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

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!