Dear Friends & Family of Lap SF and the Surgical Weight Loss Center of Hawaii,

The season for outdoor parties and summer get-togethers is just around the corner. Just like buffets and dinner parties around holiday time, the same goes for big barbecues and picnics... be mindful of your food choices. Healthy foods such as lean proteins, grilled vegetables, summer salads and fruit are always good choices. Potato and macaroni salads can be fairly high in calories and fat due to the mayonnaise content. Enjoy the company and try some new foods but don't let the creamy dishes and sweets get in the way of achieving your goal!

Condiment Calories Now that summer is upon us, picnics and parties are going to have some favorite barbecued foods. So what are the best toppings? One tablespoon of ketchup is only 15 calories, though it can be high in sodium and usually contains high fructose corn syrup (an undesirable agent used to sweeten foods and lengthen shelf life). Salsa would be a healthier choice, its slightly more nutritious so try substituting it for ketchup. Mustard is also only 15 calories per tablespoon. Full fat mayonnaise is around 90 calories with 10 grams of fat in each tablespoon whereas the reduced version is 35 calories with 3.5 grams of fat. Try spreading a healthier fat on your burger, like avocado (only 55 calories per tablespoon). Pickle relish is only 10 calories per tablespoon but also contains high fructose corn syrup so try to use sparingly. When adding condiments, if consumed in small amounts, the calories are rather insignificant. However, try the healthier substitute and avoid using too much full fat mayo as the calories and fat grams can add up quickly.

Diet Soda leading to Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes A recent article from Diabetes Care Journal, "Diet Soda Intake and Risk of Incident Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis", found that daily consumers of diet soda had a 67% elevated risk of Type 2 Diabetes compared to non-consumers. It also found the risk of metabolic syndrome was 36% greater in those drinking one or more servings of diet soda a day. Metabolic syndrome is described as having 3 or more of the following: - Waist circumference greater than or equal to 102 cm (men) Waist circumference greater than or equal to 88 cm (women) - Triglycerides greater than or equal to 150 mg/dl - HDL cholesterol less than or equal to 40 mg/dl (men) HDL cholesterol less than or equal to 50 mg/dl (women) - Blood Pressure greater than or equal to 130/85 mmHg - Fasting Glucose greater than or equal to 100 mg/dl After weight loss surgery, it is not recommended to drink carbonated beverages whether they are diet or regular. This article is yet another reason however, for water to be your primary fluid source. (Diabetes Care, Volume 32, Number 4, April 2009)

Feeling Hunger Feeling hunger between meals is usually transient and can simply resolve on its own or with a drink of water as sometimes thirst can be mistaken for hunger. The term "head hunger" is used to describe a mental hunger for food verses and actual physical hunger. Often times head hunger can lead to snacking or eating when in fact you really are not hungry. Next time you are feeling hungry between meals try to wait it out. Go for a short walk or drink some water. Snacking between meals adds to your total caloric intake for the day, making it more difficult to lose or maintain your goal weight.

Upcoming Seminars & Support Groups Sacramento Seminar & Support Group Saturday, May 30th from 9-11am Red Lion Hotel at Arden Village 1401 Arden Way *Amy Ingols, RD will be attending; refreshments will be served!* Stockton Seminar & Support Group Saturday, May 30th from 1-3 pm Courtyard Marriott, 3252 West March Lane *Amy Ingols, RD will be attending; refreshments will be served!* Antioch/East County Bariatric Surgery Support Group Monday, June 1st from 7-9pm Pittsburg Adult Education School 1151 Stoneman Ave. Pittsburg, CA 94565 (portable on right hand side of the drive way, next to the baseball field). Maui Seminar & Support Group Thursday, June 4th from 7-9pm Maui Arts & Cultural Center 1 Cameron Way, Kahului, HI 96732 For more info, please call Nicole at (808) 561-5511 Kauai Seminar & Support Group Friday, June 5th from 7-9pm Hilton Kauai Beach Resort 4331 Kauai Beach Drive, Lihue in Ginger Room Honolulu Seminar & Support Group Saturday, June 6th from 10am - 12pm Oahu Veteran's Center 1298 Kukila Street, Honolulu 96818 Hilo Seminar & Support Group Monday, June 8th from 7-9pm Uncle Billy's Hilo Bay Hotel 87 Banyan Drive in the Leilani Room San Francisco Seminar & Support Group Monday, June 8th from 6-8pm 2100 Webster Street, Suite 106 in the Spivey Room Kona Seminar & Support Group Tuesday, June 9th from 7-9pm Royal Kona Resort in the Discovery Room 75-5852 Alii Drive, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 Monterey Seminar & Support Group Monday, June 15th from 7-9pm Hyatt Regency Monterey 1 Old Golf Course Road San Jose Seminar & Support Group Wednesday, June 17th from 6-8pm 2425 Samaritan Drive in the teleconference trailers in the East parking lot. Petaluma Seminar & Support Group Saturday, June 20th from 9am - 12pm Sheraton Petaluma, Western Meadowlark Room click here for calendar of events

Sincerely,
--The Team at Laparoscopic Associates of San Francisco and the Surgical Weight Loss Center of Hawaii