Introducing SWLC’s New Dietitian

SWLC would like to welcome the new addition to our team!

With a family history of obesity and cardiovascular disease, Margeaux was motivated to gain an understanding of how to manage these conditions. She completed her undergraduate degree at Ryerson University’s Nutrition and Food Program, and continued her education in Sunnybrook Health Science Centre’s Dietetic Internship program to become a fully licensed Registered Dietitian.

Margeaux is always excited about new and challenging learning opportunities; therefore, she holds memberships to various nutrition and health related organizations such as the Dietitians of Canada, College of Dietitians of Ontario, American Dietetic Association, Canadian Obesity Network, and co-chairs the Peel Nutrition Care Providers group. In an effort to remain at the forefront of clinical research and practice, Margeaux networks and collaborates with individuals from various professional backgrounds, enrolls in courses, attends conferences, subscribes to the Nutrition Action and Mayo Clinic newsletters, and references the Practice Evidence Based Nutrition database.

When she is not in the office, Margeaux prefers to be active in the community. Having grown up in the Mississauga area, it is not unusual to see her playing basketball, running, swimming, snowboarding and rollerblading in local settings.

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Our 3rd Annual Symposium – a Smashing Success!

lap-banders gather for a fun filled day of inspirationAL speakers

The long anticipated event was hosted by the staff of the Surgical Weight Loss Centre. Dr. Cobourn, surgeon and Medical Director of SWLC opened the annual Symposium with a warm welcome. Our multi-disciplinary team of weight loss experts, along with our guest speakers combined to deliver support, guidance and recommendations to the SWLC community and its patients. Medical professionals included Dr. David Mumford, Dr. Jessie Ahroni and Dr. Linda Ayers (both Jesse and Linda are Lap-Band patients) who discussed topics including “Achieving Success with the Lap-Band and Gastric Balloon”, “The importance of Goal Setting” and “How to Overcome Emotional Eating”. Dr. Frank Lista, medical director and founder of the Plastic Surgery Clinic, provided an insightful look at the issue of body contouring after weight loss. Our nurses provided their unique perspective on how to get the best results after Lap-Band surgery.

SWLC is the highest volume Lap-Band clinic in Canada and has performed over 2,800 Lap-Band procedures. Located in the heart of Mississauga in a state-of-the-art facility, SWLC specializes in two procedures – Gastric Banding and the Gastric Balloon. Both comprehensive programs are safe and effective methods of sustaining significant weight loss. The Lap-Band is an adjustable and reversible device used to achieve sustained weight loss. The Gastric Balloon is a non-surgical, non-pharmaceutical method of achieving significant weight loss in a short period of time. SWLC has long been a part of the fight against obesity with many patients throughout Canada since 2005.

The planning stages of the 2011 SWLC Symposium are already in progress! We have booked our 4th Annual Symposium for April 30th, 2011 so be sure to mark it in your calendars!!

Feel free to regularly visit the SWLC Blog for up to date information about our clinic, and any relevant news and events happening in our communities.

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Summertime and the Living is Easy…

And Riddled with Opportunities to Make Bad Nutritional Choices.

1. Stay busy. When we're bored, it's easy to fall into a trap of doing nothing and then feeling low on energy. Idle hands often end up in the fridge or cupboards. By filling your days with new activities, you will have a sense of accomplishment. Make sure you take advantage of the gorgeous weather. Activities like reading are wonderful to do in the summer sun. Also, remember to limit your screen time — including computers and TVs — to no more than 2 hours a day.
2. Beat the heat. Don't let summer heat be an excuse not to exercise. Take advantage of the cooler temperatures in the morning or evenings. If it’s still too hot, move your workout indoors. If a gym isn't your scene, try rock climbing or bowling with friends and family.
3. Think about what (and how) you eat. Summer means picnics and barbecues — activities that revolve around an unlimited spread of food. Pace yourself. Don't overload your plate. Resist the temptation to go back for seconds and thirds. Choose seasonal, healthy foods like fresh fruit and vegetables. Make catching up with family and friends your focus, not the food.

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A. Iced Tea Summer Beverages

Reference: www.thatsthespirit.com
Historians have credited Richard Blechyden for creating what we know today as iced tea. The story states that Mr. Blechyden, a tea plantation owner, attended the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri with the intention of offering free samples of his product as a marketing tactic. Unfortunately, fair patrons were not interested in his hot beverage as it was an incredibly hot day. Mr. Blechyden had to come up with something, so he started offering his tea served with ice and it was an instant hit!!

1. FRENCH MINT TEA

Ingredients:

• 2  Orange Pekoe tea bags
• 1/2 cup mint leaves 
• 1/2 cup Splenda
• 1 frozen orange juice concentrate - 12 oz can
• Juice of 4 lemons 

Mixing Instructions:

In pot bring water and mint to a boil. Add tea bag. Cover and steep 30 minutes. Remove tea bag. Add orange juice, juice of lemons, and Splenda. Stir. Add enough water to make 1 gallon. Strain to remove mint and pulp, pour over ice cubes in tall glasses.

2. STRAWBERRY ICED TEA

Ingredients:

• 5 cups boiling water 
• 2 Orange Pekoe tea bags
• 1/2 cup Splenda
• 1 qt. Club Soda 
• 1 frozen lemonade concentrate can (12 0z's)
• 1 cup strawberries sliced
• ice 

Mixing Instructions:

Combine strawberries and Splenda in a large bowl and set aside. In another bowl pour water over 2 tea bags and let steep 5 minutes. Discard tea bag and cool tea to room temperature. Stir tea into strawberry mixture along with lemonade concentrate and chill. To serve, stir in club soda or sparkling water; pour over ice cubes in tall glasses. Makes 12 servings

ANOTHER FRESH IDEA TO LIVEN UP YOUR GLASS

You can even make water more interesting by getting creative with your ice cubes. Frozen fruit cubes are a way to decorate a table top, brighten up a pitcher, and naturally sweeten water.

Image Reference: www.recipes.howstuffworks.com
Recipe Reference: www.ehow.com

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to boil and then let it cool. Pour the cooled water into an ice cube tray. Ice made of boiled water turns out clear rather than cloudy
2. Select a variety of fruit. Strawberries, raspberries, oranges and lemons freeze well. Small fruit are convenient as you can use them whole
3. Remove skin, rind and seeds from fruit as needed. Cut the fruit into pieces that fit in each section of the ice cube tray.
4. Drop a piece of fruit carefully into the water of each section in the ice cube tray. Allow excess water to spill out, leaving the sections full.
5. Place the ice cube tray into the freezer for several hours. Once frozen, remove the cubes from the tray and place in pitcher or beverage glass.

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B. Summer Meal Ideas

What comes to mind when you think of a BBQ? Most commonly people think of various types of meat, an assortment of buns, hot and cold pasta, and maybe a range of salads. The recipe included below catches the eye with its use of colour and is a twist on the typical summer gathering menu options.

1. STUFFED PEPPERS

Reference: www.dummies.com

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 large bell peppers
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 2 medium onions chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 3/4 pound extra lean ground beef
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 medium tomatoes diced
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium tomato sauce
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Fresh dill, or 1 tsp dried
• 2/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Remove the cores, seeds, and ribs from the peppers, halve 3 peppers lengthwise and dice the remaining pepper.
3. Cook the pepper halves in a large saucepan of boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain well.
4. Lightly oil a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the peppers in a single layer. Set the peppers, cut side up, in the dish.

5. Heat oil in a large skillet, add chopped onions and diced pepper. Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the onions begins to turn golden.

6. Add beef, minced garlic, cumin, and paprika to the skillet. Sauté, stirring to crumble meat, for 5 minutes, or until beef changes color.
7. Add diced tomatoes, stock, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, salt, and pepper. Bring to boil and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, then remove from heat.
8. Chop the fresh dill. If you’re using dried dill, you don’t need to chop it.
9. Stir in 1 tablespoon dill and breadcrumbs.
10. Spoon stuffing into pepper halves, mounding it high.
11. Mix the remaining 1 cup tomato sauce with 1/2 cup water and pour the sauce mixture into the baking dish around the peppers.
12. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until peppers are very tender.
13. Serve the peppers hot or warm, with sauce spooned over them.

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C. Veggie Kebabs

Image Reference: www.greenlitebites.com
Recipe Reference: www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup firm or extra-firm tofu chunks
• 1 cup red, yellow or green bell pepper chunks
• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• 1 cup red onion chunks
• 1 cup white button mushrooms
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 cup zucchini or yellow squash chunks
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• Marinade, recipe follows
• Wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Instructions
Marinade:

• 1/2 cup olive or canola oil
• 1/2 cup lemon or lime juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. The marinade can be prepared in advance and held covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
2. Preheat grill to medium heat.
3. Remove vegetables from the marinade, reserving marinade. Thread vegetables onto skewers, alternating colors. Cook skewers on grill until vegetables are lightly charred all over, about 10 minutes, basting with reserved marinade and turning occasionally.

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