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will therefore also achieve more successful results after treatment if they develop healthy living habits. The following recommendations are to be carried out in conjunction with the routine aftercare of VASER and other liposuction procedures. You must make sure that the patient is not allergic or sensitive to the supplements, oils and foods recommended.
What should the patient eat after treatment?
Incorporating Nutrition with Body Contouring Treatments Dr Jorge Zafra and Dr Kam Singh share their dietary advice for patients who have undergone a body contouring procedure After a body contouring treatment, recommending appropriate aftercare advice to your patients is crucial to a speedy recovery and the avoidance of potential side effects or complications. Providing detailed dietary advice can have a significant impact on patients’ aesthetic outcomes. In my role as a VASERlipo surgeon, alongside Dr Kam Singh, who is a national trainer, we have developed an aftercare diet plan to improve patients’ results, delivering a holistic approach to body sculpting. The plan has been developed to be implemented specifically after VASERlipo, however it can also be used in combination with other body contouring treatments such as cryolipolysis, ultrasound or radiofrequency treatments.
Why is nutrition important after a body contouring procedure? Non-surgical body contouring treatments are an excellent way to get rid of the excess body fat in specific areas and eliminate some fat cells. However, in no way are they able to completely prevent weight gain in the future, as it is the individual’s responsibility to maintain the results achieved with the treatment.1 Adults have a fixed amount of fat cells in their body that body contouring treatments aim to eliminate permanently; although, if a patient does not follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly, the remaining fat cells in the body can develop and contribute to weight gain. From my clinical experience, it has been noted that patients who don’t modify their daily routine with healthy habits after liposuction procedures will have a propensity to gain weight in parts of the body that were not treated and were not previously problematic.2 Patients
A body contouring procedure may be taxing on a patient’s body, so they will need to make wise food decisions so that the tissues and skin can heal better during the recovery period. The body needs proteins to generate new cells, and eating foods high in protein can help the overall recovery process as proteins are required for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs.3 Eating smaller portions throughout the day and avoiding overlyprocessed foods can help maintain the weight with ease. A diet comprising the following foods that have a higher content of protein may help maintain the results if combined with a regular exercise routine. Recommended sources of protein • Lean meat (beef), fish (salmon or tuna) or poultry (chicken or turkey) • Vegetable source proteins (soy beans, nuts, lentils and chick peas) • Dairy proteins (Greek yoghurt and cottage cheese) • Whole grains (brown rice, quinoa and oatmeal) • Vegetables and green leaves • Fresh and dried fruit • Use of olive oil, coconut oil and ghee butter General recommendations Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and helps to maintain a good metabolism, so you should definitely advise patients not to skip this.5 Starting the day with a tea instead of a coffee is highly recommended, as drinking coffee first thing in the morning stimulates hydrochloric acid production which, over the course of the day, can lead to lower absorption of proteins.6 Recommend a morning tea that is high in antioxidants and that has a natural diuretic effect; it will help detox the body from the toxins after treatment and reduce fluid retention. Drinking plenty of water and walking is also essential. An ideal supplement to help with the regeneration of skin cells is vitamin C, so we advise an intake of 500mg in the morning and 500mg in the evening. Daily sufficient vitamin C intake is 100-300 mg/day, but oral dose is limited by intestinal absorption so by taking a 500mg tablet of vitamin C twice a day, we reach the recommended daily level and avoid higher doses in tablet form that are likely to cause diarrhoea.7 For lunch, eating proteins and carbohydrates as well as vitamins is important and adding a side salad is a good choice. When cooking the meals, we advise using a griddle instead of frying. In addition, having fresh undercooked vegetables is advisable as cooking vegetables changes their chemical composition, lowering antioxidant compounds (especially water-soluble and heat-sensitive nutrients, such as vitamin C, glucosinolate, and polyphenols) and their bio-accessibility.8 Patients should ensure that they are getting the recommended daily levels of vitamin C, which is 100-300 mg/day through their diet or additional supplements.7 Eating salads and protein in smaller portions for dinner is advisable. Likewise, olive oil and lemon juice are good seasonings.9
Reproduced from Aesthetics | Volume 4/Issue 8 - July 2017