Give Your Heart a Gift

February is American Heart Month: a time to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death in the United States. The risk of cardiovascular disease is increased for people with severe obesity. Obesity can cause structural changes in the heart including excess heart muscle and ventricle inflammation that can lead to heart failure.

It is no secret that weight loss reduces cardiovascular risks, but a recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that bariatric surgery can also help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Researchers found that gastric bypass surgery can lead to a “remodeling” of the heart as well as significant weight loss. The study compared a group of more than 400 severely obese people with gastric bypass surgery to a group of 300 severely obese people who did not have surgery.

Two years later, echocardiograms showed a reduction in left ventricular mass and right ventricular cavity area among the surgical patients. The improved cardiac function and appearance suggests less stress on the heart and reduced overall cardiovascular risk.

For more information on how bariatric surgery can reduce your cardiovascular risk, please contact the Penn Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery team at 800.789.PENN.

New Dietary Guidelines Promote Healthy Lifestyles

On January 31, 2011, the federal government released the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans, providing information on healthy nutrition. With more than two-thirds of U.S. adults considered overweight, the guidelines encourage reducing caloric intake and increasing physical activity to promote health lifestyles, lower the risk of chronic disease and decrease the prevalence of obesity.

Here are the highlights from the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans:

• Enjoy food but eat less.
  
• Participate in regular physical activity.
• Increase intake of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, low-fat or fat-free dairy or fortified soy beverages, vegetable oils and seafood.
• Decrease intake of added sugars, solid fats and refined grains.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals – and choose the foods with lower numbers.
• Reduce daily consumption of sodium to less than 2300 mg. For African Americans, people with hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease and those over 50, daily consumption should be less than 1500 mg. This number has been reduced from previous years.
• Consume less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fats. Replace them with calories from unsaturated fats.

Read the Press Release
Read the Executive Summary

Kicking Off Your Exercise Routine

Robin Stott-McNulty, MPT, member of the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery team, provides recommendations for starting an exercise program.

Regular exercise produces many health benefits including weight control, improved mood, better sleep and prevention of chronic disease. Finding the time and motivation can be a challenge, so make exercise a part of your daily routine by planning ahead and sticking to your routine.

Follow these recommendations to start incorporating regular exercise into your everyday life.

Start slowly and set simple, reasonable goals. If you set the bar too high, you may give up on exercise before giving it a fair chance.

• Goal 1: Walk for 10 minutes twice a day.
• Goal 2: Walk for 30 minutes five days a week and add 10 minutes of resistance training.
• Goal 3: Walk for 40 minutes five days per week and add 20 minutes of resistance training.
• Goal 4: Once you are up to 40 minutes a day, increase your pace and not your time. (Example – if you walk one mile in 40 minutes, increase your pace so you walk 1.2 miles in 40 minutes).

Create a schedule that works for you. Every minute of exercise counts!

• Wake up 20 minutes early and take a brisk walk to start the day off on the right foot.
• Use 10 minutes of your lunch break to go up and down the stairs or walk outside.
• Park in the furthest spot in the parking lot.

Make exercise enjoyable.

• Put on music and dance around the house. Dance is a great form of exercise!
• Take an exercise class with a friend.
• Lift hand weights or stretch while watching your favorite television program.
• Go for a walk with your family. If you cannot walk outdoors, walk in the mall or do an exercise video.

Make exercise a habit.

• Schedule a regular time to exercise just as you would an appointment or meeting and hold yourself to it.
• Record your daily activities in a journal.
  

Remember to check with your doctor before starting an exercise program and drink plenty of water during your workout.

– Robin Stott-McNulty, MPT

Healthy Snacking on Super Bowl Sunday

Cara Stewart, RD, LDN, member of the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery team, provides tips for healthy eating during the Super Bowl.

Are you planning to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers battle the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl this year? The average football fan consumes an entire day’s worth of calories during the Super Bowl game.

Avoid taking a time-out from healthy eating during the festivities by following these easy tips:

• If you are hosting a party, provide healthy foods for you and your guests to enjoy. If you are going to a party, offer to bring a healthy snack like one of those listed below.
• Use a small bowl or plate. Eating from a small plate helps limit portion sizes and reduces overall intake.
• Designate half-time as the only time to eat. Grazing during the game can lead to mindless eating.
• Avoid high calorie beverages. Drink calories can add up quickly, especially if they contain alcohol. Instead, opt for low-calorie beverages such as coffee, tea, water with lemon or sugar-free soft drinks with fresh fruit slices. For low-calorie alcoholic beverages, choose light beer or a mixed drink with a sugar-free mixer.
• If you do overindulge, stay positive and get back on track the next day.

These healthy and tasty snack ideas can help you stay on track.

• Cottage cheese and lemon pepper dip with fresh vegetables
• Whole-grain crackers and hummus
• Oven-fried chicken tenders with light ranch dip
• Baked tortilla chips with bean dip and salsa
• Thin-crust, whole-wheat pizza loaded with vegetables

Many more healthy snacks and recipes can also be found online.

- Cara Stewart, RD, LDN