What to Eat Before and After Gastric Band Surgery

Undertaking a gastric band surgery is undoubtedly a big step in someone’s life. It won’t just represent a solution to a serious weight problem, but the start of a new life-style. This weight loss procedure is specifically designed to treat cases of severe obesity and it is usually recommended to people with a Body Mass Index (BMI) equal to or higher than 30. The purpose of the operation is to physically limit the amount of food intake, by applying an adjustable band around the top segment of the stomach.

In order to enjoy the full benefits of this important surgery procedure, the patient will have to change his/her eating patterns radically, and religiously stick to them, starting few weeks prior to the operation. Below are some rough guidelines on what is better to eat before and after the operation, provided by The Hospital Group.

Pre-Operative Diet
Sticking to a liquid-only diet for at least two weeks prior to the operation is essential to prepare your body for the surgery. Though very tough, this is going to be the first step towards a healthier life-style.

0-2 weeks Post Surgery
The liquid-only diet should be carried on over the first two weeks after the operation. This will be crucial to the healing process and will ensure maximum benefits from the surgery. The ideal amount of liquid food to be consumed daily ranges between 2.5 and 3.5 litres. This may consist of semi-skimmed milk, soup, teas and, of course, a good amount of water. Remember to keep portion sizes to a maximum of 200 ml (a bit less than a cup).

2-4 weeks Post Surgery
A soft food diet can be started from the 2nd to 4th week from the operation. This may include a range of foods such as eggs, purees, mashed bananas, low fat cottage cheese and much more. Fluids are very important as well, but make sure you only drink few hours after your meals.

4 weeks Onwards
Diet can go back to “normal” from the 4th week onwards. You could now start eating solid food and add new flavours to your meals, but always remember that your stomach is now set on a different capacity. Portions will have to be small. Using a child’s or a tea plate is a handy trick to fool your eyes and make you feel like you’re eating more. Also, try and eat as slow as possible and chew your food well. Not only this will facilitate the digestion process, but it will allow you to really enjoy your food.
Sticking to these basic nutrition guidelines (and to those specifically provided by your doctor) is crucial for both accelerating the healing process and ensuring successful weight loss in the short to long term. Though quantities will necessary be getting smaller, nothing forbids you to improve the quality of your food, enjoying the good cuisine with a renewed appetite for life.

Wedding Cake Toppers

Traditional wedding cake toppers are a thing of the past, now that couples have begun to take the idea of “personalization” to a whole new level. In the past, wedding cake toppers simply portrayed a bride and groom in typical wedding day attire, holding hands or standing next to each other in a loving embrace.

Continue Reading »

UGG-ly Fabulous

With autumn already upon us and winter fast approaching it is always important to think of what footwear will see us through the season. While we always want to remain stylish we also have to think about comfort.

UGG boots have always been a perfect choice for winter footwear. With the range of styles and colours, there will be a pair to suit everyone.

When you think of UGG boots it is inevitable that you will think of the traditional style, some people can be put off by this as they think that once they expose them to extreme weather their boots would be ruined.

However UGG are doing new styles for Autumn/Winter which would perhaps withstand the harsher weather that might be ahead.
The Kensington style is an ideal option for those who are looking for something that is a little sturdier. The flat stylish boot still comes with all the comfort of the normal UGG boots however the leather outer will insure that you can keep all the elements out.
If you prefer to have something with a heel UGG have even covered that for you. The Aprelle wedge boot or the Savanna knee boots are the perfect styles for any women out there who can’t live without a heel. They have all the comfort or normal UGGs and will keep your feet warm and toasty in the winter. These would look great teamed up with a pair of skinny jeans or even some thick tights and a skirt. The good thing about both of these styles is that you can dress them up or down depending on your day.

Of course you can always go for the one of the original styles as these are always in fashion every winter. They are easy to fit into your wardrobe as you can match them with anything. If you want to look after them there are protective sprays you can get to help keep them looking good as new.

If you do decide to go for a pair of UGGs then you will be following in some famous footsteps. UGG has many famous fans from Jenifer Aniston to Kate Moss. There has been a host of celebrities spotted out and about sporting them, as they a perfect alternative to the five inch heels they have to totter around in from day to day. So make like a celebrity and grab yourself a pair before winter hits.