This recipe serves: 8
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 6 chicken breasts with the bone, about 3 pounds total
• 3 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 3 parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions

• Remove the skin from the chicken breasts and place them in a large soup pot. Add the chicken broth, bring it to a boil and reduce the heat so that the broth just simmers. Simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and transfer to a plate to cool.
• Skim the fat from the broth and bring it back to a boil. Add the onion, carrots, parsnips and celery. Simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, discard the bones from the chicken and chop the meat into small pieces.
• Add the chicken and parsley to the soup pot and simmer for another minute or two. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in warm soup bowls with a thick slice of bread.

Nutrition Facts

• 350 calories
• 29 carbs

Remember your portion sizes. Post WLS patients should only consume around 1/2 cup portions, which would also decrease the calorie and carbs from this recipe…

A Sweet Shake Alternative

Vanilla Shake Powder with GV Orange Early Rise Sugar Free Powder mixed tastes like Orange Sherbet (real sweet) for a shake alternate.

Liquid Chocolate Covered Cherry

You will need the following

• 1 cherry/dark cherry sugar free jello
• 7 to 8 of the cherry pomergrante ice cubes (hey thicker the better right?)
• 8oz of skim milk, if you prefer less you can
• Any one rounded scoop of the lovely Bari Essentials Chocolate Protein Powder

Combine all of these into the mixer, depending on your mixer I suggest the Ice Crush on HIGH first to make sure all the cubes are nicely crushed, then blend for about one minute, and finish it frappe style.

This could be an “ice cream” like treat!!

Another option is a “variety” shake with a scoop of vanilla BariEssential in decaf chocolate truffle flavored coffee.

Here are a few helpful tips to help you stay on the straight and narrow:

• Make sure you’re drinking the full daily number of protein shakes. (Optifast, 5 a day mixed with water; BariEssential, 4 a day mixed with skim milk.) I recently heard of a patient who complained that he was very hungry on the liquid diet. When asked how many shakes he’d had that day, he replied…”Two.” If you deprive yourself of the daily required amount, you’re setting yourself up for failure and temptation.




• Drink lots of liquids in addition to the protein shakes. Fill yourself up with water, and feel free to enjoy unsweetened tea or coffee as well. Crystal Light (or a comparable store brand) will be your best friend during these weeks! Drink up! (But nothing with calories, carbonation, or alcohol.)




• Try adding sugar-free popsicles (caution: check sugar/carb content to ensure that they’re truly “sugar-free” and not “no sugar added…two very different things) or sugar-free jello as a treat. You can even make Knox Blox out of the sugar-free jello by decreasing the water by half…makes them more chewy and substantial, and you can cut them in squares for portable snacks.




• Enjoy a cup of low-sodium Swanson’s Chicken Broth each day to break up the sweetness of the diet. Even someone with a deadly sweet tooth can grow weary of sweetness all day every day.




• Give yourself some variety by creating new flavors. Be creative and have fun (without adding extra calories). Here are a few suggestions:
• Add vanilla, almond, coconut, or mint extract to any of the basic powder mixes.
• Add any flavor of Crystal Light to the vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate. You’ll probably need to add extra water or ice to off-set the added sweetness.
• The protein drinks are best when very cold and shake-like. Try making ice cubes out of coffee (Frappucino, Baby!) or various Crystal Light flavors and add to the shakes. Some patients have had great success with sprinkling in some sugar-free jello powder too. Just remember, adding a sweet ingredient may necessitate adding extra water or ice or it might be too sweet.
• Let us know if you create a recipe that’s especially good….and please share on Facebook!
• If you’re using BariEssential instead of Optifast, keep in mind that it’s not as sweet. Some patients like that, and others feel like it needs a little sweetener…and that’s fine. Add a packet or teaspoonful of your favorite (i.e. Sweet ‘N Low, Truvia, Splenda, etc.) if you like.




• Exercise is great, obviously, but be careful about adding extra exercise to your schedule during the liquid diet. If you’re burning additional calories, you may get hungrier. Try walking each day or doing some strength-building work each week to keep your strength up (and give you a running start after surgery recovery); however, this is probably not the time to sign up for that Kick-Boxing or Zumba class you’ve always wanted to try, or to train for a 5K. Wait till you’re fully recovered after surgery…then GO FOR IT!




• Ask your family members to assist you. Perhaps they’ll join you on your liquid diet, or at least eat healthier while you’re on it. Either way, ask them to throw away junk food and items that will tempt you…or at least HIDE them…out of sight, out of mind!




• Provide support and accountability for yourself. If you’re tempted to “fall off the wagon”, call a friend who will encourage you, or call our office and get a pep-talk from a staff member. You can do this, and YOU ARE WORTH IT!

So you think you can cheat? In all seriousness, keep in mind that it is vital that you stay on the 800 calorie-per-day liquid diet prior to surgery. Not only will the weight loss give you a running start for your post-surgery weight loss journey, but your liver must shrink in size to ensure a safe laparoscopic procedure. If your liver hasn’t shrunk (i.e. you’ve been cheating on the liquid diet), Dr. Kim may not be able to perform your surgery. This alone should encourage you to follow the prescribed liquid diet TO THE LETTER. Don’t risk losing the opportunity that many of you have looked forward to for months or years.

Your surgery is the proverbial “carrot dangling from a stick in front of you.” This pre-surgery diet is different from any other restrictive diet you’ve tried previously. After this liquid diet, your procedure will give you a life-changing tool that has brought enormous success to so many Dr. Kim’s patients. You can look forward to lower weight, less joint pain, discontinuation of medications, added mobility, more confidence and overall well-being…a chance to live your life again. Now isn’t that worth a few weeks of liquid diet? ABSOLUTELY!!

Recipe

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds discarded, chopped
• 1 jalapeno , ribs and seeds discarded, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cans (15 to 19 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 quart reduced-sodium chicken broth
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Make-Ahead Salsa or store-bought salsa and sour cream and chopped, fresh cilantro, for garnish

Serving size 1/2 cup:
Estimated 100 calories, 2 grams of fat, 8 grams of protein

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and jalapeno. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until it gives off its aroma, about 1 minute.

Stir in the beans and broth. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and partially cover the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, stir in the sherry, if using.

In batches, transfer the soup to a blender, process until smooth, and pour the puréed soup into a large bowl. (If you have an immersible hand blender, you can puree the soup right in the pot.) Season the soup with salt and pepper.

Serve the soup hot, with bowls of the salsa, sour cream, and cilantro passed on the side so each person can add whatever toppings they like.

Well balanced meal planning is often a difficult task. As you may know, most Americans do not eat at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies each day. We often think of fried foods, burgers and fries, lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, sandwiches and other staple American foods as “the only things I know to eat”. The meal plans below point out a way to plan meals based on the “Exchange Lists for Weight Management” produced by the American Diabetes Association and American Dietetic Association.

People often want to be told what to eat, but inevitable go back to eating what they are familiar with, tastes good and is convenient. So instead of giving you a fish, I will attempt to teach you how to fish, by sharing with you a basic method for determining what is in the foods you eat. It always helps to use foods labels or count Weight Watcher® points, but you can also use exchange list too. Exchange lists are helpful because you can exchange any food within a category for another and it will have the same nutrient composition. For example, a small apple will have the same calories, protein, and fat as let’s say 17 grapes, 4 fresh apricots or a small banana. So here is the formula and some sample menus. For a full reference please visit: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/fd_exch.htm

Exchange List based on the American Dietetic and Diabetes Associations

Starch = 80 calories, 3g protein, 1 gram fat, 15grams carbs, look for starches
with more than 3-5g of fiber per serving
½ cup of cooked cereal, grain, or starchy veggie such as corn and peas
1/3 cup of cooked rice or pasta
1 ounce of bread or 1 slice
1 ounce of snack foods (may also be fatty)

Fruit = 60 calories, fiber and protein varies
1 small fruit
½ cup canned or fresh fruit unsweetened
¼ cup of dried fruit

1 Cup Fat free/low fat milk = 90 calories, 8grams protein, 0-3grams fat, 12grams carbs
1 Cup Reduced fat 2% milk = 120 calories, 8grams protein, 5grams fat and 12 grams carbs
1 Cup Whole milk = 150 calories, 8grams protein, 8grams of fat and 12 grams of carbs

Nonstarchy veggies = 25 calories, 2grams of protein and 5 carbs
½ cup cooked
1 cup raw

1 ounce Very Lean Meat = 35 calories, 7grams protein and 0-1gram of fat
1 ounce Lean Meat = 55 calories, 7grams protein and 3grams of fat
1 ounce Medium Fat Meat = 75 calories, 7grams protein and 5 grams of fat
1 ounce High Fat Meat = 100 calories, 7grams protein and 8grams fat

Fats = 45 calories and 5grams of fat
1 teaspoon of regular margarine or veggie oil
1 tablespoon of regular salad dressing

Sample Meal Plans

Now that you have the exchange list in mind, you can substitute any foods you like in the menus below. If you don’t want an egg, then eat an ounce of turkey breast slices. The calories really never change as long as you exchange foods within the same category.

800 Calories:
Starch 2 (160) Dairy 3 (240) Protein 5 (175) Veggie 3 (75) Fruit 2 (120) Fat 2 (90)
About 55-65 grams of protein
Breakfast: 1 protein 1 egg
1 dairy ½ cup cottage cheese
1 fat 1 tsp of margarine

Lunch: 2 protein 2 ounce of turkey lunch meat
1 dairy 1 yogurt
1 veggie 1 cup raw, ½ cup cooked carrots
1 fruit 4 apricots
1 starch 1 ounce of whole grain crackers

Dinner: 2 protein 2 ounces of fish
1 dairy 1 ounce reduced fat cheese
2 veggie 1 cup sautéed zucchini
1 fruit 1 small apple
1 starch 1 small baked sweet potato
1 fat 1 tsp of margarine

1200-1400 Calories:
Starch 4 (320) Dairy 3 (240) Protein 6 (210) Veggie 3 (75) Fruit 3 (180) Fat 3 (135)
For 1400 calories add an additional Starch and milk or add fruit and more protein, whatever you want as long as it is about 200 calories more.
About 65-75 grams of protein

Breakfast: 1 protein 1 ounce of sausage with <5g of fat per serving
1 dairy 1 ounce of reduced fat cheese
1 starch 1 slice extra crisp whole wheat toast
1 fat 1 tsp of margarine

Lunch: 2 protein/2 starch 1 cup of chili with beans and very lean hamburger or turkey
1 dairy/1 fat 1 ounce of regular cheese
1 starch 6 saltine-type crackers
1 veggie ½ cup green beans made with chicken broth and bacon flavoring
1 fruit 17 small (3oz) grapes

Snack: 1 dairy 1 cup fat free or 1% milk

Dinner: 3 protein 3 ounces of lean pork or chicken
2 veggie 1 cup of cooked broccoli
1 fruit 1 small apple
2 starch ½ cup of corn and ½ cup of green peas
1 fat 1 tsp of margarine

Let’s see what happens if we use the exchange lists to calculate someone’s meals has eaten on a typical day. This menu may be similar to a day you have eaten. The plan represents a breakfast many feel is healthy, a typical lunch at a pizza joint and a country style dinner with friends and family.
Calories/Protein/Fat
Breakfast: 1 cup oatmeal with 2% milk and 2 tables spoons of brown sugar 300/8/5
1 cup of orange juice 120/0/0
4 slices of bacon 180/8/20

Snack: 1 pack of pretzels (1.5 ounces) 80/2/1

Lunch: Individual pan pizza any brand 700/20/25
1 small salad with lettuce, tomato and dressing 135/0/15
20 ounce cola 200/0/0

Dinner 1 fried chicken breast and 1 leg 625/42/45
1 cup of macaroni and cheese 270/14/12
¼ cup of coleslaw 50/1/1
½ cup of fried okra 160/0/15
20 ounces of sweet ice tea 160/0/0

The grand total is 2,980 calories, 95 grams of protein and 139 grams of fat. That leaves about 300-330 grams of carbs too. The average person will not eat this all the time, but frequently. This diet truly represents the “Western Diet” that we have all come to know all too well. It is the diet of cancer promotion, high blood pressure, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity and numerous other conditions.