Is the Fluff Fairy real? What should you eat (and drink!) before a Brazilian Butt Lift?

We know that reducing calories, intermittent fasting, cutting carbs and going on a high fat diet like keto are all ways that people use to try to lose weight before surgery.

What can you do after surgery that will help keep the fat on your butt?

First let’s learn what we should NOT be doing:

In the article ‘The science of fatty acids and inflammation,’ Fritsche states that “high-fat feeding affected a number of metabolic processes associated with metabolic syndrome (e.g., hepatic TG accumulation, elevated fasting insulin, visceral adipose tissue accumulation)” (Fritsche, 2015).

Visceral adipose tissue accumulation means gaining fat in your belly, and visceral fat is the type of fat that CANNOT be removed with another round of liposuction! That’s a powerful reason to NOT eat a high fat diet.

We still need fats in a healthy diet, but we can choose dietary fats wisely.

Are certain high-fat foods better than others as far as inflammation? Fritsche states that “a growing body of evidence suggests that inflammatory status should be included as one of the characteristics for which dietary fats are evaluated relative to their impact on human health” (Fritsche, 2015).

Ricciotti & Hur state that “fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids … are part of a healthy diet that is associated with lower levels of inflammation” and “if your doctor hasn’t prescribed high doses of fish oil, you’d be better advised to add foods containing omega-3s to your diet” (Ricciotti & Hur, 2016).

Which Omega-3 foods should you choose? Ricciotti & Hur state that “your body can’t manufacture omega-3 fatty acids — eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) — so it’s important to get them through your diet. EPA and DHA are primarily found in fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and anchovies. ALA is found in plants and is available in vegetable oils, nuts, flaxseeds, and flaxseed oil” (Ricciotti & Hur, 2016).

How can you keep the fat on the butt while reducing fat on your tummy?

Step One: sculpt your body with targeted exercises that strengthen and increase muscle in the booty while tightening the abdominal muscles to give you that vixen shape. Check out the Six Minute Faja Workout: https://plasticsurgeryrecoverymassage.teachable.com/p/six-minute-faja-workout

Step Two: directly target abdominal obesity WITHOUT dieting. There are two ways to reduce visceral fat — quit smoking and limit alcohol.

Kim et al. (2012) found that “smoking increases abdominal and visceral fatness in smokers. We also found that the positive association of abdominal obesity with smoking is primarily mediated by an increase in visceral fat” (Kim et al., 2012).

Yoon et al. found that “abdominal obesity was positively associated with alcohol consumption.” (Yoon et al, 2004).

What does a healthy diet look like?

The Body Weight Planner at www.niddk.nih.gov/bwp can help calculate daily caloric needs for maintaining weight.

Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. from the Mayo Clinic recommends the following “healthy ways to gain weight”:

• “Choose nutrient-rich foods
• Try smoothies and shakes
• Make every bite count. Snack on nuts, peanut butter, cheese, dried fruits and avocados.
• Exercise. Exercise, especially strength training, can help you gain weight by building up your muscles” (Zeratsky, 2017).

Looking for an anti-inflammatory way of eating? Learn more about the Mediterranean Diet here: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/a-practical-guide-to-the-mediterranean-diet-2019032116194

Learn more about what to eat before and after surgery in the Southern California Plastic Surgery Cookbook class: https://plasticsurgeryrecoverymassage.teachable.com/p/southern-california-plastic-surgery-cookbook-the-class/

Resources:

Fritsche K. L. (2015). The science of fatty acids and inflammation. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 6(3), 293S–301S. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.114.006940 Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4424767/

Kim, J. H., Shim, K. W., Yoon, Y. S., Lee, S. Y., Kim, S. S., & Oh, S. W. (2012). Cigarette smoking increases abdominal and visceral obesity but not overall fatness: an observational study. PloS one, 7(9), e45815. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0045815 Retrieved from: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0045815

Ricciotti, H &, Hur, H. (2016, September). Do fish oil supplements reduce inflammation?

Retrieved from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/do-fish-oil-supplements-reduce-inflammation

Yoon, Y. S., Oh, S. W., Baik, H. W., Park, H. S., & Kim, W. Y. (2004). Alcohol consumption and the metabolic syndrome in Korean adults: the 1998 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 80(1), 217–224. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/80.1.217 Retrieved from: https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/80/1/217/4690281

Zeratsky, K. (2017 Aug. 31). What’s a good way to gain weight if you’re underweight? Retrieved from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/underweight/faq-20058429