On January 17^th, at support group, we reviewed the book The Skinny Rules by Molly Morgan, RD.  This book was an easy read and provided us with many different  tips and ideas!  Here are a few of my favorites we discussed in the group. 

Surprising Skinny Rules:

-         Believe you can be skinny.

-         Get on the scale

-         Be a work in progress

-         Get in the Drivers Seat

-         Get a co-pilot

-         Watch your BLT’s (Bites, Licks and Tastes)

-         Eat like a kid

Skinny Fitness:

-         Be Selfish  (Make time to exercise!)

-         Make exercise a habit

-         Find your skinny exercise solution

-         Invest in yourself

Skinny Foods:

-         Think about what you must eat

o        Eat more –errys  (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)

o        Eat more whole grains (100% whole grains)

o        Eat more garlic, apples and Iron

-         Eat fewer processed foods

-         Clean your cupboards

-         Fill the fruit bowl

-         Try these Top 10 Low Calorie Vegetables

o        Romaine Lettuce, Spinach, Radish Slices, Diced Celery, Summer Squash, Asparagus, Snap Peas, Green Beans, Chopped Tomatoes, Chopped Carrots

-         Snack like a Skinny Girl

o        Air popped popcorn, Berries with whipped cream, apple and string cheese, Yogurt with fruit

o        Watch portions of high calorie foods

-         Don’t forget the “Magic Meal”

Skinny Cooking

-         Plan your plate

-         Spice it up

o        Garlic, Rosemary, Paprika, Chili Powder, Basil and Oregano

-         Think of your freezer as your friend

-         Keep a recipe notebook

Skinny Parties and Travel

-         Choose the Lightest Party Foods:

o        Veggie Platter, Fruit Platter, Shrimp Cocktail, Hummus, Bruschetta, Salsa, Popcorn

-         Plan a Healthy Get Away

-         Bring it with you

-         Go to a party full

Skinny Fashion

-         Wear the right size

o        No pinching, no pulling, no pucker

-         Make over your look

-         Choose the right colors, prints, and patterns

o        No faded or acid washed jeans

o        White and khaki add pounds

o        No horizontal stripes

U.S obesity rates unchanged

The prevalence of obesity in the United States seems to have plateaued, according to data released Tuesday.  The numbers show 35.7% of U.S. adults and almost 17% of U.S. children and teens are obese.

"There's been no change in the prevalence of obesity in recent years in children or adults," says Cynthia L Ogden, Ph.D, an epidemiologist with the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics and the leading author of the report.  "But I think looking over the last decade, it's interesting to see how the prevalence of obesity in men has caught up with the prevalence of obesity in women."

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ tsp salt
2 8-ounce turkey tenderloins, halved lengthwise
¾ cup Yoplait plain fat free yogurt

In a small bowl, combine garlic, ginger, curry powder, oil, cumin, and salt. Spread spice mixture evenly onto turkey. (Wear disposable gloves so the spices don't stain your hands.) Place spice-rubbed turkey in a glass baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.
Place turkey on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 12 to 15 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink (170°F), turning once halfway through grilling. Serve with yogurt.

Per serving: 180 calories, 31 grams protein, 4 grams fat

Recipe courtesy of www.eatbetteramerica.com

Liver Reduction Diet Friendly Recipe

January 24th:

IU Health Bariatric & Medical Weight Loss

4:30-5:30 pm Open Office Hour
Join Dr. Hilgendorf for this open discussion about your progress

5:30-6 pm Join Jillian McAfee in this exercise
class for pre and post op patients

6-7 pm On Track Group
* Join Sarah Muntel, RD for this open discussion group for those patients greater than 18 months post operatively.


Evansville Support Group

This weekend, I visited the Support Group in Evansville, IN. What a great group! This group meets the second Saturday of the month at 10:00 am. at the Central Library. The group is very thankful to have a place to meet closer to home.

I found this great article on the Discovery Health website. Check it out! I was surprised by some of these "non-healthy" foods...


Are You Eating These 6 Unhealthy Health Foods?
By: Sarah Novak

01/16/2012

Some food choices appear healthy out of habit but sometimes you have to call a spade a spade. How much of your diet is made up of foods that we want to believe are healthy, but in actuality are far from it. These foods may appear healthy, or at least healthier on the surface, but in reality, they leave much to be desired. 

1. Soy Milk

Just because it’s soy milk doesn’t mean it good for you. Dr. Weir recommends 1 to 2 servings per day of whole soy. According to health guru Christina Pirello, they include phytoestrogens, which act like estrogen receptors in the body. Estrogen receptors serve as a key to let estrogen out of the door of the body. Excessive estrogen in the body is one of the risk factors for certain kinds of cancers, namely breast cancer. But you have to make sure that your soy milk is organic and GMO-free, which isn’t so easy when you consider that more than 9 out of 10 soybean seeds are genetically modified to carry Monsanto's Roundup Ready trait. 

2. Breakfast Bars

When you’re choosing a breakfast bar make sure you read the ingredients label. You want to recognize each and every ingredient on the label and you want the bars to be made without high fructose corn syrup. Look for organic, vegan, and raw breakfast bars. While the raw variety may be a bit more expensive, you get what you pay for in terms of quality. Or make your own unprocessed healthy granola bars. 

Try this great recipe submitted from Angie Marsden, RD

3# lean pot roast
1 pkg brown gravy mix
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
1pkg Italian dressing mix
1 cup of water

Mix dry dressings/gravy mix in one cup of water. Place pot roast in crock pot. Pour water/dressing/gravy mix over roast. Cook in crock pot 4 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.

This is a great Liver Reduction Diet Recipe!

4:30-5:30 pm Open Office Hour
Join Dr. Hilgendorf for this open discussion about your progress

5:30-6 pm Join Jillian McAfee in this exercise
class for pre and post op patients

6-7 pm Divided Support Group

Pre op to 18 months post op
Topic: Change
• Dr. Kim Gorman & Angie Marsden, RD
Greater than 18 months post op
Topic: Book Review: The Skinny Rules
• Sarah Muntel, RD

January 14th:

West Group

11 am IU West Hospital
Private Dining Room
1111 N Ronald Regan Parkway
Avon, IN 46123

Contact: Donna Provence
deprove@comcast.net

Evansville Group

10 am Central Library
Large Group Room
200 SE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Evansville, IN 47113

* Sarah Muntel, RD will be joining this group.

Contact: Janet Mobley
Janetm26@gmail.com

January 19th:

Government Center South Group

11:30 am Government Center South
402 West Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Contact: Paula Auer
Pauer51@aol.com

Westfield Group

6:00 p.m. Ameriana Bank
3333 East State Road 32
Westfield, IN 46204

Contact: Kim Lodge
Kimmiegreen66@aol.com


Bedford Group

6 pm Bedford Regional Hospital
Community Education Room
2900 West 16th Street
Bedford, IN 47421

Contact: Richard Menning
rjmmedconsulting@sbcglobal.net

January 21st:

East Group

Join us for our first East Side Group!

10 am Methodist Medical Plaza East
Community Room
9660 East Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46229

Contact: Kirsteen Wilkinson
kawilkinson@att.net

This article was featured in the most recent issue of Obesity Action Coalition's "Your Weight Matters" magazine.

Winter Exercise Tips for Kids
by Jillian McAfee

As the winter months are growing colder, we may struggle to find ways to stay active, but physical inactivity does not need to be a result of the dreary weather. Do not stay cooped up all winter! Get Up, Get Moving and Get Active!

Physical activity has numerous benefits for you. It makes your muscles stronger, improves your heart health, increases your flexibility and coordination, and most importantly sets the basis for a healthy life! Let’s face it; habits that are adapted during your childhood and teenage years are likely to roll over into adulthood.

Now, I know many of you are not worrying about what life will be like as an adult, but you might be worrying about what game you are going to play on your Nintendo Wii® next! Well I have good news for you — there are many activities that you might not even think of as “exercise” that can help make a happier, healthier you. Incorporating these activities into your daily life will help you develop a healthy lifestyle that can benefit you for the rest of your life.

During the holiday season, we always get together with family and friends. Exercise can be a great way to not only benefit your health, but to help the people you love the most. Also, keep in mind that surrounding yourself with friends or family members who want to stay active can give you more opportunities to play and be active! I want to challenge all of you to do some type of activity every day! Get Up, Get Moving and Get Active!

Great Ways for Kids to Exercise this Winter

Active Video Game Technology
There is a ton of new technology out these days including Xbox 360® Kinect, Playstation®Move and Nintendo Wii®. Whether you want a customized strength training workout or a spontaneous active game, you can find something entertaining! With Xbox 360® Kinect, you use your body as the controller — you are the athlete, the dancer, the UFC fighter or even the Kung Fu Panda punching and kicking on the screen.

Play Outside
Just because it’s cold outside does not mean you have to stay cooped up inside! Put on your hat and scarf and bundle up for some good old fashion fun. There are tons of activities that you can do outside in the winter. You can go ice-skating or sledding, decorate the front yard with a snowman and snow angels, and even have a snowball fight (regardless of what your parents might say). Create an obstacle course using balls, jump ropes, simple items around the house and trees in your yard! You can also play with a pet — take your dog for a walk or offer to take the neighbors’ pet.

This article was featured in the most recent issue of Obesity Action Coalition's "Your Weight Matters" magazine.

2012 New Year-New You:
Getting Back into Your Weight-loss Groove
by Sarah Muntel, RD

The holiday season can be a tough time of year for weight-loss and weight maintenance for so many different reasons. People make poor food choices, spend little time on exercise and find themselves grazing on high-calorie party food, which seems to be everywhere! It is not a shock that most people gain around five pounds during the holiday season.

The holidays have passed and it is time to get back into your weight-loss groove. This can seem like an unbelievable task but it is time to jump in with two feet and get started. Small steps can make a big difference in your weight and health. Check out the list below and get started today!

1. Pick a day to start.

This is never an easy task and it is easy to procrastinate. Do not wait until next week or next month. There will never be a “perfect time” to get back on track. You will always have a reason to wait until tomorrow. Start now!

2. Set realistic and specific goals.

You did not gain weight overnight, so you cannot lose it overnight. Aim for one to two pounds per week as a goal. Do not just set weight goals. Other goals could be eating out less, choosing more vegetables or walking during your lunch break at work. Write them down and post them where you can see them.

3. Get back to nutrition basics.

Remember what has worked for you in the past. Everyone has a formula for success. Choose lean protein, lots of fresh vegetables and fruit and add some whole grains. Avoid sweets, sugars and fried foods. Once you change your diet, you will be amazed how much better you feel.

While this post is not "bariatric" specific, we know many of our readers have visited IU Health North Hospital or had their surgery there.

In fact, you may see some of our IU Health Bariatric & Medical Weight Loss staff members in this video!

In honor of Martin Luther King Day next Monday, January 16, we have posted our dedication to Martin Luther King, Jr., a celebration of our diversity at IU Health North Hospital.

Let us know what you think!

A patient passed this recipe along to us. Here's a great Liver Reduction Diet recipe!

Ingredients:
1 head Cauliflower (or however much you want)
Preparation:
To make this dish the most easily and to have it come out the best, three pieces of equipment are very helpful:

- A food processor
- A microwave
- A covered (or fairly tightly coverable) microwave-safe dish

1) Process fresh cauliflower until it is the size of rice, either using the plain steel blade or the shredder blade. Alternatively, you can shred it with a hand-held grater, or even use a knife, if you have the dexterity to chop it up VERY finely.

2) Microwave it in a covered dish. DO NOT ADD WATER. Cauliflower absorbs water like crazy, and the "granules" will become gummy. To keep it fluffy, just let the moisture in the cauliflower do its work.

January 10th:

IU Health Bariatric & Medical Weight Loss

4:30-5:30 pm Open Office Hour
Join Dr. Hilgendorf for this open discussion about your progress

5:30-6 pm Join Jillian McAfee in this exercise
class for pre and post op patients

6-7 pm Amateur Night
Join Sarah Muntel for this open discussion group for patients less than 18 months post op and pre op.

6-7 pm Struggles & Solutions
Join Dr. Kim Gorman for this open discussion group about psychological issues related to your surgery.

January 14th:

West Group
11 am IU West Hospital
Private Dining Room
1111 N Ronald Regan Parkway
Avon, IN 46123

Contact: Donna Provence
deprove@comcast.net

Evansville Group

10:00 am Central Library
Large Group Room
200 SE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Evansville, IN 47113

* Sarah Muntel, RD will be joining this group.

Contact: Janet Mobley
Janetm26@gmail.com

The new IU Health Bariatric & Medical Weight Loss commercial started airing on January 2. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out here and let us know what you think! 

A huge thanks to our VERY inspiring patients who were willing to tell their stories! Look for their extended patient stories posted on the blog tomorrow. Or you can check out all of the videos on the IU Health YouTube channel!

Bariatric surgery may help teens, but insurers often exclude them

 By Michelle Andrews, Published: December 12

Experts in pediatric obesity say that caution is warranted and that insurers shouldn’t just rubber-stamp such surgery in adolescents. But they say emerging research may lead to more coverage for young people.

<<To view the rest of the article, click here>>

• Americans consume approximately 25 percent of their daily calories from beverages. For most people, this would mean that they drink 450-625 calories each day.

• Researchers have found that caffeine and taurine, both found in energy drinks, can raise blood pressure and affect cardiac function.
• One of the most impactful messages that can be sent to an insurance provider, employer or elected official is a message from someone who is directly affected by obesity. 

• An interesting study conducted on rodents showed those fed saccharin (an artificial sweetener) actually gained weight compared to those fed sugar.

• The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires that products labeled as organic must contain at least 95 percent of organically produced ingredients.