Monday, October 31, 2011

Retiree Day

We will be sharing information about our Bariatric program on Saturday, 5 November at the AMEDD Center & School at Fort Sam Houston from 8 am-12 pm.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup - KISS (Keep it Simple Supper)
It's hard to believe that four ingredients can be this crazy delicious! It doesn't get any faster either. An excellent first food that you can also serve to family. This recipe is a great way to wrap your brain around how you can prepare WLS-friendly food that your family will also love! I serve this to my family with grilled cheese sandwiches - supper is on the table in fifteen minutes. Everyone will LOVE this meal.

2 cans black beans, drained
2 cups chicken broth - Swanson Natural Goodness is excellent
2 cups salsa - use your favorite brand from a jar or grab a container of fresh from the produce section
Juice of one lime

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Greek yogurt & chopped cilantro
Combine beans, broth, salsa, and lime juice in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to medium pot, bring to a simmer over medium heat. Season to taste with salt, if needed. Serve with dollop of yogurt and cilantro.

Per one cup serving
Calories 120, fat 2g, carbs 11 (fiber 5g), protein 5g

NOTE: add a big spoonful of Greek yogurt blended with PURE Unflavored Whey Protein Isolate to boost protein level - PURE adds protein without changing texture or flavor of your favorite foods!

Susan Maria Leach

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Lundbergism #19

If perception is reality, keep in mind it is the other person's perception that often impacts your reality!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Lundbergism #17

Be true to yourself, and ensure your voice is being heard...nobody will speak it for you, or quite the way you do!

Friday, October 14, 2011

HUNGER IS THE BEST SEASONING

By Michelle May, M.D.

You were born knowing exactly how much to eat. Hunger is your body's way of telling you that you need fuel. By reconnecting with your instinctive signals, you can reach and maintain a healthier weight without restrictive dieting and obsessing over every bite of food you put in your mouth.   

Perhaps you've ignored hunger for so long that you've forgotten how to recognize it. Maybe you even blame hunger for your weight problem and see it as the enemy. Perhaps you confuse hunger with all the other reasons you eat, like mealtime, boredom, stress or tasty food.

At the same time, you may have learned to ignore the feeling of satisfaction so you eat until you're stuffed and very uncomfortable. Perhaps you "clean your plate," "never waste food," and "eat all your dinner if you want dessert," instead of stopping when you've had enough. And you'll perpetuate this cycle if you teach your children the same things.

Hunger is your instinctive guide to effortless (well almost) weight management

Reconnecting with your hunger signals helps you reach a healthier weight. Here's how:

  • You'll eat less food when you're eating to satisfy physical hunger than if you eat to satisfy other needs. Think about it. If you aren't hungry when you start eating, how do you know when to stop? When the food is gone of course!
  • You're more likely to choose foods that nourish you. If you aren't hungry but you're eating because you are sad, mad or glad, what kinds of foods do you want? That's when you're more likely to want chocolate, cookies, chips, or other snacks and comfort foods.
  • Food actually tastes better when you're physically hungry. Hunger really is the best seasoning—so you eat less but enjoy it more.
  • You'll feel more satisfied because food is great for reducing hunger but not so great for reducing boredom, stress or other triggers.
  • You'll notice you're hungry before you get too hungry and decreases overeating!

Trust Your Gut Instincts

To break out of the pattern of eating on autopilot, get in the habit of asking yourself, "Am I hungry?" every time you feel like eating. This simple but powerful question will help you recognize the difference between an urge to eat caused by the physical need for food from an urge to eat caused by head hunger.

Look for symptoms like hunger pangs, gnawing, growling, emptiness, low energy, shakiness, or headache. Notice that hunger is physical. It's not a craving, a thought or a temptation. By focusing on hunger as your guide, you can become your own internal expert about when, what and how much to eat.

Food for Thought

  • What specific signs of hunger do you usually have?
  • What other thoughts and feelings do you confuse with hunger at times?
  • What else could you do besides eat when you feel like eating even though you're not hungry?

Michelle May, M.D. is a recovered yoyo dieter and the award-winning author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle. Find other articles and resources at http://AmIHungry.com/.

Copyright 2010, Michelle May, M.D. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint, email enews@AmIHungry.com

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Exercise Regimens

In order to exercise 300 calories per day, do at least one of the following:

Walk 4 miles per day
10,000 steps per day
30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day

You don't have to do it all at once. When you haven't been exercising regularly, you also have to develop a level of basic fitness that has been missing, so you won't want to start at these goals, but work up to them.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Relationship Challenges

Spouse/Significant Other

This is the person with the most at stake for change in your life. They love you, but they are also "losing" some version of you. Some spouses have gotten away with taking advantage of power if you have had to rely on them and may fear you will retaliate with increased

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Bariatric Surgery Gets High Marks for CVD Risk Reduction

Bariatric Surgery Gets High Marks for CVD Risk Reduction


By Charles Bankhead, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: September 08, 2011
Reviewed by Dori F. Zaleznik, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston and
Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner
Action Points  
Explain that a systematic review found that bariatric surgery significantly reduced risk factors for cardiovascular disease as early as three months after the surgery.


Note that lack of standardization of outcome measures in the different studies included in the review were among a variety of limitations to the analysis.
Obese patients had a 40% reduction in 10-year cardiovascular risk following bariatric surgery, a systematic review of published studies showed.

Average weight loss exceeded 50%, which was associated with significant improvement in cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, C-reactive protein (CRP), and endothelial function.

A majority of the 52 studies included in the analysis demonstrated significant improvement in cardiovascular risk, resulting in a 40% relative risk reduction by the Framingham risk score, as reported online in the American Journal of Cardiology.

"This review highlights the benefits of bariatric surgery in reducing or eliminating risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD)," Helen M. Heneghan, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic, and co-authors wrote in conclusion.

"It provides further evidence to support surgical treatment of obesity to achieve CVD risk reduction."

First performed in the 1950s, bariatric surgery has consistently demonstrated the ability to achieve dramatic weight loss in severely obese patients. However, early surgical techniques induced weight loss by means of malabsorption, which was associated with significant nutritional complications.

Modification of the original technique and development of new bariatric procedures have helped reduce the severity of malabsorption problems without minimizing weight-loss efficacy and associated effects on cardiovascular risk factors, the authors wrote in their discussion.

"Indeed, as the field of bariatric surgery has evolved over the past 50 years, weight loss has almost been overshadowed by the extraordinary effects on obesity-related comorbidities," they noted.

Numerous studies have examined the impact of bariatric surgery on individual risk factors. More recently, interest has centered on the surgery's effect on "constellations" of CVD risk factors, including novel biomarkers.

Heneghan and co-authors undertook a systematic review of the literature in an effort to determine the impact of bariatric surgery on CVD risk and mortality.

Beginning with 637 studies reported from 1950 to 2010, the authors trimmed the number to 52, involving a total of 16,867 patients.

The population included in the final analysis had a mean age of 42, and 78% of the patients were women. The patients had a mean baseline body mass index of 49 (range 33 to 58), and the prevalence of selected CVD risk factors included hypertension in 49%, diabetes in 28%, and dyslipidemia in 46%.

Malabsorptive and bypass procedures predominated among surgical technique, as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and biliopancreatic diversion accounted for 62% of cases.

Median follow-up was 34 months, and excess weight loss averaged 52%. Among studies that reported changes in CVD risk factors, the authors found that hypertension resolved or improved significantly in 68%, diabetes in 75%, and dyslipidemia in 71%.

Mean blood pressure declined from 139/87 mmHg at baseline to 124/77 mmHg. Fasting blood glucose declined from a mean of 126 mg/dL to 92 mg/dL and glycosylated hemoglobin from 7.5% to 6.0%, both of which would be considered clinically meaningful, the authors noted.

Total cholesterol declined from 205 mg/dL to 169 mg/dL, LDL from 118 mg/dL to 94 mg/dL, and triglycerides from 169 mg/dL to 103 mg/dL. Mean HDL level increased from 49 mg/dL to 52 mg/dL.

Two novel markers of CVD risk also improved in the studies that reported the data: CRP declined from 4.5 mg/L to 1.7 mg/L and flow-mediated brachial artery diameter (a measure of endothelial function) increased from 6% to 16%.

Improvement or resolution of CVD risk factors occurred as early as three months after surgery, the authors reported.

As determined by the Framingham risk score, the patients' 10-year coronary heart disease risk averaged 6.27% at baseline and 3.77% at the end of follow-up.

As compared with nonsurgical treatment of individual risk factors, bariatric surgery addresses multiple cardiovascular risk factors and has a larger effect than do medical and other nonsurgical strategies, the authors noted. Nonetheless, the surgery is not without risk and complications, which patients should understand before surgery.

"Bariatric surgery has other significant issues such as surgical morbidity and long-term consequences associated with various procedures, such as nutritional deficiencies," they wrote.

"Nonetheless, in appropriately selected obese patients, surgical intervention compares extremely favorably to nonsurgical therapy and should be considered more often as a lifesaving interdiction rather than a cosmetic operation."

Researchers noted that compliance with medications to reduce CV risk is problematic and lifelong, whereas bariatric surgery to reduce CV risk is performed once and has fairly immediate benefits.

Limitations of the systematic review, according to the authors, included different operating procedures for bariatric surgery, lack of standardization among studies for outcome measures and diagnostic criteria for comorbidities, high attrition for follow-up in the studies, and small number of studies that included biomarkers.

Co-author Stacy A. Brethauer disclosed relationships with Ethicon-Endo, Covidien, and Davol. Co-author Phillip R. Schaueer disclosed relationships with Ethicon-Endo, RemedyMD, Stryker Endoscopy, Davol, W.L. Gore & Associates, Baxtr, BaroSense, SurgiQuest, Cardinal/Snowden Pencer, Allergan, and Surgical Excellence.

From the American Heart Association:

Bariatric Surgery and Cardiovascular Risk Factors


Primary source: American Journal of Cardiology
Source reference:
Heneghan HD, et al "Effect of bariatric surgery on cardiovascular risk profile" Am J Cardiol 2011; DOI:10.1016/j.amjcard.2011.06.076.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Mushroom Spinach Cheddar Quiche

This softly baked custard of eggs and cheese is the perfect texture for us at any stage. You can vary the vegetables; Use any combination of vegetables and cheese that you like - Broccoli Swiss Quiche is another favorite in my house. Leftovers heat up nicely in the microwave. Crust is optional based on who will be eating your lovely vegetable cheese pie and if you can afford the carbs.

1 tablespoon butter
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 cups baby spinach leaves
5 large eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 ½ cups (about 6 ounces) grated cheddar
Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet and sauté the mushrooms over medium high heat until golden and the liquid released has reduced, about 6 minutes. Add spinach and toss to blend with mushrooms; set aside to cool.

Beat eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in large bowl. Fold in cheese and cooled sauteed vegetables. Pour filling into prepared pan and bake until knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting into wedges.

WLS portion a 1/8th wedge: Calories 171, fat 8 g, carbs 5 g, protein 20 g
~ Susan Maria Leach

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Lundbergism #14

Each of us gets a bit off our ga eat times...it is the person who does something about it who gets "back on" that game!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Physical Activity Websites

Websites
 

American Heart Association
Just Move
Internet: www.justmove.org

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Aim for a Healthy Weight
Internet: www.nhlbi.nih.gov

National Institutes of Health
We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition)
Internet: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/index.htm

Shape Up America!
Internet: www.shapeup.org

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
MyPyramid
Internet: www.mypyramid.gov

USDA
MyPyramid for Kids
Internet: www.mypyramid.gov/kids/index.html

Inclusion of resources is for information only and does not imply endorsement by NIDDK or WIN.

Weight-control Information Network
1 WIN Way
Bethesda, MD 20892–3665
Phone: (202) 828–1025
Toll-free number: 1–877–946–4627
FAX: (202) 828–1028
E-mail: win@info.niddk.nih.gov
Internet: http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov

The Weight-control Information Network (WIN) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health, which is the Federal Government’s lead agency responsible for biomedical research on nutrition and obesity. Authorized by Congress (Public Law 103–43), WIN provides the general public, health professionals, the media, and Congress with up-to-date, science-based health information on weight control, obesity, physical activity, and related nutritional issues.

Publications produced by WIN are reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and outside experts. This fact sheet was also reviewed by Steven Blair, P.E.D.

 

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Support Group Tonight

1830
Lackland AFB
Gateway Club

Remember there will be NO support groups in November. We will resume December 1st

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Asparagus & Eggs Omelet

Asparagus & Eggs Omelet - KISS (Keep it Simple Supper)
3 medium asparagus spears
1 garlic clove - peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 large eggs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Peel lower half of asparagus spears with a vegetable peeler, then cut into thin diagonal slices. Saute asparagus slices and garlic in a small non stick skillet in olive oil over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, until tender. Beat eggs with 1 tablespoon water, and Parmesan cheese - add to sauteed vegetables. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pull cooked egg to center, allowing liquid egg to fill in. Cook to desired doneness and roll onto plate.

Serves one
Calories 234, fat 12g, carbs 3g, protein 17g
~ Susan Maria Leach

Monday, October 3, 2011

Guide to Physical Activity

Check out this link.....

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/phy_act.htm

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Lundberg sm #13

When you ask someone to do something, be mindful and appreciative of what you are requesting...their time is just as valuable as yours...even if in a different way or capacity.
~Debbie Lundberg

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Lundbergism #8

People will follow your lead long before they will follow your words...
~Debbie Lundberg