Hair Loss After Weight Loss Surgery

by Kelly Morris

Hair loss and thinning. It's one of the most common worries after weight-loss surgery with the least understanding of the causes.

Not everyone will lose hair after weight loss surgery, but many folks do.There are a number of reasons for hair loss after weight loss surgery and it can’t always be prevented. Rest assured, though, hair loss is usually only temporary, most people do not go bald, and it usually grows back as thick and lovely as ever!

Keep in mind, too, that people can experience hair loss for many reasons unrelated to weight loss surgery, including thyroid disorders, skin disorders, and hormonal problems. Talk to your doctor if you’re losing a lot of hair and aren’t sure why. 

But here are some reasons why weight-loss surgery patients can experience hair loss and thinning.

Telogen Effluvium

Telogen effluvium is a technical-sounding name for a change in the growth cycles of your hair. According to Web MD, most of the time about 90% of your hair is in a growing, or anagen, phase. The other 10% is in a resting, or telogen, phase. After the hair rests for a few months, it falls out. It’s normal to shed some hair every day. Sometimes, though, something causes more hair than normal to go into the resting phase, such as surgery requiring general anesthesia. After the hair rests for a few months, it falls out, causing more hair loss than normal. Telogen effluvium can occur after any surgery, not just weight loss surgery. It usually lasts for less than six months.

Protein

Not getting enough protein can lead to hair loss, but it’s important to understand that falling short of your protein goal for a few days is not going to make your hair fall out. Hair loss can occur if you get too little protein on an ongoing basis, however. The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery suggests consuming 1.1 grams of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight for weight loss surgery patients. Some people may need more, though, and some less. Your doctor can order blood tests to see if you’re getting enough protein for your body.

Vitamins and Minerals

Numerous vitamin and mineral deficiencies can cause hair loss and nutritional deficiencies are more common after weight loss surgery. That’s because weight loss surgery patients eat smaller amounts of food than “normal” folks, plus RNY and DS folks malabsorb nutrients. Low levels of many vitamins and minerals can cause hair loss, including low levels of iron, zinc, vitamin A, and some of the B vitamins. If you think nutritional deficiencies might be contributing to hair loss after weight loss surgery, ask your doctor to order some labs to see what vitamins or minerals you might need to add to your daily regimen.

Biotin

Biotin is one of the B vitamins. According to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, biotin deficiency causes hair loss, a scaly red rash on the face, depression, fatigue, hallucinations, and numbness and tingling in the hands and feet. Biotin deficiency is very rare, however. As long as you eat a reasonably healthful diet and take a good multivitamin, it’s unlikely you’ll be low on biotin.

Many people take biotin supplements after weight loss surgery, hoping that will prevent hair loss, but the Linus Pauling Institute website states there is no evidence at all that taking extra biotin will prevent hair loss or make hair grow back faster. If you have a biotin deficiency, you should take a biotin supplement. Otherwise, taking one probably will not help your hair.

Kelly had gastric bypass in November 2008 when she weighed about 270 pounds. Just over four years later Kelly is now about 135. She says, "My knees don't hurt anymore, my blood pressure is on the low side, my blood sugar is good, and I feel pretty well. The journey hasn't always been easy and I've had some complications. It's all been worth it though! I really feel like this surgery gave me my life back."

NOTE: You may see comments "down yonder" that don't make sense in relation to the article. Unfortunately, on this platform we have to recycle article pages so you're seeing comments in response to past articles that were on this page. No worries...we're working on moving to nicer digs, soon. Until then, keep commenting but don't get worried if you see a comment that looks like it doesn't belong. In fact...give it a hug. Wayward comments have feelings too!

Protein Pumpkin Bread

IT'S FALL AGAIN!!!!

I've been waiting to post this recipe until it was, in fact, fall. I have definite feelings about rushing the seasons and I was seeing a lot of folks diving headfirst into pumpkin stuff in, like, August. And if that's your thing, go for it. But to me, the anticipation of seasonal changes makes the coming of the season all the more sweet.

But now, here we are, in autumn! The weather is cooler, the days are getting shorter, the leaves are turning colors and I've worn a cardigan. Twice.

I think this calls for pumpkin bread.

Nik's Protein Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 c. Splenda (or another no-calorie sweetener of your choice that is equivalent to 1 c. sugar)
• 1/4 c. Torani Brown Sugar Cinnamon syrup (in the absence of this you can use the same amount of brown sugar substitute like Brown Sugar Twin or Splenda Brown Sugar blend)
• Optional: 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 c. Big Train Low-Carb Pancake & Waffle Mix
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sweetener, syrup and butter with a hand mixer on medium speed until completely combined. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure the first is completely mixed in before adding the second. Add the vanilla and pumpkin pie spice and mix again. 

Sift the pancake and waffle mix, baking soda and salt directly into the pumpkin mixture and then mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined.

Don't mind the Fruit Loop photo bomb. My kids sort of invaded the kitchen as I was in the mixing stage!

Spray a mini-loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray made for baking (it will have a bit of flour in it) OR grease your pan. You may also use a full-sized loaf pan or a cupcake pan if you don't have a mini-loaf pan.

Pour equal amounts of the batter into each slot, then tap the pan against the counter to ensure batter is distributed and to remove any air pockets.

Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a moist crumb. Transfer pan to a cooling rack and cool thoroughly before removing mini-loaves. Wrap each loaf individually and refrigerate until ready to eat. These do freeze well but, again, wrap them individually and well.

A word on my "flour of choice." You all may have heard me lamenting that Atkins has discontinued its baking mix. I was so sad! Yes, there's still Carbquik but I loved Atkins Mix because it was both low-carb and high-protein. That was a win-win. And, yes, I've seen the recipes for the "make your own Atkins" but, frankly, I'm lazy. 

But then I remembered seeing that Big Train, makers of Fit Frappe, made pancake and waffle mix. Quiet as its kept, pancake/waffle mix and baking mix are the same thing: a combination of flour, salt and baking powder. It's got pretty good stats. Each 1/4 c. serving has 90 calories, 12g carbs, 5g fiber (so 7 net grams of carbs) and 11g of protein. So not bad at all!

If you don't have Big Train Pancake & Waffle Mix: Don't fret! Just substitute the amount of mix called for in the above with 3/4 c. of multi-grain pancake/waffle mix (available in most stores) + 2 scoops of your favorite vanilla or unflavored protein powder (doesn't matter the size of the scoop). You can also add a scoop of protein powder to the recipe as it appears above without affecting the texture if you want to add more protein. (And yes, I recognize that I have not given you nutrition information, nor will I! Here's why if you're interested.)

The reason I personally added butter was for flavor, not for texture. The pumpkin provides all the moisture you'll need in this recipe but I omitted butter the first go-round and it just wasn't right! One tablespoon should get you the taste you want!

Please note this is a good base recipe. Which means there are probably a bunch of things you can do to customize it. One suggestion from your good friend Nik: About 7-ish minutes before it's done (the top will have formed but it'll still be soft, indicating that the inside is not done yet), add about a teaspoon of sugar-free caramel syrup (of the Smucker's variety) to each loaf and sprinkle some large-grain kosher salt over the top. Then you have...salted caramel protein pumpkin bread!

I can think of other combos. Add sugar-free chocolate chips for chocolate chip pumpkin bread or PB2 for peanut pumpkin bread (I've had this before and it is DELICIOUS!).

BF Review: White Chocolate Raspberry Quest Bars

FTC Disclosure: Bariatric Foodie, and its representative, were provided free samples of this product for the purpose of this product review. Although samples were provided, all Bariatric Foodie reviews are done in an unbiased manner and reflect the true and honest opinion of the reviewers. Any links contained within this post will direct readers to a different site where the products reviewed are available for purchase. A portion of any sales that proceed from those web links will be paid back to Bariatric Foodie. 

So Quest has recently put out TWO new flavors: White Chocolate Raspberry during the summer and, more recently, Double Chocolate Chunk.

Let’s first discuss White Chocolate Raspberry. I’ll post more about the Double Chocolate Chunk early  next week.

A few months back it occurred to me that I get all this great stuff to review but usually I get way too much of it. Don’t get me wrong free stuff is great. But when free stuff takes up nearly an entire room in your house, with more stuff coming in, and little hope for consuming what you’ve already got, free stuff becomes stressful!

So I decided to overhaul the way I do reviews a bit. Because, sure, my opinion means something to you guys. But I think your other fellow Foodies’ voices are equally important. That’s why I started a small group of folks who are, like you, readers of this blog and will review products along with me. I put out a call some time ago for volunteers and, due to overwhelming response, I don’t need any more volunteers right now, but I do plan on rotating folks so that more people get a chance to review products in the future!

But that’s why you have a review by both me and Liz. So here goes! I’ve organized this into a handy Q&A format with both Liz and my answers. (My apologies for the lack of Liz pics. I wasn't being a ham I just forgot to ask her to take pics!)

So what’d you think about…

…the packaging?

Liz:          The packaging is colorful and informative.  The front tells buyers that these bars contain 1 gram of sugar, are high fiber and are made from non-gluten containing ingredients.

This is the packaging Nik got - back when the bar was still a prototype!

Nik:         I thought the packaging was colorful and bright (pink!). But it brought out my annoyance at the concept of White Chocolate cuz…it’s not chocolate!!! Chocolate = roasted cocoa bean. White Chocolate = unroasted cocoa bean (essentially cocoa butter) with sugar. But, lacking a better term, I had to get over that to admire the sheer amount of information they get on the label and the fact that the ingredients list is so short and understandable!

…the nutritional value?

(Stats: 190 cals, 8g fat, 23g carbs, 17g fiber, 1g sugar, 1g erythritol [so 5 net grams of carbs], 20g protein)

Liz:          The nutritional content on the back is pretty standard, and based on Nik’s protein rules; these suckers pack a lot of bang for your buck.  With 20g of protein and 190 calories, these bars offer a little over one gram of protein for every 10 calories.

Nik:          I think the nutrition on Quest bars in general is great. They use all-natural ingredients, there’s way less net carbs than protein, there’s not a lot of sugar OR sugar alcohols (as compared to other protein bars) and the sugar alcohol they use, erythritol, is actually shown to be the mildest and often elicits little or no reaction in most humans. I also appreciate the fact that they list the erythritol count instead of leaving it off or simply saying “sugar alcohols.” I’m not completely sure but I don’t think they have to list it that way but I appreciate their forthrightness.

…Aesthetics? (feel, look, smell)

Did Quest pass the "sniff test?"

Liz:         I’ve never been a fan of the look or texture of Quest bars, and these are no different.  In my opinion
               they look sort of like a shiny block of baked cookie dough.  Not really appealing by looks alone, but really, do any protein bars actually look like something that you’d want to eat??

               The smell isn’t anything to write home about either.  While you can definitely make out a raspberry like scent, that same “protein bar scent” is still present.  It’s not offensive, but if you’re like me, most of the time that smell ends up being the dominant one over the actual flavor of the bar. Where did Quest score though?? When it comes to the raspberries and white chocolate, you can’t miss their abundance when looking at these bars!!  

Nik:          Unlike Liz I think I’ve just been in this world too long to pick up on the “protein” smell although I remember it from my bariatric youth! Another good reason to get an opinion other than mine in the hat! I smelled the faint whiff of raspberry and the sugary smell white chocolate seems to have.

As you can see there's lots of stuff in Quest bars! Good, natural stuff!

…Taste?

Liz:          Quest did a nice job with the taste on this bar.  The white chocolate and raspberry flavors shine through and give these bars an almost cheesecake like flavor.  In fact, they would probably work in a pinch if you were craving a cheesecake type snack or dessert, without the guilt! 

My only complaint would be that you still get that proteiney flavor on the back end.  I wish there was some way to mask that!!

Nik:              All around I’m just not the biggest white chocolate fan. I’m just not. It tasted fine. There was nothing wrong with it. But it always seems a tad sweet to me, no matter where it shows up. I did like that there were REAL raspberries in there. That’s been my experience with Quest. You get real food when you eat Quest!

…Overall Value?

Liz:          After searching the web it appears that these bars cost approximately $25 for a box of 12 or around $2 when purchased separately.  In my opinion, that’s sort of a median price for me.  A little more than I’d like to spend per bar, but not so outrageous that I would avoid them like the plague.

Nik:             I think it’s a good value in that you get a good protein “bang for your buck.” I am, of course, poor and thus rarely buy things that are so immediately finite as protein bars (I tend toward protein powders) but it is noteworthy that I do keep an emergency stash of Quest bars at the office and at home for when I “need a little something.” (You guys know what I’m talking about…)

What’s the final verdict?

Liz:            The Quest White Chocolate Raspberry Protein Bars are a decent source of portable protein at a pretty reasonable price. I wouldn’t recommend running out to grab one right at this very moment, but I wouldn’t shy away from them either. If you’re a fan of other Quest Protein Bars, you may absolutely LOVE these, but I prefer some of their other flavors over this one. HOWEVER, my husband LOVED these bars and pretty much inhaled what was left in my box after to two or three that I ate.

Nik:             Being that I’m not really a White Chocolate person I’d probably opt for my old stand-by’s BUT if you love White Chocolate this does, in fact, taste like White Chocolate. It’s got real raspberries too! So if that’s your “thang” I’d say go for it. It’s a good investment in quality protein at a not-bad-at-all price!

So there you have it! Quest White Chocolate Raspberry! If you'd like to order them, you can do so here or here, and both of those sales help keep Bariatric Foodie going!

FTC Disclosure: Bariatric Foodie, and its representative, were provided free samples of this product for the purpose of this product review. Although samples were provided, all Bariatric Foodie reviews are done in an unbiased manner and reflect the true and honest opinion of the reviewers. Any links contained within this post will direct readers to a different site where the products reviewed are available for purchase. A portion of any sales that proceed from those web links will be paid back to Bariatric Foodie. 

BF Top Five: All About Pumpkin!

It’s fall and you know what that means. Bring on the pumpkins!

First let’s talk about why a pumpkin is a great food to eat. Not only are they absolutely delicious in your favorite fall dishes (and, as Starbucks has shown us, even in our coffee!) but they also have:

• 3g of fiber per one cup serving!
• Seeds rich in phytosterols, which lower your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol
• Beta-Carotene, which has many health benefits and may be linked to a reduced risk of cancer

For even more benefits, check out this nifty Huffington Post article.

So without further adieu, here’s Bariatric Foodie’s Top Five Things to Do with Pumpkin.

Make Protein Pumpkin Custard Ramekins!

These things are nifty and can be right-sized for you! They do freeze well when wrapped properly. When ready to eat, simply thaw at room temperature and they can also be popped in the microwave for about 20 seconds to get the warmth back!

Get the recipe.

Pumpkin Protein Shake Starters

I love this concept! Mix pumpkin and spices, then freeze in an ice cube tray. Pop them out and put them in a freezer-safe bag and voila! Anytime you want a pumpkin flavored protein shake simply add some milk, one or two of your starter cubes and protein powder. No more having to figure out what to do with a leftover can of pumpkin if you just need a little!

See the method for making these.

Pumpkin Chili

Yes, chili! Adding pumpkin to chili gives it a velvety taste and a slight tang that’s oh-so-good! Next time you go to make chili, try a little pumpkin! You’ll thank me!

Get the recipe.

Pumpkin Turtle Cheesecake Trifle

For your next family gathering bring this – but don’t tell anyone it’s healthy! I guarantee it’ll get inhaled. Layers of cheesecakey pudding (and use my Protein Pudding making method to give it even more of a boost!) with pumpkin and caramel. Yummy!

Get the recipe.

Roast 'em!

Canned pumpkin is readily available at stores but if you’d like to try your hand at roasting your own, here’s our easy and fool-proof method. As a mom I can attest to the fact that this comes in really handy if you have more than one kid going to the pumpkin patch!

Learn more. 

350 Foodies Will Get FREE Recharge Bars!

First, I have to say…you guys ROCK! The Recharge Bar giveaway was a resounding success and you showed this company (who is relatively knew on the bariatric scene) that the Foodie Nation is a force to be reckoned with.

That’s why in addition to the three winners of the giveaway (listed on the widget below), Recharge wants to give 350 of you a FREE sample pack!

Let me just pause a minute and say one thing. Companies do NOT usually do this. Why are they doing it now? Because you guys have had such a great response to this promotion and giveaway. I always say that when you enter giveaways you help me get better promotions, prizes and giveaways for you and this is a classic example. So again, YOU ROCK!

So back to the free sample packs, as I said Recharge is giving these away to the first 350 people who sign up to receive their free email newsletter containing discounts and offers. Here's how you get yours:

• Visit this website, 
• Fill in a few pieces of information (don't forget to tell them Bariatric Foodie sent you!)
• They'll send an email to confirm. You must confirm to get your samples! (If you don't see it right away check your spam folder)
• That's it -  your sample will be on its way!

Again, visit this website to claim your sample - DO NOT EMAIL ME YOUR ADDRESS. That will do nothing besides ensure that your address sits in my email inbox!

In addition, when you’re reading to buy some Recharge bars for yourself, remember the code (“BARIATRICFOODIE”) to get 10% off your total order and shipping is FREE!

A few (too many) important notes:

1. This offer is limited Foodies in the 50 United States. But they are working on offering Recharge Bars in Canada, at which time I will be hitting them up to do a giveaway that includes my Canadian Foodies! 
2. One sample pack per household please! I think they have a way of checking that but just in case.
3.  Please do NOT forward this offer on. This offer is limited to 350 people and I'd like as many Foodies as possible to get in on the action. Don't worry, I'll be screaming on your behalf!
4. As always, we can thank Recharge for their generosity by sharing what we think of their bars! If you like them, post about it on Facebook (and tag @RechargeFoods), Tweet about it (and mention @RechargeDynamic), post it on Instagram, wherever you do what you do, give them a shout out!

I’ve drawn the winning names and they are displayed on the widget below. Congrats to the winners! They should have received an email from me instructing them on how to claim their prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Five Things My Mother Taught Me About Cooking & Food

Today (September 14, as I know I removed the date stamp from the blog!) is my mother's birthday. She would have been 60 years old today.

I can't say these days are easy for me, but I will say that SO FAR I've been enjoying the memories I've dug up from the recesses of my mind. I've been looking at pictures, recalling favorite times and just living inside my own head where my mother is still very much alive.

One of the biggest ways my mom (whose name was Rikki, by the way) influenced my life is her approach to food and cooking. Yes, I eventually became obese but even as I was losing weight after surgery I began to see, and embrace how her outlook on food was not only very realistic but, in many ways, pretty darn healthy.

So here are five things my mother taught me about food, along with five recipes inspired by that advice.

Lesson #1: If it tastes good, go with it.

Chefs are very concerned with making a dish to specification. Yes, there are distinctions between pan-frying and sauteeing and Beef Bourguignon is different than pot roast but her point was this. Instead of being so hung up on a dish being perfect, make sure it's enjoyable. And enjoy cooking it! One of my favorite dishes of my mom's was her spaghetti. She was not, in any part, Italian but she made some delicious spaghetti! Nowadays I have to skip the noodles so I compensated by making my sauce chunkier so it could survive in the bowl all by its lonesome. Here's my recipe.

As a child I was the sous chef and it was my job to chop veggies and get them ready to be put together in the meal. This brings me to the next lesson...

Lesson #2: Never cook alone...it's no fun!

One thing that bums me out right now is that my kitchen is not conducive to having more than one person in it at a time. I am a big believer that people should cook together. As in the times I spent with my mom, cooking tends to bring out really good, heartfelt conversation, great jokes, belly laughs and good memories. If you want to spend more time with your kids, try cooking with them! Your spouse? Cook with them!

One thing I loved to cook with my mother was her macaroni and cheese. It was an institution! After surgery I'm not to good with pasta so I started making Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower. This is my white cheddar version. I think she would have liked it!

Lesson #3: Food is not just fuel

I know some of you tell yourselves it is in order not to miss it too much or be too obsessed with it but food is not just fuel. It's history, it's culture, it's tradition. What we eat, how we eat it, what we eat it with all make a statement about who we are and how we relate to the world. And that's not bad! Food being a core function of life, it's supposed to be important to us on some level. Embrace that. One thing I learned about food since surgery is that you don't have to eat it to participate in it!

That's also why I don't shun the idea of comfort food. Especially now, there are some dishes that comfort me in the making and eating of them because they make me feel closer to her. This is a remix of my mom's corn, tomato and okra. She used to make it as a side dish. More often than not I serve it with meat in it as a main dish. It's warm and comforting and reminds me of cool fall evenings at home with my mother.

Lesson #4: If something is too salty, add something sweet

This one is both a food and life lesson. Follow me, here. At times I can be a bit heavy handed with salt. My mom taught me about throwing a potato in a pot of soup you've over-salted (though a few Foodies recently argued this is an old wives tale, I'd say the placebo effect at least made it work for me) but she also taught me another trick: a pinch of sugar (or whatever you use). Yep. If you put a little too much salt in something, put a little pinch of something sweet. It balances it out and often you can salvage your dish.

Life is sort of that way too. In slang, to be "salty" means to have a not-so-great attitude or that you're angry. When I get that way (and provided I want to UN-get that way) I try to do a random act of kindness. This gets me outside myself and my problems and it feels good. And then I feel good. And then I'm not so salty anymore! But this piece of advice also reminds me that my mom instilled in me an enduring love of sweet/salty combos, like my Salted Butter Toffee Protein Oatmeal! Since the weather is turning cool, give this a try!

Lesson #5: If you're going to cook something, cook something good

I hear from many of you that since you can only eat a small amount of food, why bother with cooking? Why bother pulling out pots and pans, chopping things, mixing ingredients, just to take two bites and be full.

Because, good food is good. And you deserve good food. And I'm here to tell you my Curried Chicken with Cauliflower Rice is gooooood food!

Cooking for yourself and others is an act of love. Feeding is an act of love. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Such being the case would you give someone you really loved a half-hearted hug or kiss? (Provided you're not secretly mad at them) Same deal here. Whether you're making something for just yourself, your significant other or an entire family, cook something good. Not only because they'll be more likely to eat it, but because you love them, you are learning to love yourself and, as such, you all deserve good food!

In loving memory of Rikki Lynn Fernandez-Cox

(aka "Mama Foodie")

September 14, 1953 - March 29, 2012

Fruit Salad Featuring Davinci Skinnylicious Sugar-Free Margarita Mix

FIRST...Have you read my Recharge Nutrition Bar review and entered the giveaway? You should go do that and win you some free stuff! Trust me...the fruit salad (might) be here when you get back!

Ok, now that you're back I have to admit that this isn't really a recipe. I'd say it's more of a method.

Fruit salad. Most people think it's just for summer, but I say nay! Even if you're trying to stay mostly local with your produce (as I am) you can make fruit salad out of whatever is in season. Thankfully for me, it's still late summer and farmers are still hauling melons to market along with all varieties of apples, nectarines and there's even still some blueberry action (although not much). I won't lie, the strawberries are NOT local! But that's why I say I try to stay mostly local. Because the occasional strawberry/pineapple craving can hit us all!

For what it's worth, here's what's in this fruit salad

• 1/2 a canary melon, cubed (What's that?)
• 2 Honeycrisp apples seeded, cored and diced
• 1/2 a container strawberries
• 1/2 a container blueberries
• 1 large nectarine seeded and diced
• 1 tbsp. no-calorie sweetener (Splenda, Equal, etc.)
• 2 tbsp. Davinci Skinnylicious Sugar-free Margarita Mix

So what's up with the Margarita Mix? Well, I got a bottle at WLSFA in Vegas. And much as I love that we have the option to have an adult beverage without all the extra sugar, I'm just not that big of a drinker. I will say at five years out I drink on occasion but not nearly enough to use that entire bottle of mix!

That is to say I needed to find a way to use it up.

In traditional fruit salads it's highly suggested to add something acidic, like citrus fruit, to "brighten" up the sweetness of the fruit (especially as it continues to release water after being cut, which concentrates the sweetness) and to preserve color. I did add a splash of lemon juice along with this mix because I wasn't sure if there was actual lime in it or lime flavoring (I suppose I could look at the label but that just requires a little bit too much effort right this moment!

So what the heck does a post-op do with fruit salad when you're supposed to eat protein first? Well at five years out here's what I do with it.

I throw it on top of some sweetened cottage cheese for a nice dessert.

I add it to my (and the girls) breakfast plate for a little something fresh (what you see there is 1/3 c. of fruit salad, along with three Eggs Rosettes and some bacon - for the record, no, I could not eat all that. I ate two Rosettes, the bacon and most of the fruit salad).

BF Review/Giveaway: Recharge Dynamic Nutrition Bars

FTC Disclosure: Recharge Foods Dynamic Nutrition provided free product for both the owner of this blog and two (2) readers to try. Although, Bariatric Foodie always publishes fair and unbiased reviews of products, by law I must disclose that I did receive compensation to review and promote this product. If you have any questions about what that means, you can see my Product Review & Promotions policy OR feel free to email me and I'll be happy to break it down for you! Other than the free product they received, the Foodie Reviewers quoted in this review received no additional compensation.

It's been a while since I did a good, ol' fashioned review and giveaway! (For those impatient souls - and I know there are some - scroll down to the end or the giveaway part!)

The Review

Recharge Dynamic Nutrition Bars.

I first experienced these bars in Vegas at the WLSFA Meet & Greet. They came in our swag bags. And they came in VERY handy. You might remember that I was a bit critical of the food choices at this particular event so I found myself eating my swag bag contents as snacks.

And I liked them! So much, in fact, that after I got back from Vegas I got in touch with the company to see if I could do a review and giveaway so that you guys could try them too! So first, let's talk about the bars.

The 360
(The packaging, etc.)

I have to admit I thought this bar a big small upon first inspection. Small and very light-weight. This is probably a good thing to most of you who have nice normal pouches/sleeves/whatever that do what they are designed to do: get full very fast. I have the Wonder Pouch. And a hyper-food obsessed brain. Bad combo, but I digress. So as soon as I looked at the thing I thought to myself that this must be a snack bar. Which is fine, although historically I don't do snack bars.

There are three flavors: Peanut Caramel, Raspberry Apple and Chocolate Caramel.

The Stats
(Nutrition Information)

The stats on the bar are as follows (stats in order by Peanut Caramel/Raspberry Apple and Chocolate Caramel)

• 100 calories/100 calories/100 calories
• 3g fat/1.5g fat/2.5g fat
• 10g carbs/15g carbs/11g carbs
• 3g fiber/3g fiber/3g fiber
• 1g sugar/5g sugar/1g sugar
• 8g protein/8g protein/8g protein

You can find the complete nutrition label for each bar along with ingredients by clicking here.

So let's break that down into Nik's index of what makes up a good protein bar (interestingly I don't think I've ever done a blog post on that...I'm gonna have to fix that!). The calories are good. 100 calories seems to be the norm. We all know, by now, that net carbs = total carbs - fiber. 

Ultimately, I look for more protein than net carbs and you'll notice that the Raspberry Apple and Chocolate Caramel don't meet that (in the former, there are 4 more grams of carbs than protein and in the latter they are equal). Here's why I give this bar a pass, though. It markets itself as a nutrition bar, not a protein bar. Those of us who are very active could probably guess the distinction. A nutrition bar is meant to have a balance of nutrition to give you quick access energy (carbs) and longer sustaining energy (protein). So on that merit the stats look fairly balanced. 

Let's talk about the ingredients. Like many protein bars they contain a blend of whey protein concentrate, isolate and hydrolyzed whey protein. Although it's not listed on the label (probably because the amount is not significant enough) there are some sugar alcohols, mainly malitol, used in the sugar-free caramel. Not really important to you guys, but I also thought it was kind of cool that they used protein crisps (think Rice Krispies, with protein!) instead of cereal for the Raspberry Apple. I use protein crisps myself from time to time!

While I would LOVE to take credit for this shot, it's theirs, not mine. Most of my pics were involved in a very, very bad accident!

The Aesthetics

(Smell, Texture, Taste)

Ok, knowing me which do YOU think I tried first? Here are my impressions in the order I tried the bars:

• Peanut Caramel: Smelled like what the food industry has told me chocolate smells like (I'm sorry that's about as passionate as I can get with that!). Taste - This bar is sweet! It also has a slight artificial sweetener taste, especially with the caramel. But I find most bars that seek to be low sugar are this way. I did really enjoy the texture. It was sort of like a slightly harder Kit-Kat. Gave my mouth something to do which is always a good thing.
• Chocolate & Caramel: Smelled the same. I did pick up more caramel on this one but it wasn't a strong aroma. Taste - this one tasted about the same as the Peanut Caramel, except without the peanuts. The mouthfeel was a bit softer, I guess because there were no nuts.
• Apple Raspberry. Go figure, I actually liked this one the best. It was a little sweet, but not overly so and it had a slight tartness. I liked the crunch of the protein crisps. It had a slightly harder Rice Krispy Treat feel to it. 

Before I give you my verdict and tell you about the giveaway, I shared my bars with a few Foodies who gave me their impressions, which I am sharing here. I'm going to start incorporating more of your opinions in product reviews because a) It lets me give you stuff which I love doing and b) you get more than one point of view, which is always nice. 

Two Foodies reviewed this bar: Sierra and Anne-Margaret. I'm just directly pasting what they had to say.

• Sierra: The raspberry one was tasty. My sister and I both agreed it was the better of the three, though it did have that protein-bar end note, but not much that can be done about that. The peanut caramel one was nice and had a good texture and flavor. The last one (peanuts and chocolate?) tasted like onions and we couldn't figure it out. I cut up a few pieces for my mother and grandmother, and they tasted it, too. Overall, though, they're definitely some of the better protein bars I've had. If I were to buy these, I'd get the raspberry. (Nik Note: I'm not sure what the deal is with the onion note, but I didn't experience that in my bars.)
• Anne-Margaret: All three of the bars are good but my favorite is the Peanuts + Caramel.  I like that it had real nuts.  The Peanuts + Caramel and the Chocolate + Caramel are both coated in chocolate that definitely has the low/no-sugar taste to it but it's not overly offensive and can definitely still satisfy a chocolate craving.  My least favorite was the raspberry and apple though I am not a fan of fruit bars usually so that could just be personal preference.  Overall, I would recommend the bars.  The stats are great and they are good when in a pinch and just need a little something sweet or something to tide you over.

Value

Per their website, the bars cost:

• $35 for a box of 20 bars (or $1.75/ea.)
• $52 for two boxes of 20 bars (or $28/box, $1.40/bar)
• $75 for three boxes of 20 bars (or $25/box, $1.25/bar)

They also sell a sample pack for $6 that comes with one of each bar to try. There's free shipping on all orders through their website. They've also been nice enough to give us a discount! Use the discount code "BARIATRICFOODIE" at check-out to receive an additional 10% of your entire order. But...frankly...I'd recommend you wait until AFTER the giveaway...cuz you might win some!

Final Verdict: I agree with Anne-Margaret. I think they're good to have around in a pinch. And you all know what those are - those situations where you've gotten delayed or otherwise just cannot get to a good meal right away and you need "something." 

So now onto the good part. THREE of you will get to find out for yourselves how these bars taste because you'll win a box of each flavor!

The Giveaway

Simply complete as many entries as you want using the widget below. Notice that some entries can be done only once but some can be done once a day. Some of my more frequently winning Foodies know every chance counts so get as many as you can!

(NOTE: If you have ANY trouble with the Rafflecopter widget, please either leave a comment on this blog post or email me at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com. Please note, however, that I have blog posts set to be moderated so your comment won't show up until I approve it so DON'T FREAK OUT!)

ELIGIBILITY: This giveaway is limited to residents of the 50 United States. For all my Canadian Foodies, there is something you can do to help bring BF contest prizes to you! Click here to read all about it!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

FTC Disclosure: Recharge Foods Dynamic Nutrition provided free product for both the owner of this blog and two (2) readers to try. Although, Bariatric Foodie always publishes fair and unbiased reviews of products, by law I must disclose that I did receive compensation to review and promote this product. If you have any questions about what that means, you can see my Product Review & Promotions policy OR feel free to email me and I'll be happy to break it down for you! Other than the free product they received, the Foodie Reviewers quoted in this review received no additional compensation.

Contest Winners Announced!

Yep. This is the test of my time management skills. Not to see how good they are but to prove how HORRIBLE they are!

You see, I am crazy. I've elected to go to graduate school, continue working my day job, continue this blog, two other part-time jobs and...oh yeah...the kids, dog and cat. Them too.

So all that is to say three things:

1. I'm going to work hard to ensure nothing slips through the cracks over here but please understand if I go quiet from time to time!
2. If I seem to have forgotten about announcing a giveaway or anything else I promised...I probably have forgotten. And it's 100% ok to remind me! (I'm going to try hard not to forget.)
3. But you guys encourage me so much so as always I say thank you! And keep reading!

Anyhoo, the order of the day is to announce TWO contest winners from the past few weeks. Stay tuned later today for my next giveaway (which, blessedly, is automated and not dependent on me to ship ANYTHING so it should all go on schedule!). 

The Will Power Challenge

I asked you guys to abstain from doing one thing for one day a few weeks ago. This was an interesting experiment as it showed me that we, as a population, tend to be highly motivated. Most folks wanted to go for more than one day or made goals that are longer-term. Much as I love you all for your energy, if you remember the expert who taught the session on will power said it's a muscle you build up! So if you are looking to exercise it, I'd highly advise gradual training. I think this is how we, as a population, can sometimes shoot ourselves in the foot. We want so badly to do it right that we skip steps 1-9 and go straight to 10! Baby steps. Still, so many folks took part and I promised one of you would win some of my OAC swag. And that person is:

Kelly Rae!!! 
(Comment #9 on the will power blog post)

If that's you please email me at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com with your mailing address to claim your prize!

The "Bariatric Foodie Guide to Perfect Protein Shakes" Amazon Review contest

These will be on-going for...I dunno...forever. I'll do them in cycles. The concept is simple. If you bought my shake book, leave an Amazon review! It can be a good review, a bad review - I just want honest reviews! I do read the reviews but I do not exclude anyone from the drawing (so that is to say you can still win even if you say my book sucks!). Everyone who has left a review since the book's publishing is eligible for every drawing, with the exception of someone who has won before.

The prize at stake, again, is some of that awesome OAC swag! I ended the last entry period on August 31 and this cycle's winner is:

Jules!!! 
(Username on the Amazon review)

If that's you please email me at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com with your mailing address to claim your prize!

There...now that I'm all caught up on reviews I can forge ahead into my next giveaway! Watch for the blog post later on this afternoon!

White Cheddar Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower

Before we get to this, let me introduce you to Annikki (pronounced "Ah-nick-eye").

You all know her best as "La Grande Diva," my precociously picky child (who, at the writing of this blog post is 14 years-old).

The story of how this side dish came to be has everything to do with her. You see, she's a "meat-and-potatoes" kind of kid so naturally, many of the dishes I present to you guys don't go over so well with her (she even hates Taco Casserole, if you can believe it).

But she's generally a good sport about trying things and when she's forced to eat vegetables she does not like (except peas, wherein she tries to fake anaphylaxis). All this is to say that because she is such a good sport, every once in a while I make a dinner that she likes, simply because it's what she likes. Last night's dinner was one such occasion.

The menu:

• Grilled steak (she covets steak but I rarely buy it, both because I have trouble eating it and because of my inherent distrust of the contents of most beef)
• Roasted red potatoes (for anyone who deeply  misses pictures of potatoes, I put one down yonder)
• Cheesy Cauliflower Mash: White Cheddar edition (great mac 'n cheese swap, by the way!)

It is that last that we will focus on today! This recipe is a bit different from my Four Cheese Mashed Cauliflower recipe, not only in its recipes but also in how I prepared it. So let's get started, shall we?

Before we get to the sauce, you should put a pot of water on to boil your cauliflower. I use bagged frozen for convenience but you can use fresh if you like (I recommend cutting it into florets before you begin).

Also preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Nik's Awesome Cheese Sauce

This iteration of Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower begins with cheese sauce. Have you all ever made cheese sauce? It's dreamy. It also tends to be carby and fatty but you can exert some control over both of those things with a few simple swaps. Here's the basic recipe to the sauce you see here.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. butter or butter substitute (I admit I used Blue Bonnet Light, which has half the calories of butter. You do what you think is best!)
• 2 tbsp. of flour of some sort (I used some of my last bag of now discontinued - sniff, sniff - Atkins Baking Mix that I re-sifted to get it to a super-fine texture but I imagine soy flour would do well here. Perhaps almond flour although I'm not sure what that'd do with the taste.)
• 1.5 c. cold milk (I used skim. Again, your choice!)
• 1.5 c. + 1/3 c. shredded white cheddar cheese (You can do reduced fat if you want. I did not.)
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese (just because I like the taste of it! It's optional.)
• Any spices you like (I generally add garlic powder, a dash of salt, fresh ground black pepper and a "splick" of cayenne)

Directions:

Set a small pot over medium heat and let it get hot (about 3-ish mintues). Add butter and melt.

Add flour and stir until flour has absorbed the butter. It will look kind of like Play-Doh.

(This next part is tricky so if you have a better way, use it!)

With one hand, pour the milk into the pot. Be sure it is COLD! With the other hand, whisk the flour/butter mixture in. There may still be some flour bits floating around. Theoretically this shouldn't happen if the milk is cold and the flour/butter combo is hot but if it does you can fish them out with a slotted spoon.

Let this mixture come to a simmer, then add your white cheddar cheese (the 1.5 cups), Parmesan cheese and seasonings. Stir with a long wooden spoon until it thickens, usually about 2-3 minutes. If you're ready to mix it with your cauliflower (or chosen "thing"), do so. If not, keep the sauce going on low until you're ready to use it.

Now let's get back to that cauliflower.

At this point your water should be boiling. If you use frozen cauliflower, dump it in there and let the whole thing return to a boil. It cooks pretty fast (about 5 minutes or so). If you're using fresh add that and cook until very tender (about 7-8 minutes) for fresh.

Once your cauliflower is cooked, drain it and then mash it by whatever means you have available (I use a potato masher). 

Mix the cheese sauce into the cauliflower in the pot and then empty it into a casserole dish (I used an 8 x 8 Pyrex dish). Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup of cheese on top and add any other spices you like to the top (I usually do salt, pepper and a sprinkle of Herbs de Provence) and bake it for 30 minutes or until it is bubbling and the top is slightly browned.

Yep...my child loved her dinner. Oh yeah, here are the red potatoes in case anyone is interested. 

Yes, I had a few. Potatoes are not the enemy for me!