BaileyBariatrics

Many of our patients enter the program with diabetes and pre-diabetes. The benefit of finding the “net” carbohydrate of a food serving is cutting back on the total amount of carbohydrates you consume, which can lead to better blood sugar control and some weight loss. “Net” carbs have also been listed on food labels as “impact carbs” or “effective carbs.” The food label can be a source of confusion, because there can be several types of carbohydrates listed under the total carbohydrates. Fiber and half the sugar alcohols can be subtracted from the total fiber to calculate “net” carbs. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that our bodies don’t absorb and doesn’t raise blood sugars. Fiber is in plant foods (grains, beans, fruits and vegetables,) helps with digestion and leads to feeling fuller longer. Sugar alcohols are still part of the carbohydrate world, but don’t raise blood sugars as much as other carbohydrates like sugars and starches. Sugar alcohols are used to help a food product taste sweet with less ability to raise blood sugars. Sugar alcohols can be found in the ingredient list and may include sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, isomalt, erythritol, glycerol (can also be listed as glycerine,) hydrogenated starch, maltitol, lactitol or other ingredients that end in –ol. Be aware that sugar alcohols still have calories. Consuming too many sugar alcohols at a time can also lead to bloating and diarrhea. Click here for an explanation about how to calculate the net carbs from a high fiber food item. Click here for an explanation about how to calculate the net carbs for foods containing sugar alcohols. Keep in mind that the FDA has not approved a definition of net carbs. Your dietitian will work with you to find a carbohydrate goal to help you keep your blood sugars in better control and to start losing weight.

Non-perishable protein foods are ideal to stock up at work, home, in your purse or backpack or in your car. Keep a clean shaker cup and single serve size of protein powder handy. All you need is water to mix. Keeping a ready to drink protein shake handy can be an easier alternative. All you need is to open and sip or find a cup of ice to pour the drink into. Small cans of tuna or chicken can be open and eaten right out of the can. There are also tuna and chicken salad kits that you can keep stocked at home or work. Softer meat sticks or meat jerky can be stashed in a desk drawer or locker at work. Brands include Ostrim (available at Owasso Nutrition Plus by Fit for her in Owasso or online) and Kratos High Protein Beef Bars (currently at Reasors). For meat sticks, find ones that have four grams of fat or less and at least seven grams of protein per ounce. High protein Quest chips make for a crunchy snack that can be stashed. These are currently available at GNC stores. Nuts deliver protein and healthy fat. Make sure you measure out the nuts, because that healthy fat leads to higher calories. One ounce of nuts is about ¼ cup. Measure this into snack size baggies or find the 100-calorie packs of nuts. Eating out of the container can lead to overeating. Protein bars are also great ways to get in some protein. Look for protein bars with more protein than carbohydrate like Pure Protein or Premier Protein. If you are driving about town, you can get protein bars and protein drinks at convenience stores like Quik Trip and Kum & Go. You can also stop at a grocery store and buy string cheese, light yogurt or an Oscar Meyer P3 snack pack. Keep a stash of plastic spoons in your car for eating yogurt. Time to stock up on emergency proteins!

News about nutrition and health seems to be about grabbing your attention with a splashy headline or sound bite. That headline or sound bite may be based on a single and simple statement from a recently published study. What details are missing from the headline or sound bite? The missing details often missing include information about how many people were in the study, who was studied (gender, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic level, education level, genetics), how did researchers pick the people to study, how long did the study last, what type of study was conducted, was the study done on humans or lab rats, what question was being studied, were the subjects paid or did they volunteer, who paid for the study and what statistical method was used to evaluate the data. National nutrition and health recommendations are made when a lot of studies agree with each other. How can you figure out if the science is valid or junk science? The Food and Nutrition Science Alliance (FANSA) developed the ”Ten Red Flags of Junk Science” to help you recognized misinformation about nutrition and health. FANSA is a partnership between the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Society of Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Food Technologists and the American Society for Nutritional Sciences. The red flags are: 1. Recommendations that promise a quick fix. 2. Dire warning of danger from a single product or regimen. 3. Claims that sound too good to be true. 4. Simple conclusions drawn from a complex scientific study. 5. Recommendations based on a single study. 6. Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific a. organizations. 7. Lists of “good” and “bad” foods. 8. Recommendations made to help sell a product. 9. Recommendations on studies published without peer review. 10. Recommendations from studies that ignore difficulties among individuals or groups. Next time you hear some nutrition or health information, ask “where’s the proof?” You might get a surprised reaction from somebody trying to sell you something.

The missing details often missing include information about how many people were in the study, who was studied (gender, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic level, education level, genetics), how did researchers pick the people to study, how long did the study last, what type of study was conducted, was the study done on humans or lab rats, what question was being studied, were the subjects paid or did they volunteer, who paid for the study and what statistical method was used to evaluate the data. National nutrition and health recommendations are made when a lot of studies agree with each other. How can you figure out if the science is valid or junk science? The Food and Nutrition Science Alliance (FANSA) developed the ”Ten Red Flags of Junk Science” to help you recognized misinformation about nutrition and health. FANSA is a partnership between the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Society of Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Food Technologists and the American Society for Nutritional Sciences. The red flags are: 1. Recommendations that promise a quick fix. 2. Dire warning of danger from a single product or regimen. 3. Claims that sound too good to be true. 4. Simple conclusions drawn from a complex scientific study. 5. Recommendations based on a single study. 6. Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific a. organizations. 7. Lists of “good” and “bad” foods. 8. Recommendations made to help sell a product. 9. Recommendations on studies published without peer review. 10. Recommendations from studies that ignore difficulties among individuals or groups. Next time you hear some nutrition or health information, ask “where’s the proof?” You might get a surprised reaction from somebody trying to sell you something.

Americans spend a lot of money on eating out. It’s part of the how we live in our busy lives. Having bariatric surgery doesn’t mean you have to give up going out to eat. Having bariatric surgery means you have to be smart about eating out. Americans spend a lot of money on eating out. It’s part of the how we live in our busy lives. Having bariatric surgery doesn’t mean you have to give up going out to eat. Having bariatric surgery means you have to be smart about eating out. Plan ahead for what you will choose in the restaurant. Keep in mind what eating phase you are in and order what foods you can have. At times, a menu can overwhelm you if there are too many choices. If there is a menu online, review that before going the restaurant and see what choices are available. Write down a few choices on an index card and carry with you to the restaurant. Order from your card, not the menu. If you can’t find an appropriate and safe choice, ask the server for what you need. If the restaurant can’t make something you can have, then you need to avoid that restaurant. Consider splitting a meal.This will help reduce the portions and the cost of the meal.You may be charged a plate fee, but the overall cost of the meal will be less.You can also ask for a to-go box when the server puts your food in front of you. Pack up the food immediately, which can prevent you from overeating. This food can be used for another meal. Focus on the people around the table, not the food. You will eventually be able to find pleasure in eating out after surgery. Take the time to plan what you can eat. It’s the smart thing to do!

A fair number of bariatric patients end up with lactose intolerance after surgery. Lactose is the sugar found in milk. During the rapid weight loss phase, you do lose some muscle mass. The digestive system is a muscle. When the digestive system loses a little of its muscle mass, it loses the ability to digest lactose, because we quit producing lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose. Lactose is the type of sugar found in milk. Fluid milk and foods made from this can contain lactose. Examples of these kinds of foods include ice cream, a glass of milk, instant hot cocoa and pudding.Yogurt and cheese go through a fermentation process that actually breaks down some of the lactose. That’s why people with lactose intolerance can eat some yogurt and cheese. Lactose can also be found in milk based protein supplements whether it’s the ready to drink or the protein powders. Milk based protein supplements will have the words whey, casein or milk in the ingredient list. Some protein supplements will actually state “Lactose Free” on the label. Lactose can also be found in a protein product when the milk-based protein is from a “concentrate” form of whey, casein or milk. The protein is the concentrated form of whey, casein or milk. However, the protein is not isolated from the lactose. For example, whey protein isolate may have up to 1 percent of its weight as lactose. Whey concentrate may have up to 52 percent of its weight as lactose. You can look at the Nutrition Facts Label to see if the protein product you choose has any sugar in it. If a type of milk or milk protein is listed on the ingredients, it could mean there is some lactose. A product that has 2 grams of sugar or less per serving are often safe to drink. If you are lactose intolerance, you’ve now got information to start looking for lactose in all the right places.

Americans spend a lot of money on eating out. It’s part of the how we live in our busy lives. Having bariatric surgery doesn’t mean you have to give up going out to eat. Having bariatric surgery means you have to be smart about eating out. Plan ahead for what you will choose in the restaurant. Keep in mind what eating phase you are in and order what foods you can have. At times, a menu can overwhelm you if there are too many choices. If there is a menu online, review that before going the restaurant and see what choices are available. Write down a few choices on an index card and carry with you to the restaurant. Order from your card, not the menu. If you can’t find an appropriate and safe choice, ask the server for what you need. If the restaurant can’t make something you can have, then you need to avoid that restaurant. Consider splitting a meal.This will help reduce the portions and the cost of the meal.You may be charged a plate fee, but the overall cost of the meal will be less.You can also ask for a to-go box when the server puts your food in front of you. Pack up the food immediately, which can prevent you from overeating. This food can be used for another meal. Focus on the people around the table, not the food. You will eventually be able to find pleasure in eating out after surgery. Take the time to plan what you can eat. It’s the smart thing to do!

Recently, I was reading the back of a Special K® Protein cereal box and saw a statement that lack of sleep can increase the feeling of hunger by 25 percent. Since I’m in a profession that is science based, I did some research on the National Library of Medicine website to verify this. Recently, I was reading the back of a Special K® Protein cereal box and saw a statement that lack of sleep can increase the feeling of hunger by 25 percent. Since I’m in a profession that is science based, I did some research on the National Library of Medicine website to verify this. I didn’t find the study that supported detailed that 25 percent increase in hunger when you don’t sleep enough. However, there were several areas where researchers are linking poor sleep and weight gain. If you are tired, you usually don’t feel like exercising. You move less, so you burn fewer calories. Being tired makes you more likely to choose a food like cake instead of salad. There were a couple of studies that did find an increase in ghrelin after poor sleep. Ghrelin is the gut hormone that makes you hungry. Sounds like the perfect storm for weight gain, right? You produce less ghrelin after surgery, which leads to less food intake. Part of weight loss after surgery is that you produce less ghrelin, which leads to less food intake. If eating more healthfully is a challenge for you, it may be that you need to start with better sleeping habits. By the way, that Special K protein cereal is a great add-in to light Greek yogurt. This is a great snack before surgery and about two months after surgery. Happy Zzzz’s!

Recently, I was reading the back of a Special K® Protein cereal box and saw a statement that lack of sleep can increase the feeling of hunger by 25 percent. Since I’m in a profession that is science based, I did some research on the National Library of Medicine website to verify this. I didn’t find the study that supported detailed that 25 percent increase in hunger when you don’t sleep enough. However, there were several areas where researchers are linking poor sleep and weight gain. If you are tired, you usually don’t feel like exercising. You move less, so you burn fewer calories. Being tired makes you more likely to choose a food like cake instead of salad. There were a couple of studies that did find an increase in ghrelin after poor sleep. Ghrelin is the gut hormone that makes you hungry. Sounds like the perfect storm for weight gain, right? You produce less ghrelin after surgery, which leads to less food intake. Part of weight loss after surgery is that you produce less ghrelin, which leads to less food intake. If eating more healthfully is a challenge for you, it may be that you need to start with better sleeping habits. By the way, that Special K protein cereal is a great add-in to light Greek yogurt. This is a great snack before surgery and about two months after surgery. Happy Zzzz’s!

Did you have to clean your plate when you were a kid? Most of our patients enter the program with a history of having to clean their plate during childhood. This habit often follows you into your adult life. This is your learned fullness. Think about how full you feel after a meal. If you often feel too full or stuffed, then you’ve learned to overeat. After surgery, you don’t have room to overeat even a teaspoon too much. Finding your natural fullness requires that you take the time to slow down your eating and chew well. Natural fullness is when you feel comfortably full and satisfied with the amount that you ate. You realize that a couple more bites would leave you feeling a little overfull. It takes about 20 minutes of eating before your brain recognizes that your stomach is full. By slowing down and chewing to applesauce, you will be able to feel fullness on less food. Weight loss and better digestive health are benefits of practicing the skills that help you recognize your natural fullness. This skill is covered with our patients during their first appointment with the dietitian. Learning to slow down and chew well will cost you some time and frustration, but the payoff will help you stay safe with your eating after surgery.

Thank you, FloraBama for sharing your experience. Keep on trying and working on your health. We are all works in progress and if you can resume a relationship with your bariatric program to see what other things you can work on to achieve a healthier weight would be wonderful. -Rene

Feeling fullness after surgery is quite a new experience. Patients who have had surgery share with pre-surgery patients that “you will know” when you are full after surgery. Fullness changes after surgery. There are several ways that you might “feel” fullness. Some of our patients hiccup, sneeze or quickly sigh to indicate they need to stop eating. You may also feel fullness or pressure right below the rib cage, food may quickly lose its taste or you might have some nausea or heart burn. Post-surgery patients have also shared that they sometimes had to learn when to stop eating before they felt full, otherwise they will be overfull. Learning your own full signal may take a few tries, but you will quickly figure it out.

Thank you, Kate for sharing your experience. You're on the right step towards a healthier life and making those important changes! Best of luck, Rene.

Think about how full you feel after a meal. If you often feel too full or stuffed, then you’ve learned to overeat. After surgery, you don’t have room to overeat even a teaspoon too much. Finding your natural fullness requires that you take the time to slow down your eating and chew well. Natural fullness is when you feel comfortably full and satisfied with the amount that you ate. You realize that a couple more bites would leave you feeling a little overfull. It takes about 20 minutes of eating before your brain recognizes that your stomach is full. By slowing down and chewing to applesauce, you will be able to feel fullness on less food. Weight loss and better digestive health are benefits of practicing the skills that help you recognize your natural fullness. This skill is covered with our patients during their first appointment with the dietitian. Learning to slow down and chew well will cost you some time and frustration, but the payoff will help you stay safe with your eating after surgery.

Breakfast means breaking the fast. If you fast too long, your body starts breaking down muscle mass for energy. A common meal pattern seen with new patients is skipping breakfast. The most common reasons include lack of time and not being hungry. Once a patient starts eating breakfast, the lament is “I’m so hungry about an hour after breakfast!” You are likely experiencing physiological hunger. If you go too long without eating, your body will start breaking down your muscle to convert to blood sugars. When you lose muscle mass, you burn fewer calories. Your muscle mass is like the idle on a car. When the idle is set high, the engine burns more energy. When the idle is set low, the engine needs less energy to run. Good muscle health is like having a higher idle set point for your body. Skipping breakfast to lose weight backfires for two reasons. The first problem is that you lose muscle mass, which decreases your ability to burn calories. The second problem is that you will get too hungry by the next meal which leads to overeating. Eating too many calories at one time leads to storing fat. Research shows that starting your day with a high protein meal leads to eating fewer calories throughout the day. A high protein breakfast can be eggs, light Greek style yogurt, low fat or fat free cottage cheese, string cheese or other low fat cheese, a high protein shake or high protein cereal like Special K Protein or Kashi Go Lean with skim or low fat milk. Start eating a high protein breakfast within an hour after waking to get your metabolism started.

A common meal pattern seen with new patients is skipping breakfast. The most common reasons include lack of time and not being hungry. Once a patient starts eating breakfast, the lament is “I’m so hungry about an hour after breakfast!” You are likely experiencing physiological hunger. If you go too long without eating, your body will start breaking down your muscle to convert to blood sugars. When you lose muscle mass, you burn fewer calories. Your muscle mass is like the idle on a car. When the idle is set high, the engine burns more energy. When the idle is set low, the engine needs less energy to run. Good muscle health is like having a higher idle set point for your body. Skipping breakfast to lose weight backfires for two reasons. The first problem is that you lose muscle mass, which decreases your ability to burn calories. The second problem is that you will get too hungry by the next meal which leads to overeating. Eating too many calories at one time leads to storing fat. Research shows that starting your day with a high protein meal leads to eating fewer calories throughout the day. A high protein breakfast can be eggs, light Greek style yogurt, low fat or fat free cottage cheese, string cheese or other low fat cheese, a high protein shake or high protein cereal like Special K Protein or Kashi Go Lean with skim or low fat milk. Start eating a high protein breakfast within an hour after waking to get your metabolism started.

Celebrating St. Patrick’s day is a sign that spring is around the corner and warmer weather is ahead. In Oklahoma, however, we know that cool weather will hang around for a while. This is a great week to make the last stew of the season. Irish Stew is a traditional Irish dish, but can sometimes be high in fat and calories if the recipe doesn’t call for lean beef. You can click on this link for a recipe that uses lean beef and limits added fats. For bariatric patients, cut the potatoes in half and you’ll have a healthy balance of the protein and carbohydrates for a meal. The meat is cooked in broth, which makes it tender. This recipe can be used by patients that haven’t started the pre-surgery liquid diet or those that are six months past surgery. When contemplating your nutrition, keep in mind this Irish proverb: A handful of skill is better than a bagful of gold. Practicing your skills will lead to better health, which is as good as a bagful of gold.

Irish Stew is a traditional Irish dish, but can sometimes be high in fat and calories if the recipe doesn’t call for lean beef. You can click on this link for a recipe that uses lean beef and limits added fats. For bariatric patients, cut the potatoes in half and you’ll have a healthy balance of the protein and carbohydrates for a meal. The meat is cooked in broth, which makes it tender. This recipe can be used by patients that haven’t started the pre-surgery liquid diet or those that are six months past surgery. When contemplating your nutrition, keep in mind this Irish proverb: A handful of skill is better than a bagful of gold. Practicing your skills will lead to better health, which is as good as a bagful of gold.

Right after surgery, it’s a struggle to just get enough water, much less think about getting back on your multi-supplement. Remember to choose a chewable or liquid multi-supplement after surgery. Your stomach pouch is now much smaller due to being surgically altered and swelling that happens after surgery. A solid tablet will not break down very well or move through your new stomach pouch. Right after surgery, it’s a struggle to just get enough water, much less think about getting back on your multi-supplement. Remember to choose a chewable or liquid multi-supplement after surgery. Your stomach pouch is now much smaller due to being surgically altered and swelling that happens after surgery. A solid tablet will not break down very well or move through your new stomach pouch. We encourage you to start your multi-supplement as soon as you can tolerate them. Sometimes, a full dose of your multi-supplement is more than your stomach pouch may be able to handle due to the concentration of nutrients. Consider starting with a partial dose. If your liquid supplement serving is 1 tablespoon, try 1 teaspoon instead. Dilute the liquid multi-supplement in water or other clear liquid you are drinking. If you chose a chewable multi-supplement, break that into 2 or 3 pieces and start with one of the smaller pieces. Gradually increase this to a full dose. You need to push yourself to get adequate nutrition, but not so much that you start throwing everything up. By taking baby steps in your nutrition, you will eventually be able get in all your nutrition.

In reply to your question, @@imsoglad56, Too many caffeinated beverages can lead to a diuretic action, meaning you may lose more Water than you take in. If you tea is occasional and your hydration status is good, then you can count that towards your fluids. It’s when patients caffeine on a daily basis and in large amounts. The threshold for too much caffeine is 300 mg per day. Keep in mind, both de-caf and regular tea have tannins, which will block Iron absorption. Thanks for your question.

True or False: You can let thirst be your guide for getting in fluids. True or False: You can let thirst be your guide for getting in fluids. False. If you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Sometimes we think we are hungry when it’s really thirst that is getting your attention. Water is the most essential nutrient humans need, meaning you can’t go very long without enough water. Water helps regulate body temperature, keeps blood volume up to transport nutrients into cells, allows waste products to be excreted, keeps blood pressure in healthier ranges, aids with digestion, helps prevent fatigue and keeps your mental function in good order. Unless you take a diuretic (water pill), you can use your urine color to evaluate hydration. If your urine color is clear or pale yellow, you are hydrated. After surgery, it’s a real struggle to get in enough water. Looking for all sources of water is important after surgery. Keeping a water bottle with you at all times is an important strategy to keep hydrated. You can count fluids that don’t have caffeine, calories or carbonation towards your water intake. The no-calorie flavor powders and drops can be used if plain water gets boring. All those protein drinks you have contain mostly water. Count 80 percent of your protein drinks as water. Clear liquids count as well. Clear liquids include broth, sugar free gelatin and sugar free popsicles you focus on during the clear liquid diet phases before and after surgery. You have a limited stomach pouch after surgery. This means your foods and fluids after surgery have to become nutrient dense, which means you need to pack in a lot of nutrition in a small volume. Hydration is a habit of very high importance. Remember, if you think you are hungry, it might be hydration that needs to be handled.

True or False: You can let thirst be your guide for getting in fluids. False. If you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Sometimes we think we are hungry when it’s really thirst that is getting your attention. Water is the most essential nutrient humans need, meaning you can’t go very long without enough water. Water helps regulate body temperature, keeps blood volume up to transport nutrients into cells, allows waste products to be excreted, keeps blood pressure in healthier ranges, aids with digestion, helps prevent fatigue and keeps your mental function in good order. Unless you take a diuretic (water pill), you can use your urine color to evaluate hydration. If your urine color is clear or pale yellow, you are hydrated. After surgery, it’s a real struggle to get in enough water. Looking for all sources of water is important after surgery. Keeping a water bottle with you at all times is an important strategy to keep hydrated. You can count fluids that don’t have caffeine, calories or carbonation towards your water intake. The no-calorie flavor powders and drops can be used if plain water gets boring. All those protein drinks you have contain mostly water. Count 80 percent of your protein drinks as water. Clear liquids count as well. Clear liquids include broth, sugar free gelatin and sugar free popsicles you focus on during the clear liquid diet phases before and after surgery. You have a limited stomach pouch after surgery. This means your foods and fluids after surgery have to become nutrient dense, which means you need to pack in a lot of nutrition in a small volume. Hydration is a habit of very high importance. Remember, if you think you are hungry, it might be hydration that needs to be handled.

Sugar Blues Part 1 highlighted the poor health consequences that can result from consuming too much sugar. A list of words that also mean “sugar” was provided. Remember that naturally occurring sugars are in fruit and milk/dairy foods. When you read the Nutrition Facts Label, the sugars will be listed under the carbohydrates. To find out how to compare products to better understand added sugars, click on Natural vs. Added Sugars. Use the chart on the second page as a guide to compare products.The chart compares applesauce and Greek style yogurt. You will see the products with only naturally occurring sugars, products with added sugars and “light” versions of the product. You will also see that the product with the most amount of sugar has the most calories.The front part of the food label usually doesn’t have any clues that the product can have a lot of added sugars. You must be a detective and investigate the Nutrition Facts Label and the ingredients list. Start your sugar hunt by using foods and beverages in your pantry or fridge to discover where added sugars are lurking in your food choices. Like any hunting expedition, it will take some time and practice to find the healthiest products to use on your journey towards health. Sugar Comparison Chart We are born with a preference for sweet tastes. However, sugar carries calories without any fiber, vitamins or minerals. Sugar is basically empty calories. For bariatric patients, too much sugar can lead to dumping. Natural Sugars vs Added Sugars Naturally occurring sugars are in fruits (fructose) and milk and dairy (lactose). The current Nutrition Facts label doesn’t tell us the difference. A teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams of sugar. If you drink a 12 oz. can of regular pop or 12 ounces regular fruit juice, that means you’ve consumed 40 grams of sugar. This translates to 10 teaspoons of sugar. That’s almost 1/4 cup of sugar! Other names for sugar When you read the ingredient list, look for words like syrup (corn, high fructose, maple, pancake, maltose), corn syrup solids, agave, molasses, beet sugar, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, invert sugar, cane juice, fruit juice, fruit juice concentrate, nectar (peach, apricot, pear), powdered or confectioner’s sugar, raw sugar, maple sugar, date sugar, malted barley, honey and anything ending in “–ose” (maltose, dextrose, glucose, fructose). These are all types of sugar. When you see these words in the ingredient list, look for foods that have sugar listed after the 3rd or 4th ingredient. When you see several sugar ingredients, look at the total amount sugar. Decide if it’s worth it to eat that food. Sugar alcohols These have less impact on your blood sugars. They are more slowly digested than sugar. Sugar alcohols have anywhere from 2 to 4 calories per gram. If your weight loss stalls, check to see if your “sugar free” foods have high amounts of sugar alcohols. You may be getting more calories than you think. Caution…eating too many sugar alcohols can laxative effect! Alternative Sweeteners Artificial sweeteners include Splenda (sucralose), Sweet ‘N Low (saccharin), NutraSweet (aspartame), Sweet One (acesulfame potassium) and Neotame. Stevia is extracted from the stevia plant and is considered a natural sweetener. Monkfruit is extracted from the monkfruit and is considered a natural sweetener. Natural vs. Added Sugars: Comparison Chart How do I find the amount of added sugars in a food? One way to find out what the added sugars are is to compare similar products. Comparisons of applesauce and Greek yogurt are detailed below. The order of appearance is the unsweetened, sweetened and light or low sugar version. Use this chart to compare other products you might choose. Remember that natural sugars are in milk/dairy and fruit. Is all that sugar worth it?

Our goal is to help patients transition as quickly and safely as possible to more solid foods. A common report from our patients is that it only takes a small bite or two of solid food to feel full. That’s the point. You will feel more fullness with more solid foods. That is surprising after being on liquid and soft sources of protein for so long. Our goal is to help patients transition as quickly and safely as possible to more solid foods. A common report from our patients is that it only takes a small bite or two of solid food to feel full. That’s the point. You will feel more fullness with more solid foods. That is surprising after being on liquid and soft sources of protein for so long. Solid foods stay with you longer, which is another way of controlling calories as you transition to more solid food. Try a new food per day. Start with a soft version before moving to a more solid version. For instance, try a meatball made with ground turkey breast before you eat a slice of turkey breast. Try that same food for two to three days before you put in on your “safe” or “tolerated” food list. And always… chew, chew, chew to applesauce consistency.

...is not always a bargain. For bariatric patients, keep in mind your tastes will change after surgery. You are going through a lot of biochemical and hormonal changes that affect taste and how your sense aromas. When you buy protein powders or ready to drink shakes, keep in mind when you may be going to surgery. There may be a flavor you love before surgery, but can’t tolerate after surgery. Check the store’s return policy if you decide to buy in bulk. You may able to return a protein product if unopened or you find you can’t tolerate it. Several protein powders are available in sample packs to have on hand. For multi-supplements, we ask you to use a chewable, liquid or powder form for a few months after surgery. Did you buy a 6-month supply of a multi-supplement in tablet form? If you have surgery before your 6-month supply runs out and money is tight, you can crush the tablet to powder form and add to protein drinks or soft foods like light yogurt when you can have them after surgery. Keep in your changing taste buds when you start stocking up your bariatric pantry.