Gastric Bypass Surgery, Anyone?

With so many celebs coming out about their gastric surgery, I thought I would share a list of guidelines they must follow.

● Eat slowly for 20 minutes or more.

● Food should be well chewed and should be consumed in
small volumes. After surgery the stomach can only hold 1 - 2 ounces of food or fluid, but can expand up to 4 - 5 ounces.

● Liquids should be consumed 30 minutes before meals or at
least 30 minutes afterwards.

● Proteins should be consumed before fats and
carbohydrates, in an amount of at least 60 g
daily, which is above the daily requirement for women

Concerns:

● Anyone who has gastric banding may develop iron and vitamin B-12 deficiencies.
● Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedures can cause nutrient deficiencies for iron, calcium, folic acid, and vitamin B-12. Dumping syndrome is common with this surgery which includes nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea, dizziness, and lightheadedness.
● Biliopancreatic diversion procedures have a greater risk for nutrient deficiencies.
● Fat absorption and lactose intolerance can cause concerns.
● Dehydration and gallstones may develop.

● A vitamin/mineral supplement is generally recommended.

Dietary counseling is extremely important to the success of the surgery. Regular appointments, during the rapid weight loss phase (the first 6 to 12 months), are necessary.

Free 30 Day Menu Challenge Journal For Women

For a limited time, I am offering a journal for the 30 Day Menu Challenge For Women.

All you have to do is complete the challenge and let me know how you are doing.

Contact me and I will send you a link to print the journal. menucoach@aim.com

Good Luck!

Update:

The journal is now available at http://www.lulu.com/content/1088197

Everybody Dance Now

Dancing to music is one of the best aerobic exercises there is. To keep myself in shape I dance to 8 songs every day. You can do it too. I have an ipod so I just load 8 songs on a playlist. But a radio or CD player will work just fine.

Studies show that aerobic exercise does not have to be continuous for 30 minutes to reap the benefits. Therefore, I do not dance continuously until the entire playlist is complete. I dance in spurts. And I also dance behind closed doors. This is something just about anybody can do. To give you an example, my Playlist on-the-go #1 has the followings songs:

Buttons - PCD

Beep - PCD

Raspberry Beret - Prince

Don't Cha - PCD

U&UR Hand - Pink

Sexy - French Affair

Into the Groove - Madonna

Pon de Replay - Rhianna

This equals 34 minutes total for the day. What's on your dance playlist?

UPDATE:

Here is the Link http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=261976797

Got Beans?

Studies show beans lower cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar, decrease cancer risk, prevent heart disease and assist with weight management.

Beans, apples, and oatmeal contain soluble fiber, a gummy substance, which captures cholesterol and carries it out of the body.

Beans are high in fiber and therefore, make you feel full. They are digested slowly which appears to translate into stable blood sugars.

Beans contain compounds that appear to inhibit cancer cell growth.

Rinse and drain canned beans well to remove sodium.

Beans are an excellent source of protein, vitamins and minerals, and are naturally low fat.

Quick soaking method:

Rinse beans in colander, put in large pot and cover with water,
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, boil for 10 minutes
Drain beans and cover with fresh water, soak 30 minutes,
Rinse, drain and cover with fresh water again,
Simmer for 2 hours or until tender.

My Favorite Bean Recipe:

Chili Con Carne

1 Tablespoon Oil
1 diced Onion
2 cups cooked tomatoes
1 pound ground beef
2 cups cooked kidney beans
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
Brown onion in oil
add remaining ingredients
Cover and simmer 20 minutes
Add water as needed
Serves 6

Hassle Me, Not The Hoff

I received this email today:

Hi,

This is a hassle to remind you to Dance. So get to it! - - - - - - - You'll be sent one of these hassles roughly every day.

Actually, I asked for it!

Well, you see, I sometimes forget to do my favorite aerobic activity, dancing. This is a tool to keep myself in line.

HassleMe nags you. It nags you via email about things you know you should be doing, but somehow you forget.

Try it out to develop healthy eating habits. It works.

TheMenuCoach

Lycopene: Tomato by Birth, Ketchup by Choice

Lycopene is a pigment that gives fruits and vegetables, like tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon, their red color. Lycopene also has strong antioxidant properties. Studies suggest that foods rich in lycopene are associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Tomato products, such as pizza and spaghetti sauce, tomato juice, and ketchup are the major sources of lycopene in the typical American diet. These foods provide more than 80 percent of the lycopene consumed in the U.S.

The body better absorbs Lycopene when it is consumed in processed tomato products, like ketchup. So when someone asks for ketchup on eggs or macaroni and cheese, give it to them gladly, and know they are getting a good dose of antioxidants.

To Your Health,
TheMenuCoach

Portion Size Made Easy

• 3 ounces of meat or poultry is about the size of a deck of cards, a computer mouse, a bar of soap or the palm of your hand without your fingers.
  
• 1 cup of fruits, vegetables, rice or pasta is close to a baseball or a loose fist.
  
• 1/4 cup of nuts is similar to a golf ball.
  
• 1 tablespoon of peanut butter is like looking at your whole thumb, whereas 1 teaspoon of butter or salad dressing is only the top of your thumb from the knuckle.
  
• 1 ounce of cheese is about the size of two dice or similar to the size of the individually wrapped slice squares.
  
• 1 ounce meat is about the size of a matchbox.
  
• 1/2 cup vegetables, fruit or starch is about the size of a tennis ball.
  
  Or . . .

Use a measuring cup or a food scale and practice measuring some of your favorite foods onto your plate or bowl, so that you can see how much a ½ cup or 3 ounce serving is. This will help you "eyeball" a serving. This will help prevent portion distortion.

McDonald's Nutrition Facts

Do you have an occasional big mac attack with a side of fries and a coke. If you do, let me encourage you to rethink your choices. This big mac meal has:

1,420 calories,

59 grams of fat,

1,390 milligrams of sodium.

Yikes!

Maybe it should be called the big heart attack instead. As a nation, we need to rethink our food choices. If this does not discourage you from eating at McDonald's or any other fast food establishment. Then here is an interactive tool to size up your calorie, fat, and sodium intake.

Good Luck,

TheMenuCoach

E-counseling - Welcome to the 21st century

Until recently, consulting with a Dietitian was done face to face. Now it can be done online via e-counseling. But what exactly is e-counseling?

e-counseling is:

confidential e-mail counseling in the privacy of your own home

cost effective - you save gas, time and wear and tear on your car

for those unable to leave their home

for those who cannot drive

for the hearing impaired

for those who live in a remote area

allows you to set your own pace

allows you to express yourself in writing

allows you to wear whatever you want

allows you to be anonymous

allows for the zone of reflection - the time lag between emails helps both the client and the counselor to reflect on the previous communication

There are no automated responses. Only human to human contact via email.

In our fast paced world, e-counseling will continue to grow in the 21st century. It may not be for everyone, but, if you are reading this, you have everything you need to begin online counseling.

See you on the web.

Do You Know Your BMI?

BMI or Body Mass Index, is a measure of body fatness. It's a number you should know. Why? A BMI above 25 indicates risk for heart disease and diabetes.

A BMI from 19 to 25 is considered healthy

between 25 to 30 would be considered overweight

Anything above 30 is considered obese unless you are an athlete, then BMI is not the best indicator of health for you.

Check your BMI

The Menu Coach Chronicles are dedicated to creating healthy people and that means helping people reach a healthy weight.

Do the 30 day menu challenge to lose up to 10 pounds.

Secret Weight Loss Weapon - Chopsticks

It is a well known fact that it takes 30 minutes for your stomach to signal your brain that it is full. When you use chopsticks for the first time, you tend to eat slower and therefore eat less. Put it to the test yourself. Here is a tutorial on how to eat with chopsticks. You can purchase chopsticks at any Asian store or pick some up at your local Asian restaurant. Use the chopsticks for 30 days. I bet you just might lose some weight.

Aspartame (NutraSweet), is it Safe?

Is aspartame (NutraSweet) safe? Depends who you ask. I have inserted one pro and one con link, and my story:

Make your own decision.

As a Dietitian, my training tells me aspartame is safe. I have been telling my clients that for years. But then I gained about 10 pounds from a medication I was taking. I gave up my beloved sugar and began to use aspartame. After a few days, I began having panic attacks and some other symptoms similar to seizures. I just couldn't figure out what was going on. Finally, it dawned on me, all those horrible stories I heard about aspartame, were happening to me. When I stopped using aspartame my symptoms stopped. Today, I do not use aspartame or any other sugar substitute. Sugar will always be on my grocery list. Bottom Line: This RD does not support the use of any artificial sweetener.

pro vs con link

Comments welcome!

UPDATE: The pro link is not working so here is another pro link.