Poultry Recipes: Not just for the 5 Day Pouch Test

We have added six great new quick and easy poultry recipes for Day 5 of the 5 Day Pouch Test. These recipes are low-carb but include healthy vegetables, fruits and fat in the preparation to ease you back into a healthy weight loss surgery way of eating so you can maintain your 5DPT success.

Day 5 Poultry Recipes

Grilled Turkey Steaks
Papaya-Glazed Chicken
Mustard Baked Chicken
Pepper-Lime Chicken
Keys-Style Citrus Chicken
Apple Glazed Turkey

Review: The Neighborhood Cookbook

Our LivingAfterWLS Food & Nutrition Editor Barbara Gibbons recently reviewed the Neighborhood Cookbook. Here is what she had to say about this weight loss surgery specific cookbook that was created by patients for patients:

There are so many new neighbors here that I thought I would post a topic about our very special publication. Not to be confused with the ‘Community Kitchen’ which is a live forum, the Neighborhood Cookbook was a labor of love produced by WLS patients for WLS patients.

As with most cookbooks, there are introductory pages [about Kaye (our Founder), about Living After WLS and all the affiliated websites (one of which is the Neighborhood itself), about the Living After WLS philosophy, and about the neighbors themselves].

It is appropriately titled “A Collection of Neighborhood Recipes”. We all refer to it as the Neighborhood Cookbook. What better way for us to help each other than to share? In the Neighborhood we share all that is happening in our lives from the perspective of the pre-op or post-op WLS patient. The Neighborhood Cookbook is the ultimate sharing.

Order The Cookbook

It has the usual chapters that cookbooks include with the Desserts chapter focusing on SENSIBLE desserts. There are quotes from neighbors on divider pages between chapters and several blank pages for the owner to include some of their own favorite recipes. Among the most interesting pages in the book are instructional pages explaining how to use a wine reduction in place of a gravy, explaining complex carbs and cruciferous vegetables, or how to eat chocolate after WLS to name a few.

At the end of the book there is a true index so you can find the recipes you want at a glance.

If you own this cookbook, take it off the shelf and plan your next week’s menu around some new recipes that you haven’t tried from the Neighborhood Cookbook. These recipes have been tried, liked and submitted by your friends in the Neighborhood; a book written with you in mind, with no worries about, “Can I eat this?”

If you don’t own this cookbook, why not give it a try? Remember that each recipe has been submitted by folks like you and it can add so much more variety into your post WLS diet no matter what stage you are at.

Most of you know that we are editing the newest cookbook from the neighborhood. This book will have more than double the recipes of the first one and will have photo pages as well as tips and techniques, basic foundation recipes and many more features. People have wondered when it will be ready for sale. Kaye has said that it will most likely be released in the 3rd quarter, sometime in July. In the meantime, continue to enjoy the cookbook that we DO have available. It is a treasure trove of good recipes for the WLS world.

Want to sample some recipes from the cookbook? Click here: Kaye's Favorite Weeknight Meals

Chicken with Mushrooms and Cream Sauce

Elise over at Simply Recipes has done it again with a great low-carb chicken recipe. For the recipe and detailed information link here: Chicken with Mushrooms and Cream Sauce

"Your website readers are going to love this," my father exclaimed when he finally finished his plate of chicken smothered in creamy mushroom sauce. Mom found the recipe from one of her favorite cookbooks* now long out of print. The note in the cookbook regarding this recipe is "Brides might well add this to their kitchen repertoire. It is easy to fix and never fails to make a hit." We all agree. Our six thumbs up on this one.

Hunger is NOT an Emergency

Just this week I had a breakthrough moment when I read that naturally slender people do not treat hunger as an emergency. “Most of us who struggle with extra pounds tend to view hunger as a condition that needs to be cured – and fast,” writes Judith S. Beck, PhD, author of the Beck Diet Solution. “If you fear hunger, you might routinely overeat and avoid it,” she says adding, “Thin people tolerate hunger because they know hunger pangs always come and go, buying them some time.”

Hunger defined: the painful sensation caused by a lack of food that initiates food-seeking behavior.

Hunger is not an emergency. Interesting, don’t you think? Since publishing the 5DPT I’ve received tremendous feedback. Some people are amazed to not feel hungry, even on those difficult first two days. Others report “climbing the walls” hunger. I believe each of us responds differently to the 5DPT and there are certainly extremes between lack of hunger and ravenous hunger.

Here are some tricks for learning to treat hunger the way slender people do – a condition that comes and goes.

- Drink water or flavored water the curb hunger pangs.
- Ignore the hunger and acknowledge that you will survive.
- Establish a predictable and consistent eating schedule so your body becomes accustomed to when you will eat.
- Eat protein first thing in the morning and again at lunch and dinner.
-Supplement protein intake with Total Protein.
- Minimize visual cues that trigger hunger pangs (avoid/ignore media advertising, place snack foods in closed cupboards, avoid the office break room, etc.)
- Exercise. Take a brisk walk before giving in to hunger (this will rev your metabolism).

Finally, just as hunger is not an emergency, it is also not a failure. If you feel hunger during the 5 Day Pouch Test then take one of the steps above to ignore it. And if you are still hungry then eat something from the approved list of foods for the day. Associating hunger with feelings of failure often leads to destructive eating and inappropriate food choices. The 5DPT is a powerful tool and a great step toward building a better relationship with food and your weight loss surgery.

Read: Understanding Food Intake, Hunger, Appetite and Satiation

Spring Halibut Recipe

Here is a terrific halibut recipe to make the most of fresh strawberries and tangerines. This recipe is great anytime, but works well for Day 4 of the 5 Day Pouch Test. Serve it to your family: they won't even know it is "diet" food.

Alaskan Halibut with Strawberry, Tangerine & Fresh Basil Salsa

Ingredients:
32 Ounces halibut fillets
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
16 ounces strawberries, fresh, diced medium
3 each tangerines, peeled, seeded, diced medium
1 Tablespoon basil, fresh, shredded
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:
Combine the strawberries, tangerines, basil, vinegar, pepper, and salt in a mixing bowl. Toss to completely mix, and allow to marinate for 30 minutes prior to using.

Preheat an oven to 300°F. Season the fish lightly with salt and pepper and grill over medium heat, or prepare in the oven. Remove the cooked fish, arrange on dinner plates or serving platter, and ribbon the salsa over the top of the fish.

Servings: 4. Per serving: 312 calories, 48 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrate and 6 grams fat.

Notes: Fresh, tender Halibut combined with tangy strawberry and tangerine and a touch of fresh basil. Serve with a green salad or vegetable and a light white wine.
Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 15 minutes, Serves 4

Gastric Bypass on CBS 60 Minutes

The CBS news magazine 60 Minutes aired a piece on gastric bypass on April 20. To date it is one of the most fair pieces I have seen, yet there was still the feel of "easy fix". Here is a summary:

(CBS) An operation performed primarily to reduce weight in the obese has some startlingly positive side effects. Gastric bypass surgery can send type 2 diabetes into complete remission, in some cases almost instantly. It can also alleviate sleep apnea, common among obese patients, which causes them to intermittently stop breathing in their sleep.

Studies also suggest gastric bypass patients greatly reduce their risks from certain obesity-related cancers, according to the American Cancer Society.

60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl reports on the effects of gastric bypass surgery this Sunday, April 20, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.



Dr. Eugenia Calle, managing director of Analytical Epidemiology at the American Cancer Society, tells Stahl the incidence of many types of cancers increases with weight gain. "Our estimate is that 100,000 individuals in the U.S. a year…die of cancer because of their weight," she says. But, she tells Stahl, it's been hard to prove whether losing weight reduces the risk of cancer because most Americans will regain weight they lose. This makes gastric bypass patients interesting research subjects because they tend to keep off the weight they lose. "And in those populations, very interestingly, the…overall cancer risk is…cut in half," says Calle.

Another beneficial side effect of the procedure may have more to do with the surgery than the weight loss. Doctors noticed that bypass surgery can force type 2 diabetes into remission, sometimes right after surgery. Dr. Francesco Rubino, director of the Gastrointestinal Metabolic Surgery Program at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, tells Stahl, "We thought it could have something to do with the small bowel." Operating on diabetic rats, he proved that eliminating the flow of food through the upper part of small intestine caused the remission. Rubino now hopes his findings will lead to a "diabetes surgery."

Currently, NIH Guidelines, established in 1991, recommend the bypass surgery only to the morbidly obese, or to those severely obese with a related health problem, like diabetes. Dr. Neil Hutcher, the former president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, says it's time to reevaluate the guidelines, and allow more diabetics access to surgery. "I think we have clear-cut evidence that we can do terrific things for diabetics," he says.

In reporting the story, Stahl met Dr. Bruce Miller, a family practitioner from Hopewell, Va. who also lost 120 pounds in a bypass operation. He says it affected all his health problems. "I don’t take any blood pressure pills anymore. I don't take any cholesterol pills anymore, as well as my diabetic medicine," he says. Miller is now recommending the surgery to many of his obese patients and says he no longer sees it as a last resort, as many doctors do. "They haven’t walked the walk," he tells Stahl.

Read our Neighborhood Discussion about this featured report.

Think Big Cocktail

Hello Neighbors!

Are you looking for a delicious and refreshing beverage for a little mid-day pick-me-up? Want the festivity of a cocktail without the buzz? Try our newly invented "Think Big Cocktail" shown here. The recipe is simple:

THINK BIG COCKTAIL
1 pk. Tropical Flavor Emergen-C
2 cups Langers Cranberry Raspberry Plus 100% Juice with Vitamis A, C & E, Gingko Biloba, Ginseng & Potassium
2 cups chilled water
Ice cubes

Mix ingredients in a pitcher stirring well to dissolve Emergen-C.

Place ice cubes in a pretty goblet or glass and add juice mixture. ENJOY!

Here the Think Big Cocktail is served with a hard cooked egg and seasonal fruit. Delicious!

For an added boost of protein stir in Total Protein from BariCeuticals - Pre-Digested Total Protein complex is a concentrated, great tasting liquid that can be mixed with your favorite drink or sipped directly from the package. It is essential for you to consume the right amount of protein to help your muscle mass and prevent anemia. The fact that you are not able to eat as much protein as your body requires, this pre-digested protein will fill the gap between what you are getting nutritionally and what your body needs. Recommended dosage: Bariatric bypass patients, 1-2 packets A.M. or P.M. mixed in water or your favorite drink and sipped gradually throughout the day which is helpful in the prevention of mal-absorption. Lap Band patients, 1 pouch each day at any time sipped from pouch or mixed in water or favorite drink. 30 packets per box.

The Bariceutical Prescription

Nutritionally deprived, wrinkled, drained and tired is not what Silvia Demeter envisioned when she underwent gastric banding surgery in 2003. But that is how she found herself feeling after losing weight.

"I felt like I was starving. My skin was wrinkled, my hair was falling out. I felt drained and tired. Even grocery shopping or caring for my family was a chore. By 5PM each day I was a couch potato," said Silvia. Even as an obese person Silvia was mindful of nutrition turning to organic solutions to meet her nutrional needs. " After surgery I was taking the hard-tablet vitamins prescribed by my surgical weight loss center. But with a gastric band hard vitamins get stuck and I suffered from acid reflux."

But worse than the acid reflux was the inability of Silvia's body to absorb the greatly needed nutrients in the vitamins. Studies indicate that it takes a normal digestive system as long as four hours to absorb as little as 20% of the nutrients in a vitamin. The inactive ingredients in vitamins such as binders, fillers, artificial colors, flavors, wax coatings and preservatives slow down absorption.

No wonder Silvia and so many weight loss surgery patients are nutritionally deficient.

In her very personal struggle to become nutritionally healthy Silvia visited health food stores and started mixing her own cocktail of liquid vitamins. But it wasn't enough. "I started attending conventions and consulting with an absorption specialist, along with many bariatric professionals because there had to be a better way to meet my nutritional needs," said Silvia.

Silvia became her own scientist and surrounded herself with the best experts in the fields of nutrition, absorption and bariatrics. The result: The BariCeutical Prescription, the only patent-pending bariatric supplements specifically designed for the bariatric patients and endorsed by top physicians in the United States.

BariCeutical liquid vitamins immediately release nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract within thirty seconds of consumption and the overall absorption is 98%. Silvia says, "With each vitamin supplement that we make our goal is to provide you with meaningful vitamins that provide you maximum benefit. Through research, quality control and quality ingredients that's the BariCeutical Prescription difference. It's our life's work."

Silvia Demeter is the real deal: she is one of us. Her passion for living well after gastric weight loss surgery is unsurpassed. "I founded this company for me because I wanted to feel like my old self, full of energy and ambition. Now it is my pleasure to share these products with the world of weight loss surgery so that everyone can be nourished and feel the energy of a healthy weight well-fed body."

Learn more about The BariCeutical Prescription and living a well-balanced nutritionally fit life.

10-Grain Mini Muffins from the Cookbook

Another Healthy Snack option from page 169 of the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood Cookbook:

10-Grain Mini Mufins

Ingredients:
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 c. turbinado sugar (raw sugar)
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. 10-grain cereal (Bob's Redd Mill)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 c. milk
3 T. honey
1/3 c. margarine

Mix Bob's 10-Grain Cereal and milk and allow to stand for 10 minutes while preheating oven and assembling other ingredients. Cream sugar and margarine and egg together. Add dry ingredients and milk with cereal. Stir only until mixed. Spray a mini muffin pan with non-stick spray. Fill each cup. Bake in 400F oven for 15 minutes (watch closely, your oven may cook them more quickly). Remember 1 mini muffin is one serving. Theres a fine lien between a treat and self-sabotage.

Recipe note: One mini-muffin is a serving. Per serving: 148 calories, 4 grams protein, 2 grams fat, 19 grams carbohydrate and 2 grams dietary fiber.

The LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood Cookbook is a spiral bound collection of recipes for surgical weight loss patients by patients. Order yours today and select your FREE GIFT - Link Here!

Try these Healthy Snacks from the Cookbook:

Banana Bran Nut Muffins - Page 170
Healthy Chocolate Mousse - Page 152
Macadamia-White Chocolate Dessert - Page 158
Healthy Dippers - Page 42