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Anyone who has undergone gastric band surgery will know that dietary requirements change markedly once the band is fitted. This is hardly extraordinary considering that the procedure is designed to alter a patient’s diet.

What many people fail to understand, however, is that a gastric band diet is necessary for many weeks after surgery.

Provided below is a summary of 5 foods that should and should not be eaten after gastric band surgery. Clearly it is essential that medical advice is sought and that any known allergies or food intolerance are factored into the post-operative diet.

What to Eat

1. Liquid

Liquid meals are essential in the first day or two after gastric band surgery. In fact, liquid meals in this context mean little more than a sip or two of water on the day of the operation and only slightly more the day after.

It is important for gastric band patients to remain hydrated, but it is also essential that water is not drunk with abandon: a measured glass every so often is sufficient. Two days after the procedure, it is normal for patients to progress onto puréed food.

2. Mashed Potato

The early days following surgery can be challenging for gastric band patients, however mashed potatoes can help to ease the discomfort and hunger pangs. Providing reasonably good nutrients, potato must be mashed to the point of being puréed if it is to be digested comfortably.

3. Mashed Vegetables

Vegetables provide an important source of vitamins and minerals, supplements which should be taken regularly by gastric band patients. Vegetables comprising stringy fibres must be avoided, however. As with potatoes, it is important to cook and then mash vegetables prior to consumption. Hard vegetables such as carrots should be boiled before mashing to increase tenderness.

4. Blended Fruit

Fruit is an integral component of a healthy, balanced diet. Unfortunately, fruit may contain seeds and pips that can upset the stomach soon after surgery. All fruit must be cleared of seeds, pips and pulp before being blended for consumption. Mashed banana and stewed apple are particularly suitable for gastric band patients. Soft-skinned fruits can be eaten without processing several weeks after the procedure.

5. Scrambled Egg, Chicken and Fish

While the aim of gastric band patients is to lose weight by reducing food consumption, it remains necessary for patients to eat small meals throughout the day (up to five helpings). Scrambled egg, chicken and fish meals are especially important because they contain plenty of protein and other valuable nutrients. All meat produce should be blended or made extremely tender in the weeks following surgery.

What Not to Eat

1. Dried Fruit

Although dried fruits such as raisins, apricots, figs, prunes and dates are likely to seem irresistible to those stuck on a diet of mashed potato and boiled-to-death vegetables, they should be avoided at all costs by post-operative patients. Dried fruits have a tendency to swell in the stomach, causing digestive problems.

2. Broccoli Stalks

Broccoli is one of the best sources of vitamins and minerals found naturally in vegetables. The stalks of broccoli, however, can prove difficult to digest for gastric band patients. Broccoli should be either mashed into a purée or avoided altogether.

3. Steak

Steak is a good source of protein, but it is also tough, chewy and a slow burner in the stomach. In order to avoid biting off more than they can chew, gastric band patients should avoid steak meals unless they have been blended into oblivion, by which stage steak no longer looks, smells or tastes like steak.

4. White Bread

A major cause of obesity in the western world, white bread is also a significant cause of pain for careless gastric band patients. White bread is difficult to break down in the stomach and extremely hard to process through the pouch created by a gastric band. It tends to form soft, sticky lumps that eventually congeal and harden. Wholemeal bread should be eaten instead.

5. Junk Food

It goes without saying that junk food is bad for gastric band patients. Crisps, salted peanuts, sweets, cakes, desserts, biscuits, milkshakes, alcohol, chocolate and just about any other unhealthy food that a patient used to eat before surgery, should now be avoided. The road to recovery requires discipline.

This article was written on behalf of The Hospital Group. Visit www.thehospitalgroup.org for more information.

Every so often, I am contacted by people whether it be a charity or other cause, which wants to highlight something in particular people participating in charitable events or ones that are paying it forward.

And this one is no exception. The thing that makes it particularly stand out is that Katie, who started up this movement of hers is only 13 years old.

And to have other people’s considerations at such an early age. I find highly commendable, that is why I didn’t hesitate one bit in wanting to put together a post about this remarkable young lady, who is willing to help other people who are less fortunate than herself.

It started off, when Katie was just nine years old when she was involved with a project at school and brought home. Her first cabbage. It grew to 40 pounds in weight.

She knew something was quite unique about this particular cabbage. Being as it was so big and decided to donate it to a local soup kitchen as a result of this. They were able to feed 275 people from it, which is quite amazing from one cabbage.

This experience alone moved Katie so much that she decided to grow more vegetables in able to help more people. She now has several gardens which provide fresh produce for people in need, and has donated thousands of pounds of fresh vegetables to needy causes.

Katie’s mission is to start vegetable gardens and the food which is grown in them is given to, which ever needy cause needs them. If you would like to look at her doing what she does best. You can see her at this address http://www.everydayhealth.com/tv.

And if you would like to help her, you can visit her website and make a donation. Here is the site address for Katie’s site http://www.katieskrops.com being as this is for such a good cause. I will be making a donation myself and my grateful thanks for Everyday Health for bringing this to my attention.

I get quite a few health-related e-mail newsletters in my inbox. So I can see what is going on in the health industry over a broad section, and one came in my inbox over the weekend. Sometimes I read them straight away.

Other times, I don’t, but something caught my eye about one of the headlines, which said something about you really need to watch this i you want to have better health. It went to a page with a video on it.

Here are some other facts, which aren’t mentioned in the documentary, about organic food a study conducted by some Dutch scientists in 2005 found the following. When participants ate organic food, they felt a lot calmer. They slept better, had higher levels of vitamin E, lower body-fat percentage, and improved immune system function.

All that from just eating organic food makes you think doesn’t it is any wonder that we feel the way we do, because of the foods that we are eating. In another study which was put together in 2003, they found that organic food tends to have high levels of cancer preventing antioxidants, and the figure is quite eye opening to say the least it was 58 percent higher.

When food is treated with pesticides, it shuts down its natural defense mechanism, and with it, all the goodness that you need. This is one documentary that you don’t want to miss. You can watch it online for free, until the eighth of October. So, you have got some time to watch it until Saturday.

Otherwise you can buy the DVD for 10 US dollars or five pounds in UK money, which is a bargain when you consider how much you can learn from it in order to benefit your health, because let’s face it.

You can’t buy better health. It is something you have to nurture yourself. Here is the link to the site so you can watch it food matters documentary  it would be interesting to get some peoples feedback from this. Once they have watched it so, as always, please leave your thoughts and opinions in the relevant section below.

Here are the names of the people featured within the documentary.

Andrew W. Saul, Ph.D.  Therapeutic Nutrition Specialist and Author

A consulting specialist in natural healing for over 30 years and veteran lecturer for three colleges.

David Wolfe  World Authority on Raw Foods and Superfoods

CoachesHollywoodcelebrities and leading business people on nutrition and wellness.

Victor Zeines, D.D.S., M.S. — Holistic Dentist and Nutritionist Practicing Holistic Dentistry for over 25 years.

Dr. Dan Rogers Trained Medical Doctor and Naturopath

Successfully treating ‘incurable’ patients since the late 1970′s with nutrition-based detoxification and healing from within.

Professor Ian Brighthope, Medical Doctor and Surgeon

Over 20 years of practical clinical experience specialized in Nutritional and Environmental Medicine.

Charlotte Gerson, Founder of the nonprofit Gerson Institute daughter of Max Gerson founder of Gerson Therapy, dedicated to Gerson Therapy, an alternative, non-toxic treatment for cancer and other diseases.

Source and reference material: http://products.mercola.com/food-matters-dvd/

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If you recall the other day, I wrote a post titled. How to Tell If You’re Magnesium Deficient and someone left a comment namely Richard asking, which foods are high in magnesium. In case you don’t want to take a supplement so for Richard, and everybody else who is interested. Is a list of foods that are high in magnesium.

Here is a little background, about magnesium, and the role that it plays in the body. It has its place, moving energy in our bodies as well as having a relationship with the combining of protein. If you are wondering how much, you need as a person. Here are the figures between the ages of

1 to 3 years 80 milligrams, 4 to 8, 130 milligrams 9 to 13, 240 milligrams, boys 14 to 18, 410 milligrams, girls 14 to 18, 360 milligrams.

Adult females need, 310 milligrams, pregnant females, 360 to 400 milligrams, women whom are breast-feeding 320 to 360 milligrams, adult males 400 milligrams.

Foods that have magnesium in

As a rule of thumb go for green vegetables one in particular is spinach, others are beans, nuts, seeds and grains that are not refined. As far as drinking is concerned, household tap water is a source of magnesium this can be dependent upon where you live, if your water is classed as being hard then this will have more of it in compared to soft.

List of magnesium rich foods

1. Black beans, these have 120 milligrams per one cup of

2. Broccolli untreated, which means not boiled or steamed in its raw state this contains 22 milligrams per one cup of

3. Nuts, peanuts as just one example per one ounce has 64 milligrams

4. Oysters, per three ounces has 49 milligrams

5. Rock fish, per one fillet has 51 milligrams.

6 Soya milk, per one cup has 47 milligrams

7. Cooked spinach per one cup has 157 milligrams

8. Tofu per ¼ block has 37 milligrams

9. Wholewheat/meal bread has 24 milligrams

10. Generic wholegrain cereal per one cup 24 milligrams

11. Seeds pumpkin and squash, per one ounce has 151 milligrams

12. Scallop, per six large one’s has 55 milligrams

13. Okra frozen per one cup has 94 milligrams

14. Halibut per half fillet has 120 milligrams

There may be other foods that have it in, however this list contains the ones which are quite high in magnesium. If you have any thoughts or opinions on this list of foods. Please leave your thoughts and opinions in the relevant section below.

Sources and references: http://www.algaecal.com

When it comes to doing our workouts. It can be difficult sometimes to get them scheduled into our busy lives. Not only, that cardiovascular exercise on its own, for some people is not the most exciting thing in the world to do, especially if you’re doing it alone.

However, that looks all set to change now with the advent of apps that you can install on your iPhone or Android device. And this particular one really caught my eye, because there is a fun aspect to its’s different to most of the fitness applications on the market at the moment. And some people might enjoy playing it rather than listening to music.

Image via electricpig.co.uk 

How it works is like this. You’re a refugee try to get away from zombies a soldier of fortune if you like. And when you start the app up your put in your pre-programmed mission. And as you are jogging along you are immersed into a game using your headphones, which is similar to the 3-D shoot-em ups that we see so much of today.

This really is quite a different spin and puts the fun factor into your workout, the app hasGPStechnology built in. So it can tell you how far you have run, and the amount of calories you have used as well. To get a rough idea of what it is like have a look at the video below and see what you think. This is due to be released in Feburaury 2012. However, I thought it was well worth mentioning.

What do you think about this sort of game/technology? Is it something that you would consider using in order to get yourself fitter? It would be interesting to get peoples feedback and input on this, please leave your thoughts and opinions in the relevant section below.

If you want more information visit  http://www.zombiesrungame.com/

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This is a guest post by Chris of moneysupermarket.com

I am 6 foot 2 inches, and I weigh about 220lbs. My BMI is around 28, which is closer to obese than overweight.

I’m not much to look at, basically.

But when you consider that six months ago my BMI was 38.4 and even the smallest amount of physical exertion would leave me a sweaty mess, I think the reasonably regular 10 mile bike rides I go on now are something to be proud of, as is the 77lbs of weight I’ve shifted.

How have I done it? Well, unfortunately I’m not here to give you one weird tip, shortcuts, or cheaty ways to lose weight, because frankly I don’t know any. I’ve lost weight through careful diet, hard work and willpower, and I’m standing here today as proof that you can do it too if you want it bad enough.

The “diet industry” is a real thing, though: some people spend tremendous amounts of money on trying to lose weight, with special supplements, shakes and powders – This article is all about doing this on a budget. Losing weight shouldn’t be expensive; the biggest expense you should have to worry about is all the new clothes you’ll need to buy!

With that in mind, I’ll clear up what I think is one hugely justifiable expense however: joining a slimming club. It’s only £5 a week, and the combination of having a structured diet, regular weigh-ins on scales you can trust and a support group in the other members is invaluable, in my opinion – plus many slimming clubs will teach you how to make great tasting meals from simple ingredients which makes rebound weightloss less likely – a good group will change the way you think about food.

And while I’m on the subject, you will likely find that your grocery bills will decrease noticeably once you get into the swing of your diet; for the cost of a microwave meal you can buy fruit and veg that will last you a few days, allowing you to make all sorts of different meals with just a few extras. Buy pasta and rice in bulk, and all you need to add is lean meat like chicken to create some fantastic recipes that you can vary easily.

Exercise is also an important part of losing weight; as mentioned previously I try and bike around 30 miles a week now when I can, and the pain is definitely worth it – I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been now, and in truth it feels absolutely great. I used to dread the idea of any sort of exercise, but now I relish the opportunity to get out and work my muscles.

If you are trying to get fit on a budget though, I’d say you can probably save yourself a good wodge of money by not signing up to a gym – they’re damned expensive and you can usually find a lot of great ways to keep fit around your home and local area. Going out for a run or jog is free and can be really enjoyable, or if you own a bike (or can borrow one) going downhill more than makes up for the burning in your legs from going uphill, let me tell you.

If you find yourself in a situation where you do need to buy something though, shop smart. Check for sale boards in work and in supermarkets – there is always someone who is getting rid of an exercise bike or strider somewhere, and ebaying your local area can often throw up some bargains, especially if you’re willing to collect.

I’ve also stopped drinking and smoking: This can save a tremendous amount of money every month (believe me), and also quickly helps you lose weight and get fit as well: Alcoholic drinks are very high in calories, and we all know the damage that smoking can do to both your body and your bank balance – And when twenty smokes and a pint costs £10, there’s no better time to stop!

You’ll also find that losing weight has other advantages financially too: Now that I’m riding my bike more often I’m using less petrol, and not having to shop at “Big and tall” shops anymore means that I can enjoy high street prices again – and I look loads better too!

On the subject of clothes, here’s one parting tip I just thought of: If you have quite a bit to lose, the first time you have to go and buy a whole new wardrobe (It will happen) don’t be tempted to go out and buy expensive new clothes as they won’t last you long! I now have jeans from 36” to 44” and Tshirts from XXXL to L – If I wasn’t buying cheap I’d be bankrupt by now!

Just remember; losing weight is NOT easy. It gets easier, of course, but to begin with it can be a nightmare. When I first started using the exercise bike I had days where I struggled to walk to the shower afterwards, just don’t lose faith. If I can do it, anyone can.

Chris is a writer for moneysupermarket.com  specialising in life insurance. He has recently decided to start taking his own advice and get fit. He looks forward to the day when he actually requires life insurance himself, as now his premiums will be far lower. He’s weird like that.

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This is a guest post by Nick Clipton of Building Body Muscles

Once you reach the age of 40, a yearly check-up is in order (this goes for the ladies, too). Those who are overweight or those with a family history of diabetes or heart disease, you need to see a doctor even if you’re not yet 40. Here is a list of the most important tips for health.

1. Stop smoking!

According to studies, 80 percent of the incidence of lung cancer is due to smoking. Smoking is also responsible for other cancers such as those of the throat, mouth and prostrate. Cancer is an extremely painful disease so quit smoking now and reduce your risk.

2. Limit your alcohol intake.

“But I drink red wine!” you say. Red wine is indeed good for the heart. Not if you consume a whole bottle in one sitting every single night. Too much alcohol can wreak havoc on your liver and can destroy your brain cells. The worst thing that could happen is if you become dependent on alcohol.

3. All work and no play makes Jack stressed.

It cannot be overemphasized that chronic stress can deliver a myriad of problems such as high blood pressure and headaches. This is not to endorse a lazy lifestyle, but it is essential to take it easy sometimes and indulge in relaxing, calming activities. Get rid of negative emotions such as guilt, anger and jealousy. These emotions are poison both to the mind and body. Focus on achieving real happiness and your heart, brain and body will be the better for it.

4. Establish and maintain healthy habits.

Eat more food high in fiber and nutrients and less of those that are processed, high in sodium, sugar or fat. Engage in an aerobic activity such as walking at least half an hour for a good part of a week. Exercise proper oral care with regular tooth brushing, flossing and visits to the dentist. Let your body do its self-healing, self-renewing capabilities by sleeping at the right time and for a continuous 7 hours at least.

5. Go for a checkup.

Complete blood exam: blood count, creatinine, uric acid, cholesterol, blood sugar and SGPT. ECG to check for heart problems. Chest X-ray to check for possible lung and heart problems, especially for smokers. Urinalysis to check for kidney, GI or urinary infections. Cancer checkup: thyroid, lymph nodes, oral region, skin, testicles, prostate andCEAfor colon. At 50 years of age, have a colonoscopy yearly.

6. Get your preventive vaccinations.

The advancements in the medical field have made it possible for adults to get protection with potentially lifesaving vaccinations just like infants. This prophylactic measure is especially recommended for those over 50 years of age or are suffering from chronic conditions. Get a flu vaccine every year and a pneumonia vaccine every five years.

Life is too short

There is absolutely no reason why it should not be lived to the fullest. And to not make it even shorter, all you need is to get rid of stubbornness and shake off the fear of going to the doctor. Studies show that getting regular checkups and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can even add years to the average lifespan.

Nick Clipton is the web master of Building Body Muscles. He is a professional fitness trainer and blogger. Visit his site for informative posts on home gym equipment and fitness software.

For your mind and body to function at its optimum it’s important to make sure that you are eating sufficient vitamins and minerals in your diet otherwise this can lead to problems, which you may not even be aware of.

Magnesium is quite an important mineral, and if you are deficient in it. You may encounter a whole host of different symptoms, which you may not associate with having a mineral deficiency.

So here are the things that can happen, if you are deficient in magnesium.

• Do you feel anxious at all and or suffer from panic attacks? If so, then it could be the possibility that you have lower than normal levels.

• Respiratory problems, do you suffer from asthma at all? If you do, then you could have lower than normal levels.  It can cause bronchial spasms, and histamine production is higher.

• Keeping your blood thin, it will prevent blood clots from happening. So you won’t have to take aspirin as some people may have adverse reactions to it.

• Bowel problems, if you have low levels, it can slow your bowel function down, and you may get constipation. So if you’re constipated this may be something worth looking into.

• Do suffer from depression? If you are, then you could have lower than normal, serotonin levels, which is a symptom of depression.

• Body detox, magnesium, is good at removing harmful minerals, which your body doesn’t need e.g. aluminium, lead.

• Do you suffer from diabetes?, if so, then you may need this mineral. The reason being is it helps to increase insulin secretion and moves the sugar from your body into your muscles, where it is used for energy. If your levels are low, then you will have higher levels of insulin in your blood as well as too much excess glucose.

• Feeling tired a lot, if this is the case then, certain enzymes within your body aren’t being processed properly, if you’re feeling constantly fatigued. And this can be a symptom of lower levels of Mg.

• Cardiovascular disease, when people have lower levels of magnesium. The two tend to go hand in hand. So this is something very important to note.

• Low blood sugar, it helps to keep insulin levels, more stable otherwise you’re liable to go hypoglycemic.

• Disturbed sleep, if you haven’t been sleeping very well, this can be a sign that your deficient.

• Migraines, if you’re serotonin levels are low. This can cause you to have headaches, which is one of the symptoms of migraines.

There are one or two more. However, these are the ones that people will probably recognise more than the other’s You wouldn’t think something so simple would cause so many problems. However, we can see that is not the case, this is why it pays to eat the right foods, because if you eat junk, then you will feel like junk hence the term junk food.

Have you noticed any of these symptoms yourself? It would be nice to get some feedback, please leave your thoughts and opinions in the relevant section below. Sources and references: http://drcarolyndean.com

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With the abundance of food around these days, it can be very confusing to us, which are the most healthiest foods to eat in order to gain optimum health. So after you have read this you will have a better idea what to eat.

1. Yoghurt, is full of goodness a lot of yoghurt’s these days have what is called probiotics in them. Which is living bacteria this helps with your digestion, as well as supporting your immune system, which is something a lot of people might not be aware of.

It’s a good idea to check to see if it is a probiotic type yoghurt as not all of them are.

As a rough guideline try to eat one cup of yoghurt per day, which is high in calcium and protein, calcium supports, bone growth and protein helps build muscle as well as keeping blood sugar more stable over a long period of time.

You don’t have to eat it on its own plain Greek yoghurt might not be everybody’s cup of tea. So add some fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, bananas, or even some nuts, if you wish.

2. Blueberries, this small blue round fruit is in a league of its own and really does deserve the title of a superfood blueberries contain more antioxidants than most fruits.

These help to protect our cells from oxidative stress, which comes from the environment. What we eat and what we drink, in a nutshell, they are a barrier against toxins in our bodies.

They contain the following vitamins A and C and are high in fibre. So if you’re having problems with your digestion blueberries would make a good choice. Add them to a smoothie or eat them with your breakfast cereal. I have them with porridge or Weetabix, they add a bit of sweetness to it.

3. Tomatoes, if you are going to eat tomatoes one thing to note is make sure they are red the reason for this is you want the lypocene which is a potent antioxidant, which can help to prevent the following diseases, cancer, prostrate cancer, lung, and stomach.

Not only, that they will help to prevent you from getting metabolic syndrome, which encompasses things like diabetes, and cardio vascular problems, strokes, etc.

if you want to know how much you need to eat in order to get the recommended 20 milligrams of lycopene. This equates to eight cherry tomatoes these are the small tomatoes and not to be confused with larger vine tomatoes. You may not need to eat as many as them in order to get the same amount of lycopene.

The great thing about tomatoes is you can’t eat them with other things, such as low-fat cheese and salads, which will add more valuable nutrition to what you are already eating.

4. Spinach, can you remember the old Popeye cartoons when he got in a spot of bother with his arch-enemy Bluto, he would eat spinach in order to be able to tackle him, and you would see these bulging muscles of his. Spinach has quite a few health properties. It is very high in something called omega three’s and folate.

This helps in the prevention of illnesses such as heart disease, strokes and bone problems (osteoporosis).
It also contains something called lutein which helps to keep macular degeneration at bay, which is a decline in eyesight function. In order to get your daily requirement of spinach. Try to eat approximately half a cup each day, or if you don’t like eating vegetables. You could always add it to smoothie.

5. Carrots, if you look at a lot of vegetables, and notice their colours. If they are red, yellow or orange, which carrots are they contain something called carotenoids. These are a substance that help to prevent cancer and may help with immune system-related diseases such as arthritis and asthma, to get the recommended amount of carrots, each day aim for half a cup per day. Minimum, anything over that consider it to be an bonus towards your health.

As with anything food wise, you can eat carrots, with plenty of other foods such as potatoes, broccoli, and meat or if you’re a vegetarian, then you could try vegetarian burgers, which are a good source of protein or vegetarian sausages. I have eaten these myself and was quite surprised at how nice they actually tasted.

6. Walnuts, I recently wrote a post about walnuts. So there is no need to go into great detail you can read this post instead Five Health Benefits of Eating Walnuts

7. Oats, are packed with soluble fibre, which will help to prevent cardiovascular disease, they do tend to have a lot of carbohydrates in them. Which is useful for providing energy, but there is no need to worry about the amount of carbs in oats, because due to the fibre content, helps to dampen things down.

This is why oats make a particularly good breakfast food as they keep your blood sugar levels consistent over a longer period of time, compared to some other cereals.

Another added benefit, which people may not know about it is. They have protein in as well, which will help to build muscle and maintain blood sugar levels. This is particularly useful for diabetics, in particular. You don’t have to eat oats on their own as that can be quite boring. I have had oatmeal for my breakfast with blueberries, bananas, and strawberries.

8. Black Beans, If you’re looking for something to boost your brain power, then look no further than these beans. The reason is they contain a substance called anthocyanins, which is an antioxidant and helps with brain function. Nutrition wise, they contain fibre, which is beneficial to digestive health as well as this. They have a reasonable amount of protein in.

So eat all the food on this list, and you should be on your way to feeling really energised and healthy. Do you eat any of the foods on this list? I eat some of them but not all of them. It’s always quite interesting how uneducated we can be about certain foods. If you have any thoughts or opinions, then, please leave them in the in the relevant section below.

Sources and references: www.beautysnob.com

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This a podcast in video format about the mind body connection featuring Noel Lyons and Bob Choat, it is quite long but well worth a listen.

Topics included are :

Why It’s Never Too Late To Exercise Your Mind Power

1. Why Consistency Counts

2. How Beliefs Help Determine Your Behavior and Actions

3. How To Think Like an Athlete in Order to Be Your Best Self

4. How To Use Mental Training Exercises for Fitness & Relaxation (Visualization, Meditation, Holosync, Self-Hypnosis)

5. How Mind and Body Affect One Another