Grocery Shopping Guide

At support group last week, our topic of discussion was grocery shopping after bariatric surgery. We had a great turnout, but for those of you who missed it, here is the information we covered.

On a normal grocery shopping trip, our goals are to be efficient, maximize savings and make healthy choices. This can be tricky with the rising cost of food today. Start by planning your grocery list ahead of time. It’s important to check on what you already have in the fridge and the pantry that you need to use and to check the sale papers to see what healthy items are currently at a discount. Use these items to plan your meals and then write out your grocery list based on what you need. It’s also a good idea to organize your list by the way the store is laid out. Take the list with you and only buy what you had planned. Try to get to the grocery store when it is least crowded.

Checking sale papers and using up what foods you already have are the first steps to saving at the grocery store. You can also clip coupons to use and buy in the larger packages to then make your own smaller sized food portions. You’ll find that the fresh produce is usually cheaper when it is in season. If you need something that is not in season, try the frozen or canned.

Limit your purchases of expensive items like soda, chips, cereal, cookies, crackers. These are not healthy for your body or your wallet! Try to make most of your shopping around the perimeter of the store where you find fresh produce, meats, fish, and dairy. Buying produce in the least processed form is usually the least expensive (ex. a head of lettuce vs. bagged lettuce).

In order to make your economical choices healthier, make sure you are reading labels. Look for whole wheat/whole grains for higher fiber, lower salt and lower fat items. A low fat food has less than 3 grams of fat per 100 calories. Choose no sugar added or unsweetened. Remember, “low-fat,” “light,” and “sugar free” does not always mean low calorie or healthy. Also, don’t be fooled by popular terms like: organic, natural, “energy” etc. This does not guarantee a healthy food item.

We also discussed some inexpensive protein foods. The top 5 were:

1. Cottage cheese (80 cents per serving) 11 grams protein

1. Canned tuna (44 cents per serving) 11 grams protein

1. Canned beans (39 cents per serving) 7 grams protein + 7 grams fiber

1. High protein pasta (Barilla Plus) (34 cents per serving) 10 grams protein

1. Eggs (22 cents per egg) 7 grams protein

Please email me at mjfarley@lexhealth.org for any questions.

Hope you can join us at support group next month, Tuesday June 5, at 6 pm in the Lexington Medical Park 1 Auditorium!

Take your Vitamins!

Shortly after bariatric surgery people are usually compliant with their vitamin and mineral supplements. However, long term, this compliance decreases. This is when deficiencies are more likely to occur. Before surgery, you may have stores of vitamins/minerals that last for a while before you start showing signs of deficiencies. Now why are people more likely to stop taking supplements down the road? Have they not created a good habit? Are they feeling confident in what they are doing and don’t see the need? Do they dislike their vitamin? Are the vitamins too expensive? All of these factors likely contribute to most of the instances where patients stop taking vitamins.

Maybe you are one of those people who has stopped taking their vitamins. Perhaps you forgot for a few days while out of town and got out of the habit. Maybe you ran out of the expensive ones that you ordered online and never got around to buying any others. Whatever the reason, none of them are good excuses for not taking your vitamins.

Multivitamin and mineral supplementation is essential after bariatric surgery. With some surgeries, your body physically can’t absorb vitamins as well so you have to take higher doses, just to absorb enough. With all surgeries, the amount of food you are eating will never be able to supply all of the vitamins and minerals that you need.

There are many different signs and symptoms of deficiencies, but most are not noticeable until you are severely deficient. Symptoms include: hair loss, fatigue, leg swelling, bone pain, brittle nails, vision changes, poor wound healing, easy bruising, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet. Deficiencies can also make it more difficult to lose and maintain weight loss long term.

Do you remember the recommendations for vitamins after your surgery?

Gastric Bypass Surgery:

-        Chewable Complete Multivitamin/Mineral Supplement (2 per day)

-        Iron 18 mg/day (if not included in multivitamin)

-        B-Complex Vitamin

-        Women should also take 1200 mg Calcium Citrate and 800 IU Vitamin D3

Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery:

-        Chewable Complete Multivitamin/Mineral Supplement

-        Iron 18 mg/day (if not included in multivitamin)

-        B-Complex Vitamin

-        Women should also take 1200 mg Calcium Citrate and 800 IU Vitamin D3

Adjustable Gastric Banding Surgery:

-        Chewable Complete Multivitamin/Mineral Supplement (2 per day)

-        Women should also take 1200 mg Calcium Citrate and 800 IU Vitamin D3

For more information on vitamins http://scobesity.squarespace.com/nutritional-counseling/ or contact your dietitian if you have questions at 803-791-2828. Or you can email me at mjfarley@lexhealth.org .

New Financing Options Available

Spread the word: SC Obesity has exciting news in regards to self pay options!! We have partnered with Advance Care, a health care finance company, to assist patients in paying for Weight Loss Surgery.

The qualifying process, funds transfers, and repayment are all handled directly with Advance Care. Our financial counselor, Marva Hazel, can provide you with a brochure filled with information on how to contact Advance Care and their hours of operation.  Their user friendly website can be accessed at www.advancecarecard.com.

Advance Care offers interest free financing, instant approvals, generous credit limits and no prepayment penalty.

We are truly excited to be able to provide this financing option to patients who have plan exclusions, limited coverage or no insurance coverage to help them achieve a better quality of life through Weight Loss Surgery. Please contact Marva Hazel for financial information to assist you with your application at 803-791-2828.

Spring Into Nutrition!

Spring is about renewal. If you made a new year’s resolution to be healthier, now is the time to renew this goal.  What better way to boost your health than to try to eat more vegetables? Spring is a perfect time to try some new veggies in new ways. March is also a great time to be thinking about nutrition since it is National Nutrition Month.  So spring into nutrition with some veggie filled spring rolls! (see recipe below)

 

Baked “Spring” Rolls

1 12-oz pkg broccoli slaw

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp ginger

1 lb cooked chicken, finely shredded or chopped

4 tsp cornstarch

1 tbsp water

3 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 pinch cayenne pepper

20 egg roll wrappers

Directions

1. Coat a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray; add the first three ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add chicken; heat through.

2. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, water, soy sauce, oil, and cayenne until smooth; stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes; remove from the heat.

3. Spoon 2 tbsp of chicken mixture on the bottom third of one egg roll wrapper; fold sides toward center and roll tightly. Place seam side down on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

4. Spray tops of egg rolls with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. May be individually frozen, then reheated to serve.

 Nutrition Info:

1 roll = 96 calories, 1 g fat, 16 g carbs, 7 g protein

Questions or comments? Contact me at mjfarley@lexhealth.org

Weight Loss: Not a solo act.

            A recent study showed that people participating in team weight loss competitions lost more weight than those trying to lose weight on their own. People who lost the most gave credit to their team members for encouragement and keeping them on track. Many employers offer programs like this periodically, which makes the process more fun and can offer some additional motivation.

            We often see spouses of our patients losing weight as the patient loses weight. Maybe the spouse makes healthier choices so as not to tempt the patient or maybe the patient makes healthier decisions overall for the family. Either way, this can be beneficial for the entire family.  Many people find new ways to do physical activity and this becomes a fun family outing that brings them together.

The healthy lifestyles choices that one person makes can influence many individuals. If you are trying to eat healthier and bring a healthy option to a potluck, you may be surprised at the number of people who would prefer to have that than some of the traditional, diet-busting choices. So many people in America are trying to lose weight that it is more often the norm to be “on a diet” than not.

            After bariatric surgery there are guidelines and recommendations to help you be successful which may seem “diet-like,” but the ultimate goal is to internalize these changes to make a lifetime commitment to being healthier. Making this commitment is difficult if you do not have any support. If you are the one preparing the food for the family and you make one meal for yourself and a different one for your spouse or children, how long can that really go on? Having the commitment for a healthier lifestyle from your family is essential to lifetime success. 

            Support can come from anywhere. Having friends or coworkers who are living healthy can make you more likely to live healthy as well. Our program offers a monthly support group where you can meet other patients and learn and share with them.  So surround yourself with positive, healthy people and you can become more healthy and positive. Share your success!

Questions or comments? Contact me at mjfarley@lexhealth.org.