Garden Of Life

[CandyCrushRNY 2]

Has anyone used and or had this one approved for pre and or post op?

I am trying to do all RAW, Vegan, Gluten GMO Free shakes or Meal Replacements.

Any suggestions for another brand that fits that category please let me know

[pear425 32]

Are you allergic to Gluten? I just was wondering why you want to limit your food choice to very specific things. If you have an a allergy then of course you have to find things for that but since being successful with WLS means basing your diet on Protein. Protein is the most important. Not calories or sugars or fats or fruits and veggies. I would think it would be difficult to sustain a diet with high enough protein levels on a raw and vegan diet. You can't just rely on the shakes. Have you discussed this with your surgeon on nut?

[CandyCrushRNY 2]

I am not limiting specifically to Gluten Free or Vegan, I am interested in organic products without the added yucky stuff I found about 4-5 other shakes that met what I wanted so we shall see.

[CandyCrushRNY 2]

These shakes have 17-36 grams of Protein. Which is what I read is what you are looking for. I just want my shake to be raw whole food just like my Vitamins. I am doing all Garden of Life vitamins and minerals because the capsules can be opened and put in Water or juice (as directed on on the back) or taken orally. A favorite brand for pregnant women for that fact.

[pear425 32]

I don't know anything about the garden of life brand but I do now about Vitamins. You will get lots of different answers but I would always suggest following your surgeon and nuts rules. For me I didn't take Bariatric specific vitamins at first and then became Vitamin deficit. After bypass we don't absorb vitamins the same so ones specially formulated for us are necessary. Bariatric Advantage and Nutrametrix and the companies to check out.

[CandyCrushRNY 2]

Humm I think what I will do then is buy a 30 day supply to start taking now and bring into my appointment or print off a sheet with the ingredients. What I like about them is they are already packed with Biotin Iron B12 ect. The iron supplements also has B12 and biotin so I can get it all in 3 bottles. liquid calcium citrate from Blue Bonnet. At least what I am crossing my fingers I can do.

[bloreorbust 286]

Try the Warrior brand of Protein Powder. It's vegan, and the only vegan/veg one my NUT said was ok (she was concerned about vegan Protein not having all of the amino acids needed). I liked the taste ok, but so far all of the vegan/veg protein powders I have tried so far have been more chalky. Flavor-wise though, they don't have that icky chemically smell that the whey Proteins tend to have.

[CandyCrushRNY 2]

Thanks Blor! I was looking into that too because it was the highest rated shake

Also, thanks for the tip about amino acids I will make sure the ones I am looking into have that. I am okay with chalky taste since its not important to me I can just put in food or use some sugar free Syrup.< /p>

[Tizzielish 21]

I just ordered my first container of Garden of Life Protein powder. As indicated by some comments here, not everyone realizes you can get all your Protein needs met on a vegan or vegetarian diet -- CandyCrush is talking about a vegan Protein Powder, after all, not just powdered vegies.

I have made the decision to transition off all meat and fish -- the fish is all full of radiation anyway after Fukushima -- and, well, just for me personally, now that India and Russia have declared Dolphins to be non-human persons, I decided I can no longer justify eating animals. But lasting change is, for me, anyway, incremental change so I am not going cold vegie.

I decided to start with one pound of vegan Garden of Life protein powder.

Right now, I use 100% organic whey, unflavored, which allows me to create any flavor I want. I use only organic ingredients. I add cinnamon, ginger, tumeric to all shakes -- good nutrition. I often do chocolate shakes. chocolate is actually highly nutritious when you don't add sugar to it. I use organic stevia to sweeten. I use frozen fruit to give shakes creamy texture -- half a frozen banana does wonders. ANd I often use unsweetened coconut milk which yums up anything. Somd prefer almond milk -- I am a cocomilk gal and I actually make my own cause all commercial coconut milk, even the oragnic ones, have a known carcinogen as an ingredient: carrageenan, a harmless-sounding seaweed that has been known to cause cancer for over 30 years but our FDA allows it added to all kinds of food, including organic. I basically don't eat any processed food anymore cause food processors slip in all kinds of stuff to stretch out the real food and expand their profits at the expense of my health. I do buy protein powder, which is processed, but only 100% certified organic.

To folks using whey, don't use whey isolate. The process to make isolate basically denudes the whey of its nutrients, making the product cheaper for the manufacturer but you think you are buying healthy only you aren't. Make sure if you do whey it is only organic and WHOLE whey -- no isolate. And no chemical Vitamins added. Get your Vitamins on your own, don't pay more for denuded protein powder at GNC just cause they slick package it as a positive feature. Most added vitamins are just bad chemicals for your body.

[Tizzielish 21]

Thanks for the WArrior tip -- never heard of that brand. I am glad to hear you seem to like your NUT. I have yet to meet one that seemed very intelligent. They all tell me didfferent things. My nurse case manager just told me yesterday that most nutritionists are lazy college students who major in nutrition when they figure out nursing is harder and their knowledge greatly depends on the quality of their school and not that many good nutrition programs.

The nutritionist my surgeon uses is a ninny but my endocrinologist has an awesome one who has written two textbooks on nutrition. I still have to use the ninny -- but just once -- and I get my real NUT advice my my endo's gal.

[Tizzielish 21]

AND . . . .I've been using 100% organic whole whey Protein which has literally doubled in price within the past year. I pay $35 to $40 a pound and believe me, I scour the world for deals.

Vegan Protein powder seems cheap b comparison. That's not why I'm tring vegan -- I am just interested in shifting to an all plant diet.

[CandyCrushRNY 2]

Tizzie THANK YOU so much for the feedback and the information about fish! I did look into Warrior, but it did not have as much as the Garden of Life Protein Powder has to offer. So I am going to skip it.

I was interested in Coconut Milk but after hearing about that I stayed away would you mind sending me a message on how you make your own?

[DLCoggin 1,788]

I am not a vegetarian or vegan but I have friends and family that are and I have great respect for the motivation and commitment of those who make that choice. That said, I believe that it is important to recognize the value of whey Protein (including whey isolate) for those whose goal it is to get the most Protein possible with the fewest possible calories.

whey isolate is the result of a high tech nano filtering process which removes virtually all of the lactose and fat from the whey. The resulting product is about 95% pure protein. The tradeoff for the increased purity of the protein (and reduction of calories) is the loss of the immune system boost provided by those healthy fats that are filtered out. That does not mean that whey isolate is unhealthy. It is simply a product produced to provide a very specific benefit - very high protein content while limiting calories. For those who are lactose intolerant, whey isolate is often an excellent choice since it is usually well tolerated.

Whey isolate is also highly digestible. All the protein in the world is useless if your body cannot metabolize it. Whey, milk, soy and egg Proteins all have the highest digestibility score possible - 1.00 (based on the PDCAAS scoring system adopted by the Institute of Medicine, World Health Organization and the Federal food and Drug Administration).

Protein is a nutrient. Protein, along with fat and carbs, are the three "macronutrients" required by the body in relatively large amounts. So whey isolate is certainly nutritious - but targeted.

Garden of Life certainly seems to be an excellent product which is about 75% protein (17g of protein and 90 calories per serving) and appears to be a good choice for those seeking a vegan or vegetarian alternative. But there are other healthy and nutritious options for RNY patients who have not made the vegan or vegetarian choice.

[Tizzielish 21]

I disagree with what you say about whey isolate. The calorires supposedly saved by the denuding process to make isolate are insignificant. Look at the ingredient list of any whey isolate: it is full of chemicals.

People can do what they want but the whey isolate is denuded of the very important benefit of healthy fats. Even on weight loss, we need those good fats.

It might be good for those who are lactose intolerant but I have never understood why someone who is lactose intolerant wouldn't just find a vegetarian Protein powder. If you buy natural flavored ones, you can doctor up a vegetarian powder to be chocolate, strawberry, raspberry, coffee, mocha -- anything you want and entirely avoid the lactose issue.

I have not yet eaten any vegie Protein powder -- awaiting delivery of my first order. I went with Warrior because it has a Warrior Blend with nothing added but three kinds of protein. I don't want to pay the very high prices charged for these products for the additives. I can add the nutrition I want buying it myself at much lower prices.

And I note you do not discuss organic whole whey versus whey isolate which is rarely organic -- weight loss might be our main goal but my overeall goal is to eat highly nutritious, 'real' food. I don't buy anything processed except protein powder, only 100% usda certified organic. I have yet to find a 100% organic whey isolate.

[Tizzielish 21]

Once a person has had RNY (or whatever bariatric surgery they choose), yes, calories matters but the difference in calories doesnt matter much. And yes, esp. at first, it is important to get in enough Protein but the difference between 17 g protein and 20 g protein in a serving is not very important. The quality of the protein matters more than the intensity of how much you get per serving -- esp right after surgery when you aren't eating large amounts of anything anyway. a few grams one way or another of protein does not matter as much as the nutrition."

Nutrition has had a lot to do with why I needed the surgery -- I am never going to skip over top nutrition ever again.