, issues, or helpful suggestions….for Jeff or me, please also let me know.

I can’t wait for this next segment in our life to begin…do your research….stay healthy…be blessed, and remember, it’s basically about you…

Angie Flores
Founder of Weight Loss Surgery Specialists
Angie@WLSShelp.com
www.WLSShelp.com