Acai Berries

By admin on February 27, 2009 at 2:06 pm

Many people are talking about the popular berry called Acai. It is a palm berry of the Amazon and is rich in nutrients called phytochemicals or plant chemicals. Plants such as Acai get there colors from compounds that protect them from damage from the sun. In our bodies we are also at rick for damage from the sun, metabolism of chemicals and the aging process. Acai has been touted to reduce hunger, increase metabolism and boost the immune system. Well here is my take. I performed PubMed (a huge government research database) and the International Bibliographic Database of Dietary Supplements (IBIDS) and did not see any original human studies that show Acai will help you lose weight or feel full. That’s the bad news, but the good news is that the berries do possess very strong antioxidant properties. They also contain fiber and carbohydrate, which may promote fullness. A number of vitamins and minerals in the berries are used to produce energy in the body and help support a healthy immune system. Research on the fruits according the studies I saw, were concentrating on better understanding how the berries color pigments work as antioxidants in the body and if they may help control, kill or otherwise reduce one’s risk for cancer. So here’s to the acai berry of the Amazon and all power foods such as broccoli and other cruciferous veggies, colorful fruit such as blueberries, almonds, walnuts and to a plant based diet. All the disease fighting ability we may ever need is in the foods we eat. To lose weight, remember no matter what power foods you add to your diet, calories count. Energy in and energy out. Always combine your acai berry juice with a brisk walk or other activity to live a strong healthy life.

David Kellenberger, MPAS, RD, PA-C

Posted in Ask the dietitian | Comments Off

Dallas Fort Worth Weight Loss Surgery Tools

By admin on February 22, 2009 at 8:51 pm

REALIZE mySUCCESS (TM) is an internet-based program and self-accountability tool developed for patients with the Ethicon Realize Band. In an attempt to enhance patient accountability, long term weight loss success, patients with a Realize band have access to a Web-based tool that tracks post-operative goals, customize plans and monitor their weight loss progress. In a recent observational study, about 3,800 people who had a Realize band and used REALIZE mySUCCESS (TM) were studied to see if the program helped them lose more weight and keep up with all forms of accountability needed to be successful with adjustable gastric banding surgery for weight loss. The results indicated that people who were frequent users (> or = to 1 x week) lost statistically more weight at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months than people who were infrequent users (< 1x/week). People who logged on and kept track of themselves lost about 46% of their excess body weight at 6 months, this was 10% more than infrequent users. Let’s say you want to lose 100#, you would lose about 46 pounds by six months with more frequent self-accountability. Also the study found that almost 90% of people using the program were still participating, so staying involved in your care is key to meeting your long term weight loss goals.

One of my greatest concerns is that people tend to put all their eggs in one basket when they have a gastric band placed from Realize or Lap Band. Imagine if you will that four pillars are holding up a building. One pillar is behavior modification, one is fitness, one is diet composition (calories, protein, etc…) and the last is a properly tightened band. Each of the four pillars provides 25% of the strength of the building. If you rely too heavily on one pillar or completely ignore one, the building will crumble. For gastric banding this is very true, if you rely on the band to be tight, but do not exercise or engage in healthful eating behavior or try to eat small amounts of less than healthful foods, your building will crumble. The next time you think you need a fill ask your self whether or not your building is sturdy and if you are truly utilizing all the tools needed to realize your success. Your band does not need to be super tight to eat a variety of foods per day to make it to about 900 to 1400 calories and go for a 30 minute walk. So here’s to living fresh.

Posted in Ask the dietitian, Lap Band | Comments Off

BYPASS AND SLEEVE SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS

By admin on February 20, 2009 at 9:56 am

BYPASS/SLEEVE SUPPORT GROUP MEETING
Location: Dr. Kim’s Office
35 Veranda Lane ste 100
Colleyville,Texas 76034
817-581-6100
Time: 6:30 pm
Dates: Wednesday March 4 6:30 pm
Wednesday April 1 6:30pm
Wednesday May 6 6:30 pm
Wednesday June 3 6:30 pm
Wednesday July 1 6:30 pm
Wednesday Aug 5 6:30 pm
Wednesday Sept 2 6:30 pm
Wednesday Oct 7 6:30 pm
Wednesday Nov 4 6:30 pm

Posted in Support Groups |

FUTURE BAND SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS

By admin on February 20, 2009 at 9:47 am

Starting in March we will begin meeting at:
Location: Colleyville Center
5301 Riverwalk Dr.
Colleyville, Texas 76034

Tuesday March 31 6:30 pm
Thursday April 23 6:30 pm
Thursday May 19 6:30pm
Thursday June 25 6:30 pm
Will update the rest of the dates in May.

Posted in Support Groups | 2 Comments

Support Group

By admin on February 20, 2009 at 8:54 am

Band Support Group Meetings
Thursday February 26th 6:30 pm at Dr. Kim’s office.
Dr. Jane Counts will be here to speak to the group. Spread the word to let Dr. Kim’s fellow band patients join us.

Posted in Support Groups, Uncategorized |

Lose it for iPhone

By admin on February 17, 2009 at 6:21 pm

Lose it” for iPhone

We have a new weapon in the war against the bulge. Lose it, an application made for all you iPhone and iPod Touch users out there is a wonderful tool that can be used to develop a calorie budget, keep track of what you have eaten and track calories burnt in exercise. Reviewed by over 2600 users, it gets about 4 stars for functionality and best of all it is free. Yes free.

Why is it important to track calories? Well good question young grasshopper. Calories represent the energy trapped in the foods we eat. Calories come from carbohydrates, fat and protein which our bodies convert these nutrients into heat. Each and everyone of us needs a certain amount of calories each day to run our metabolism to repair tissue, make DNA, keep our cells healthy and happy. Theoretically, we could eat donuts all day and lose weight eventually. Yes, Yes, I know that donuts aren’t healthy, but what if you needed 2,300 calories each day to walk, talk, type, drive, breath, think; I think you get the point. If you ate 1,200 calories worth of donuts you would lose weight. However, you would also turn into a jelly donut, because you would be starving your body’s cells of vital vitamins, nutrients, essential proteins, fats and healthy carbohydrates. So here’s the point. If you can control the amount of calories you eat and eat the right amounts of fats, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins, you would effectively lose weight and keep your cells healthy and happy.

“Lose it” an iPhone application helps you do that and quick. You can track what you have eaten on the fly in your phone and get instant feedback on how well you are doing. It is a great tool. The other thing is that it doesn’t matter what diet you like to eat. You can eat fast foods and healthier foods or follow a specific diet like “South Beach”. It is really up to you what you eat. Remember healthy and happy cells means reducing your risk for cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart attacks or other blood vessel diseases. Combine a healthy well-balanced diet with power foods, daily fitness and a calorie tracker and aim for an initial 5 to 10% weight reduction. Good luck and live fresh.

David Kellenberger, MPAS, RD, PA-C

Posted in Ask the dietitian | 1 Comment

Lose it!

By pkatekaru on February 17, 2009 at 12:42 pm

So… I was introduced to a great application on the Iphone, it’s called Lose it!. I have been using it for about 3 days now and believe it or not it is working very well for my lifestlye. I always have my phone with me and the application tool is soooo easy to use. Everything I am eating is listed under the search engine, this includes restaurants and many named brand products from the grocery store. One of the great things about it is that it analyzes all the food so you know how much protein,fat,carbohydrates, sodium and calories you have taken in for the day. It allows you to set goals and it will calculate your daily caloric needs and a specific date to reach your goal weight. It also has an exercise component on it. I found out I can burn more calories per hour by vaccuming instead of walking, who knew? The program is very streamlined and easy to use so I invite you to try it. I am told that Accountability is the number one indicator for successful weight loss. Stay tuned for my next blog to see how diligent I am about keeping the journal.
Your friend and bariatric nurse Pam

Posted in Pam's pen |