WHY YOU WILL DO YOUR PROTEIN AND SUPPLIMENT ...

** This is taken from a post by Rachel Hawkridge, a member of Graduate-OSSG and various other groups. Rachel has explained why we need to supplement protein as well as other nutrients better than anyone I know of. If, after reading this, anyone chooses not to supplement, then at least they're aware of what they're doing to their body and their health. ** Normal digestion involves chewing food in the mouth, where some simple sugar is absorbed, and an enzyme called amylase, which digests starch, is produced, and mixed with the food as it chewed. The food is swallowed, and in the stomach, it is mixed with hydrochloric acid, and enzymes pepsin, and lipase. The mixture is then churned together for one to two hours. The resulting mixture, called chyme, is then squirted, a little at a time into the first part of the small intestine, called the duodenum, where it is mixed with bile acids and pancreatic enzymes. The duodenum is where the absorption of most of the calcium, iron, zinc, B vitamins, and fat soluble vitamins A, D, and E takes place. Simple sugars, whi*****lude table sugar (sucrose), fruit sugars (fructose), honey, and maple syrup, and the digested starches, are absorbed all along the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. When we have gastric bypass surgery, or RnY, we bypass, or stop using, normal digestion, and skip over our duodenum, in favor of a tiny pouch, an always open stoma, and we introduce chewed food directly into the small intestine. The duodenum is the primary absorption site for protein, calcium, iron, zinc and vitamins A, B Complex, D, E. A large percentage of our magnesium is also absorbed in the duodenum, as well. These vital nutrients may be absorbed to some lesser degree further down the gut, but in much smaller amounts. Since we have so little, if any, digestion going on, the chance of any of these nutrients being absorbed from the food that we eat is very small. And since we eat such small amounts of food, even if we digested and absorbed all the nutrients from food, we would probably still be in trouble.

Hey, Sweet Tink....You always know what to send to us...I am taking my protein daily now and Jim insists on it. I even bought some protein bars to take on the flight with me cause I know I won't be mixing any hehe... Thanks for being there for us with all the information that we need...sometimes we forget how important out supplements are. I am definately a believer. Love ya girl and will miss ya.. Hugs, Betsy

Nat.... As always...thanks for the info on protein and for always looking out for us! I can honestly say that I may not eat right every day, but I ALWAYS take my protein and supplements. And it's because of you and Leilani always reminding me of the importance of them. Thanks! Jill 263/169/145

Yeeeeppp I have baskets all over my counter...one for sugar free things to mix with water, one for jugs and packets of protein powders....and one that sits at my place which is effectionately called "Mission Control." In that basket is my life-support system of supplements which I started today. I also put together a small "kit" of them for my purse so that I never have an excuse to skip. Thanks for your words of wisdom Natalie....here and in my post that you replied to. Life is good. Peace, Amy