60 Part I: Eating Right with Every Bite
that it has no taste. You can do several things to help you meet your fluid
needs:
✓ Add a squirt or slice of lemon or lime to your water
✓ Add a sugar-free flavoring packet for water
✓ Dilute your favorite sugar-free beverage 50/50 with water
✓ Dilute fruit juice 50/50 with water and limit juice to 4 ounces a day
(especially important if you’re a gastric bypass patient to prevent
dumping syndrome)
✓ Drink decaffeinated, unsweetened tea or coffee
✓ Drink other sugar-free, decaffeinated drinks
Beverage do’s and don’ts
Drinking enough liquids is important, but how you drink is just as important
to your success (and feeling good). Following are some recommendations
that should help you meet your fluid needs:
✓ Don’t drink carbonated beverages. The bubbles can cause gas and
bloating, which is very uncomfortable. We always get the question, “Can
I drink flat cola?” Sorry, no. The heat of your body will make the flat pop
release more carbonation.
✓ Don’t use straws. These, too, introduce air into the pouch. People tend
to take bigger drinks with straws and drink faster. This could mean you
drink more than your pouch is equipped to hold and cause nausea.
✓ Don’t drink caffeine. It’s generally discouraged because it can be
dehydrating, and after all, that’s what you’re trying to avoid.
✓ Do dilute fruit juice 50/50 with water. Limit the amount of juice to 4
ounces a day to avoid dumping syndrome and excess calories.
✓ Don’t eat and drink at the same time. Stop at least 5 to 10 minutes
before you eat and wait 30 minutes after you eat to begin again. If your
pouch is full of liquids, you won’t be able to eat. Drinking too soon after
a meal may overfill the pouch.
✓ Don’t add calorie-laden cream or sweeteners to tea or coffee.
✓ Do track your water intake. An easy method is to put 64 ounces of
water in a jug first thing in the morning. Throughout the day, drink
directly from the jug or pour out the same amount if you drink something
else. Do whatever works for you to be sure you get in the amount of fluid
you need to stay hydrated.
