So, what is a calorie anyway? A calorie is a unit of energy.
1 calorie equals the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius. Dietary energy refers to the amount of energy released when we metabolize what we eat, and it is expressed in calories per gram (or kcal/g).
Carbohydrates and protein provide 4 kcal/g
Ethanol provides 7 kcal/g
Fat provides 9 kcal/g
Greetings! Halloween is just around the corner. Whether you are dressing up some little ones for trick-or-treating or just answering the doorbell, here are a few hints and facts to reduce your holiday calories.
The easiest way to avoid unnecessary calories is to leave the bags of candy at the store! If you insist upon handing out edible treats, buy them on the day of Halloween and give them ALL away (whatever sits around or is left over will be eaten eventually, you and I both know it).
If you have unrelenting cravings, it is often better to allow yourself an occasional small treat than to avoid them all. Use the opportunity to count calories, and set aside 50 to 100 for something small at the end of the day. Stay strong!
Here are some calorie and fat contents of common candies to contrast: Read the rest of this entry »
I would like to introduce Scott Welle, DO, my new partner in practice. Dr. Welle just arrived from Evanston, IL, after completing a fellowship at the Chicago Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery. He specializes in Laparoscopic General and Bariatric Surgery, and we will be working together at Oro Valley Hospital, Tucson Medical Center, and Camp Lowell Surgery Center.
Dr. Welle and I will take care of patients that we have operated on individually during weekdays, and we will alternate patient care responsibilities on weekends and holidays.
Unfortunately, most people on the ‘hCG diet’ are unaware of what they are actually taking, and do not know the history of the diet. This blog is not intended to promote or vilify hCG, but to provide information that you might find useful. HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin. It is a hormone produced by the placenta during pregnancy that mainly helps a developing fetus to support itself. HCG is first detected in the mother’s blood and urine about 8 to 10 days following conception, and is measured by clinicians to help monitor the pregnancy. Some tumors produce hCG as well. Blood measurements are used to help diagnose/differentiate hormone-producing cancers such as those arising from uterine, ovarian, and testicles. The FDA has approved hCG injections for… Read the rest of this entry »
Fats are either solid or liquid at room temperature. If liquid, we often refer to them as oils. When discussing the differences between fats, it all boils down to organic chemistry (sorry!). Fats are long molecules, made mostly of carbon atoms bonded together in a long chain, with specialized ends.
Each carbon atom has four potential places for things to bind. Usually each carbon is represented to bond to one Carbon on each side (single bond), and to Hydrogen above and below. In this case, each of the potential places for Hydrogen to bond is “saturated” with a Hydrogen atom. If, however, Carbon forms two bonds (double bond) with another Carbon, only one additional place is left to bind with Hydrogen. In this case, the fat is “unsaturated” with Hydrogen (not all potential spaces for Hydrogen to bond are filled with Hydrogen). (Figure 1)
Unsaturated fats have double bonds between Carbon atoms. ‘Trans’ and ‘Cis’ refer to how the large parts of the chemical chain are arranged. In trans fats, the large parts of the chemical chain are across from each other; in cis fats, the large parts are on the same side of the double bond. (Figure 2)
First classified as Vitamin F, Omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acids were discovered to have the chemical structure of polyunsaturated fats (for more information, see blog, “The Story on Trans Fat”) in the 1930’s. Omega-3’s are a type of essential fatty acids. Our bodies do not produce these, therefore they are ‘essential’ in our diet for proper growth and health maintenance.
Studies involving the Greenland Inuit Tribe in the 1970’s helped elucidate further health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. Researchers noted the high consumption of fat from seafood among these people, but almost no cardiovascular disease. We subsequently learned that high consumption of omega-3 fatty acids reduces triglycerides, blood pressure, and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Read the rest of this entry »
So, who is the IDF? The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is an umbrella organization of over 200 national diabetes associations in over 160 countries. It has been leading the global diabetes community since 1950. On March 28th, the IDF released their Position Statement on Bariatric Surgery at the 2nd World Congress for Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes in New York.
The statement focuses on the link between obesity and diabetes, and costly complications such as blindness, limb amputations, and dialysis. It highlights the effectiveness of Bariatric Surgery in treating diabetes. The IDF recommends Bariatric Surgery for:
1) People with type 2 diabetes and BMI of 30 to 35 kg/m2 who are not achieving recommended treatment targets with medical therapies, especially when there are other major co-morbidities or cardiovascular risks.
2) People who have type 2 diabetes and a BMI of 35 kg/m2 or more.
The IDF taskforce is calling for randomized controlled trials to compare different bariatric procedures in treating diabetes.
Iron is a mineral that stabilizes our hemoglobin, the component of red blood cells that transports oxygen to our tissues. Dietary sources include liver, lamb, beef, shellfish, beans, peas, yeast, and green leafy vegetables.
Iron deficiency is seen most commonly in women with heavy periods, pregnancy, vegetarians, athletes, and patients with digestive problems.
Symptoms of iron deficiency usually arise from anemia (inappropriately low red blood cell count) and include fatigue, poor concentration, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations. Read the rest of this entry »
Safe and successful patient outcomes first prompted Bruce Wolfe, the President of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, to recommend that the FDA broadens eligibility for Lap-Band® surgery. In December 2010, an FDA advisory panel voted 8 to 2 in favor of lowering BMI requirements.
As a result, the FDA announced lowering its BMI requirements for Lap-Band® eligibility from 35 kg/m2 to 30 kg/m2, with an obesity-related medical problem (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or sleep apnea). The FDA still recommends Lap-Band® eligibility for everyone with BMI greater than 40 kg/m2, regardless of related medical problems.
By lowering requirements to 30 kg/m2, experts predict that an additional 25 million Americans will become eligible for Lap-Band® surgery!
A recent study published by Himpens et al in the Archives of Surgery has been widely discussed, and terribly misinterpreted. The study involved 82 patients who received an adjustable gastric band in Brussels, Belgium between 1994 and1997. Over 13 years, no patients died from the band surgery; however, 9 patients (11%) suffered pouch dilation/band slip, and 23 patients (28%) suffered band erosion. The authors concluded that, “The high failure rate of Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding, at least in our hands, could be detrimental to its future continued widespread use as a restrictive weight loss operation.”
Before getting overly excited about this report, let’s first consider these four important points: this data conflicts with the preponderance of current evidence, the technology of the gastric bands used in this study is now considered outdated, hiatal hernias were not routinely repaired, and we have proven that this technique for band placement leads to higher rates of failure. Read the rest of this entry »