Blog Archives
Pumped Up Protein Mole Sauce
Mole sauce can add a fun Mexican pop to many boring meals. This protein fortified recipe offers flavor along with an extra kick of protein. Smother a range of lean proteins or grilled or roasted veggies in this savory, sweet sauce. Because mole sauce is blended, this also offers a puree texture for those early in their post-op diet phases after bariatric surgery. If you have questions about your diet progression, please contact your care team for clarification.
Do All Hernia Patients Require Surgery?
Hernias can occur at any age and are due to a number of factors. However, as we age and the muscle tissue in our bodies begins to degrade, we are more likely to develop a hernia. While having hernia surgery is typically recommended for young, otherwise healthy patients, the decision whether to have hernia surgery becomes less clear as a patient gets older. This is for a number of important reasons, some of which will be discussed here.
Dr. Husain Abbas Discusses Nutrition
Hi there, I’m Dr. Hussain Abbas, a general and bariatric surgeon with MASJax. One of the common questions I get asked by my patients is “what is the best diet that I can have, doc? What’s the diet that I can utilize so that either it helps me to lose weight or maintain my weight loss?” Well the simple answer it depends, right? Kind of the answer that you don’t want to hear. And what we’ve found is the science supports that. Because when we look worldwide, we can see that there are various different diets.
Premier Protein Shake Mashups
If you’re a bariatric patient and lean on protein shakes to meet your daily protein intake goals, or anyone using shakes as meal replacements, you may be getting bored of the same old flavors again and again. Have you every tried to mix it up? We mean literally! Play around with flavors by mixing pre-made shakes. A few ideas below…
Dr Abbas Discusses ASMBS Statement on Bariatric Surgery
Hello, this is Dr. Abbas and I just wanted to touch base with some of our patients and prospective patients because recently the ASMBS which is the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery put out a statement which essentially has been something that we’ve known for a long time. It’s of course composed of a very large number of bariatric surgeons and non-surgeons who specialize in metabolic surgery. Essentially the problem has been labeling. Calling bariatric surgery “purely elective” is… probably not very true.
Chunky Fruit Protein Popsicles
After weight loss surgery, and in all healthy diets, getting adequate protein is key. For our bariatric patients, both before and after surgery protein shakes may be used to supplement protein intake to ensure protein goals are being met. However, plain shakes can easily become boring and the act of eating versus drinking our calories can help us set up healthy eating habits for the long term. Turning protein shakes into different forms is an easy way to up the protein, but not feel like you are constantly sipping a shake.
For summer, popsicles are a fun treat, but often high is sugar and offer little nutrition of value. Utilizing protein shakes makes them more worthwhile. Follow the recipe below to make your own protein packed popsicles for a day by the pool.
Adolescent Obesity – Where We’re Headed and Why It’s So Dangerous
We often hear about the adult obesity rate in the United States because of the generally staggering numbers. In many southern states, we’ve hit close to 40% of the population suffering from obesity. As a result, the incidence of diabetes, colon cancer, esophageal cancer and more has increased dramatically as well. These numbers are even higher for Hispanic adults and African Americans.
And while we do see some reports of adolescent obesity, the percentages are not as high, and many believe that the problem may not be as severe as it truly is. Approximately 19% of adolescents from 2-19 are obese and this is even more pronounced in Hispanics (almost 26%) and blacks (22%) according to the CDC. And this presents an incredibly dangerous situation. During these young ages, our metabolisms are at their highest, and typically, we are at our most active. Imagine the difficulties these adolescents, and others who may be overweight, will experience when they are older, less active and more stressed with slower metabolisms.
Lap Band/Gastric Band
For many decades, the gastric bypass has been the gold standard in resolution of many of the diseases associated with morbid obesity, as well as being the benchmark by which we measure the weight loss potential of any bariatric surgery. However, the nature of the gastric bypass, and to a lesser degree, the gastric sleeve, meant that many patients experienced a number of uncomfortable postoperative realities including dumping syndrome, potential for nutritional deficiencies, and some shorter-term complications such as leaks in the staple line.
Soon after the advent of laparoscopic surgery, the gastric band was developed. The first of these was known as the Lap-Band, and shortly thereafter, the Realize Band was developed as a competitor. Early on, it seemed like an excellent option for those who were not comfortable altering the anatomy of their gastrointestinal tract. Further, the Lap-Band offered the potential for adjustments and was completely reversible if the patient did not tolerate it well. The trade-off for this versatility was that the overall weight loss and disease resolution potential was somewhat lower than that of more-traditional, stapled procedures like the gastric bypass and the gastric sleeve. However, the Lap-Band got an additional boost when the FDA approved it as the only weight loss surgery for patients with a BMI as low as 30, as long as they had co-morbid conditions.
How Can Primary Care Physicians Best Manage Patients with Obesity?
The obesity trend continues to rise in the United States with exceptionally severe consequences. Along with the exponential rise in obesity over the past several decades, we have seen a commensurate rise in type-2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, esophageal cancer and the incidence or worsening of many other cancers including breast, uterine and prostate. Unfortunately, the standard advice on how to lose weight, diet and exercise, begins to lose effectiveness once the patient becomes obese. Indeed, only about 5 to 10% of all of these patients are able to lose weight and maintain that weight loss over the long-term using diet and exercise alone. For those other 90 to 95% of patients, life can continue with yo-yo dieting, binge eating and a great deal of frustration that goes along with it. Similarly, weight loss pills are merely temporary solutions that will allow patients to regain the weight once the pill is no longer being taken.
Is Diverticulosis Hereditary?
When discussing colon health, it is important to understand more about diverticular disease and one of its most common sub-conditions, diverticulosis. Diverticulosis a very common problem that can alternately cause serious follow-on conditions, or no symptoms at all. The colon is a very sensitive organ that plays in important part in the digestive system. Proper colon health can not only make life easier, but it also avoids many serious medical issues and even surgery in some cases. However, with our collectively worsened diets in the United States, poor colon health has led to an increase in bowel related issues, colon and rectal cancer, diverticulosis and resultant diverticulitis.
