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My sister has a Health Master and I've been using that a lot (the one Montel hypes). That thing is pretty amazing! I use my blender every day and I'm thinking that my mini food processor will likely be my favorite thing - so easy to use and to clean!

Cauliflower Fried Rice *no rice is actually used in this recipe! 1/2 head of raw cauliflower, grated ( about 3.5 cups grated) 3 green onions 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2-1 t garlic salt 3 eggs beaten Olive oil Cooked and diced pork, shrimp, chicken (optional) In a wok or large pan, heat enough oil to cover the bottom. Fry minced garlic and white part of onions for approx 1 min. Add grated cauliflower and fry for approx 5 min, stirring constantly. Add garlic salt, green onion tops, and meat and stir until mixed. Push mixture to one side of pan. Add more oil if necessary and scramble eggs in empty side of pan until done,but still moist. Stir eggs into "rice" mix and remove from heat. Serves 3 as a side dish. Even better the second day.

Eggplant for pizza crust sounds soooooo good! I'm obsessed with this veggie pizza at a Lebanese restaurant and they use babba ganoush for sauce and top with roasted eggplant, sundried tomato and onions. I'm definitely going to try that out, thanks!

Stuffed peppers w ground beef & cauliflower You could use this filling for stuffed cabbage too, the cauliflower replaces the rice normally used. 2 medium red, green, or yellow peppers cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed 1 lb ground beef1 1/2 cups cauliflower 1 clove fresh garlic 1/4 yellow onion - diced 1 large can chopped whole peeled tomatoes 2-3 cups beef broth In skillet, brown ground beef. While that is cooking, steam cauliflower just until it breaks up easily. Chop onion, garlic, set aside.Finely chop or process cauliflower in food processor, set aside. Drain ground beef when it is cooked thoroughly, Add onion/garlic mixture and the seasonings and brown them a little with the meat Add the cauliflower, simmer a few minutes on low. In large casserole with lid place peppers and fill with meat mixture. (or use a ceramic or glass pan and cover with parchment paper & foil on top)*Mix broth with remaining peeled/diced tomatoes, pour over peppers. Cover and bake for about an hour on 375 degrees. Serve hot with salad on the side and a cool glass of Water.From: http://lark.cc.ukans.../~lash/recipes/ *note - always use care when cooking acidic foods (peppers, tomatoes) covered with foil. do not let the foil touch the food. Put a layer of parchment between the foods and the foil to prevent the aluminum from dissolving into the food.

Thanks! I'll try that one - sounds great!

Shepard’s Pie This will look like the traditional recipe when it comes out of the oven, but the topping is made from pureed turnips and cauliflower flavored with butter! You can steam the veg's for the topping while you make the filling. FOR THE FILLING 1 medium onion - 1/2 inch diced 3 garlic cloves - crushed and minced 4 ribs celery - 1/2 inch diced 1 cup green Beans - chopped into 1/2 inch pieces 1 small turnip - 1/2 inch diced or 1 small rutabega, diced+steamed 15 minutes *1 lb ground beef, turkey, lamb or other meat 1 roma tomato - diced (optional) 3 tablespoons Water 1/2 teaspoon margoram - optional sea salt & pepper to taste *rutabegas take longer to cook than all the other ingredients for the filling so its important to pre-cook it. In a large skillet with lid: heat the water over medium flame. Add ground beef and cook until getting crumbly, breaking it up with your spoon. Add all the diced veggies and stir well to combine. Cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes, add a little water if you need to so that they can actually simmer. just enough so there's some liquid bubbling, veg's shouldn't be swimming. Add marjoram, sea salt & pepper to taste and pour into 9x9 baking dish, or a large pie dish. FOR THE TOPPING 1 large head cauliflower - chopped 2 medium turnips, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes butter, sea salt & pepper to taste Steam the cauliflower and turnips until very soft. Put them into a Cuisinart fitted with the double blade and puree with some butter -2 or 3 tablespoons, salt & pepper to taste. If you don’t have a Cuisinart, mash them with a potato masher, they will be a bit more lumpy, but just as good! Spoon the cauliflower mixture over the top of the beef mixture, gently spreading it to cover all the way to the edges of the dish. Sprinkle with a few dashes of paprika and place on a baking sheet (to catch any drips so as not to mess up your oven). Place into a preheated 350 oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or just until you can see it getting bubbly, and the edges of the topping are a bit browned. Every oven is different, so its a good idea to check it after 10 minutes! Then keep an eye on it. A great winter warmer, and it really is quite easy once you've diced & chopped... Lovely with some chopped parsley on top for garnish.

Sorry to hear of your troubles . Maybe you should go back to clears like the first week? In my instructions, it says to do that for two days and then try adding more things in and see how it goes. Are you taking Nexium or something like it? Good luck and I hope this doesn't last long and you're feeling better soon!

I'm at day #10 and the same. I have no problems putting away Soup or the Protein shakes but for some reason I'm not liking the Water as much (and I LOVED it before surgery). Water gives me hickups and makes me burp but not the Protein Shakes.... Weird! **ANYONE - DOES THE WATER YOU HAVE IN SHAKES COUNT TOWARDS YOUR 64 oz? However, when I try pudding or Jello I do feel the restriction. I can still eat the whole cup but I actually feel it sitting in my stomach and worry that I'm going past the 'full' stage but that hasn't happened so far.

You should contact your surgeon. It sounds like an allergic reaction to something. I have some allergies to meds that affect my face only - it's like a rosacea flare up.

My first two days were rough. I had pain in both arms and shoulders (sort of an ache that wouldn't go away) and I had bad cramping. It felt like there was a hand around my stomach - squeezing every 30 seconds. It wasn't horrible pain but it did hurt and I wondered if it would ever go away. The left side was sore but once they took the drain out I felt much better. Honestly, I had a fibroid tumor removed from my uterus in August and when I woke up I was pleasantly surprised that this surgery didn't hurt nearly as much as that one! I was even more surprised when I got up to use the bathroom because it just felt like some sore muscles and once I was out of the bed it was fine. The last surgery, my abdomen was so swollen with gas and this time I hardly had any gas at all. My throat was a bit sore and there was a blister on my lip where the breathing tube must have been lodged. The dry mouth wasn't as bad as I anticipated.... I was afraid of that first day but I ended up not wanting anything to drink anyway. I just had my chapstick by my side and was fine. The real trouble started on day #2 when I asked for pain meds and they gave me the sublingual pain pill. Immediate nausea that lasted my entire hospital stay. I had to have them put the IV back in and give me drugs that way. I didn't have dry heaves or anything but I was scared to get to that point so I wouldn't drink anything. I couldn't get hardly any liquids down until about day #4 and by day #5 I was feeling fine and I've had no pain and no nausea whatsoever. No pain meds since I left the hospital. I've had 3 major surgeries and one minor surgery in the past year and I would say that this one was by far the easiest and the fastest recovery.

TOUFAYAN Bakeries makes a low carb / low fat wrap and it is simply delicious! I loved it before 'diet' was a part of my life so that says a lot.... www.toufayan.com I purchased them at Henry's (for those of you in SoCal) but I'm sure you can find them in other stores as well (check out the website above). They're thin, huge, and very soft, and actually have a pretty tasty flavor. However, they do have wheat gluten and it's actually listed in the ingredients. Many people are gluten sensitive and don't even realize it. I have yet to find a gluten free wrap that is also low carb. Here's the stats: (keep in mind that they are huge and 1/2 of a wrap is more than enough to make a pretty good size sandwich! Serving: 1 wrap 2 oz Total Fat: 3g (.5 saturated / 0 trans) Cholesterol: 0 Sodium 560mg Total Carb 15g (fiber 8g) Protein 13g

I just started full liquids today so I'm just dreaming about the future.... lol Eggface (the website with all the great recipes) posted a 'master wrap list'. I don't have the link but I do have the info that I saved to a Word.doc. Some really great ideas!! Master Wrap List: Turkey, Swiss cheese, Avocado Chicken salad Tuna Salad chicken or Turkey, Grilled Veggies (zucchini or eggplant), Provolone (Hot or Cold) Chicken or Turkey, Provolone, Olive Tapenade (Hot or Cold) Grilled Chicken, Romaine Lettuce, Caesar Dressing Grilled Chicken, Romaine Lettuce, Cilantro Yogurt Dip Turkey, Muenster Cheese, Hummus, Sprouts Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese, Cucumber, Dill Roast Beef, Swiss Cheese, Wasabi Mayo Corned Beef, Swiss Cheese, Coleslaw, Thousand Island Dressing Cannelini Bean Salad Goat Cheese, Pesto, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Pine Nuts, Olive Tapenade (Hot or Cold) Green (Pesto) eggs and Ham BLT with fresh Basil (Hot or Cold) Fresh Mozzarella, Basil, Tomatoes or Tomato Sauce (Hot or Cold) Leftover Beef, Chicken or Shrimp Fajitas or Stirfry (Hot or Cold) Turkey, Tomato, Herbed Spreadable Cheese, Baby Spinach (Hot or Cold) Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, Refried Beans Egg Salad and Baby Spinach Peanut Butter and SF Jelly (Hot or Cold) Cream Cheese flavored with some SF Torani strawberry Syrup and sliced banana (Hot or Cold) Peanut Butter and Mashed Banana (Hot or Cold) Here's a few of my latest creations. Check back I will be adding more to the list I'm sure. Tip: Not using your tortillas that quickly? You can freeze and then defrost them for later use. Just place them in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper between each.

Does anyone on this thread have a copy of this document that they could share? I think she's getting too many requests and no longer responding....(?) Anyone?

I'm using the Biochem Natural as well! Not big on the flavor but now that I'm getting ready for full liquids I can mix it up with something other than Water and experiment a bit. I've been living on All One Weight Loss Formula Cocoa. It has only 1 gram of sugar, and 100 calories but it's only 14g of Protein (but a lot of great Vitamins and minerals as well). However, it's so thin and easy tasting that I've been able to drink them 3-4 times a day and getting closer and closer to that protein requirement! I just bought GNC Pro Performance 100% Whey Unflavored but haven't tried it yet. I don't usually buy from GNC but I read great reviews on this product and it's 21 g protein / 2g sugar and 110 calories. I read that it mixes very well and tastes decent so I'll be using this and the Biochem to mix in with things for extra protein. Not sure if I mentioned the Soup in this thread but check out Pacific Natural Foods organic carton (like the soy milk cartons) soup (in most health food stores). My thin liquid stage got a LOT more interesting when I opened up the French Onion! Looking forward to Sunday (full liquids) to try the Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato and the Butternut Squash!

I'm exactly where you are.... Six days out and until today could barely get anything down and I feel sooooooo hungry I've been just focused on getting liquids down so I'm not dehydrated and now will try to focus on Protein. Everything tastes terrible! Even the sugar free popcycles make me want to hurl because of the artificial sweetner. All the protein powders I bought taste nasty, too. In the past, I could get anything down because I would put away a whole Protein shake in two drinks. Sipping is killing me and then it gets warm and gross.... This is a lot harder than I imagined it would be and I'm already dreaming of mushies!

I think some people actually care about educating people so that they have more power to be their own best health advocates. Thank God for Dr. Oz because people are starting to listen.

I would greatly appreciate a copy! Thanks!

It seems that the more weight you lose before surgery, the safer the procedure and easier recovery. I just had the surgery so I don't have a whole lot of helpful advice but here's a few thoughts that come to mind: -Start a journal. -Take daily Vitamins and eat whole foods to try to be in the best of health at time of surgery (try to go for no sugar / artificial ingredients or processed foods - maybe have one cheat day a week to keep you sane until pre-op diet starts). -Get 20 minutes of direct sun (if you can) between 10-2 PM in shorts/tshirt to optimize your vit D levels (most of us are seriously low). -Have your post-op liquids purchased in advance. -Purchase some weight loss surgery cookbooks (most people have much more luck finding them online than at stores). -Start doing the lung (deep breathing and coughing, ask your doctor for a spirometer thingy) and leg exercizes (stretching the foot at ankle forward and back to improve blood flow) well before surgery. -Take some good 'before' photos from different angles. BEST OF LUCK TO YOU!! This is a really wonderful site and will be extremely helpful for you before and after your life-changing surgery!

Check out this article on agave syrup: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/30/beware-of-the-agave-nectar-health-food.aspx Sorry I loved it, too.

I haven't done a lot of research on Truvia because I would much rather stick to the natural sweetners. At first I read that it is made from Stevia but this is some clever and very misleading marketing. It's actually made mostly from erythratrol and Rebiana (comes from Stevia leaf) is just ONE Of the ingredients. A red flag for me is that the third ingredient is 'natural flavors' which could mean almost anything.

Very happy to read this post! Mine has been in the 90s for the past two years and it scares me! I had a stress EKG (treadmill) before my surgery just to make sure I was okay and the cardiologist said everything is fine. He said that the high heart rate and the fact that my oxygen level drops a bit during exercize is not normal and that he may want me to have a CT Scan on my lungs to make sure I do not have a tumor. I did have breathing work up and a lung x-ray recently and all is well. I'm afraid it is because I was exposed long term to toxic mold in my home. I sure hope that the weight loss works some magic!

There are some really great HEALTHY sweetners! Stevia also comes in flavors so experiment a little before you write it off. You get used to it. Besides Stevia, there is: Lo Han or Liu Han (inulin) Feeds good bacteria in intestines (somewhat expensive but I've recently tried Dr. Mercola's New whey chocolate Protein bars and they were pretty damn tasty!) Yacon – Peruvian Tuber (FOS) Syrup: Amazing therapeutic properties. The body is not able to break it down as sugar and it passes through and then promotes the good bacteria in the intestines. Tastes like a cross between honey and molasses – a good, inexpensive brand is Amazon Therapeutic (brown glass jar and red label) sells for $16 for 16 oz jar (can probably find it cheaper on-line). I use this stuff a lot and I love it! I'm not a fan of honey or molasses but this stuff has a fantastic rich, sweet, taste. I use just a drop in my oatmeal and it tastes fantastic! Xylitol – Has antibacterial properties. You should always carry mints (look for Spry mints) or gum sweetened with this if you can’t brush after a meal. It’s being used more and more in foods and toothpastes and such! Very healthy and affordable! Erithratol (sp) is also antibacterial. This is a sugar alcohol so it can cause digestive upset if you eat too much. It tastes more like 'real' sugar than Splenda or any of the other artificial sweetners. You will have to do a little research to find which ones of these have high glycemic index. I know Erithratol is low but not sure about the others....

Funny, I like my CPAP! I have the nose pillows only and it forces me to keep my mouth closed (so no snoring) and I fall asleep in minutes with it and sleep great. I've had it about a year now and couldn't tolerate the larger masks but the nose pillows are great.

The Potential Dangers of Sucralose (Splenda) Posted By Dr. Mercola | December 03 2000 | 244,463 views Is Splenda Really As Safe As They Claim It to Be? As of 2006, only six human trials have been published on Splenda (sucralose). Of these six trials, only two of the trials were completed and published before the FDA approved sucralose for human consumption. The two published trials had a grand total of 36 total human subjects. 36 people sure doesn't sound like many, but wait, it gets worse, only 23 total were actually given sucralose for testing and here is the real killer: The longest trial at this time had lasted only four days and looked at sucralose in relation to tooth decay, not human tolerance. Why Do You Need to Know About Splenda? Splenda, best known for its marketing ploy, "made from sugar so it tastes like sugar," has taken the sweetener industry by storm. Splenda has become the nation's number one selling artificial sweetener in a very short period of time. Between 2000 and 2004, the percentage of US households using Splenda products jumped from 3 to 20 percent. In a one year period, Splenda sales topped $177 million compared with $62 million spent on aspartame-based Equal and $52 million on saccharin-based Sweet 'N Low. McNeil Nutritionals, in their marketing pitch for Splenda emphasizes that Splenda has endured some of the most rigorous testing to date for any food additive. Enough so to convince the average consumer that it is in fact safe. They claim that over 100 studies have been conducted on Splenda. What they don't tell you is that most of the studies are on animals. Additional Concerns About Splenda Studies There have been no long-term human toxicity studies published until after the FDA approved sucralose for human consumption. Following FDA approval a human toxicity trial was conducted, but lasted only three months, hardly the length of time most Splenda users plan to consume sucralose. No studies have ever been done on children or pregnant women. Much of the controversy surrounding Splenda does not focus just on its safety, but rather on its false advertising claims. The competition among sweeteners is anything but sweet. The sugar industry is currently suing McNeil Nutritionals for implying that Splenda is a natural form of sugar with no calories. Is It REALLY Sugar? There is no question that sucralose starts off as a sugar molecule, it is what goes on in the factory that is concerning. Sucralose is a synthetic chemical that was originally cooked up in a laboratory. In the five step patented process of making sucralose, three chlorine molecules are added to a sucrose or sugar molecule. A sucrose molecule is a disaccharide that contains two single sugars bound together; glucose and fructose. The chemical process to make sucralose alters the chemical composition of the sugar so much that it is somehow converted to a fructo-galactose molecule. This type of sugar molecule does not occur in nature and therefore your body does not possess the ability to properly metabolize it. As a result of this "unique" biochemical make-up, McNeil Nutritionals makes its claim that Splenda is not digested or metabolized by the body, making it have zero calories. It is not that Splenda is naturally zero calories. If your body had the capacity to metabolize it then it would no longer have zero calories. How Much Splenda is Left In Your Body After You Eat It? If you look at the research (which is primarily extrapolated form animal studies) you will see that in fact 15% of sucralose is absorbed into your digestive system and ultimately is stored in your body. To reach a number such as 15% means some people absorb more and some people absorb less. In one human study, one of the eight participants did not excrete any sucralose even after 3 days. Clearly his body was absorbing and metabolizing this chemical. That is what our bodies are supposed to do. The bottom line is that we all have our own unique biochemical make-up. Some of you will absorb and metabolize more than others. If you are healthy and your digestive system works well, you may be at higher risk for breaking down this product in your stomach and intestines. Please understand that it is impossible for the manufacturers of Splenda to make any guarantees based on their limited animal data. If you feel that Splenda affects you adversely, it is valid. Don"t let someone convince you that it is all in your head. You know your body better than anyone else. How to Determine if Splenda is Harming You The best way to determine if Splenda or sucralose is affecting you is to perform an elimination/challenge with it. First eliminate it and other artificial sweeteners from your diet completely for a period of one to two weeks. After this period reintroduce it in sufficient quantity. For example, use it in your beverage in the morning, and eat at least two sucralose containing products the remainder of the day. On this day, avoid other artificial sweeteners so that you are able to differentiate which one may be causing a problem for you. Do this for a period of one to three days. Take notice of how your body is feeling, particularly if it feels different than when you were artificial sweetener free. Splenda May Still Be Harming You If you complete the elimination/challenge trial described above and do not notice any changes then it appears you are able to tolerate Splenda acutely. However, please understand that you are not out of the woods yet. The entire issue of long-term safety has never been established. Let's look at the facts again: There have only been six human trials to date The longest trial lasted three months At LEAST 15% of Splenda is not excreted from your body in a timely manner Considering that Splenda bears more chemical similarity to DDT than it does to sugar, are you willing to bet your health on this data? Remember that fat soluble substances, such as DDT, can remain in your fat for decades and devastate your health. If the above facts don't concern because you believe the FDA would not ever allow a toxic substance into the market then read on. Do You Really Believe These People Are Going to Protect You? Please consider that the only organizations between you and potentially toxic side effects are the FDA and the manufacturers of sucralose (Tate & Lyle) and of Splenda (McNeil Nutritionals). The FDA has a long standing history of ineffective screening and rampant conflict of interests as demonstrated in their inability to identify Vioxx as too dangerous to be on the market. This mistake cost 55,000 people their lives. Now the point I want you to understand here, because it is really important, is that Splenda is not a drug and is only a food additive. As such the number of studies required to receive FDA approval is substantially less than drug. Vioxx had an order of magnitude of more comprehensive clinical trials than Splenda ever did, and despite this rigorous approval process it still killed 55,000 people. So, now you have the primary concerns I have about Splenda and the choices is yours. Read Splenda Horror Stories We have more people on our site that have reported adverse reaction to Splenda than were formally studied in the research submitted for FDA approval. It would seem this collection of data is in some ways superior to the data submitted to the FDA for Splenda approval. You can help us continue our Splenda research by supplying us with your own experience. If you or anyone you know have had an adverse reaction to Splenda or sucralose containing products please tell us your story. <A href="/sites/articles/archive/2000/12/03/sucralose-testimonials.aspx" s_oc="null"> Dr. Mercola's Comments: [/url] Don't let these large companies fool you. There is no magic alternative to sugar when it comes to sweeteners. You simply can not have your cake and eat it too when it comes to this area. It is far too early to tell, as not enough people have consumed this product to observe large numbers of adverse effects. However, I have had a number of patients in our Wellness Center who have had some severe migraines and even seizures possibly from consuming this product. My advice? AVOID Sucralose. I am fond of telling people that if something tastes sweet you probably should spit it out as it is not likely to be to good for you. This of course, is a humorous exaggeration, but for most people who struggle with chronic illness, it is likely to be a helpful guide. PLEASE note this article is being written in 2000. This is one of the first comprehensive clear investigative reports and warnings on sucralose on the Internet. Related Articles: Sucralose (Splenda®) U.S. Product List The Potential Dangers of Sucralose: Reader Testimonials The Dangers of Chlorine and Issues With Sucralose 12 Questions You Need to Have Answered Before You Eat Splenda Sources: Food and Drug Administration "Final Rule " for Sucralose, 21 CFR Part 172, Docket No. 87F-0086. Lord GH, Newberne PM. Renal mineralization -- a ubiquitous lesion in chronic rat studies. Food Chem Toxicol 1990 Jun;28:449-55. Labare MP, Alexander M. Microbial cometabolism of sucralose, a chlorinated disaccharide, in environmental samples. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 1994 Oct;42:173-8. Hunter BT. Sucralose. Consumers' Research Magazine, Oct90, Vol. 73 Issue 10, p8, 2p. Maudlin RK. FDA approves sucralose for expanded use. Modern Medicine, Oct99, Vol. 67 Issue 10, p57, 1/9p Sucralose -- a new artificial sweetener. Medical Letter on Drugs & Therapeutics, 07/03/98, Vol. 40, Issue 1030, p67, 2p. Q&A: Is newly FDA approved sweetener sucralose good for you? Executive Health's Good Health Report, Nov98, Vol. 35 Issue 2, p6, 1p, 1c. Gain B. FDA approves J&J Sweetener. Chemical Week, 04/15/98, Vol. 160 Issue 14, p27, 1/4p. Sucralose Toxicity Information Center Splenda Product Web Site Official Tate & Lyle Sucralose Web Site Endurance News, Issue 26.