Recent Posts

The Journal of the American College of Cardiology published a 2 year study that documents the significant improvement 400 gastric bypass patients saw in their cardiac health. This study used EKGs which showed 'remodeling' of the heart where the patients heart mass literally became smaller. They believe that this happens because the patient's hearts were not having to work as hard as they had before the weight loss which allowed their hearts to functions normally, instead of under extreme stress. While there has long been strong evidence citing the benefits of gastric bypass surgery on diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol and sleep apnea, this study indicates, that it also improves the health and function heart muscle itself.

If you would like to see the article, you can click this link. 

A recent article I found on the NIH Medline site documents the long term benefits of bariatric surgery. For those who are concerned about having the surgery, this might set your mind at ease.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_108314.html

Yummm! I'll add this to my cookbook and plan to give it a try soon.

Thanks for sharing your recipe.

I though it might be a nice idea to try to a Recipe Swap. I'll post one of mine, you post yours and we'll all enlarge our new cooking repertoire. I know that before I had my WLS, I cooked more like Paula Deen. I was worried that I would never be able to make anything WONDERFUL again. I'm glad to say, that as I approach my four year anniversary, I have learned to make a number of adjustments that allow me to fully enjoy cooking and eating what I cook without sacrificing flavor or my health. I hope you will enjoy my recipe and look forward to see what you have come up with. Please share whatever you love to make, no matter where you are in your journey.

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Sweet Zucchini and Ricotta Pancakes

1 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese (I sometimes substitute cottage cheese that I blend to a smooth consistency in my blender or food processor. )
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 Tbs sugar free syrup (I used SF Vanilla)
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Egg, beaten
1 Tbs Canola Oil

1. Combine all ingredients but oil. Heat oil in a nonstick pan. Drop dollops of zucchini mixture into pan and cook in batches. Flatten with a spatula and cook about three minutes each side till golden.

Servings: 8

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/8 of a recipe (1.9 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. One of the recipe's ingredients was not linked. This ingredient is not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 64.74
Calories From Fat (50%) 32.58
% Daily Value
Total Fat 3.69g 6%
Saturated Fat 1.1g 6%
Cholesterol 31.2mg 10%
Sodium 30.7mg 1%
Potassium 100.75mg 3%
Total Carbohydrates 4.89g 2%
Fiber 0.49g 2%
Sugar 0.56g
Protein 3.27g 7%

Dear RuralCountry,

I know that the thinning hair can be very disheartening. If you read my own blog, you'll see me voice my frustration and concern about it. It doesn't happen to all of us, but it is more common than not for women to experience some level of hair loss. In talking with the nutritionist and surgeons at my program, they have said that while there are no studies showing the efficacy of using Biotin, that many patients do use it. They also said that in order for the body to effectively absorb and use the Biotin, it needs to be paired with Zinc. Zinc is a 'heavy metal' and can build up in the body to toxic levels, so they suggested that if I wanted to take the Biotin and Zinc, that I do so in 30 day cycles to ensure that I didn't have an issue with absorbing too much Zinc. 

I have always had a nice, thick head of hair, but I was really distressed when I had handfuls of hair coming out. While it was VERY noticeable to me, no one else was aware of my 'extreme shedding.' I made sure to get in plenty of protein and my supplementation. Eventually, the shedding slowed and finally stopped. This has been the case for everyone else that I know that has experienced shedding. It usually lasts for a few months, then fades away.

I hope that this helps,