Bring on the Cookie Monster!

Hello and Happy Monday Everyone!

I hope you received your You Have Arrived Newsletter today and found some delicious and nutritious cookie recipes you could use. If you aren't a subscriber yet simply click HERE to learn more about our free email publications.

Do you want to make that cookie snack even more nutritious? Here are few "throw-in" ideas for adding more nutrition to the recipes:

Add 1-2 teaspoons of ground flaxseed (flaxmeal) for added fiber and Omega-3 vitamins.

Walnuts are a super food and go great with oatmeal. Add chopped walnuts and dried cranberries for a chewy-good designer oatmeal cookie.

Change-out some of the all-purpose flour for wheat flour, wheat germ, soy flour (go easy with this one) or quick-cook oatmeal. The more whole grain the better, but don't go all the way. You need about 2/3's all-purpose flour to 1/3 whole grain swap-out to keep the cookies light and tasty.

Add a pinch of cinnamon and/or nutmeg to the oatmeal cookies. Both cinnamon and nutmeg have nutritional benefits and they add great aroma and taste to your treat.

Prefer milk to the protein shake? Great! Fortify your milk with a spoonful of dried milk product or vanilla flavored protein powder. Try soy milk for a refreshing and lactose-free option. 8 ounces of soy milk has 6 grams of protein and is believed to help lower cholesterol.

Remember, your life after weight loss surgery is not about denial and deprivation. It's about consistently making wise choices to improve your health, wellness and longevity.

Have a GREAT day!

Coddler Fever & Fun Friday

Greetings Neighbors!

Coddler Fever? Have you caught it yet? Link Here

Has Spring Sprung in your part of the world or perhaps a nip of fall is in the air for our Down'Under friends. Either way, the weather is always perfect at the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood!

Today is the final Fun Friday of March 2008 and it puts a song in my heart to invite you to participate in our weekly get-to-know-one-another contest. All you need to do is click that link above and you'll see our Fun Friday Hostess Marla's smiling face. Answer the question and watch the drama unfold! In last week's contest Neighbors shared pictures of their fabulous kitchens: take a look - Fun Friday March 21

Speaking of kitchens - have you entered the Neighborhood Community Kitchen Recipe Contest yet? Our Food Editor, Barbara Gibbons, is conducting this contest and offering three fabulous prizes to the winners! Jump over and check out the "Pot of Yum" recipes!

Be sure and keep an eye on your email inbox this coming week for the Recipe of the Week: Healthy Grains, the April 5 Day Pouch Test Bulletin (Day 6 & Beyond the 5DPT) and our April issue of You Have Arrived! To learn more about our newsletters, link here: Email Newsletters

Have a great day and remember, It's always a beautiful day in the Neighborhood!

Cheers!

Kaye

Coping with Daylight Savings Time

Today most states in North America "sprang forward" advancing our clocks for longer hours of afternoon and evening daylight. If this has you feeling sluggish you are not alone. According to research in "Current Biology" our internal daily rhythms, known as the circadian clocks, get a little testy with this time tinkering. Studies indicate it is light and darkness that keeps our internal clock ticking on time.

A spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests taking up to 6 milligrams of melatonin one hour before bedtime for four to seven days before time change and the same dose each night for a week after the time change. Another rhythm booster is a dose of bright natural light in the mornings and 2-hours of low light before bedtime each night.

Adequate rest plays a key role in weight loss and weight maintenance. The sooner your body adjusts to a time change, including traveling to different time zones, the more quickly it will return to a weight loss or weight maintenance metabolism.

In the meantime - enjoy those long afternoons of natural sunshine!

Power to the Protein

We've been told since before our weight loss surgery that we must follow a high protein diet for life. Recommendations vary from center to center on how much protein is adequate for weight loss and weight maintenance. You will generally hear anything from 70 grams a day to 100 grams a day. High protein intake is particularly important during the early days and weeks following surgery (any surgery) because the amino acids facilitate healing. Many patients turn to protein drinks or protein energy bars to ensure they are consuming adequate amounts of protein.

One ounce of animal or dairy protein generally has 6-7 grams of protein per ounce and soy protein has about 8 grams of protein per ounce. Sometimes getting the recommended protein requirements while regarding of the rules is a bit daunting, particularly considering the small capacity of the gastric pouch. Many post-surgical weight loss patients turn to protein drinks to boost their protein intake while keeping fat and carbohydrate intake at appropriate levels. In the photo above I'm enjoy a Berrilicious Protein Shake.

Following a high protein diet helps us lose weight because protein has the highest thermic effect of any food item: it requires more energy (calories) to metabolize than it contains. Simple carbohydrates require very little energy to process thus a caloric surplus occurs resulting in stalled weight loss or weight gain. In addition to boosting metabolism a high protein diet controls the metabolic hormones: insulin and glucagon. When these hormones are in balance we don't have swings in blood sugar that cause energy levels to surge and then plummet.

Often we as patients tend to relax the "protein first" rule the further out we get from our surgery. Commonly this results in a weight loss plateau or weight gain. We often desire to "get back to normal" but in order to maintain weight loss and work with the surgical tool it is necessary to adhere to the very basic guidelines outlined by our surgical centers. This is not a punishment, however. When we are in metabolic hormone balance we feel so good, mentally shape, physically strong and well and emotionally stable. Talk about a great payoff.

Salt, Soda and Obesity

Salty snacks equal soda-guzzling, heavier kids
Study suggests cutting back on salt, even a pinch, could curb obesity
The Associated Press
updated 3:12 p.m. MT, Wed., Feb. 20, 2008

DALLAS - Kids who load up on salty meals and snacks get thirsty, and too often they turn to calorie-filled sodas. So maybe cutting back on the salt is a good way to cut the calories.

That is the idea coming from a British study published Wednesday in an American Heart Association journal.

Salt is "a hidden factor in the obesity epidemic," said Graham MacGregor, a co-author of the study by researchers at St. George's University of London.

And researchers say all that salt is not coming from the salt shaker: About 80 percent comes from manufactured food.

"Most people think that sodium comes from the salt shaker. The salt shaker contributes less than 10 to 15 percent," said Dr. Myron Weinberger, a professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine.

"Fast foods, for example, are just loaded with sodium. Processed foods are all very high in sodium," said Weinberger, who wrote an editorial related to the study published in the online journal Hypertension.

Benefits go on
Not only could less salt translate to fewer soft drinks and therefore fewer calories, but a modest reduction in salt has already been shown to lower blood pressure, which increases the risk of later-in-life heart attack and stroke, researchers say.

Also, several studies have shown a link between sugary soft drinks and obesity in children.

Reducing salt in manufactured foods can be done gradually, without the public even noticing, said Dr. Feng He, lead author of the study and cardiovascular research fellow at St. George's. She said a 10 to 20 percent reduction in salt is not even detectable.

"It's important for the food industry to make a reduction," she said.

The study suggested that cutting in half the amount of salt British children consume — a decrease of about half a teaspoon a day — would lead to an average reduction of about 18 ounces of sugar-sweetened soft drinks per week.

The study was based on diet data from Great Britain's National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Researchers looked at 1,688 British boys and girls — ages 4 to 18 — over a seven-day period in 1997.

They noted that the amount of salt eaten might be underestimated in the study because it did not include salt added during cooking or at the table. The researchers also found that more than half the fluids drunk by the children were soft drinks, and more than half of those were sugar-sweetened.

The United Kingdom began a government-led campaign to cut salt consumption in 1996 and researchers say more recent studies show that salt intake has already decreased.

Proposal to cut back on salt
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration is taking public comment until March 28 on a consumer group's proposal to restrict the amount of salt in processed foods, among other options. And the American Medical Association has urged the government to require strong labeling of high-salt foods because if salt's connection to high blood pressure and heart problems.

MacGregor said that parents should look at food labels. And they should make sure children eat more fresh fruits and vegetables without adding salt, which stimulates the brain to want more fluid.

"Thirst is one of the most basic instincts. When you get thirsty, you have to drink," MacGregor said.

Jicama Slaw

Recently in the Neighborhood Community Kitchen our new Food Editor, Celadon, taught us about tuber vegetables. I was curious about the Jicima and excited to find one at a vegetable market last week. Here is more information about the Jicama:

Jicama is a relative of the potato family. It is a popular dietary staple in Latin America and widely grown in Mexico and Central America. There are many names for Jicama including: the Mexican potato, Mexican yam bean, ahipa, saa got, Chinese turnip, lo bok, and the Chinese potato.

Jicama looks similar to a turnip or a large radish, and it can be used as an alternative to the water chestnut. Its skin is thin and can be gray, tan, or brown in color. Additionally, it has a short root and contains white flesh. The skin is typically peeled before eating it raw. Raw jicama tastes similar to a pear or apple. It also does not discolor when exposed to the open air for awhile. Because of this, raw jicama is often used as an accompaniment to raw vegetable platters. When jicama is used in cooking it tends to take on the flavors of the ingredients that it is being combined with. Therefore, jicama is a nice complement to various stir-fry dishes because it blends well with many vegetables and seasonings.

Jicama is a very versatile vegetable that contains a high amount of vitamin C, is low in sodium, and has no fat. One adult serving of jicama, which is equal to approximately 1 cup of cubed jicama or 120 grams, also contains only 45 calories.

I tried this recipe for Jicama Slaw and it was a huge hit with the family. For those doing the 5 Day Pouch Test try adding 2 tablespoons of slaw to a can of drained, water packed tuna. The dressing will add moisture and flavor to your Day 3 Meals.

Jicama Slaw
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 large jicama -- peeled and finely shredded
1/2 Napa cabbage -- finely shredded
2 carrots -- shredded
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder -- ancho or chipotle
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup cilantro -- finely chopped

Place jicama, cabbage, and carrots in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, ancho powder, honey, and oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the dressing over the jicama mixture and toss to coat well. Fold in the cilantro. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 190 Calories; 14g Fat (63.7% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 31mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 3 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Click for more healthy & delicious jicama recipes

New Features for WLS Cooks

Greetings.

Our new LivingAfterWLS Food Editor, Celadon (aka Barbara Gibbons) has been busy improving the functionality and content of our Community Kitchen Forum. Keeping with the LivingAfterWLS core value of education and understanding Celadon has established several informative conversations:

Celadon's Product Reviews

Ask Celadon: Expert Advice for your Cooking Quandries

Vegetable of the Month

Fruit of the Month

Please stop over in the Neighborhood and take advantage of the Community Kitchen and the good things our Food Editor has to share!

February 7: Seven Fat Fighting Facts

1. Do not skip meals. Missing a meal lowers metabolism, drops blood sugar and results in unnecessary hunger and possible binging.

2. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime to water. It boosts Vitamin C intake and the acid helps with internal cleansing.

3. Replace sedentary TV time with an activity or a hobby to avoid mindless snacking commonly associated with television viewing.

4. Consume only quality foods that serve your nutritional needs and reward your body with high grade fuel.

5. Drink green tea which is full of antioxidants and boosts energy. Green tea counts in your water intake!!

6. Keep a journal. Record your food intake, exercise output, daily moods and energy levels. You will learn a great deal about yourself by keeping a journal.

7. Give up the all or nothing mentality. Make small changes that lead to long-term success, not short-term false fix quicks.

My Bad: Gender Bender

Sorry Jerry --- I did a bit of gender-bending when I mentioned our WLS-"sister" of the blog Unsaved Loved Ones. my bad. Jerry is a dude with a great take on WLS from the masculine point of view. Check out this post today regarding WLS and Booze:

So I’m not having a Saul on the road to Damascus paradigm shift here…I never say never, but I really do feel at this point that the responsible thing to do is keep an eye on it, because a couple of drinks after a long week is something that is SO easy to rationalize. I’ve never been an AA candidate (unless of course I’m in that famous state of denial they use to sell you on the program), but if you are reading this and you have partied with me “back in the day”, you have at least one story from my well stocked resume of “antics” that you still tell. With that in mind, combined with the limited capacity for food, the elation over feeling and looking better, the prospect of nice clothes and even nicer women…..I’d be a complete FOOL if I didn’t admit that it is, at the very least, something to monitor closely and always make it a point to bring it up during my therapy visits.

Sorry about that Jerry - but boy or girl - you have it going on writing about reality and WLS!

Thanks,
Kaye

Visit These Blogs!!

Hello!

As you know, at LivingAfterWLS we celebrate the WHOLE person, not just the person who happens to have undergone surgical weight loss treatment. Apparently we are not alone - check out these blogs from real life, real people who are fighting morbid obesity and LIVING! That's what I'm talking about! Take a click - you won't be disappointed!


To inspire and motivate your creativity! by Jana in Alaska
Don't kid yourself, Jana doesn't just stamp, she cooks, she inspires and she motivates. Bookmark her today! BTW, in the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood she's earned the title, "OneHOTMama" but you'll see her posts by OneTallMama. You be the judge: I think she is pretty darn hot!

Fairly new to blogging, this WLS Sister just joined the century club (100+ pound weight loss). She is blunt and honest and darn right funny. Click to read Unsaved Loved Ones and feel the love! She doesn't mince words and softly mocks "the hills are alive" PollyAnna mentality of some blogs (livingafterwls.blogspot.com included) but she is the real deal. She gets the weight loss surgery gig and is worth your bandwidth in a good time reading.

Meet Jodi Klucher: WLS hero and champion of that little talked about topic: Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome after Childbirth. A must read for all moms and moms-to-be out there. Don't miss it. Jodi is one of only a handful talking about PTSD after childhood: I see a book in her future. Who else can talk about these two topics with personal experience, knowledge and compassion. Again, we learn from her, you never need to walk alone.

Blog on my friends! You are a valued part of our WLS growing body of knowledge even as our own bodies shrink! I am proud of each of you!!

Super Bowl Meatballs

Last minute recipe for your Super Bowl Bash: Appetizer Meatballs from page 1 of the Neighborhood Cookbook. Great for Day 4 of the 5 Day Pouch Test.

Appetizer Meatballs
Page 1: A Neighborhood Collection of Recipes
by BamaGal

Meatballs
Ingredients:
2 lbs extra lean ground beef or turkey
1/2 cup minced onion
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed


Sauce:
Ingredients:
1 cup low carb catsup
1/3 cup DaVinci sugar free syrup, grape flavor

Directions:
In a large bowl mix well all meatball ingredients.

Note: use a grater to mince the onions - it is quicker. Shape in 32 1-ounce meatballs, about 1-inch diameter and place on an ungreased rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 425F oven for about 10-15 minutes, until meat is cooked through, but still tender.

In a small bowl, blend catsup and grape syrup well. Place meatballs in large pot or slow cooker. Pour sauce over them and stir to coat. Simmer, covered, on low heat about 2 hours, stirring occasionaly. The sauce is so easy to throw together and is slightly sweet and quite tangy.

Per 1-ounce meatball with sauce: 71 calories, 6 grams protein, 5 grams fat, trace carbohydrate.

Kaye's note: If you can't find DaVinci syrup substitute sugar-free grape jelly. Nobody will know the difference!

Seattle Bash-Splash: Kaye Featured Speaker

LivingAfterWLS founder and friend, Kaye Bailey will be a featured speaker at the Sixth Annual Bandster Bash & Splash on Saturday, February 16. The conference will be at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport Marriott. Kaye's topic is, Fixing Broken Windows in the Surgical Weight Loss House. The conference fee is $150, but the coordinator will discount it to $100 for those who mention the LivingAfterWLS site or Kaye's name. Although the primary focus is onBandits there will be discussion on the gastric sleeve and gastric bypass from a panel of highly respected surgeons.

Link here for more details: Seattle Splash & Bash

View the full agenda - Kaye speaks at 9:15 Saturday Morning.

Link Now to learn about scholarship opportunities to attend this conference. Kaye will be available to meet her Neighbors at the designated times - stop by the LivingAfterWLS vendor booth and say hello.

Where are the WLS Veterans?

There is a GREAT conversation underway at the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood. Our friend Kimbre, who will be "Arriving" in February asked posted:

"I'm a pre-op though I'll be able to submit to insurance at the beginning of February (YAY). I ran across something this week that disturbed me a little bit. I ran a across a blog that I hadn't seem before and the blogger had posted a comment from someone else (the source was not given) and it said:

Search for any wls blogs or stories or even posters on wls boards from post ops more than two or three years out...they are virtually non-existant. Nobody posts on boards more than 2 years post op. Blogs are abandoned at two years out. The surgery has a honeymoon and people still in that period tend to get very emotional about defending it. Once the regain, ruptures, complications and malabsorption side effects take over, these people feel like failures and hypocrites and go into hiding. Where are the ten year post-ops? Or the five year ones? That's who I want to hear from.

Are there people here who are five or more years out? I would like to think that you don't hear from those folks as much because with weight loss, they are now out living their lives, and not inside, having regained their weight or fighting constant illness as a result of this surgery.

I'm just wondering what the post-ops think about this."

One seasoned successful weight loss surgery post-op, Kim answered, "Well, you're in luck. First and foremost, there are many members of this forum (with blogs) that are long term success stories. Let us motivate you and educate you. (The Neighborhood Blogs are private and available to registered members only. Link to learn more).

Lots of blogs disappear only because people move on to just "living". Life becomes less about weight loss and more about being normal...having a family or a job that takes all of their time! Here are some stats that I posted on MY blog...
National Statistic

RNY Gastric Bypass – 95% lost 70-75% excess body weight in 2 years; 85% maintained loss of >50% EBW at 5 year

What you will learn from the long term folks on this site is that it takes work...forever. You must go into this surgery knowing that you must never go back to living your pre-WLS ways...quit going to the drive-thru restaurants, make healthy food a focus, exercise every day in some form and most of all, ENJOY life!"

And here is my 2-cents worth: "Hello Kimbre! Welcome to the Neighborhood! You have certainly landed in the right place to ask this question. If you look at the profile of different members here in the Neighborhood you'll see "Arrival Date" and that is the date of their surgical weight loss. We call it "Arrival" because our slogan is, "Welcome to your new life - You Have Arrived". You will see many who are 5, 10, 15 and 20 years post weight loss surgery. Our senior member is little tiny Judy Petite - 21 yrs. post-Arrival. I've met her and she is petite and adorable!!! And she is LIVING. I will be 9 years post-Arrival in September and there are many others with lots of experience to share with pre-ops and those in the weight loss phase of this life-long experience. Many people do drop off message boards or blogs after 1 1/2 - 2 years post off. Many because, as you say, they become highly engaged in LIVING. Some because they are struggling and feel ashamed or embarrassed. Some because they can't find a group dedicated to the daily challenges of surgical weight loss.

One thing I know about weight loss surgery is that it is a part of each of us every single day. Studies indicate that those who seek consistent peer support are better empowered with the skills, knowledge and desire to work the tool -- not just for a year or two -- but for life.

I am happy you are here and hope that as you become better acquainted you will find friendship and support to empower your Living After Weight Loss Surgery. Welcome!"

So, what are your feelings? Where are Veterans of Weight Loss Surgery? Are you looking for a home, a safe haven community where you are respected, welcome and empowered? Come to the Neighborhood. We always have hugs and compassion for one more.

Introducing Celadon, Food Editor

It is my pleasure to introduce Celadon aka Barbara Gibbons as our LivingAfterWLS Food Editor. This fabulous female is burning the midnight oil editing our new cookbook and contributing recipes to our online recipe collection. She is smart about recipe makeovers and a gifted foodie who arrived in the weight loss surgery community July 31, 2007. Since that day she has worked her tool magnificently! I am proud to call her a friend, a mentor and now our LAWLS Food Editor.

Today's Recipe of the Week features her culinary brilliance. You can look for more online in the Neighborhood Community Kitchen

Recipes Wanted: Holiday Cookbook

Link to download your easy How-To Guide

I know if you are like me things got nutty crazy over the holidays and I didn't get nearly everything I wanted entered into our great new cookbook. So to help me --- and encourage YOU --- We have extended the deadline to February 15, 2008. Now do not get feeling all comfy thinking -- ahh, 6 more weeks. Get entering now so that Celadon, the First Lady of the Neighborhood Kitchen, has time to do the first edit. We still want to publish this in early summer and there is a ton of work between the deadline and publication....

Right now we have 243 recipes -- need 147 more. Also, I've increased the number of contributions per person to 24 (from 18) so you have 6 more chances to publish your Yumm-O recipes and have them shared around the world with others just like you, doing the best they can to rock awesome with WLS.


It looks like we could use some Spring Recipes for holidays like Easter, Mother's Day, Passover, Memorial Day and Weeknight Suppers.

Dark Chocolate May Lower Blood Pressure

Good news for chocolate lovers: a small German study reports that a daily nibble of dark chocolate containing 50% or more cocoa may modestly lower your blood pressure without causing weight gain or raising cholesterol or glucose levels.

The study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association monitored participants who ate a 6 gram square of dark chocolate each day for 18 weeks. Dark chocolate is a good source of flavonoids – the antioxidant that is believed to improve the function of blood vessels.

At the end of the study the dark chocolate eaters saw a drop in their top (systolic) blood pressure number of 3 millimeters and the bottom (diastolic) number drop 2mm. The control group eating an equal amount of white chocolate saw no reduction in blood pressure.

Mayo clinic doctors praise the growing body of research identifying the health benefits of chocolate. However they say that it’s still too early to recommend eating chocolate for controlling hypertension.

Source: Mayo Clinic Health Letter: November 2007

Learn more: Chocolate After Weight Loss Surgery

Cream of Turkey Soup

From Low Carb Recipes this is a quick and healthy way to use some of your left over Thanksgiving Turkey. Use for Days 1 & 2 of the 5 Day Pouch Test.

Ingredients:
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
10 ounces cooked turkey, finely shredded (discard skin)
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon
1/2 cup heavy cream
Croutons (optional)

Directions:
Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottom pan, then add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add the turkey to the pan with 1 1/2 cups of the stock.

Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool, then transfer the soup to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Add the remainder of the stock and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the tarragon, then pour the soup into a tureen or individual bowls and add a swirl of cream.

Garnish with croutons if desired.

Serves 4. Per serving: 420 calories, 24 grams protein, 33 grams fat (20 saturated) and 6 grams carbohydrate.

Spicy Cranberry Sauce in Pinot Noir

Did you receive our LivingAfterWLS Recipe of the Week on Sunday? (If not, subscribe by entering your email address in the Free WLS Newsletters box on the left.) It was all about cranberries. Well, Elise over at Simply Recipes presents a great cranberry sauce using a Pinot Noir as the simmering base. Her food blog is one of my favorites, though not weight loss surgery oriented. She is all about good food with family and friends and you will often find her father and children included in the meal preparation. And, her photography is gorgeous, as you can see in this picture.

Recipe: Spicy Cranberry Sauce in Pinot Noir

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (about 8 ounces)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 cups Pinot Noir or other dry red wine
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
Large pinch of Chinese five-spice powder

1 Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cranberries and fresh ginger; stir until cranberries begin to burst, 3-5 minutes.

2 Add wine and sugar; boil until mixture is reduced to 2 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes.

3 Add crystallized ginger, curry powder and five-spice powder.

Serve sauce cold or warm. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Cranberries are a nutritional powerhouse - no longer jellied in sugar and shoved to the back of the dark pantry. Cranberries in all their glory are believed to be a potent cancer fighter, effective in slowing aging, contribute to dental health, reduce the risk of some heart disease and helpful in the prevention of peptic ulcers.

For more cranberry recipes visit Simply Recipes Cranberries.

Word of Thanks

Dear LivingAfterWLS Friends:

Just a word of thanks for all your support, prayers and kindness over the last few weeks. As many of you know my father has been critically ill and on Monday underwent open heart surgery to replace an artificial aortic heart valve which has given him life since 1969. Yes, 1969. Remarkable. He now has a new artificial valve and is responding well. Your thoughts and prayers are deeply appreciated.

To read more: Kaye's Prayer Request to the Neighborhood

My best to each of you in this season of giving thanks,
Kaye Bailey

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.

Learn More: Understanding Hunger, Appetite and Satiety

Hunger is not an emergency. Interesting, don’t you think? Since publishing the 5 Day Pouch Test 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 to 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.
- Minimize visual cues that trigger hunger pangs (avoid/ignore media advertising, place snack foods in closed cupboards, avoid the office break room, etc.)
- 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.

Learn more about the 5 Day Pouch Test and get back your surgical weight loss tool.