Gastric Bypass Barbie

AS MUCH CALCIUM AS A GLASS OF MILK!

(So proclaims the packet of Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate)

What’s your first impression when you read that? If you’re like MOST people, it’s: “Hey, it must be healthy! As much calcium as an entire glass of milk?! Who knew?”

Right.

So, here’s how my little brain works now (because it is skeptical and questioning of EVERYTHING):

1. How BIG a glass of milk? 8 oz.? Too much for me.
2. What TYPE of milk? Skim? Whole?
3. How MUCH calcium is actually in that glass of milk?
4. How much calcium do I NEED each day?

Now, understand that I would never dream of using this product — aside from the fact that it is loaded with sugar, it’s nothing I need — but my point is, in my Bariatric After LIfe™, I have learned to apply the same healthy logic to ALL products — EVEN those targeted directly to us bariatric types!

I guess it’s funny that, in this “sound bite” world where we all have the attention span of fleas sometimes, marketers have learned to whisper nonsense into our ears, and we believe it! Case in point:

• Fat Free! (Not sugar free)
• Low-Calorie! (Not fat free)
• No Added Sugar! (But has sugar)

If there is one thing I hope for all of us, it’s that we learn to ignore the headlines and go immediately to the fine print. Read the “second-to-the-last” paragraph of the article; turn the page; do whatever it takes to get the FULL story. Our bariatric bellies do not forgive us for ignorance of the law; when it comes to our bodies, we will GET exactly what we GIVE.

As much Calcium as an entire glass of milk? Who cares? I take Calcet Bites or chew my Celebrate wafers and do just fine (thank you).

Just some random thoughts for a Wednesday hump day afternoon. Now, off to my mani-pedi.

Hey guys, so I’ve been doing this Youtube stuff for a month now, and today was a momentous day. Apparently, a bunch of people watched my review of Revival Soy bars, then decided to buy them at bariatriceating.com, and bought out the entire inventory! Can you stand it?

I guess I’ll have to warn people before I review their stuff, right? (Uh, just to make sure they don’t sell out in 1 hour, I mean!)

Hey, life is good!

Keep watching and keep buying! It’s good for ya!

Former Foe Becomes BFF (A Little Update on Quinoa)

Okay, this might sound silly, but I just had to write a little update to tell you about my newfound love affair with: QUINOA (pronounced KEEN-WUH).

For those of you who don’t know what quinoa is, according to this site:

A recently rediscovered ancient “grain” native to South America, quinoa was once called “the gold of the Incas,” who recognized its value in increasing the stamina of their warriors. Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Not only is quinoa’s amino acid profile well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, but quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients. Because quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus, this “grain” may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Now, I realize that WLS people have known about this stuff for years; vegetarians have known about it for decades, and South Americans have known about it forever, so call me “late to the party” (it won’t be the last time, trust me!) – BUT — I first learned about it from Rob Portinga (formerfatdudes.com) about 1 month ago. Just call him my “pusher”, because it’s his fault I’m now an addict. I’m not sure if it was his description of the stuff, his yummy sounding recipes, or his gorgeous photos (by the way, I had no idea how teeny-weeny it actually is; his pictures make it seem so much bigger) — but the idea of a rice substitute that is safe for bariatric pouches and unusually high in protein intrigued me to the point that I had to buy some and try it for myself. You should know that, for me, buying a new “something” is only about 1/10 of the effort. The remaining 90% is getting me over the hump to actually OPEN the package and cook the darned stuff.

Which, I finally did on Saturday morning.

I started out slowly — just used a little chicken bouillon for flavor — but that was all it took to hook MexiKen, who added some to his steamed veggies for dinner. Then, last night, I was feeling edgy and daring, so I added some curry and cayenne pepper to a batch, and now Hannah (my incredibly talented daughter and sometimes-chef) is hooked! She has decided that she can eat herself into a coma on quinoa (after adding it to the butternut squash and spinach that I’d made for dinner). As a matter of fact, it has officially become her new addiction, and she says she could happily eat this with “everything” for the rest of her life. I have a feeling she’s going to create some AMAZING dishes with this new grain, so I’d better buy more. A LOT more.

Anyway, if you haven’t tried it yet, I would encourage you to do so — after you read some of the following resources about it:

There’s even an official quinoa site!

Finally, Rob’s site — go here for information and great recipes (tell him Barbie sent ya

Okay, off to bed for me. I think I feel a yawn coming on. Nope… that was just a hiccup. Oh well — more later! I wonder if there’s any quinoa left in the fridge…

Quinoa, Cooking and My General Aversion to all Things Kitchen

Photo by Rob@FormerFatDudes.com

I’ve gotta tell you…I don’t know when this happened. I used to be right at home in the kitchen. I mean, as a gastric bypass pre-op, even though I wasn’t one of those people who can experiment and come up with (BAM!) amazing dishes, I did manage to follow some terrific recipes and make a lot of people very happy. As a matter of fact, I have a hand painted mural in my kitchen that reads: Cocina de Chile — Body and soul fed daily. (My nickname is “Chiles” – long story). I also have a painting of my kitchen saint (“San Pasqual” ) who had angels to help him finish the cooking each day (we all need those).

So, in my “before life,” I had no hesitation, trepidation or consternation about cooking or baking. Hey, I’ve been doing famous Thanksgiving Friday meals at my place for YEARS (it’s a regular event and people bring their ziplok containers for leftovers) and my chocolate chips cookies are LEGENDARY.

So, what has happened in my Bariatric After Life™ to keep me from wanting to cook?

The easy answer would be that I am fearful of the temptation. In other words, even if I cook something healthy, I might want to sample and taste and pinch and nibble my way through prep (which is what I always did pre-op), then still sit down for a meal. I know that this happened when I baked bariatric friendly cookies for Christmas 2 years ago. I ate too many (which defeated the purpose of the healthy baking!) So, maybe I lost my mojo because I don’t want to be surrounded by opportunities to overeat.

Or, maybe it comes from my mom — who was a good cook, but not a confident one. She never taught me how to set up a pantry or what to have on hand so I would always be able to throw together something tasty. It’s not her fault, it’s just that I’m a rule follower and like instructions (guidelines?)

Maybe it happened that time I tried to cook Mexican rice and it turned into a sticky glop. Before that, I’d never had trouble with rice, but something about cooking for MexiKen (and knowing I could never compete with his mama) must have thrown me off my game. (I believe there is a *grain* of truth to that

Whatever it is, I print recipes like an addict….but very rarely pull them out and actually USE them. Heck, it’s a major production just to crock beans in the pot (which I just started doing 3 weeks ago, by the way…). Before that, it was even hard to motivate myself enough to OPEN THE CAN. I would seriously fight with myself over whether or not I could use the can opener to extricate the beans, heat them in the pan and mash them with the back of a spoon. Isn’t it just easier to BUY a cup of beans?

Which brings me to today: I have an unopened box of Quinoa on the counter. It’s just sitting there, waiting patiently for me to pop it open and cook up a batch. But I’m intimidated. What if it comes out like my Mexican rice? Inedible and just plain yucky? What if I don’t LIKE it once I cook it? I’ve never tried it before and think I’ve built it so far up in my mind, it will underwhelm and disappoint me. Like that time when I watched Chariots of Fire and HATED it, even though the entire world raved about how amazing it was. All I saw was people running. And running. And running. And looking exhausted. In slow motion. To some really pretty music. What was so great about that?

But, I digress.

The point is, I think I’ve built an obstacle in my kitchen that doesn’t need to be there. Right now, it seems to be constructed out of protein containers full of uncooked quinoa, so it shouldn’t be *too* hard to dismantle, but it’s still THERE. Smack dab in front of the STOVE — and there’s a big picture of QUINOA on the front. I think I could probably knock it down, but it’s gonna take some gumption (and maybe a spatula, a skillet and some dried cranberries).

In the meantime, I’ve set a goal to actually cook the quinoa. Before next Monday.

• I will conquer this crazy kitchen fear!
• I shall overcome!
• I shall be victorious!
• I will not burn the quinoa.

Film at 11….

Comment & Win: CHOBANI GREEK YOGURT

Okay, most of you know what I ran a little contest to dovetail with my Gastric Bypass Barbie table at the WLS Vegas Meet ‘N Greet (February 19-21, 2010). All you had to do to be entered, was visit me at the event and sample one (or all) of the items I was taste-testing, and then come to my site and leave a comment.

Today, I’m announcing the winner of the CHOBANI GREEK YOGURT prize. I guess you’ll have to watch the video to know who won (but, isn’t that the whole point?) Drumroll, please….

Congrats to Paula Yenerall!

Here’s what she wrote:
I attended the Las Vegas WLS ‘meet and greet’ with my daughter, Sheri Burton who had the lap band procedure. Even though my own insurance will cover WLS, it requires me to be at least 100 lbs. overweight. I have the choice of, let’s see, gaining another 25 lbs. or trying to lose on my own. So, right now I am trying to lose on my own.

I was very excited to see such great results there were and how happy people were to be there.

I enjoyed everything right along with my daughter.

I tasted only the yogurt but found it to be terrific. I kept asking her, is this really something good for you because it tastes too good. Texture was wonderful and the creaminess and thickness of the yogurt very different than the runny ‘diet’ ones I am used to.

I am going to buy some and include that in my regimen to lose weight.

Thank you to Cari De La Cruz for bringing this product to sample and to all of the organizers and guests and speakers at this event.

You’re welcome, Paula, and THANK YOU for your kind comment.

To collect your prize, send me an email with your address so Shari Lawrence at Chobani can send you your loot.

Product Review: Kay’s Naturals Cookie Bites

Legal Disclaimer: I received (2), FREE 5 oz. Boxes of Kay’s Naturals Cookies Bites (Cinnamon/Almond Filled, and Honey/Almond Filled) from my good friend, Gene Carbonell at Bariatric Food Products so that I could taste and review them. I was not paid for this review, and the foregoing is 100% truthful. I did eat the product discussed in this review…the whole…two…boxes. They were dangerously yummy, but that’s all I’m gonna say about that here in the disclaimer. Read more for the details of my taste test.

A little about Kay’s Naturals: Kay’s is dedicated to bringing a better alternative to traditional snacks and cereals to the health and fitness conscious consumer. Our products are delicious, made with all-natural soy protein and high-fiber. These products can help to sustain energy, manage weight loss, and stabilize blood sugar. They are an option for all ages and lifestyles and for anyone seeking sources of protein in their diets, including people with diabetes, bariatric patients, body builders, vegetarians, the elderly, and children. They are ideal for the office, sports, on the road, and at home.

A Little Background:

Those of us in the bariatric community have known about Kay’s Naturals for a very long time, having eaten (and loved) their pretzel sticks and cereals as part of our protein rich/carb balanced diets — almost since we were able to eat solid foods (at least that’s MY guess.) Anyway, last year, they brought out a tantalizing new product called: PROTEIN+ COOKIE BITES. These little pillows ‘o goodness pack an impressive 10g of protein per serving and only 3g of sugar. You do have to watch those carbs @ 15g, but for a snack treat, that’s not a bad number at all.

I loved both the Cinnamon AND the Honey flavors and wouldn’t be able to pick a favorite if you paid me. They are both quite yummy. Too yummy, maybe, because I really couldn’t stop at ONE SERVING. And that brings up a little problem for me: My samples came in a BOX which contains 5 servings. Now, this can be a deal-breaker for me, as I do struggle with…um…er..…portioning stuff like this. If it’s in its own little bag, it’s not such a big deal, but something about counting out those happy little buggers spelled T-R-O-U-B-L-E for me this time around. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I understand that they do not normally come like that, and are instead sold in single serving (1 oz) bags, which I think would be safer. I’d me more likely to buy them to have for a special treat, if they were safely confined to one ounce packages.

Oh, that reminds me, these tasty little treats are great with a little Rice Dream or Almond Breeze on them — you know, like a bowlette of cereal

Here are the product specs:

Barbie’s Bottom Line: I am a snack-o-holic and a binger, so these treats are kinda dangerous for me. However, if you DON’T have a problem with things called “cookies,” and can limit yourself to a single serving at a time, then this is your product! They are tasty, healthy and a great alternative to junk food. So, from a Bariatric point of view, I find these to be POUCH-PERFECT. From Barbie’s own point of view, they are pretty much “Danger, Will Robinson” for me and probably should NOT be in my pantry, unless I only get one bag at a time!

Now, here’s the cool news: You can buy these at lots of online retailers, but the great thing about Gene @ BariatricFoodProducts.com is, he sells them BY THE BAG! For only $1.50, you can buy a bag, instead of buying the entire carton. Then you can see if you like it

According to his website: These new Cinnamon Flavored, Almond Filled Cookie Bites from Kay’s will help you maintain a nutritional balance without giving up satisfying flavor. Get energized with these nutritious, protein plus Cookie Bites. There are only 100 calories in these handy 1 oz bags and each 1 oz serving has the protein of 2 eggs.

We recommend these luscious little gems as a great way to fill the gap with a snack that has a healthier balance of great taste, low calories, no trans fats, no cholesterol, lean soy protein, zero cholesterol, lower carbohydrates and a good source of fiber. These Cinnamon Flavored, Almond Filled Cookie Bites are made with all natural ingredients, they are gluten free, and are based on the science of the Low Glycemic Index.

Well, shucks! I think that’s a nice way to end the review, don’t you? I mean, what could I possibly add?

Now, excuse me while I go lick my finger and try to clean-up the bottom of the empty cookie bites bag…

Product Review: Bariatric Advantage Chewable Probiotic

About a month ago, my friend Ed (from Bariatric Advantage) and I were chatting about their product line, and he mentioned that he’d love to send me a bottle of their new Strawberry Flavored Chewable Probiotic to use and review.

Now, before I go any further, there are a few provisos, a couple of quid pro quo…

Ahem (Clears Throat):

FORMAL LEGAL DISCLOSURE

This disclosure officially follows the new guidelines set for the the FTC concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising (effective December 1, 2009).

1. By definition, I am (apparently), an “expert” because I am the reviewer and got FREE product from Bariatric Advantage
2. I did not receive any money for this review, but I did receive (2) Bottles of Bariatric Advantage Strawberry Flavored Chewable Probiotic (90 Capsules per bottle; 2.4 Billion CFU) The reason I got two bottles is that the first one was lost in the mail stream for, like, 2 weeks. So, Edward rushed me out another bottle, so I wouldn’t have to wait to try the product. About a week after I got the replacement bottle, my new bottle rolled in. So, effectively, I’m reviewing TWO bottles of the product.
3. I am currently a bona fide user of the product. As a matter of fact, because I had something containing milk earlier today, I am a little gassy, so I just chewed a tablet to help aid in my digestion. My husband will appreciate my use of the product — trust me.
4. I have no connection to the company, and am not related to Ed. In fact, the only two things we (me and the company, not me and Ed) have in common, are a) the fact that I live in southern California, and b) have the word ‘Bariatric’ in my name, too!
5. I am not selling the product or profiting from this review.
6. My review is truthful and honest. Duh. Why would I lie? It either works, or it doesn’t. Trust me — you’ll get the straight poop (pun intended.)
7. I did not ask my attorney if it was okay for me to review this product, because he doesn’t like Strawberry. I think he’ll be okay with what I wrote, though…

Okay, that is the legal stuff (I think).

On to the review!

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

WHY USE THIS PRODUCT?
According to the Bariatric Advantage website: The human digestive system is normally home to several kinds of healthful bacteria or “flora” that play a role in bowel health and regularity, immunity, carbohydrate fermantation and absorption and more. It is sometimes possible for this flora to be come altered due to medications (such as antibiotics or acid blockers), illnesses, or surgical procedures. Bariatric Advantage Chewable Probiotic is designed to assist in the maintenance of healthy normal flora in the digestive system as well as to support overall digestive health and wellbeing. This delicious strawberry flavored product provides 2.4 billion CFUs (colony forming units) of probiotic activity from lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium lactis – two of the best-studied supplemental forms for probiotic. It also supplies short chain fructoligiosaccharides (FOS) as a prebiotic and is Dairy-Free.

WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I TOOK THE PRODUCT?
I’ve long known about the benefits of probiotics, and had been taking another brand for some time. So, when Ed contacted me and asked me if I’d be interested in trying the BA brand, I was hesitant, and told him so. I mean, I didn’t want to waste his time if I was already pretty happy with the brand I was taken, but he persisted, because he was so confident i would love the product. Maybe it was the strawberry, or maybe I was just weak that day, but I agreed to let him send me a bottle, and promised I’d give my most honest review. In other words, if I didn’t like it, you were going to hear about it. He was cool with that — either because he knew I’d love it, or because the formal guidelines say that reviewers must be truthful, even if the review is negative.

The first thing I noticed about the BA probiotic was how good it tastes. It’s pretty yummy, actually, and that’s not a bad thing. But, I have a feeling that’s NOT why I’m supposed to take it! After about 3 days on the product, I began to notice that my bloating had gone away and I wasn’t…well..gassy. That’s just the truth. Gastric bypass people suffer from gas and it can be quite unappealing, to say the least (or, maybe it IS “appealing,” as in “you’re a-peeling the paint off the walls with your gas.”) Anyway, the next thing I noticed was my stomach wasn’t unhappy and I didn’t have any indigestion. The third thing I noticed was probably more mental than anything else, but I seriously felt like my food was being maximized in my system — that I was getting more benefit out of my protein. Again, This is probably just the “placebo effect” at play, but I went with it.

Now, for me, here’s the REAL advantage to taking chewable probiotics: You don’t need liquid, so if you just ate, you don’t have to wait! With other probiotics, you have to take them with liquid, That can be a negative, especially when you really need to get one down, but just ate.

Just to be sure about my experience, I stopped taking them for a few days and — lo and behold — the bloating and gas returned with a vengeance. So, that was enough proof for me. I believe the product works and I would buy it for regular use. I do recommend it for all bariatric patients, and wonder why more doctors/surgeons don’t mandate probiotics as part of the daily vitamin/mineral/nutritional supplement regimen. Perhaps more will catch on, but in the meantime, if you aren’t sure probiotics are right for you, why not ask your physician what he or she thinks? Then, when you get the green light, order up a bottle from the folks at Bariatric Advantage. Each 90-count bottle costs $17.95 (plus S&H — of course,  but you could just tag it in with the other supplements on your order, right?)

Barbie’s Bottom Line: 2 Thumbs Way Up. I thank you and my husband thanks you even more for this product!

Buy it, use it, be happy.

REVIEW & WIN: Chobani 0% Plain Greek Yogurt

If you stopped by the Gastric Bypass Barbie booth and sampled CHOBANI 0% PLAIN GREEK YOGURT at the Las Vegas WLS Meet & Greet February 19-21, 2010, you can enter to win a cool prize from GBB (that’s me!) Just post a comment below and tell me about your taste test. The better the review, the better your chance of winning. I’m interested in hearing what you like and don’t like about the product; how you’d rate the taste and texture, whether you’d buy it for yourself, and whether you like the nutritional values (e.g., grams of protein, grams of sugar, number of carbs and calories).

Make CHOBANI GREEK YOGHURT part of your daily protein program. Eat Happy!

CLICK HERE FOR A COUPON

Leave your comment and you might win

REVIEW AND WIN: Jarrow Whey (Vanilla)

If you stopped by the Gastric Bypass Barbie booth and sampled JARROW WHEY PROTEIN at the Las Vegas WLS Meet & Greet February 19-21, 2010, you can enter to win a free 2 LB. TUB of your very own! Just post a comment below and tell me about your taste test. The better the review, the better your chance of winning. I’m interested in hearing what you like and don’t like about the product; how you’d rate the taste and texture, whether you’d buy it for yourself, and whether you like the nutritional values (e.g., grams of protein, grams of sugar, number of carbs and calories).

Make Jarrow Whey part of your daily protein program. Live Happy!

Leave your comment and you might win

Product Review: MIMICCREME Non-Dairy Cream Substitute

I have three words for you: OH MY GOSH!

Since having gastric bypass surgery in December of 2007, I’ve developed something of an allergy to milk (which includes creme). No, I’m not lactose intolerant — I’m actually ALLERGIC to milk (it makes me itch and stuff).

Well, a few months back, whilst doing my daily scan of Protein Girl Allie’s blog, I learned about a totally cool sounding product called MimicCreme. Allie made it sound so glorious, I had to learn about it for myself, so I flocked (can one person do that all by herself, or does one need several seagulls to do it properly?) Anyway, I flocked over to the MimicCreme site and read that it is a non-dairy cream substitute that does not have soy, gluten or any sort of milk products. How good could it taste, I ask you?

Amazingly, pretty darned good. OOPS! Don’t wanna go pimping my review now…Let me back up the milk truck.

I contacted the lovely people at MimicCreme and explained my sorrowful situation to them (you know, the part about how I have a limited diet after WLS, and how I am allergic to milk and cream and everything?) Rose Anne and Vince took great pity on me and immediately whisked (punny, huh?) out some samples of their product to my doorstep so I could taste and review for myself.

Now would be a really good time for the official disclaimer:

* * * I received FREE samples of MimiCreme Non-Dairy Creme Substitute in two (2) Flavors: Unsweetened and Sweetened. I don’t think they had a sugar-free version when I contacted them originally, but they do have one now. I think I’ll have to try that next. Anyway, I did not pay for these cartons o’ goodness and they did not compensate me for my review. Let’s just say, I enjoyed many, many cups of silky smooth coffee for a couple of weeks, and didn’t pay a PENNY for the faux cream. * * *

Okay, we’re back.

Let me begin with the crack Sweetened version. This stuff is nothing short of addiction in a carton. Remember those cans of Sweetened Condensed Milk your mom always bought to make Borden’s Magic Cookie Bars at Christmas? Okay, well THAT’S what this stuff is like. I found myself sneaking teaspoonfuls of it in the middle of the night. Somehow, I do not believe that is what the product was designed for, but you will be happy to know, it works for midnight munchie marauders (like moi). Oh…let me remind you that I am a bariatric patient and have absolutely no business using the sweetened version of this product. Yes, it is made with sugar. Yes, it made me a little dumpy.

Moving on…Next was the Unsweetened version. Okay, now THIS stuff tastes good, but doesn’t cause me to binge. It has a wonderful, creamy texture and you would swear you were drinking a milk product, and not a bunch of almonds. Oh, did I mention that this stuff is made from NUTS? Yup. Almonds, Cashews, Rice Starch and Baking Soda (plus a little purified water and non-iodized salt.) The sweetened version adds sugar, maltodextrin, tapioca starch, xanthan gum and guar gum, but the sugar-free version uses erythritol, which is safer for us bariatric post-ops.

Anyway, I used the unsweetened flavor in my morning coffee and, aside from some “feathering” [The term for the appearance of cream-substitute-separation in acidic solutions is, "Feathering." Such feathering, which is akin to milk curdling and which gives an undesirable appearance to the coffee, may occur when the coffee brew is acidic and/or when the coffee brew is made with hard water containing a high proportion of calcium and/or magnesium ions. Feathering does not impart any taste-changes. MimicCreme has been formulated with an additive called Di Potassium Phosphate that prevents it from "feathering" in acidic liquids] it really was pleasant and did not change the flavor of the coffee. Of course, I add a boat load of Splenda® to everything, so THAT certainly changed the taste!

Fear not! If you can’t stand the thought of “feathered cream” in your coffee, just buy the Cream Substitute instead. Tastes the same, but won’t separate at the top of your java.

Here are the nutritional facts for each product:

As you an see, the numbers are pretty good — yes, even for the sweetened version.

Many people say they use this product for cooking and baking, but I was just too lazy to do that (LOL). I did add it to my protein shakes, and that made them even yummier. My best friend says she bakes with it and simply adores the flavor, so I think you should take her word on it. The stuff rocks.

Barbie’s Bottom line:   4 Stars

Where to Buy: Online at Mimiccreme.com or
Retail Locations: Find a Store

Price: 1 Quart = $4.59
Coffee Creamer = $2.99