Nutritional Philosophy

At OCC we have dedicated a decade and a half to helping patients reach their ideal weight with custom bariatric surgeries, accompanied by a five-year follow-up program. We use industry-leading surgical techniques and have performed over 26,000 successful surgeries at our private, state-of-the-art surgical center in Tijuana, one of the few international facilities that has earned the designation as a Center of Excellence. Our support for our patients goes far beyond performing the latest, safest, bariatric surgeries – our goal is total success, for the long term.^{65, 66, 67, 68}

Lucía Chávez, CN, IFNCP with a male patient

Nutrition and bariatric surgery

Over our years in practice, we have achieved an extraordinary level of knowledge and understanding about the factors contributing to obesity, and the best techniques to help our patients to achieve healthy weight loss. Dramatic weight loss requires more than surgery to achieve a truly healthy outcome.^{65, 66, 67, 68}

Obesity and malnourishment go hand in hand.

Modern science now understands that being overweight or obese in, in fact, a state of malnourishment. In other words, calorie-dense foods do not have the essential micronutrients the human body needs to maintain a good state of health.^{65, 66, 67, 68}

Obesity a worldwide epidemic

We live in a world where excess weight and obesity are a “new normal” – a global epidemic that threatens the health of humanity at large. Humans have never produced more food in the history of the world. Does this explain the epidemic? How can there be such an abundance of food, while the top diseases afflicting the world are obesity and malnourishment, which often coexist in the same individual?

The modern diet and healthy eating

Industrial food processing produces an array of appealing products, with additional chemicals for a long shelf life, and missing the micronutrients that are essential for true health. This condition creates hunger at a cellular level that perpetuates a terrible cycle.

People are literally starving themselves fat! The additional fat causes havoc in the metabolic balance, triggering a set of diseases that add insult to injury: diabetes, heart disease, and cancers.^{65, 66, 67, 68}

Obesity and diabetes

Obesity and diabetes are on the increase worldwide. Modern food is grown in nutrient-depleted soils; animals are artificially fattened on feedlots, grains are produced with GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) including corn, soy, and wheat. These grains are bought for pennies by large food companies to manufacture cheap, processed food with almost no nutrients. Recent studies have confirmed that none of the programs focused on better eating habits and nutrition have worked globally! Our approach to this problem addresses the underlying cause.

“You can’t starve an individual back to health, you have to nourish him!”

Eating choices and your metabolic health: The facts.

Weight-loss and metabolic health are a direct reflection of your eating choices. Providing your body with the nutrients it needs is fundamental in health and healing. Every patient who chooses bariatric surgery has unique health objectives in mind, but nutrition is the basis of achieving long-term success. At OCC we work with our patients to optimize cellular health with nutrient-rich food and supplements. This approach is critical, particularly when the volume of food that the stomach can hold is significantly reduced. With this approach, we help you foster your body’s natural ability to heal itself. At the end of the day, a weight-loss journey is a healing process.

Chronic diseases, degenerative diseases, and diet

Modern research has established that chronic and degenerative diseases have a direct relationship with nourishment. Studies reveal that many chronic diseases related to malnutrition can be reversed! We believe that Hippocrates’ famous quote: “Let food be your medicine” is wise, but the meaning of “food” has changed since his day. Major medical and nutritional groups, worldwide, agree that ALL patients undergoing weight loss (with or without surgery) or follow restrictive diets should avoid carbohydrates, chemical food additives, and should replenish nutrients with nutrient-dense food and supplements.

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Our nutritional education program at OCC

The OCC comprehensive medical and nutritional education program is based on the lessons learned from our patients’ journeys, our experience as an international team of health providers, and the application of evidence-based medical and nutrition therapies. The OCC’s nutritional program has three pillars of intervention to target the nutritional imbalances associated with essential body functions. These imbalances are the underlying cause of many diseases and health conditions. The pillars of health intervention consist of^{65, 66, 67, 68}

De-carb

High-sugar diets are very hard on the body. Sugar is found naturally in many foods and is added to most processed foods. Sugar is associated with conditions such as high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, elevated triglycerides, premature aging, obesity, diabetes, PCOS, and high blood pressure. This first stage will make it easy to avoid the various sugars and carbohydrates and offer guidance and support for healthier food choices – both delicious and providing the nourishment your body craves.^{65, 66, 67, 68}

Detox

Exposure to food toxins disrupts natural weight control systems and can trigger a range of physiological problems that contribute to today’s chronic diseases. Throughout a lifetime, we gradually accumulate hundreds of chemicals. These chemicals are toxic and impact every physical system in the body.

Our health depends on the degree level of toxic exposure and the body’s ability to shed them. Many organs suffer with a high toxic load, including the liver, the microbiome (the gut bacteria, the first line of immune defense and hormonal balance), the skin, the brain, the lungs, and the kidneys. During the detox stage, you will be provided with the key nutrients in foods and supplements to support detoxification, prevent oxidation, and help reduce chronic inflammation.^{65, 66, 67, 68}

Replenish

Longevity, wellbeing, and overall health are inextricably linked to gut health and cellular nutrition. A great many dangerous health conditions have a gastrointestinal dysfunction component. By following our nutrition principles, the digested food replenishes the nutrients that contribute to digestive system repair, repopulating the gut with beneficial bacteria, allowing for the optimization of nutrient absorption.^{65, 66, 67, 68}

Healthy cell function is critical for success after weight loss surgery.

The food and supplements will deliver your body the necessary elements for healthy cell function and balance. The benefits of our thorough approach to nutrition will reduce symptoms such as joint pain, muscular and cognitive fatigue, lack of energy, behavioral problems, headaches, and stomach and intestinal pain. The food and supplements are geared to restore the body’s ability to shed excess weight and reduce chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is the underlying cause of most chronic and degenerative diseases.65, 66, 67, 68

Liver and microbiome health

The core of our nutritional support program at OCC is geared to restore liver and microbiome health, natural metabolic response, and hormonal balance. These are the factors that accelerate weight loss and restore a higher degree of health. The foundation of our approach is to provide the necessary tools to support your body’s own natural ability to restore and regenerate.^{65, 66, 67, 68}

Nutrition after bariatric surgery

Following bariatric surgery at OCC, specific nutrients for wound healing work to decrease wound complication risks and enhance the overall experience. Your post-op nutritional plan keeps you hydrated, and provides the critical nutrients to recover more quickly, and in greater comfort. Following this phase, at the extreme weight-loss stage, you will need to make food choices based on overall weight to track body fat loss, while being mindful to ensure your food is toxin-free, and low-carb, and supported by the right supplements.^{65, 66, 67, 68}

A new mindset, and a new you.

A new mindset, in combination with the restricted post-surgery diet, works to create a healthy system. Our patients tell us they feel empowered to make long-lasting lifestyle changes. As Albert Einstein once said, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Learning new food-related skills, supported by understanding the nutritional needs of the body allow you to live with a fresh approach to life, eating, and health that is incredibly rewarding and joyful.

After weight loss or metabolic surgery, many obesity-related conditions and illnesses typically improve as the excess weight disappears. Our objective is to help you use the surgery as a tool to make significant and long-lasting dietary changes that will dramatically improve your quality of life in all the years to come.

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Call or email us here to start your weight loss journey. Call one of our US-based coordinators and learn how you can experience the life you dream of with the help of Obesity Control Center in Tijuana, MX.