Making Healthy Choices

By understanding a little about nutrition and applying what you know, you will feel healthier, look better, and have more energy.

Getting what you need in smaller portions

A typical meal in a bariatric surgery diet includes protein-rich foods such as lean meat, eggs, and low-fat dairy products as well as starches and whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Eating protein helps you feel fuller longer. You’ll be able to eat a variety of foods — in smaller portions, of course. Check out Chapter 3 for details on portion sizes. Since you are only eating small portions of food, choosing foods that are healthy is very important. Nutrient-rich foods deliver the most nutrition for the least amount of calories. To find nutrient-rich foods you need to check out the food labels to find out what a portion of the food is and how many
calories and which nutrients are in a portion.

Drinking enough water at the right time

Water is important because it flushes toxins from your liver and kidneys, regulates body temperature, and reduces the risk of many cancers. It also helps with digestion, lubricates your joints, allows you to use glycogen in your muscles, which provides you with energy, and helps eliminate hunger by taking up space in your pouch. Prior to surgery you received a great deal of water from the foods you ate. After surgery you don’t have the same capacity to eat, which is why many post-op patients are prone to dehydration. You need to ensure you’re drinking enough water. However, you also need to avoid eating and drinking at the same time because your new pouch is too small to allow both liquid and solid foods.

Checking out eating guidelines

After you make the transition to solid foods, follow these dietary guidelines:

✓ Plan your meals.

✓ Eat three meals a day.

✓ Start each meal with a protein source.

✓ Chew, chew, chew each bite.

✓ Don’t overeat — stop before you feel full.

✓ Drink between each meal, not with your meals.

✓ Don’t eat in front of the TV, in the car, or while you’re reading.

✓ Keep healthy foods available and get tempting unhealthy foods out of the house.

✓ If you’re going to a party, offer to bring a healthy food item to ensure you’ll have something there you can eat.

✓ Pay attention to the taste of your food.

✓ Try not to eat late in the day.

✓ Use a food diary to keep track of what and when you eat and how you feel.

Finding out what foods your new pouch will tolerate after surgery is a matter of trial and error. Dumping syndrome, a common condition for gastric bypass surgery patients, occurs after you eat foods that are high in sugar, fat, or sometimes dairy, or high-calorie liquids. It can cause nausea, diarrhea, light headedness, cold sweats, abdominal cramping, weakness, and a fast heartbeat. (We talk more about dumping syndrome in Chapter 2.) Many people who experience dumping find it good incentive to avoid the foods that triggered the reaction for a while.

Keeping a food diary

A food diary is a useful tool not only when you’re losing weight but also when you’re trying to maintain your weight. A diary helps you be aware of what you’re eating and whether you’re veering from your healthy eating plan. Diaries can also help you to increase your awareness of why you’re eating. If you write down any emotions you feel when you think you’re hungry, you may discover that the feeling is something else — maybe thirst, fatigue, or stress.

Check out Chapter 3 for more information on how a food diary can help you achieve and maintain your weight loss goals.

Organizing and Readying Your Kitchen

Before starting on your cooking adventure, make sure you have your kitchen in order. Nothing is more frustrating than starting a recipe and being unable to find your favorite cookware or utensils or realizing you don’t have the necessary ingredients on hand. The first step to getting organized is to assess what you have, edit down to what you really need, and arrange it in an efficient setup, the primary goal of which should be accessibility. In Chapter 5 we help you organize your kitchen, stock your cupboards, and introduce you to essential equipment. By laying this groundwork you can make your cooking experience more efficient and enjoyable, which will help you stay on track with healthy meal preparation.

Planning to Eat Well

By taking the time to plan meals ahead of time, you’re more likely to stick with your eating plan, stay within your budget, and find ways to use up what you already have on hand. To take out all of the guesswork and free up time every day, take a little time one day a week and plan your meals for the week. You can extract a grocery list from your menu choices and do the week’s shopping in one trip, which prevents frantic dashes to the grocery store for a forgotten ingredient. Cooking will be more enjoyable because you’re more prepared.

Smart shopping is the name of the game. This means purchasing foods that are healthy, convenient, and good. Here are some smart shopping tips:

✓ Buy foods that are the least processed (closest to their original form) you can find.

✓ Shop with a list.

✓ Don’t shop when you’re hungry.

✓ If possible, shop alone so it’s easier to focus on healthy foods and buy just what you need.

✓ Read labels carefully.

Practicing Food Safety in the Kitchen

Fresh fruits, vegetables, and raw meats are always better than processed, but “safety first” is the rule. It’s upsetting to think about, but the foods you eat to stay healthy can make you sick. Fortunately, you can do many things to protect yourself and your family from foodborne illness. At the grocery store, avoid cans that are

bulging and jars that have cracks or loose lids. At home, follow these tips from the Food and Drug Administration:

✓ Be sure that your refrigerator and freezer are the right temperature for storing food.

✓ Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods right away.

✓ Throw away anything that looks or smells suspicious. If you think a food might be bad, don’t taste it!

✓ Wash your hands well before preparing food.

✓ Keep your work area, wash rags, and utensils clean.

✓ Cook meats thoroughly.

Check out Chapter 6 for more tips and tricks to ensure all your meals are safe to eat.

Making Healthy Choices