| |
| |
|
Nutrition Information |
|
|
|
WLS Patients Feeling Gassy & Bloated? Sugar Alcohol May Be To Blame
Sugar intake is a real concern for people who've had gastric bypass, in fact most patients fear sugar. The foremost fear isn't weight gain, it's dumping. Foods containing sugar pass too quickly through the small pouch, they are rapidly absorbed and cause insulin levels to drop resulting in dumping. Very unpleasant. Instead of taking chances with sugar many of us reach for "sugar free" sweets or diabetic candy to satisfy our sweet tooth. Many of these products contain sugar alcohol, a natural sweetener derived from fruits and berries. Unlike artificial sweeteners that contain no calories, sugar alcohol has about half the calories of sugar. Diabetics are able to have food with sugar alcohol because it's converted more slowly to glucose and require very little insulin to be metabolized. While sugar alcohols are low in calories and slow to convert to glucose, the down side is they can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea. I learned this the hard way. One day that devil we call temptation seduced me into buying a bag of sugar-free jelly beans. Jelly beans are dangerous because they are little bites of soft food which means a gastric bypass patient can eat too much volume. I ate the entire bag in about an hour (true confessions of the closet snacker). I soon became uncomfortable with a small tummy ache. The tummy ache turned to bloating, cramping and gas. Extreme cases of all three symptoms. Painful "take me to the hospital I think I'm gonna explode" symptoms. It took a couple of days for my body to return to normal, a couple of stressful and uncomfortable days. The jelly beans I ate contained Mannitol, a common sugar alcohol extracted from seaweed. I know they contained Mannitol because I read the package mid-way through the crisis. The package contained this warning, "Warning: excessive consumption can cause a laxative effect" Fine time to be reading labels I told myself! Mannitol is found naturally in pineapples, olives, asparagus, sweet potatoes and carrots. It's about 60% as sweet as sugar, so more product is needed to replicate the sweetness of sugar. "Mannitol lingers in the intestines for a long time and therefore causes bloating and diarrhea." Yup! That's exactly what happens all right. What other names are sugar alcohols called? Sorbitol is found naturally in fruits and vegetables. It is manufactured from corn syrup. Sorbitol has only 50 percent of the relative sweetness of sugar which means twice as much must be used to deliver a similar amount of sweetness to a product. It has less of a tendency to cause diarrhea compared to mannitol. It is often an ingredient in sugar-free gums and candies. Xylitol is also called "wood sugar" and occurs naturally in straw, corncobs, fruit, vegetables, cereals, mushrooms and some cereals. Xylitol has the same relative sweetness as sugar. It is found in chewing gums. Lactitol has about 30-40 percent of sugar's sweetening power, but its taste and solubility profile resembles sugar so it is often found in sugar-free ice cream, chocolate, hard and soft candies, baked goods, sugar-reduced preserves and chewing gums. Isomalt is 45 - 65 percent as sweet as sugar and does not tend to lose its sweetness or break down during the heating process. Isomalt absorbs little water, so it is often used in hard candies, toffee, cough drops and lollipops. Maltitol is 75 percent as sweet as sugar. It is used in sugar-free hard candies, chewing gum, chocolate-flavored desserts, baked goods and ice cream because it gives a creamy texture to foods. Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (HSH) are produced by the partial hydrolysis of corn. HSH are nutritive sweeteners that provide 40 - 90 percent of the sweetness of sugar. HSH do not crystallize and are used extensively in confections, baked goods and mouthwashes. Should Gastric Bypass Patients indulge their sweet tooth with sugar alcohol? The American Diabetes Association claims that sugar alcohols are acceptable in a moderate amount but should not be eaten in excess. In addition, weight gain has been seen when these products are overeaten. Personally, I'm not dipping my sticky fingers into sugar-free candy again. For gastric bypass patients generally the key, as in all eating, must be moderation, not a full bag of jelly beans. And of course, we can always rely on the old advice of conventional dieters, "Hungry for something sweet? Reach for a piece of fruit." Kaye Bailey is a weight loss surgery success story having maintained her health and goal weight for 5+ years. An award winning journalist, she is the author and webmaster of http://www.livingafterwls.com and http://www.livingafterwls.blogspot.com LivingAfterWLS is a no-nonsense resource for people Living After Weight Loss Surgery. Our community is growing in numbers even as we are shrinking in pounds. Together we support one another in this lifestyle, that it turns out, is NOT the easy way out. Fresh & insightful content is added daily, check in often. To subscribe to the LivingAfterWLS monthly newsletter "You Have Arrived" click on http://www.livingafterwls.com and enter your details in the subscription box.
MORE RESOURCES:
Nutrition - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Liquid Vitamin Mineral Approach Liquid vitamin mineralThe liquid vitamin mineral dietary supplement is a must have for maximum vitality and health. In today's fast food environment most of us do not get the proper balance of food for the necessary for optimal health Unfortunately the body only absorbs 10 to 20 percent of the nutrients found in traditional pills and capsules. The Cost Of Being Sick And One Possible Alternative: Glyconutrition A lot of people I've talked with about health supplements usually are coming from about the same place - you know: "been there, done that." People are tired of hearing about the latest and greatest and - for the most part - figure that all supplements are pretty much the same. Beverages Boost Calorie Intake, But Many View Fluids As Calorie-free! Beverages - and not just alcohol - are a significant if little recognized source of calories in North American diets. Yet many people seem to believe that if a calorie is ingested in fluid form, it's a freebie. Choosing Organic for Health We come from a society where growing organic and just growing produce and livestock for food Was once one of the same. Small, family farms still grow their own food using traditional methods passed down through the generations. Find Mineral Nutrition Online Mineral nutritionSearching for mineral nutrition information is much easier today than ever before. I remember when we'd have to search manuals, books and do it at the library and also searching the encyclopedia. Balanced Diet: Know More on Healthy and Nutritional Balanced Diet! In this fast paced world, good nutrition may sound very simple but it is indeed really difficult to practice it. We eat too many processed foods or we tend to miss some meals. Acid and Digestive Disorders: Breaking the Vicious Circle THE RISKThe primary symptom of acid reflux is obvious to those who have it. During the digestive process, acid flows up into the throat and causes a burning sensation. Blood Type and Diet Eating right to suit your blood type" is a subject that is come up a lot in the chat rooms lately, so as promised, here is more information about the topic.First of all there are two bibles on this subject written by Dr. Combat Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletion Today, more than ever, consumers over the age of 50 are on some type of Pharmaceutical drug regimen, many of which promote healthier, longer lives. Unfortunately, many of these drugs also deplete vital nutrients from the body which may cause a new round of medical complications. How Essential Fatty Acids Improve Your Brain Power and Mental Health What is your brain made ofOver 50% of your brain is made of good fat. Twenty percent of this good fat comes from EPA and DHA. What is A Balanced Diet For Losing Weight and Good Health? The total calories that you should be consuming depend on whether you are a women or a man. It depends on your body structure and your activity level. Three Cheers for Heart Healthy Oils! You may have noticed an ever-expanding choice of oils at your local grocery store over the past few years. While once your options were limited to corn, canola, safflower and maybe olive oil, now your choices include walnut, almond, grapeseed and other types of oil as well. Fluoride Damages Childrens Bones, Study Says White-spotted or yellow splotched teeth may reveal more than needed expensive cosmetic dentistry.Children with fluoride-discolored teeth (dental fluorosis) are more likely to have bone damage, according to a study published in the journal "Fluoride. Why You Should Eat Healthier Every where you look you see articles or news or stories on how America is overweight. This probably doesn't surprise anyone, as you only have to take a quick look around to see that our lifestyles don't promote good health. Is Organic Really Better for You? I had finally come to a place in my life where I was concerned about my health and that of my family. After all, it's not the quantity, but the quality of life right? And if you can increase both, all the better! We started exercising, eating healthier and taking vitamins. Creating Your Target of Health Creating Your Target is easy.What I use to help create these targets is what I call SMARTS targets SMARTS stands for:Simple, Sensory, and Specific Measurable and Meaningful As If Now Realistic Time Framed Smiley FactorSome more about what these all mean:"S": Simple is exactly that. Magnesium Deficiency Causes Personality Change and WLS Patients are at Risk Have you ever felt like you were completely losing your mind? Like the world was swallowing you up and little things were out of your control and unmanageable? Like you were confused, tired, out of sorts and simply wanted to collapse? Has everyday noise become intolerably loud in your head?That's how I was feeling a few months ago. I was confident I'd lost my mind and suffered a serious change of personality (for the worse, I may add). The Best Protein Powder What is the best protein powder to buy? I get this question all the time, and really, there is no best protein - many are very good for different reasons! In my opinion, it is futile and possibly detrimental to stick to only one brand for the following reasons:a) I always recommend that you cycle your supplements so that your body does not get used to them thereby decreasing their effect,b) for variety sakes alone, it breaks the monotony and allows you to try different brands,c) to take advantage of the unique qualities offered by various brands, andd) it is a good idea to switch the powders you use on a frequent basis to not develop any food intolerances or even worse allergies (I have an article coming out on this subject in the near future.) A blend that combines various protein sources (i. Constipation Cures Exposed! If you're suffering from constipation, you are no doubt looking for some answers to bring relief. Treatments for constipation vary with the type of constipation from which you're suffering. The Non-Diet Diet Diets don't work. If they did the U.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |