"Should I take biotin for my hair loss?" "My hair’s falling out since my surgery. What can I do to stop it?" I’m asked both of these questions frequently in my Facebook group. Are you experiencing this too and have the same questions? What can you do about it? The right nutrition strategies are so important after your surgery. I’ll answer the biotin question plus share specific foods to include in your diet for new hair growth.

Offers and Resources:

Visit Procarenow.com for all of your vitamin, calcium and protein needs. Use Code: Susan10 to save $

You can share the message of hope, healing and transformation with your purchase from NewHopeGirls.com Use code TRANSFORM to save 15%

What are you having for dinner tonight? Do you need some quick ideas? I’m a big fan of sheet pan dinners. I’m make them often using salmon, shrimp or chicken. You can try some easy sheet pan dinners if you want: https://www.breakingdownnutrition.com/sheetpandinners

Resource page with links : https://breakingdownnutrition.com/resources

I know you may be losing your hair. Here’s some good news you’ll like. After rapid weight loss, typically from bariatric surgery, hair loss is very common. It’s not permanent and your hair should grow back.

So should you take biotin for your hair loss? Maybe a friend is taking it and swears by it. Maybe you read online that if you take biotin, you’ll have new hair growth in no time. While biotin, a B vitamin, is important for hair health, you should get enough from your bariatric multivitamin. In addition, small amounts of biotin are found in lots of different foods, especially eggs, nuts, salmon, sunflower seeds and some vegetables including sweet potatoes. Once you are back to eating a regular diet, you can include these foods that contain biotin. Even if you feel your diet is not quite there yet, consuming too little biotin may not be a problem anyway because intestinal bacteria produces biotin.

Too much biotin, and this amount has been suggested to be around 20 mg a day, interferes with the testing of thyroid function and causes false lab reports. So if you have Hashimoto’s disease for instance or take thyroid medications, you could get inaccurate results on thyroid function which could also affect medication dosage. Taking your bariatric multivitamin is typically not a problem as the amount is appropriate, probably .6 mg day versus 20 and additional supplementation is not a good idea.

I know, you want hair growth right now. I hear you so I get the interest in biotin. It feels terrifying but it’s totally normal to lose 5-15% of your hair from bariatric surgery and the rapid weight loss that follows. Typically it does’t last more than 6 months. It’s just a pain in your patootie to go thru. And 6 months seems like forever but hair goes thru cycles.

This episode also covers the reasons that hair loss happens, the 4 phases of a hair follicle and the strategies to put into place now.

What do you think about when you hear the term bariatric-friendly food? Boring, maybe tasteless? What is bariatric-friendly food anyway? Is it easy to prepare and yummy to eat? I want you to meet culinary dietitian Regina Ragone who has spent years creating delectable recipes for Family Circle Weight Watchers magazines. She has test kitchen secrets to share for making bariatric-friendly food you will love.

From knives to cutting boards, salt and frozen foods Regina shares many things she learned in the test kitchens. Great discussion you don't want to miss.

Visit Procarenow.com for all of your vitamin, calcium and protein needs. Use Code: Susan10 to save $

You can share the message of hope, healing and transformation with your purchase from NewHopeGirls.com Use code TRANSFORM to save 15%

Podcast Guest:

Regina Ragone, MS, RDN

Culinary Dietitian

Website: https://www.reginaragone.com/

Email: contactus@breakingdownnutrition.com

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Do you receive my weekly newsletter called Breaking Down Nutrition? If not, what are you waiting for? It’s a quick way to keep up on nutrition for your bariatric lifestyle. Sign up today on my website: Breaking Down Nutrition. You’ll be the first to know about helpful nutrition tips and recipes, giveaways, product specials and the latest podcast and upcoming interviews that you don’t want to miss like this one with Regina.

Have you had alcohol since your surgery? Did you notice that you got tipsy from just a few sips? Were you thinking to yourself...hey, what’s going on here…I've only had a few sips and feel a buzz.

That’s because alcohol absorbs way faster after metabolic and bariatric surgery especially if you had gastric bypass or a gastric sleeve. Is alcohol risky? How much can you drink and how fast will you become intoxicated? If you drink alcohol after surgery or you have friends or family who’ve had surgery and drink alcohol, this is must-know info.

Visit Procarenow.com for all of your vitamin, calcium and protein needs. Use Code: Susan10 to save $

You can share the message of hope, healing and transformation with your purchase from NewHopeGirls.com Use code TRANSFORM to save 15%

Resources:

EP 100 on alcohol and transfer addiction with guest bariatric psychologist Dr. Connie Stapleton.

A recent post from one of my facebook group members said…”I’m interested in the effects of alcohol after surgery. I’m struggling a bit and seem to get quite intoxicated very fast. It’s worrying me.”

Should you drink alcohol after bariatric surgery? If so, how much can you drink before you’re buzzed and what other effects on surgery can alcohol have that you might not like?

Topics covered:

*how long to wait after surgery to drink alcohol

*how alcohol affects various surgeries

*what is happening in the body the first 6 months and why you can't drink alcohol

*alcohol sensitivity

*vitamin and mineral deficiencies

*weight regain

*transfer addiction

*5 tips to navigate the bariatric lifestyle IF you drink alcohol