2007 August Winter Newsletter

Booth’s Babble...

August Winter Newsletter 2007

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We are now into the thick of winter and I hope that all of you have survived the recent storms without too much damage. It is always a pleasure to see our follow-up patients and, from what I have seen to date, most of you are doing extremely well. Our entire team was delighted with the turnout at the rooms’ opening at 81 Remuera Road and appreciated the efforts put in by everybody, including Tania Roxborogh and our roving reporter, Simon Hannah. It is certainly quite touching to hear the individual stories of people, particularly being able to share these in an open forum.

I would particularly like to introduce you to Nikki Talacek, who is starting with us as a Dietitian in the practice. She will be gradually taking over Elizabeth’s practice and she has written a few words about herself in the newsletter.

Other than that, I look forward to seeing you all for your follow ups and hopefully you will enjoy these accompanying recipes that Elizabeth has provided.

Surgical Weight Solutions have commissioned new personal folders for each new patient. These will provide an individual comprehensive progress record from pre surgery to two years post op. Laboratory forms will be supplied for follow up blood tests. This will allow patients to be in control of their recommended health follow-ups with the surgeon and the dietitian.

There is room for a personal journal and to record your experiences during this period of time and hopefully you may refer back to it from time to time and remember these positive changes you have undergone!

Remuera Opening Photos...

New Dietitian...

Nikki Talacek will be joining us in Mid August. We are delighted to welcome Nikki to Surgical Weight Solutions and look forward to working with her. She will see all new patients and for a time, Elizabeth will continue to follow up our existing post surgery patients.

The Protein Bakery—Protein Cookies

The cookies are certainly high protein but also high calorie. I ginger/spice cookie is the equivalent of 2 slices bread and the chocolate fudge cookie is equivalent of a sandwich with 2 slices of bread/filling or a large banana. My advice is that if you really want to eat this type of cookie, eat it as a meal after a vegetable salad. The protein in it will replace the shaved chicken or low fat cheese or tuna/salmon you might otherwise have on your salad. They are not suitable as snacks or dessert. Just an occasional treat!

www.theproteinbakery.co.nz

“Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork”

Nikki Talacek...

I have just joined Surgical Weight Solutions as a dietitian. Fortunately for me Elizabeth refuses to keep working even if we offered to provide her with a Zimmer frame!

Now here is something about me...

I began my training to become a dietitian in Dunedin in 1997. Having fully qualified in 2001 with my post graduate diploma in Wellington I became a NZ registered dietitian.

In 2001 I began working at North Shore Hospital and over the four and half years there I focused on medicine and surgery. During this time I gained experience in all aspects of surgical nutrition, management of obesity and diabetes related nutrition.

Like many young professional Kiwis I travelled to the UK to gain overseas experience. I worked in a number of Hospitals focusing again on medicine and surgery, but had the privilege to work in the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. There I gained more experience in the Liver Transplant Unit, Intensive Care Ward, Gastro-intestinal surgery plus general Liver and Gastro wards. My UK experience fine tuned my medical, surgical and intensive care nutrition interest and knowledge.

In late 2006, I returned to NZ to New Plymouth Base Hospital. Once again I was involved with medicine, surgery and Intensive Care.

When Elizabeth Buchanan invited me to join Surgical Weight Solutions, I jumped at the opportunity. My prior experience prepares me well for this chapter in my career and I look forward to working with you all and getting to know everyone. Bariatric surgery is a new field for me but with Elizabeth’s guidance I hope that I will be able to serve you well and continue Elizabeth’s outstanding work. They will be big shoes to fill!

Dietitians’ Direction

Vitamins & Supplements

After weight loss surgery, (especially Gastric Bypass) you do not absorb vitamins and minerals as well as prior to surgery. We recommend Centrum 1 capsule daily.

A- Z multivitamins, providing 100% of the normal daily value. They are available in:

Regular
Over 50 years

Centrum capsules are easier to swallow in a little yoghurt, purée fruit or sugar free custard than with water.

Centrum Kids A to Zinc, chewable children’s multivitamins are an alternative which are not suitable long term but may contribute short term until the larger capsule can be swallowed. Three daily are required post operatively to give an adequacy until the regular adult Centrum multivitamins can be taken.

For those patients who have just had surgery another alternative is Clinicians multivitamin powder Clinicians Vitamin & Mineral Boost which can be dissolved in a little diluted fruit juice or in yoghurt, water or calorie free fluid.

For over a year I have been communicating with Novartis in Australia to bring Optisource Chewable Vitamin & Mineral Supplement into New Zealand. Currently they are available only in the U.S. The manufacturers and suppliers have been working to have these available in Australasia. Optisource is designed specifically for people who have had weight loss surgery and are orange flavoured chewable multivitamins/minerals. However the correct dosage is 4 /day; taken throughout the day, not all at once.

It may be another year before these could be available in New Zealand, and given the delay in changes to legislation regarding supplements and alternative medicines, possibly longer.

“Nothing tastes as good as thin feels”

Advice Snippets…

The Healthy Food Guide

The Healthy Food Guide is a great monthly magazine to help you learn new cooking skills, and all about healthy food choices with great recipes.

To find out more go to www.healthyfood.co.nz They offer healthy cooking classes too - book for CookSmart on line or call Laura on 09- 360 0582

Fruit Vegetables and Fluids

It is really difficult to learn not to drink with meals isn’t it? However as you get further out from surgery, and you are tempted, you must resist! When you drink with meals the food is “flushed” out of the stomach pouch causing it to empty at a quicker rate and allowing you to eat more at that meal, or perhaps soon after to snack! More food means more calories and this may cause either weight plateaus or weight regain.

Researchers at Penn State University in the U.S. have shown that what can help is consuming foods with high water content at meals - fruit and vegetables top the list. They provide a great source of minerals and vitamins and are low in calories. They also give you a feeling of fullness. Most are about 90% water. Even when cooked the water content decreases by only 10-15%. Enjoy small portions of fruit or vegetables if you do need to snack between meals, both to quench your thirst and also contribute to those 5 serves of fruit and vegetables you are aiming to include in your healthy eating pattern, everyday! Compare the water content of these foods and enjoy! Take care to cook the celery and broccoli or remove all tough stalks and stringy bits!

Recipes…

Here are some great recipes from the opening of Remuera Road

Entrée Provencale - Julia Child

• 10 olives, pitted and /or 10 small gherkins
• Tuna 185g (canned in water)
• Lite cottage cheese or lite cream cheese 125g (half a tub)
• 5-6 anchovies (optional)
• 2 cloves crushed garlic (optional)
• Olive oil 1 tsp
• Fresh thyme 1 tsp chopped, or dried thyme ¼ tsp
• Lemon juice 1 Tbsp

Process olives or gherkins first, add remaining ingredients.

Blend until smooth. Add more lemon juice if softer texture is required.

Add more cottage/cream cheese if desired.

Serve as an entree or starter with crisp pita crisps or crisp wholegrain crackers or toast Can be a lunch meal accompanied by quartered hard boiled eggs and quartered tomatoes. Parsley garnish.

Note: The black olives turn it “grey”. Omit if you wish, and serve with black olives.

Christmas (or any time) Cheese Ball - makes one 10 cm ball

• 450g Edam cheese or tasty Weight Watchers or
• Bega low fat cheese – grated
• 1 pkg light cream cheese
• ¼ c Sherry or Port
• 1 t Worcestershire sauce or ½ tsp Tabasco sauce if you like spicy food
• Very finely grated onion & celery or a dash of celery salt & onion salt (Optional)

• Have cheeses at room temperature
  
• Blend together in a kitchen whiz
  
• Shape into a ball
  
• Roll in chopped walnuts, pecans or chopped
  
• black olives
  
• Wrap in foil
  
• Refrigerate until needed

Salmon

Hungarian smoked salmon from Salmon King (John Prins)

Nice served with a dash of lite mayonnaise or lite cream cheese & gherkins

salmonking@xtra.co.nz
Tel: 09 378 8800 Mobile 0274995776

Support Group ...

The support group has now been successfully cofacilitated by Catherine and Lyn since June. The group is open to all patients both pre and post surgery and there is no cost for patients to attend at this time.

Any questions please email

Catherine: catherinekissel@hotmail.com
Lyn: lyn@wsurg.co.nz

We have a wonderful website that converts your weight into different objects to share with you www.weirdconverter.com This website, found by one of our group members gave us all a wonderful boost with lots of laughter.

If you would like to attend a support group at Waitemata Specialist Centre 15 Shea Tce, Takapuna 6.30-8pm please call to register.

• 12th September
• 10th October
• 7th November
• 5th December

Lap Band Support Website
http://groups.yahoo.com

Gastric Bypass Support Website
http://health.groups.yahoo.com

Information Evenings...

Many of you have been along to the information evenings we have been providing for interested people over the last year. We welcome any suggestions as to how these may be improved and do appreciate those of you who have given your time to come along and provide prospective patients with your personal experiences. It never ceases to amaze us how well our patients speak and how entertaining you can all be! We will be holding information evenings at 81 Remuera Rd as well. Start times are 7.30pm, please phone or email for bookings.

Up coming dates at Shea Tce:

• 8th October
• 19th November
• 17th December

Contact Details…

Tel: 09 441 2750 0508 Weight (934 448)
Fax: 09 441 2759

Email: info@surgicalweightsolutions.co.nz

We always look forward to seeing you all for follow-up. If you have any comments or suggestions or would like to write a piece for the next newsletter, please let us know.

August Winter Newsletter 2007

You will need the Adobe Reader to view and print these documents.