Community Forum

May 2012 Newsletter, Part 3. Recipes

2012-05-03T11:53:37Z

Recipes

Every-Veggie Coleslaw

Nutrition
Serves: 8-10 Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Each serving has:
Calories: 35 Protein: 1g Carbohydrates: 3g
Fiber: 1g
Fat: 1.5g
Sat. Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 55mg

Ingredients
• 1/4 cup light or fat-free mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp plain, fat-free yogurt
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar?
• 2 Tbsp Splenda
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground dry mustard?
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 Tbsp fresh grated onion (just grate a
white or yellow onion until you get about 1
Tbsp of juice….it’s that simple!)
• fresh ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 cup pre-bagged coleslaw mixture
• 1 cup broccoli slaw or Rainbow salad (a
mix of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and red
cabbage)
• 1 cup finely sliced bell pepper (any color
will do!)
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine mayo, plain yogurt, vinegar, Splenda, celery seed, salt, dry mustard, paprika and fresh grated onion, whisking to combine. Add coleslaw, broccoli slaw and chopped peppers, tossing to coat. Add black pepper to taste. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or until ready to serve.

________________________________________

Asiago Chicken Salad

Nutrition:
Serves: about 6 Serving
Size: 4 oz
Each serving has:
Calories: 130 Protein: 18g Carbohydrates: 2g Fiber: 0g
Fat: 5g
Sat. Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 5mg Sodium: 170mg

Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked
• 1/3 cup light or fat-free mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup shredded Asiago cheese
• 2 tsp adobo sauce (from chipotles in adobo
sauce; find it canned and in the ethnic aisle!)
• 2 Tbsp shredded fresh basil
Directions
Chop or shred chicken into bite-sized chunks. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, Asiago cheese and adobo sauce, mixing together. Add chicken and coat with Asiago mixture. Add shredded basil and fold in. Serve in lettuce cups or just eat by its self! Remember to refrigerate! Tip: If you like it extra spicy, add a chopped chipotle pepper from your can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

California Walnut, Turkey and Rice Salad
Serves 6 Serving Size for this recipe is 1 cup salad plus 1 cup lettuce so you will need to cut it down to a serving size of ½ cup salad and ¼ to ½ cup lettuce and if you are counting protein grams or calories divide the nutrition content by 2.
This crunchy salad is packed with good-for-you ingredients. It is a little high in fat calories but the good kinds of fats so if you are watching fat calories or trying to stay with lower fat consumption, in general, this is something you do not want to eat frequently. Might be a good option for a covered dish meal so you are not tempted to over do.
Ingredients
3 cups cooked brown rice 2 cups diced cooked white turkey
½ cup diagonally cup sliced celery ¼ cup pineapple chunks, drained
¼ cup mandarin oranges, drained ¼ cup water chestnuts, drained and thinly sliced
¼ cup scallions, thinly sliced ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
6 cups lettuce leaves ½ cup lemon yogurt, low fat
½ cup mayonnaise, low fat 1 tsp grated lemon rind
½ tsp curry powder
Instructions
Combine all salad ingredients except the lettuce leaves, yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon rind and curry powder in a large bowl.
Whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon rind and curry powder.
Add the dressing to the salad mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate. To serve, spoon 1 cup of salad over 1 cup of the lettuce leaves.
Nutrition: Calories: 262, Fat Calories: 52, Saturated Fat: 1 gm, Cholesterol: 34 mg, Sodium 205 mg, Potassium: 2 mg, Carbohydrates: 33 gm, Dietary Fiber: 4 gm, Sugars: 6 gm, Protein: 20 gm, Vitamin A: 2%, Vitamin C: 2%, Calcium 2%, Iron: 2%, Folic acid 2%,

May 2012 Newsletter, Part 2. Thoughts about physical activity

2012-05-03T11:52:25Z

Physical Activity
Being VS Doing: A slightly different approach to health and fitness: Denna Shelton, cPT
Each year the gyms are busy from January to early March often making it difficult to find parking and sometimes having to wait to use equipment. Soon after that the people the article refers to as New Year’s “Reolutioners” have given up and are disappointed.
As a society, emphasis is put on what we do and if we accomplish something we have a heightened sense of self value. Our “to-do” lists help us focus on what we do. As the list grows longer, some things do not get crossed off or even added to the list. The author states that she has learned over the years that more of her “to do’s” (goals) are reached efficiently and with less effort by spending more time simply being. She defines being as “a total acceptance of yourself at any given moment, regardless of what you are or are not doing. It is letting go of judgments. It is knowing that what you do or do not do has nothing to do with your self-worth or value.”
Her suggestions to move towards goals and have a healthier year with less effort are as follows:
1. “Totally and completely accept all aspects of yourself unconditionally.”
2. “Know that you’re more than enough.”
3. “Replace negative self talk with kind words.”
4. “Take time to quiet your mind.”

Reflecting on the above items, our lives are fairly easy when everything fits into our “perfect view of ourselves and surrounding world.” Unfortunately, we find ourselves finding thoughts that we do not fit into this view and try to either fix ourselves so we fit or forget that we don’t fit that ideal. We end up putting pressure and stress on ourselves which leads to more disappointments and frustration in our lives. We forget to focus on the positive aspects that each of us have as a unique individual and focus on the negative thoughts we have allowed to come into our minds. These negative thoughts rob of us our energy and limit our motivation to move forward in a positive manner. We need to remember to simply “be” in our lives. No matter what we need to do, have to do in life, we must focus on ourselves as being the most important part and the number 1 item on our “to do” lists.

May 2012 Newsletter

2012-05-03T11:50:30Z

Support Group: 7 PM in the education room at our office.
June 7, July 6, August 2, September 6, 2012

The next few meetings will be focusing on Nutrition issues.
Individuals are looking to start support groups in the Dodge City/Garden City, ElDorado/Augusta, Liberal, Hutchinson, Salina, and Winfield/Arkansas City areas. If you are interested contact Lou at lmiller at moreoflife dot com for more information and contact persons.

Things to think about:
Attendance at our support group has declined and this concerns me. Support group is an important part of your treatment plan in your weight loss journey. It is helpful to talk with others about your struggles, share your accomplishments, helpful tips, and know that you are not alone in your journey. Many of you do live too far from Wichita to attend this meeting once a month and I am open to ideas/suggestions of how WLSC can meet your support needs as well. I am listing some questions below that I would like your feedback and any other suggestions you may want to offer. Please email your responses to me so that we may meet your support needs for the future. Please respond
Questionnaire for Support Group needs
1. What day of the week would be most convenient for you to attend?
2. What time would work best with your schedule for the meetings?
3. What topics would you like to hear about?
4. Would you be more likely to attend if we did some site rotation, such as meeting in Augusta/ElDorado, Derby/Haysville, Newton areas as well as the office?
5. Other suggestions for encouraging attendance?
Small Bite of inspiration: taken from Small Bites Daily Inspirations for Weight Loss Surgery Patients by Katie Jay and Julia A. F. Persing
Accept that you are human and are going to fall at times.
How you act after you fall determines your fate. Sooner or later you will eat something you feel I “wrong.” Maybe you’ll eat something unplanned at a party, or drive through to get an old favorite when you’re in a hurry. After a stumble, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start over—without looking back and without guilt.
You can waste a lot of energy feeling angry and guilty for not being perfect. Understand that these cravings and feelings are normal and have nothing to do with personal strength or resolve. You cannot allow these feelings to crush your spirit. In fact, a poor food choice is simply a signal you need to make a positive choice as soon as possible. Starting over (and over and over, if necessary) is looking forward to success, instead of dwelling on mistakes.
Action for the day
Start over today and move on. Instead of kicking yourself for a poor choice, focus on how great your next choice will be.

Wichita Support Group April meeting date change

2012-04-03T12:00:42Z

Just realized that April 5 is Maundy Thursday so we will meet on April 12 instead. Hope to see many of you here as we continue discussing nutrition

March 2012 Newsletter, Part 4

2012-03-09T09:59:12Z

Recipes
Mix up a dip. Tips for healthy vegetable/fruit dips. Try a low fat dressing, hummus, or yogurt based dressing and add some of your favorite seasonings.
Chicken and Ginger-Splashed Spinach Salad Serves 4 (about 2 ½ cups salad and 3 tablespoons dressing per serving).
Dressing:
1/3 cup fresh orange juice 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon grated ginger ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons cider vinegar ¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons pourable sugar substitute*
Salad:
2 cups water 1 (8 ½-ounce) package diced cooked chicken breast (about 1 ¾
3 ounces fresh snow peas or sugar snap peas cups)
1 (6-ounce bag)baby spinach (about 6 cups) 2 cups whole strawberries, quartered
2 ounces sliced red onion (2-inch strips) ½ cup (1 ounce) pistachio nuts or slivered almonds, preferably
toasted
Combine all dressing ingredients in a small jar. Secure lid and shake vigorously until well blended.
Bring water to a boil in large saucepan, add peas: return to a boil 30 seconds, drain and immediately run under cold water to stop cooking process. Shake off excess liquid.
To serve, arrange spinach on dinner plates. Top with onions, chicken, snow peas and strawberries. Sprinkle with nuts. Shake dressing in jar and serve alongside or spoon evenly over all. Serve immediately.
Nutrition information: Calories 240, total fat 11 grams, saturated fat 1 gram, Protein 22 grams, Carbohydrates 16 grams, cholesterol 46 mg, dietary fiber 4 grams, sodium 224 mg.
It would be best to make a smaller portion size of this recipe and make 6-8 servings.
* (Sucralose-based sugar substitute was used in this recipe).
Warm shrimp, artichoke and Parmesan Salad Serves 4
1 can (14 ounces) water-packed quartered artichoke hearts
12 ounces frozen medium cooked shrimp (with tails)
½ cup fat-free Italian salad dressing
1 bag (12 ounces) mixed salad greens
¼ cup (1 ounce) shredded Parmesan cheese
Drain and rinse artichoke hearts. Combine artichoke hearts, shrimp and dressing in large, deep skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Divide salad greens among plates. Top salad with shrimp-artichoke mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.
Nutrition information: Calories 196, total fat 3 grams, saturated fat 1 gram, Protein 24 grams, carbohydrate 21 grams, cholesterol 133 mg, dietary fiber 7 grams, sodium 757 mg.
It would be best to make a smaller portion size of this recipe and make 6-8 servings.
Broiled tilapia with mustard cream sauce Serves 4
4 fresh or thawed frozen tilapia fillets (each about ¼ pound and ¾ inch thick) would be about a 4 oz. fillet
black pepper
½ cup fat-free sour cream (could also use plain yogurt)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Lightly coat rack of broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place fish on rack. Sprinkle with pepper. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat 5 to 8 minutes or until fish just begins to flake when tested with fork. (It’s not necessary to turn fish).
Meanwhile, combine the other ingredients in small bowl. Serve over warm fish.
Nutrition information: Calories 142, total fat 3 grams, saturated fat 0 grams, Protein 22 grams, carbohydrate 8 grams, cholesterol 5 mg, Dietary fiber <1 gram, sodium 200 mg

March 2012 Newsletter, Part 3

2012-03-09T09:56:31Z

Fitness
Still watching all the infomercials on TV for fitness equipment and thinking I could do that but are you going to spend the money and then really use the equipment? With all the media hype on fitness crazes, we often overlook one of the best workouts around: Walking. Walking is free, takes no special equipment, and no learning curve. We all know how to walk and should all ready have a pair of comfortable walking shoes. Research has linked walking to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and dementia. It improves stress, depression, blood pressure, and cholesterol in addition to weight loss. The recommended federal guideline for physical activity is 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise five days a week and brisk walking counts. There are four main ways to boost your walking intensity as you progress.
1. Pick up your speed: What should the pace be? If you can easily talk to your walking buddy or sing along with your I-pod, you are walking to slow. If you are unable to do 30 minutes continuous walking at once, start with 3 10 minute walks and build up until you can walk 30 minutes comfortably then work on increasing your pace.
2. Cover more ground: Another way to increase your walking is to go farther. Distance work outs increase your endurance. You will not be able to walk as briskly with a longer distance but you can do some bursts of brisk walking then slow the pace for a while and alternate this pattern.
3. Challenge yourself: Once you have your routine going, you may want to increase the difficulty by walking both faster and farther. Another way to challenge you is to walk on an incline. Climbing a hill will also help with body sculpting and strength training of muscles (think glutes). Caution: If you have arthritis or joint pain, descending a hill causes the front leg to land pretty hard. So make sure that you descend slowly or that the hill does not have too steep of an incline.
4. Spice things up: Constantly changing your workout is doubly beneficial. It helps with boredom and makes sure that you work your body in more ways than one.
To work your muscles and avoid injury, use these following tips:
1. Hold your head high so it’s in a straight line with your chin parallel to the ground.
2. To pick up your speed bend your elbows and pump your arms along the side your body.
3. Focus on pushing your elbow behind your body and then allow momentum and gravity to pull the arm forward.
4. Take short, fast steps to walk faster instead of long strides.
5. To gain speed and power, roll your foot to your toes; push off with the ball of your foot and toes as you go.
6. Land each step on your heel first, not the entire foot.

March 2012 Newsletter, Part 2

2012-03-09T09:53:08Z

Nutrition
Do you have a tendency to snack in the morning? An article in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, December 2011 cited a research study on the snacking habits of women who were on a diet for a year and found that the women who did not snack midmorning lost 11.5 percent body weight compared to 7 percent loss in the women who had a midmorning snack.
Several people have asked about specific meal plans to help with your nutrition, including adequate protein intake and better carbohydrate choices. The American Diabetes Association has a program called “My Food Advisor” that you can sign up for and get recipes for healthy living. It has a lot of information as well as meal plans and recipes. The website is http://www.diabetes.org.
Fighting food cravings: Cravings usually have something to do with our environment, our habits, or food chemistry (the science of creating addictive food that will have people coming back for more). According to a food scientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center who studies why people crave the foods they do has identified a trio of reasons (fat, salt, and sweet). Over 90% of foods that people report craving are high in fat. Part of the blame is our brain chemistry. Our bodies respond to foods high in fat, salt, and sugar by producing a sort of high with the stimulation of portions of the brain. As a result, the body continues to seek out the types of foods and food sensory impressions that make you happy. We can’t just stop eating as we need to eat to live but we can cut back on the foods that we like so much but are really bad for us. Cutting back usually results in a “taste change” and decreases the desire to eat the particular food. It takes about a month for this to happen. The craving will be highest in the first week or two but will decrease after that when we decide to cut down on certain high fat, salt, or sugar containing food.
Ways to fight food cravings:
Organize your kitchen: you are three times more likely to eat the first food you see as the fifth thing you see so put the healthful foods where you will notice it first.
Serve yourself: you eat less food when you dish up smaller amounts instead of eating from a package.
Pick a smaller plate: Use a 7-9 inch plate and you will eat less.
Use long thin glasses: Forget squat juice glasses. We pour more when our curs are short and fat. To drink fewer calories, use tall, thin ones.
Turn off the TV: Eating a meal in front of the TV is mindless eating.
Scout out the buffet: Planning what you want to eat can help you eat less and pick more nutritious items. So look the offerings over before getting your plate and placing foods on it.
Leave evidence: Clearing your plate at a buffet or party makes it easy to forget how much you ate. So leave some evidence on your plate (bones, etc.)
Pay attention: When dining with others, usually we pay less attention to what we eat and take a longer time to eat so we tend to eat more. Research has shown that if we dine with one person we will eat about 35% more than we will eat when eating alone.
For more information, you may want to check out one of the following books.
Mindless Eating: Why we eat more than we think by food scientist Brian Wansink or End of Overeating: Taking control of the insatiable American appetite by former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration David Kessler, MD.

March 2012 Newsletter, Part 1

2012-03-09T09:51:59Z

Support Group: 7 PM in the education room at our office.
April 5, May 3, June 7, 2012

The next few meetings will be focusing on Nutrition issues. For the April meeting, attendees need to keep a food journal for at least 3 days (see action for the day for what needs to be included) and collect several food labels of things you commonly use. Bring these to the meeting for discussion. Hope to see many of you on April 5.

Individuals are looking to start support groups in the Dodge City/Garden City, ElDorado/Augusta, Liberal, Hutchinson, Salina, and Winfield/Arkansas City areas. If you are interested contact Lou at lmiller at moreoflife dot com for more information and contact persons.

Things to think about:
Attendance at our support group has declined and this concerns me. Support group is an important part of your treatment plan in your weight loss journey. It is helpful to talk with others about your struggles, share your accomplishments, helpful tips, and know that you are not alone in your journey. Many of you do live too far from Wichita to attend this meeting once a month and I am open to ideas/suggestions of how WLSC can meet your support needs as well. I am listing some questions below that I would like your feedback and any other suggestions you may want to offer. Please email your responses to me so that we may meet your support needs for the future. Please respond by March 31.
Questionnaire for Support Group needs
1. What day of the week would be most convenient for you to attend?
2. What time would work best with your schedule for the meetings?
3. What topics would you like to hear about?
4. Would you be more likely to attend if we did some site rotation, such as meeting in Augusta/ElDorado, Derby/Haysville, Newton areas as well as the office?
5. Other suggestions for encouraging attendance?
Small Bite of inspiration: taken from Small Bites Daily Inspirations for Weight Loss Surgery Patients by Katie Jay and Julia A. F. Persing
Learn the difference between snacking and grazing.
Snacking and grazing are not the same thing. Snacking has a healthy purpose. You snack because you need a short supply of energy for your body. A snack is planned, including the quality of the food you eat, the quantity, and the time of day. Grazing has no purpose other than to manage emotions or soothe your boredom.
An honest self-assessment should help you determine whether you are snacking or grazing, but if you’re not sure ask your nutritionist. Most WLS patients struggle with the urge to graze from time to time, or even most of the time. You can learn strategies to curb grazing, including determining what, if any, planned snack you may need to include in your eating plan. I f you are struggling, don’t keep it a secret. Ask someone you trust to help you develop the strategies that will work for you.
Action for the day
Start a food diary today and keep it for three days. Write down what you ate, the time and quantity, and what you were feeling when you ate. Bring this with you the next time you see your nutritionist, and start to explore solutions to your grazing problem.

Wichita Support Group

2012-02-03T09:01:53Z

Our attendance has been dwindling at support group. I am in the process of completing a questionnaire to better meet your needs to increase attendance at support group meetings. Ongoing support is a vital part of your success in your weight loss journey and we in the Wichita office and all of Weight Loss Surgical Center want you to utilize all the resources available for the best outcomes. Please be thinking about what day and time would work best for you as well as topics for upcoming meetings that you believe would be beneficial to you as you make lifestyle changes. If you all ready have some specific ideas or needs please email me that information at lmiller at moreoflife dot com

February 2012 Newsletter, Part 2

2012-02-03T08:56:57Z

Nutrition
Protein is important in healthy nutrition. We emphasize protein intake because it helps patients lose weight safely. If you do not get enough protein in your diet, your body will break down lean body mass (muscle) for energy rather than fat. Protein sources should be high in protein content and low in calories. Check your protein sources for high content and low calories. Limit your protein sources from nuts and dairy (especially cheeses that are not non-fat) to 1-2 servings per week rather than main sources for your protein intake.
Physical Activity
How do you rate the benefit of aerobic activity from your physical activity plan? Your aerobic fitness is only improved if you increase your exertion during the activity. The rate of perceived exertion scale (RPE) indicates your subjective sensation of effort and identification of fatigue, which is highly correlated to your heart rate. Another gauge of effectiveness is that you should be able to talk but not sing.
RPE Scale: Optimal level is 11-15. You must be working at this level to benefit from aerobic exercise.
6 7 very, very light exertion
8 9 very light exertion
10
11 fairly light exertion
12
13 somewhat hard exertion
14
15 hard exertion
16
17 very hard exertion
18
19 very, very hard exertion
20
Recipes
White Chicken Chili Makes 12—1 cup servings
1 medium onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. olive oil 2 15-oz cans Cannellini or white beans, drained
2 T. flour 1 cup corn
1 t. cumin 4 c. diced, cooked chicken
2 14.5 oz cans chicken broth 1 4.5 oz can diced green chilies
1-3 t. chili powder ½ t. oregano
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat until onion is tend. Puree one can of drained beans and set aside. Stir the flour into the onion mixture and cook for one minute. Add chicken, corn, chilies, broth, cumin, chili powder, oregano, beans, reserved bean puree, and once cup water. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Nutrition per serving: Calories 169, Protein 16 g, Fat 7 g, Carbs 10 g, Sugar 1 g, Sodium 309 mg
Spiced Salmon with pepper relish Makes 4 servings Serving size: 4 oz. fish, ½ cup relish
Relish
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced (1 cup) 3 T. chopped red onion
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced (1 cup) 2 T. minced parsley
1 T. fresh lemon juice ½ t. hot sauce
Salmon and rub
2 t. chili powder 1 t. ground cumin
½ t. paprika ¼ t. black pepper
1/8 t. cayenne pepper 2 t. canola oil
4 (4 oz.) salmon filets
In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the relish. Cover and set aside.
Preheat an oven broiler. Cover a broiler pan with foil. Coat the foil with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Brush the skinless side of each salmon filet with oil. Coat each salmon filet with the spice rub.
Place the salmon filets on the prepared broiler pain. Broil the salmon 6 inches from the heat source for 10 to 15 minutes or until desired doneness (fish should flake easily with a fork). Serve the salmon with the pepper relish.
Nutrition per serving: Calories 250, calories from fat 115, total fat 13 g (saturated fat 2 g, trans fat 0 g), cholesterol 80 mg, sodium 80 mg, potassium 570 mg, total carbohydrate 7 g (dietary fiber 2 g, sugars 3 g) protein 26 g, phosphorus 285 g.