Why is fiber important?

• Fiber is a compound found only in plant foods.
• It helps foods pass through the digestive system smoothly, preventing constipation.
• It helps decrease cholesterol levels and promotes heart health.
• It helps control your blood sugar.
• It decreases the amount of time food stays in the digestive system, which can decrease your risk for colon cancer.

 How much fiber should I eat?

• Aim for 12 grams of fiber of every 1,000 calories that you eat daily.
• Drinking 73 to 100 ounces of liquids (at least 9 cups) daily from water or other calorie-free beverages is very important to help digest fiber.
• Increase the amount of fiber you are eating gradually to prevent uncomfortable gas and bloating.
• Try to include one fiber rich food in every meal.

 What foods are high in fiber?

High fiber foods are very filling.  You might find yourself eating smaller portions of these foods.  Remember to eat very slowly.  Please chew all foods, especially these high fiber foods, very well to prevent painful symptoms and serious complications.

Fiber supplements:  If you feel like you cannot eat enough food in a day to get enough fiber and you are still having irregular bowel movements, try these fiber supplements, available in most grocery stores and pharmacies.

• Fiber Choice Chewable (Sugar Free):  4 grams per tablet
• Metamucil Flavored Sugar Free Powdered Drink Mixes:  3 grams per serving
• Fibersure by Metamucil cooking and baking supplement:  3 grams per serving
• Benefiber (plus Calcium) chewable or powder:  3 grams per serving

You can add powders or drink mixes to a protein shake or skim milk.  Please follow the instructions on the label of the supplement you choose.

Good morning everyone!  We are developing some new content for our blog and we want your input.  What are some things you would like to know more about in regards to weight loss surgery?  Share your thoughts and ideas with us.

At this month’s support group meeting our focus was on one thing – EXERCISE.  Why should we exercise?  How should we exercise?  What are the best ways to exercise?  How often and how long should we exercise for?  The questions are endless.  To help us get a grip on all things exercise we invited Monica O’Reilly, owner of Fit for Life Fitness Center, to help answer these questions.  Here is a breakdown of what we learned:

• In order to reach your goals you CANNOT continue with the same eating, the same exercise, and the same physical activity behaviors.  You must change these behaviors through self discipline. 
• Physical activity does not discriminate.  Adults of all ages, shapes and sizes will gain health and fitness benefits through physical activity.
• Sitting for prolonged periods of time hurts your body.  How?  It turns off most of the abdominal muscles, over-works the back muscles, over-stretches the spinal ligaments, stresses the back portion of the discs and shortens the psoas, calf and hamstring muscles.  If you have a desk job make sure you get up and stretch every 20 – 30 minutes.
• Sarcopenia is to blame for weight gain in the majority of adults.  Sarcopenia is the gradual decrease in muscle tissue that occurs with age and begins for most people around the age of thirty.  The average adult will lose 1% of musle each year after the age of 40.  Men and women who do NOT strength train will lose 5 – 7 pounds of muscle for each decade of adult life due to disuse atrophy. 
• Lean muscle loss = slower metabolism!  A slower metabolism leads to lower energy requirements for your body to function. Fewer calories are being used so more calories are being stored as fat.  Without a reduction in food intake (calories), this process results in 15 – 17 pounds more body fat for each decade of adult life.
• Keep your muscles!  To replace muscle and raise your metabolism, strength training must be done on a regular basis.  Research reveals that by adding just 3 pounds of muscle you can raise your resting metabolism by about 7 percent. 
• Muscle loss = fat gain.  How do we fix this?  Eat sensibly.  The average person should do cardio exercise at least 3-5 times a week for a period of 25-30 minutes.  Strength train at least 2-3 times a week non-consecutively.  Work the major muscle groups of the body which include the legs, hips, chest, back, abdomen, shoulders and arms.
• Kick off your exercise program gradually.  If you are new to exercise start off with a 10 minute exercise session then increase to 2o minutes and then to 30 minutes.  When strength training start off with 1 set of 8-15 repetitions per exercise.  Progress to 2 to 3 sets over time.
• Make healthy lifestyle changes.  Know your BMI and your waist measurment.  Be aware of how many calories you are consuming.  The more calories you eat the more exercise you have to do in order to burn those calories because what your body doesn’t use will get stored as fat.  Weigh yourself weekly and if you’re goal is to lose weight, aim to lose 1/2 pound to 2 pounds per week. 

Joan Wilson before and after weight loss surgery.

As recently as 2009, Joan Wilson was one of the 17 million Americans with diabetes.  At 5-feet-tall and 217 pounds, she was a common Type 2 candidate, obese and physically inactive.  Type 2 diabetes can cause heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and leg and foot amputations.  If Joan, now 70, didn’t make some changes, she ran a huge risk of suffering from any of these afflictions, or worse, becoming one of the over 200,000 people who die from diabetes related complications each year.

Joan did not want to be a statistic.  She was tired of people looking down on her, tired of being unhealthy and tired of having no energy.  But Joan wasn’t tired enough to go down without a fight, refusing to allow poor health to rob her of her senior years.

After months of researching, Joan took the first step toward positive change and met with Dr. Timothy Hipp at North Florida Regional Healthcare’s Center for Obesity Surgery and Treatment.  After discussing her options, Joan elected to have the least invasive form of bariatric surgery, adjustable gastric banding.

Dr. Hipp performed Joan’s surgery in December of 2009 at North Florida Regional Medical Center.  By November 2010, she was 52 pounds lighter with plans to lose 20 more.  She is off of her diabetes and blood pressure medications.

“My life has changed so much,” Joan says.  “I feel like I have more energy.  I love shopping for smaller size clothes, and my health has improved so much.  I love life now.”

Not one to sit still, Joan is taking full advantage of her heightened energy, fulfilling her two passions of working and helping people.  She works part-time as a bookkeeper for a CPA and serves as treasurer for two community groups – Lake City Newcomers and Marion Place Homeowners Association.  No matter what, she makes time for exercise, and nearly every day she walks or rides her stationary bike. 

“I’ve never been happier,” she says.  “I’m proud of myself.”

Her advice to those considering weight loss surgery is to learn their options.  A decision to have the procedure must be followed by sticking to the program carefully.  More than anything, it’s key to remember gastric banding is a tool for losing weight and still involves commitment and work.

Today we are encouring everyone to pull out their dusty pair of sneakers and hit the pavement for it is National Start! Walking Day.  Here are a few ideas to help you get involved!

1. Take your dog for a walk.  It’s great exercise for you and your furry friend.
2. Take an evening stroll with a friend or family member.
3. Choose to take the stairs whenever you can. 
4. Park your car further away from the entrance at work or when shopping.
5. Squeeze in a quick stroll around the office during your lunch break.