BaileyBariatrics

Sugar-free popsicles can be a life line during the 2-week liquid diet before surgery. Sometimes, however, they are hard to find. Sugar-free popsicles are basically water, flavor, color, starch, and a sweetener. Sugar-free popsicles can be a life line during the 2-week liquid diet before surgery. Sometimes, however, they are hard to find. Sugar-free popsicles are basically water, flavor, color, starch, and a sweetener. Some brands found in grocery stores include Sugar Free Blue Bell7 Bullets, Sugar Free Popsicle7 and Budget $aver Sugar Free Twin Pops. The Blue Bell7 and Popsicle7 brands are 15 calories each. The Budget $aver brand is 30 calories for the whole twin pop, so you will need to use half, or one stick’s worth for a serving size. The calorie limit for sugar free popsicles is 20 calories each to keep the calories low during this pre-surgery liquid diet phase. Although sugar-free, they are not calorie-free because, of the starch and sugar alcohol content. Check the ingredient list to make sure you can tolerate them. Some of bariatric patients don’t tolerate sugar alcohols or aspartame, which are the more common sweeteners found in sugar free popsicles. Most of these sugar-free popsicles have at least one flavor that is red. No red colors are allowed on that last day before surgery, so use those first. Can you guess the major nutrient found in these sugar free popsicles? The first ingredient in all of them is…water! Nice to know it counts towards your fluid intake.

Practicing liquid protein drinks helps get your body used to them so that you will get enough protein after surgery. In your first consultation with the dietitian, you may receive information that includes details about how much and what types of protein are the best quality for bariatrics patients. ANSWER: Practice. Practice. Practice. QUESTION: What is “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” This would be a great question for Jeopardy under the category of “Truthful Jokes.” So, how does this familiar joke work for bariatric surgery? Would you really perform music on the stage of Carnegie Hall or make a presentation or write a great report or make it to the World Series without a lot of practice? Practicing liquid protein drinks helps get your body used to them so that you will get enough protein after surgery. In your first consultation with the dietitian, you may receive information that includes details about how much and what types of protein are the best quality for bariatrics patients. Start with one protein drink per day as a meal replacement. As you get closer to surgery, add another protein drink to replace another meal or snack. There is a period of trial and error to find the best one for you, so you’ll likely need to try a variety of protein products before you find what works for you. Cutting way back on food portions isn’t the same as allowing your body to adjust to an all liquid diet. Start practicing the protein drinks way before you have to go on an all liquid diet. This may be one of your best performances!

Remember when the pediatrician told you to introduce a new food every 2 to 3 days to see if your baby could tolerate it? Bariatric patients can use that idea when introducing foods back into your diet. Remember when the pediatrician told you to introduce a new food every 2 to 3 days to see if your baby could tolerate it? Bariatric patients can use that idea when introducing foods back into your diet. Your tastes change after surgery due to the amazing hormonal and biochemical changes that are happening. So, try refried beans and cheese separately before you sprinkle that cheese on top of warm refried beans. Eat a few hard boiled eggs before you chop it up and mix with low fat mayo. Just like a baby, a very small bite of a new food can provide a taste of something to see if your stomach pouch can tolerate it. After surgery, you need to push yourself to see what foods you can tolerate, but not push so hard that you are nauseous and throwing that food up. So, take baby steps towards your new way of eating, not those giant leaps for mankind.

We’re at the end of summer, but not the end of hot weather. Hydration will continue being important, especially if you do a lot of sweating. If you haven’t had surgery, you may be in the habit of reaching for pop, juice, lemonade, sports drinks or sweet tea to quench your thirst. Stop and rethink those drinks. We’re at the end of summer, but not the end of hot weather. Hydration will continue being important, especially if you do a lot of sweating. If you haven’t had surgery, you may be in the habit of reaching for pop, juice, lemonade, sports drinks or sweet tea to quench your thirst. Stop and rethink those drinks. A 12 oz. can of regular pop has about 40 grams of sugar, which is 10 teaspoons of sugar. A 12 oz. glass of 100 percent juice has the same amount of sugar as a regular pop. Ten teaspoons of sugar is just under a ¼ cup of sugar. If you are drinking 4 cans of regular pop per day, you’re getting close to a full cup of sugar. Yikes! Lemonade and sweet tea can have similar amounts of sugar. Sports drinks aren’t as sugar laden, but can have up to 12 grams of sugar (3 teaspoons of sugar) in an 8 oz. serving. Higher sugar intake leads to high blood sugars. High blood sugars lead to more insulin being released by the pancreas to get your blood sugars into a normal range. Too much insulin can actually lead to more of the calories stored as fat. Yikes, again! Good old plain water is a great first choice. Need some flavor? Consider using one of the many powdered or liquid, sugar free flavor options. If you have headaches, avoid any with aspartame. Infused water is taking berries, citrus, cucumbers, mint and other fruits and vegetables and steeping them in water to draw the flavor into the water. Start with at least 64 ounces of water per day. You will need more depending on your size and activity level. Read labels or go online to check out the sugar content of some of your favorite beverages. There are lots of ways to stay hydrated, as long as you stay away from the sugars lurking in your liquids!

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.

Pictures this…by choosing lower fat cheese over regular, full fat cheese, you can save calories and get more calcium and protein. Pictures this…by choosing lower fat cheese over regular, full fat cheese, you can save calories and get more calcium and protein. In our nutrition guidelines, we highlight choosing low fat or fat free cheese. When comparing the nutrition values for full fat, low fat and fat free mozzarella cheeses, there’s lot of calories that can be avoided by choosing low fat or fat free cheeses. An ounce of mozzarella made with whole milk has 84 calories, 6 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein and 150 mg calcium. An ounce of mozzarella made with part skim milk has 71 calories, 4 grams of fat, 7 grams of protein and 200 mg calcium. An ounce of non-fat mozzarella has 42 calories, 0 grams of fat, 7 grams of protein and 270 mg of calcium. This information is found on the website nutritiondataself.com, which is a great website to look up nutrition information on the foods we eat. Less fat means the cheese has more room for protein. Next time you are in the grocery store, start comparing the types of cheese you prefer and picture yourself finding the one that is lowest in calories and highest in protein.

The “no white foods” diet is still around. We encourage our bariatrics patients to give up white bread, white rice, white pasta or white potatoes. These foods typically raise blood sugars. However, cauliflower is not one of those white foods. The “no white foods” diet is still around. We encourage our bariatrics patients to give up white bread, white rice, white pasta or white potatoes. These foods typically raise blood sugars. However, cauliflower is not one of those white foods. One cup of raw cauliflower has 27 calories, 77 percent daily value for vitamin C, 5 grams carbohydrate, 2.5 grams fiber, 2 grams protein and is a good source of potassium, folate, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. Cauliflower is a low glycemic food, which means is has very little carbohydrate to raise your blood sugars. Cauliflower is a member of the cruciferous vegetable group which also includes broccoli, cabbage, bok choy and Brussels sprouts. Cruciferous vegetables provide sulforaphane, a phytochemical linked to a decreased risk for cancer. Instead of rice and potatoes as a side dish, think cauliflower. Whipped cauliflower as a side dish instead of potatoes has been around since the low-carb craze from a couple of decades ago. Here’s a quick recipe to try. You can make this recipe four weeks after surgery, when cooked vegetables are reintroduced to your diet. Cauliflower “rice” is chopping this vegetable in a food processor or grating by hand to look like rice and then steaming it. Here is a recipe, which can be prepared in Phase 4 after surgery when fresh produce comes back in - four months after surgery.