Bariatric surgery doesn’t just change how people eat — it changes what food needs to do. After the procedure, the stomach is smaller, digestion is different, and every bite matters more. You can’t fill up on junk. Nutrition has to work. Dr. Ramy Awad, an award-winning bariatric surgeon who’s helped thousands of patients in the Palm Springs area, sees this every day.
But here’s the thing: this isn’t just a bariatric issue. The challenges his patients face — protein gaps, energy crashes, digestive issues — show up in less obvious ways for everyone. Most of us just don’t notice them until we’re forced to."After surgery, most patients can only eat a few bites at a time. So the quality of those bites becomes everything — especially when it comes to protein."
The Protein Problem
“Protein is the single most important nutrient after surgery,” says Dr. Awad. “It protects muscle mass, helps the body heal, and keeps hunger in check.” But hitting daily protein goals is hard — even for people without surgery.
When your body can’t tolerate junk, you learn what matters fast:"My patients try shakes, bars, powders — but a lot of it causes nausea, bloating, or blood sugar spikes that leave them worse off."
- Slow, steady protein release (not a quick flood of aminos)
- Low glycemic impact (no crash 30 minutes later)
- Digestive comfort (especially when your stomach is sensitive)
- Compact, efficient fuel — not filler
What Works Under Pressure Works Everywhere
What surprised Dr. Awad over time was how often the same nutrition principles helped everyday people, too:
For example:"Honestly, I started noticing that what helps my patients — the real-deal protein, the steady energy — is what most busy people are missing, too. They just don’t realize it because they’re not under the same pressure.
- Skipping breakfast and crashing mid-morning
- Grabbing snacks that spike insulin and tank focus
- Losing lean muscle during weight loss efforts
- Eating “healthy” bars that feel like a gut punch an hour later
These aren’t post-surgery problems — they’re modern-life problems.
One Bar Stood Out
Dr. Awad doesn’t endorse products lightly. But he’s always testing new options for his patients. One bar caught his attention recently:
"A colleague handed me a GRYP bar and said, ‘Try this — it might actually work for your post-ops.’ So I did. The macros made sense. The ingredients were clean. And surprisingly, a few of my patients tried it and said: this is the first thing I can keep down that doesn’t make me feel like crap.”
He points to its slow-release protein blend, low glycemic formula and digestive-friendly profile as key.
GRYP was designed with those exact principles in mind — not just for bariatric patients, but for anyone tired of chasing snacks that overpromise and underdeliver. Because in the end, nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated — it just has to work."It's not magic. It’s just smart nutrition. That’s what I look for — food that holds up under pressure."
Strength takes intention.
And the right tools make all the difference.
