Lap Band Dietician Notes

At the last support group, Amy Carmeli the registered dietician and nutrition guru offered these points on nutrition. Many of you asked for a copy of her presentation and Amy has been kind enough to share it with us.
By the way, don't forget to show up to the Lap Band support groups. We have them set up for you at our expense so that you can benefit and get the most out of your Lap Band. We believe (and studies have shown) that weight loss surgery patients have better results if they have regular participation in support groups.
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What we have forgotten about basic nutrition
1st in 3 part series

Our bodies need carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamin, minerals, and water to function properly. Each one has a specific and special function in our body.
Protein, water, some lipids, vitamins, minerals help regulate body processes. Carbohydrates, protein, and fat provide energy to fuel the body.

We all know the name carbohydrate. In recent years carbohydrates have become “evil” or “bad” foods. However, carbohydrates are our bodies preferred energy source. The key is to know which carbohydrates we should eat more of versus less.

Two basic types of carbohydrates are simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are foods like cakes, sweets, and fruit juices. Complex carbohydrates are foods like whole grain wheat products, fruits, beans, and starch vegetables. From the complex carbohydrates we also get two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber increase fecal bulk and decrease intestinal transit time. Insoluble fibers are whole grains, all plants, wheat, rye, rice and vegetables. Terms associated with insoluble fiber are cellulose and hemicellulose, and lignins. Soluble fiber delays gastric emptying slows glucose absorption and can lower cholesterol. Examples of soluble fiber are oats, beans, citrus fruits, pectins, gums, and psyllium. An example of a complete fiber (soluble and insoluble) is an apple with the skin being insoluble and the inside being soluble.

Bottom line with carbohydrates – we need complex carbohydrates that contain soluble and insoluble fibers. Good choices are whole grain wheat, oats, vegetables, and beans.

With the lap band we talk a lot about protein. Consuming enough protein is vital for maintaining health. Protein is a key part of the blood, helping to regulate many body functions and can provide energy.

There are two types of proteins – complete or incomplete. Complete proteins contain all nine essential amino acids. Incomplete proteins must be combined together with another incomplete protein to provide benefit. It is basically an “all or nothing” idea. Without making a protein complete, by combining foods together, our body cannot support body growth and maintenance.
Complete proteins are eggs, meat, and milk.
Incomplete protein that can be combined to make complete proteins are: hummus and whole wheat bread, nut butter and whole wheat bread, rice and beans, green beans and sunflower seeds, beans and vegetable soups.

Food sources of protein
Tuna (3 ounces)
21.6 g Protein
Chicken (3 ounces)
21.3 g Protein
Beef chuck (3 ounces)
15.3 g protein
Yogurt
10.6 g protein
Beans and rice (1 cup)
10.2 g protein
Peanut butter and wheat bread
~10 g protein

Bottom line: We need adequate protein to maintain body functions. We can consume either complete protein foods or combine 2 incomplete protein foods to make a complete protein. Good sources of protein: meat, milk, eggs; or beans and rice.


Fat is what makes our food taste good and helps provide satiety (that full, satisfied feeling). Fat does play an important role in our body, but we actually need very little fat to provide these functions.

Fat can be broken into two groups of two: saturated fat and unsaturated fats; and essential fat and nonessential fat. The best fat to use in cooking is monounsaturated fat like canola, olive, or peanut oil. Fats that we want to limit are saturated fats, especially trans fat. Trans fat is found in foods like fried potatoes, bakery goods, and some margarines.

Essential fats that our bodies need are omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. These fats are found in salmon, tuna, sardines, trout, halibut, walnuts, and flax seed oils. We need these foods at least twice per week.

Bottom line: We should consume unsaturated fats in limited quantities and essential fat two times per week. Good choices: cooking with only olive, canola, or peanut oil; and consuming baked or grilled fish (listed above) two times per week.

Stayed tuned: next month we will discuss vitamins, minerals, and the forgotten nutrient water.

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Addendum:
Some Lap Band patients might have restriction for meats and in order to have an adequate protein intake might need to find other sources of protein, including low-fat or non fat dairy products or protein supplements such as those offered on the Estore.