30Jul

Sheri's Savory Breakfast Biscuits Bariatric Edition

Print Recipe
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 10 people
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 ozs Pork Sausage (casings removed)
  • 1/2 Red Bell Pepper (chopped)
  • 3/4 cup Almond Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Thyme
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
  • 2 egg
  • 6 ozs Cheddar Cheese (shredded, divided)

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 375oF (191oC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add the sausage and peppers. Cook until the sausage is browned and the peppers are softened. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, add the almond flour, baking powder, thyme and salt. Whisk to combine.
  4. In a small bowl, add the eggs and whisk. Then add half of the cheese and stir to combine. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and then add the cooled sausage and peppers. Stir to combine until a sticky dough has formed.
  5. Place roughly 3 tbsp of the mix onto the parchment-lined paper and press down gently to flatten. The mixture will be a little sticky. Repeat until the dough is used up. Top each biscuit with the remaining cheese.
  6. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until the biscuits are cooked through and slightly browned on the bottom. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days. Freeze for up to two months.
Serving Size: One serving is one biscuit.
Nut-Free: Use gluten-free flour or brown rice flour instead of almond flour.
More Flavor: Add chili flakes, onion and/or minced garlic.
 
Nutrition
Amount per Serving
Calories......169
Fat.................14g
Carbs............3g
Fiber..............1g
Sugar.............1g
Protein..........8g
28Jul
I had a hard time narrowing it down to only 10 recipes. I have so many to share with you.
 
Who loves a snack? Who loves to have a snack instead of a full meal? I am guilty of this. My snacks turn into meals. Especially when I am busy working… I have a hard time breaking for a real sit down meal. I think for most of us we have a “grab and go” mentality and we sit down for a proper meal maybe one time a day. For most of us, this is at dinner time
 
What if we could take a snack and turn it into a healthy meal? Wouldn’t that make life a whole lot easier? 
 
Depending on where you are on your bariatric journey, it may be easier to just prepare a few snacks with the idea that they have the nutrients of a proper meal. Let’s call it a “full-sized snack”. This is one that replaces your regular meal and is more on the “snacky-side”. You can eat it sitting at your desk or in the break-room or sitting in your car. As long as it fills you up.
 
Post-bariatric surgery, you need to be using your tool. I know a lot of clients who never eat until they are full. I call this “eating around your sleeve”. What this turns into is full-on GRAZING and this is a bad habit to get into. The bariatric tool is meant to be filled until you are satisfied. I see a whole lot of bariatric clients walking around not feeling satisfied because they do not eat enough food for the stomach to signal the brain to say “stop, I am FULL”. The food needs to push against the stomach walls for the stomach to send the signal to the brain to “stop eating”.
 
If I am grazing all day long, I am never full. It looks like this – a protein shake for breakfast, some almonds in the car while on the way to work, some cheese cubes at my desk, some hummus and veggie sticks for an additional snack, a half low carb wrap that I packed for lunch, a coffee shortly after lunch, a protein bar for mid-afternoon, some cheese sticks, and olives while prepping dinner, a glass of wine while cooking dinner, a dinner of a small piece of fish and some pureed sweet potatoes, a chocolate avocado pudding as a snack, some berries and cottage cheese before bed ….. on and on and on and on it goes.
 
I teach my clients to eat/stop/ eat. NO GRAZING PLEASE. We can get into so much trouble if we are following the grazing patterns from above and so many of us are guilty of this. I find myself doing this all the time. Then I wonder why my weight loss stalls? It is stalling because I am overeating. It’s hard to calculate the amount I am eating because I never feel full. My hunger signal is out of whack when I have this eating pattern.
 
I aim now to eat my meal or a large snack. I stop eating and then drink fluids between meals. I don’t “snack” but when I eat I will eat enough to compensate for a meal. Instead of just a handful of nuts, I will have a handful of nuts, a half avocado, some cucumber slices and I will feel FULL. I won’t play around with the “just a bite here and there” any longer. It gets me into trouble.
 
 
They can turn into a full meal instead of just a snack. Don’t just eat the avocado, add some low carb veggies and a handful of nuts and you have a “full meal deal”. 
 
Here’s to the long days of summer still upon us!
Sheri Burke RHN specializing in bariatric nutrition.

About the Author: Sheri Burke is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Bariatric Surgery Coordinator at International Patient Facilitators in Tijuana and Cancun, Mexico. She has worked with bariatric surgery clients for over 10 years and especially enjoys providing nutritional guidance to pre and post bariatric clients.  In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two teens and cooking up a nutritional storm in the kitchen.

For bariatric patients Bariatric Expert Amazon Line

Time for a “bariatric expert” multivitamin?  Here is a perfect way for bariatric patients to get it now on Amazon:  Bariatric Expert MultiVitamins.

Eat Like a Bariatric Expert with our Nutrition Plans.

Feel free to share your victories and struggles in our Facebook Group. I would love to connect with you.

 

 

BUY HERE
BUY HERE
BUY HERE
BUY HERE

 

 

 

 

 

Gastric Sleeve Plush Toy Keychain $11.99usd

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20Jul
I am pondering this question today. Why do we struggle post-surgery? Why do we get to a place where the weight loss stalls out? What is the missing link here? What insight do I have after working with bariatric clients for over a decade? What can I do or say to make their journey easier? 
 
Here is what I have come up with for you to help you along the way.
 
DO THE HARD STUFF.
 
What does that mean Sheri? Well, we are all good at some things and bad at others. 
 
Some of us have a perfect diet Monday to Friday and then we go NUTS on Saturday and Sunday.
 
Some of us are terrific at adding exercise to our lives but our diet is not on point.
 
Some of us are great at staying away from sugar but we sure love those crunchy chips, pretzels, and crackers.
 
Some of use have a perfect diet most of the time but the sugar-monster rears it’s ugly head at midnight.
 
Some of us eat a perfect breakfast but have the hardest time staying away from the drive-thru windows for dinner.
 
Some of us have a big glass of water in the morning but make a pit-stop at Starbucks for the Frappuccino at noon. 
 
 
None of us are perfect but why not try something different? We have made the brave decision of having bariatric surgery in Mexico. We have boarded that plane and made that trip across the border to try and change our lives for the better. Why do we sell ourselves short and just stop there? That for sure wasn’t an “easy” thing to do. 
 
In the beginning, the weight WILL and DOES come off. I see the most amazing results during that first year. But, there comes a time where we need to “pick up our game” if we want to see those last few pounds come off AND we need to really “pick up our game” if we want to maintain our weight loss.
 
It is not “one surgery and be done” with obesity for the rest of our lives. It is more like “have surgery to get started” and then DO THE HARD STUFF to make it a long-lasting lifelong decision to stay at our desired weight. Most of us are willing to get uncomfortable for a short period but we tend to go back to our “creature comforts”. 
 
If we lived a sedentary life before surgery, we need to make big changes during that first-year post-op to move into more active life.
 
If we had terrible eating habits before surgery, we need to learn how to eat properly post-surgery. We need to fill our pouch with food that will give us the nutrients we require to live a healthy life. If we go back to drive-thru windows and keep our pantries stocked with the goodies that got us into trouble in the first place, then we will go back to where we were before surgery.
 
THIS IS NOT EASY 
 
We are trying to change a lifetime of bad habits in a period of one to two years. Those eating habits are deeply ingrained. Our likes and dislikes are also deeply ingrained. 
 
Exercise is hard. Exercise “motivation” only takes us so far. We all get excited at the possibilities when we join a new gym or get a new bike or a new piece of equipment for our homes. But then what happens? The “excitement” or wave of motivation dies out pretty quickly. 
 
Some of us are night owls. We stay up until late at night watching TV and snacking. How hard is it to turn off the TV and put down the snacks? It’s HARD, really HARD. It is a habit that keeps us from reaching our goals. We wake up tired and lethargic yet when 10 pm rolls around, we are craving another hour of TV and a snack on top of it.
 
So, this is what I recommend – DO THE HARD STUFF. And, just keep doing the hard stuff until it becomes easier. That’s how we make real long-lasting change.
 
Let’s use the exercise analogy as an example. We are psyched to join that new gym and take that new yoga class. We show up, and it’s hard (really hard). But, we keep on going to that class for the first week and then into the second week. By the third week, our excitement is just not the same as it was the first two weeks but, we keep going. The fourth week approaches and it’s still hard but it’s now manageable. We understand the instructors’ cues and we have made some friends in the class and we can see how far our bodies have come and how much more flexible we are.
 
KEEP GOING 
 
This is a point where a lot (and I mean A LOT) of people lose their motivation. Sure, they know how good it is for them and how it makes them feel better but they miss a few classes and then those few classes turn into a few months and they are back to their sedentary lifestyle – and then the cycle starts all over again.
 
The only way to make a real change is to DO THE HARD STUFF and just rinse and repeat and get back to that class. Maybe switch the yoga class to a weight lifting class or a running class. Pick something and get back to it. How will we ever see how great we can be if we just give up before a month is up? 
 
Now take the yoga class analogy and this time use “diet” as an example. We have a “so so” diet. What if we choose to have a really good diet that is filled with protein, healthy fats, veggies, and fruits? What if we just keep going and stick to this healthy diet. What if we say “NO” to the drive-thru windows and “NO” to the late-night snacking? What if we turn the lights out and just go to sleep at 10m without the snack? 
 
Do you know what would happen? We would AMAZE ourselves with how great we would feel. Why do we give in and not do the hard stuff? I think that we all need to think about it and find our reasons to keep pushing forward. When we get to the top of our hill, do we just let go of all the resistance and cruise to the bottom? Nah, I think we need to up the resistance and look for a bigger hill to climb.
 
Let’s climb a bigger hill folks. Let’s take this to a whole other level of greatness. I am on your team and I have my hand gently resting on your back. We can do this.
 
Healthy Hugs, 
Sheri

About the Author: Sheri Burke is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Bariatric Surgery Coordinator at International Patient Facilitators in Tijuana and Cancun, Mexico. She has worked with bariatric surgery clients for over 10 years and especially enjoys providing nutritional guidance to pre and post bariatric clients.  In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two teens and cooking up a nutritional storm in the kitchen.

For bariatric patients Bariatric Expert Amazon Line

Time for a “bariatric expert” multivitamin?  Here is a perfect way for bariatric patients to get it now on Amazon:  Bariatric Expert MultiVitamins.

Eat Like a Bariatric Expert with our Nutrition Plans.

Feel free to share your victories and struggles in our Facebook Group. I would love to connect with you.

 

 

BUY HERE
BUY HERE
BUY HERE
BUY HERE

 

 

 

 

 

Gastric Sleeve Plush Toy Keychain $11.99usd

Plush Toy Gastric Sleeve Recovery Fun Pillow $13.99usd

 

16Jul

Sheri's Coconut Chicken Soup Bariatric Edition

Print Recipe
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Chicken Thighs (boneless, skinless)
  • 1/3 tsp Dried Thyme
  • 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt (divided)
  • 2 tsps Avocado Oil (divided)
  • 1/2 Yellow Onion (chopped)
  • 2 stalks Celery (chopped)
  • 2 Garlic (cloves, minced)
  • 1 1/4 cups Organic Chicken Broth
  • 1 1/4 cups Organic Coconut Milk (full fat, from a can)
  • 2 tbsps Lime Juice
  • 2 cups Arugula
  • 1 Avocado (sliced)

Notes

Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.
More Flavor: Add mushroom powder to season the chicken. Top with chili flakes for
more spice.
Additional Toppings: Serve with tortilla chips for dipping.
 
NUTRITION
Amount per serving
Calories.....392
Fat...............28g
Carbs.........10g
Fiber............4g
Sugar...........3g
Protein........25g
13Jul
I follow all the trends because I want to know what is being advertised as the newest, latest, and greatest diet fad out there. Here are some of the trends that have taken hold of our world over the past few years:
 
We’ve got …. 
Vegan
Paleo
Whole30
Keto
Carnivore …. Just to name a few…
 
I don’t think that we need to bash any of these dietary concepts. We are all biochemical individuals and what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for us all. Some of us don’t want to eat meat (vegans) while others don’t want to eat anything besides meat (carnivore diet). Who’s to say that one is right and one is wrong?
 
AND … Do you know what irritates me? Why do “you” (not you but that person pointing their finger), care so darn much about how or what I eat? People get so caught up and passionate about their diet that they are willing to get aggressive with others who do not share their same concepts and opinions.
 
You Do You Boo.
 
What if it hurts my stomach to eat meat? Does that mean that I should just suck it up and eat meat anyways? Of course not. My body is telling me that it’s not so good for me and I would listen to those signs.
 
What if I drink milk and my stomach gets very sick? Should I just drink it anyway? Of course not. I may be lactose intolerant and that would mean that I need to stay away from most dairy products.
 
What if I have high blood sugars? That would mean that I should seriously consider staying away from the carbohydrates because those are the foods that will increase blood sugars and insulin levels BUT not EVERYBODY has issues with blood sugars.
 
We all need to do what is best for us. We need to listen to our bodies and we need to eat sensibly. 
 
Do you know what the new food fad is? I do and I am going to tell you. I like this new food fad.
 
J.E.R.F – Just Eat Real Food
 
So what does “real food” mean? Well has it been processed in a plant? Or does it come from a plant? 
 
Real food is the closest to nature that we can find. And you know what? Real food can be used in ANY of the diet treads. Watch this.
 
We can be PALEO and Eat Real Food.
We can be VEGAN and Eat Real Food.
We can be KETO and Eat Real Food.
We can be PLANT-BASED and Eat Real Food.
We can be CARNIVORE and Eat Real Food.
 
This new trend works with ALL the dietary trends out there.
 
So what is NOT real food? Anything that has been processed and packaged in a lab or factory or plant is not real food. 
 
Take a potato. That is real food. Now I take that potato and I cut it. I fry it. I add all sorts of chemicals to it. I package it and I sell it to you. That’s not a potato any longer. That is a portion of processed food.
 
Take almonds. Now grind those almonds to make some almond flour. So far, so good. Now to that flour, add all sorts of sugars and chocolate and flavorings emulsifiers, oils, etc. etc. Some may call it a “healthy granola bar” but I call it a packaged processed food. It is no longer healthy almonds or almond flour. It has been converted into something made in a food processing plant.
 
Let’s take Mac and Cheese in a box. Do you see Mac and cheese growing in the fields? Of course not. This is a portion of processed food.
 
What about donuts? Ever seen a donut tree? I rest my case.
 
What about cookies? If I make cookies at home with coconut flour, a dash of stevia, vanilla, egg, coconut oil, and a bit of cocoa, I don’t consider this a processed food. This is a dessert made out of whole foods. If I purchase this same concoction in the supermarket and the label lists a whole bunch of things which I don’t know what it is or where it comes from, then it is processed food. 
 
Food manufacturers need to add a lot of things to their products to make them “shelf-stable”. They also add things to their products for “mouth feel” and “taste”. We don’t want to be consuming these things.
 
If we stick to the foods which are close to nature, we will gain the biggest benefits. We need to stop feeding ourselves the pre-packaged foods which clearly state on the labels, “high in protein”, “high in fiber”, “low in carbohydrates”, etc. If they need to state things on the labels, then clearly we need to learn to flip the label over and dig in even deeper.
 
Let’s look at “mayonnaise made with avocado oil”. This always disappoints me. Do you know why the label states this? It’s because the mayonnaise company is trying to persuade me that they have a healthier option in mayo for me. The reason why mayo gets a “bad rap” is that one of the main ingredients is “canola oil”. Canola oil is one of the “baddies” when it comes to oils. It is highly inflammatory. Smart consumers have figured this out and are searching for healthier options. Go grab your mayo from your fridge, flip it over and see what the first ingredient is – it’s CANOLA OIL.
 
Now, the food giants have made this new(ish) mayo with avocado oil which is extremely good for us BUT they have still kept canola oil as the first ingredient. YUP, they’ve just taken their regular recipe and added a bit of avocado oil so that they can put on the front label “made with avocado oil”. They are not lying … it’s true BUT the canola is still there as the first ingredient. This irritates me.
 
It also irritates me when I purchase a “cauliflower pizza crust” and sure, it has some cauliflower in it BUT the carbohydrate count is not lower because they have 4 different flours in the crust which are not healthy at all. I feel lied to and I feel cheated and they sell it to me at 10 times the price of the regular pizza crust. I should have just flipped the label over and read the ingredients.
 
Let’s promise ourselves to be smarter consumers and 1/ buy more real food and 2/ learn to read those labels when we do buy something processed. 
 
I know that my clients try their best to make healthy decisions and I want to empower them to make the best decisions for their family and their health. Keep up the awesome work folks. You are worth it!!
 
Sheri Burke
Your RHN – Bariatric Nutritionist/ Surgery Coordinator

About the Author: Sheri Burke is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Bariatric Surgery Coordinator at International Patient Facilitators in Tijuana and Cancun, Mexico. She has worked with bariatric surgery clients for over 10 years and especially enjoys providing nutritional guidance to pre and post bariatric clients.  In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two teens and cooking up a nutritional storm in the kitchen.

For bariatric patients Bariatric Expert Amazon Line

Time for a “bariatric expert” multivitamin?  Here is a perfect way for bariatric patients to get it now on Amazon:  Bariatric Expert MultiVitamins.

Eat Like a Bariatric Expert with our Nutrition Plans.

Feel free to share your victories and struggles in our Facebook Group. I would love to connect with you.

 

 

BUY HERE
BUY HERE
BUY HERE
BUY HERE

 

 

 

 

 

Gastric Sleeve Plush Toy Keychain $11.99usd

Plush Toy Gastric Sleeve Recovery Fun Pillow $13.99usd

 

9Jul

Sheri's Almond Pancakes - Bariatric Edition

Print Recipe
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 1
Ingredients Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup Almond Flour
  • 1/3 tsp Baking Powder
  • 2/3 egg
  • 1 tsp Monk Fruit Sweetener
  • 1 3/4 tbsps Unsweetened Almond Milk
  • 1 1/2 tsps Coconut Oil (softened)
  • 1/8 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 1/6 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1 1/2 tsps Almond Butter (for topping)
  • 1 1/2 tsps Almonds (roughly chopped, for topping)

Notes

Leftovers: Refrigerate cooked pancakes in an airtight container for up to three days.
 Reheat in a toaster for easy leftovers.
Serving Size: One serving equals approximately 2 to 3 small pancakes.
Additional Toppings: Top with berries and/or maple syrup.
No Monk Fruit Sweetener: Omit or use coconut sugar and adjust accordingly for flavor.
 
Nutrition:
Amount per serving
Calories......401
Fat................35g
Carbs..........16g
Fiber............. 6g
Sugar............ 2g
Protein.........15g