carbonated water

The dietician advised us to not have carbonated drinks...certainly not pop with all that sugar....

Ok, well today, I stopped at a favourite Italian restaurant and without even thinking about it , I ordered a bottle of San Pellegrino to go with a bowl of minestrone soup.  The soup was great by the way!

The water, which is carbonated was fine as well and went down fine. I didn't drink a lot, just little sips...

So, what's it all about? Can I drink carbonated water or not? If not, why not? Why is it a no no?

I totally hear ya on this one!! Before surgery, I LOVED my diet gingerale!! Years ago I'd managed to drop the Coca Cola, but diet gingerale was what I thought kept me sane lol.

So, what I've been told is that the carbonation can, over time, stretch your pouch. The carbon dioxide escapes the fizz and stretches the pouch, apparently.

The other reason is that the carbonation leaches calcium from your bones, again, over time. And we already have enough problems absorbing calcium b/c of our surgery.

So, my opinion would be that having a carbonated drink on a very rare occasion probably is harmless, but definitely not something we can do regularly or even semi-regularly.

OH ya.....some people feel a real burning sensation from the carbonation after surgery, so that's another reason we shouldn't have it.

It sucks, I agree lol

 Cheers,

Andrea

Carbonation does NOT leach calcium from bones, that is a myth. There is evidence that phosphoric acid does though, but that is only in cola drinks.

I was told no carbonated drinks and that would mean carbonated water. I am 31/2 years out and I have followed the rules and I do not miss it. There are reasons why they say no carbonated drinks and I figure that they know what is best for us.  This is the longest I have ever kept my weight off and I want to keep it that way so I listen to them and it was worked for me. Just like they say no drinking while eating.  You are suppose to wait 30 minutes before to 30 minutes after. I know it was soup but I still follow that rule.

From what I gather, almost every one's clinic guidelines say no carbonated beverages.  There has been a ton of debate about this among OHers and has sparked many a battle.  The general thinking is that carbonation produces gas which can stretch your pouch and also be very painful.  Many people have different takes on the issue, but as a general rule, if your guidelines say "no", then best to stick with what the experts say.  

More important than that though, is the all important rule of eating and drinking at the same time.  I'm not sure when you consumed the water and perhaps you know all this already),  but it sounds like it was all in one meal.  Because you no longer have a pyloric valve to keep the food sitting in your stomach for long periods of time, you have to refrain from drinking when you eat because you are just flushing the food too quickly through your system and your body won't get what it needs for nutrients.   Add to that the fact that the meal was already a soup and it doesn't leave much for your body to work with.  Also, if you eat a dense food and chase it down with water, you end up forcing it through your system which can cause stretching. You are still early post op and likely still eating soft foods, but as you can, start trying to stick to dense proteins as you are able, and avoid the drinking while eating.  That one's a golden rule.

 

Thanks for that explanation Marny! I never knew the reason behind the no drinking during eating. I learn so much from these forums! :)

Tanya

No prob.  That's the goal.  I was (and am still) so appreciative of all the vets who were on the board when I was pre-op.  I spent a year reading the boards every day, and by the time I had my orientation, I had already decided it was the right decision or me and I already knew everything they had to say. 

I tried carbonated water and did not care for the sensation inside me.  It was an uncomfortable pressure, not painful.

 

Judy

I would be more concerned that you had soup.  Liquid calories aren't good and solid protein dense food is best.

 

Ok,thanks for all the informative answers. I will drink no carbonated water in the future.

As for the soup issue, I cannot give up eating soup... my GW makes home made soup that is just too good to stop. Its typically full of high protein items, like beans, lentils, peas, etc.  I understand about the liquids in the soup flushing the nutrients through and I don't have an answer to how to handle that. perhaps we'll try blending it into a "creme" soup... perhaps that will avoid the flushing...

Any suggestions?