Monday, January 26, 2009

Obesity 'Virus' Spreads Like Common Cold, Scientists Say

This article is VERY SCARY! Go HERE to read it!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

I Haven't Forgotten You!

It's been quite a time in the Murphy home this past week, a little one with the flu, another needing glasses, doctors appointments for me, the hubby home and on home projects...yikes! And as a home schooling mom I need to take this historic time and use it for school lessons, so we have been learning like mad about what it means to change Presidents, and also a big unit on Martin Luther King Jr. and Civil Rights.

Good choices have slipped some, but I am making my way back! Let me share with you my favorite pasta salad:

1 lb protein enriched pasta (bow tie, curly, etc.)
1 frozen package chopped spinach (or you can chop fresh spinach)
1 container fresh cherry or grape tomatoes (or you could dice up a couple of good tomatoes)
1 can sliced black olives
1 8oz package crumbled feta
cooked shredded chicken, or steak or even pepperoni
Olive Oil

Cook pasta, thaw, squeeze water out of and break up spinach, wash tomatoes, put all together and mix up with olive oil. Best if chilled for a while. Enjoy!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

More Food Recalls from Kellogs

WASHINGTON – First it was bulk peanut butter shipped to nursing homes and institutional cafeterias. Now the salmonella case has touched the Kellogg Co., which has recalled 16 products as federal officials confirm contamination at a Georgia facility that sent peanut products to 85 food companies

Kellogg had asked stores this week to pull some of its Keebler crackers from shelves as a precaution. But in a statement late Friday, the Battle Creek, Mich., company said voluntarily was recalling the crackers and other products.

The nationwide outbreak has sickened hundreds of people in 43 states and killed at least six.

"The actions we are taking today are in keeping with our more than 100-year commitment to providing consumers with safe, high-quality products," said David Mackay, Kellogg's president and chief executive.

The recall includes Austin and Keebler branded Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers, in addition to some snack-size packs of Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies and Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies.

Sandra Williams, a compliance officer with the Food and Drug Administration in Detroit, advised consumers not to eat the products and to contact a doctor if they have any symptoms.

"This is a very active investigation, but we don't yet have the data to provide consumers with specifics about what brands or products they should avoid," said Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's food safety center. Although salmonella bacteria has been found at the Georgia plant, for example, more tests are needed to see if it matches the strain that has made people sick.

The investigation includes not just peanut butter, but baked goods and other products that contain peanuts and are sold directly to consumers. Health officials say as many as one-third of the people who got sick did not recall eating peanut butter.

Officials said they are focusing on peanut paste, as well as peanut butter, produced at a Blakely, Ga., facility owned by Peanut Corp. of America. Under scrutiny are 32 of the 85 companies that Peanut Corp. supplies, because of when they received shipments of peanut butter or paste. The companies are being urged to test their products, or pull them from the shelves as Kellogg did.

The processing plant passed its last inspection this summer.

Peanut Corp. initially recalled 21 lots of peanut butter made at the plant since July 1 because of possible salmonella contamination. But late Friday the company expanded its voluntary recall to include all peanut butter produced at the Georgia plant since Aug. 8 and all peanut paste produced since Sept. 26. The company, which suspended peanut butter processing at the facility, said none of its peanut butter is sold directly to consumers but is distributed to institutions, food service industries and private label food companies.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee on Friday wrote the company requesting inspection and internal records dating back four years.

Health officials in Minnesota and Virginia have linked two deaths each to the outbreak and Idaho has reported one. Four of those five were elderly people, and all had salmonella when they died, although their exact causes of death have not been determined. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the salmonella may have contributed.

An elderly North Carolina man died in November from the same strain of salmonella that's causing the outbreak, officials in that state said Friday.

The CDC said the bacteria behind the outbreak — typhimurium — is common and not an unusually dangerous strain but that the elderly or those with weakened immune systems are more at risk. Salmonella is the nation's leading cause of food poisoning; common symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.

But, we good WLS peoples aren't eating any of this anyway, right??

Mrs. Murphy

Friday, January 16, 2009

The Miracle of Life...

Watch this video, you'll be glad you did!

Enjoy all your blessings,
Mrs. Murphy

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Oh No! Not the Peanut Butter Crackers!!!

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — A peanut butter maker that sells bulk supplies to institutions issued a nationwide recall as officials on Wednesday reported two more deaths associated with a salmonella outbreak. Its client Kellogg Co. later asked stores to stop selling a variety of peanut butter crackers.

Lynchburg-based Peanut Corp. of America issued the recall late Tuesday for 21 lots of peanut butter made since July 1 at its plant in Blakely, Ga., because of possible salmonella contamination. The company supplies peanut paste to Kellogg, which on Wednesday asked stores nationwide to pull peanut butter crackers sold under the Austin and Keebler brands.

Kellogg, based in Battle Creek, Mich., said it hasn't found problems or received complaints about those products.

"We are taking these voluntary actions out of an abundance of caution," Kellogg CEO David Mackay said in a release.

The national salmonella outbreak has sickened more than 430 people in 43 states. Health officials in Minnesota and Idaho reported Wednesday that one death in each state had been linked to the outbreak. Another death in Minnesota and two in Virginia were confirmed Tuesday.

All five were adults who had salmonella when they died, though their causes of death haven't been determined. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the salmonella outbreak may have contributed.

Peanut Corp. of America said none of the peanut butter being recalled is sold through retail stores. Its peanut butter is made for distribution to institutions, food service industries and private label food companies. The company said the peanut butter is sold under the brand name Parnell's Pride and by the King Nut Co. as King Nut.

However, the products being pulled from shelves by Kellogg are sold directly to consumers. They include Austin and Keebler toasted peanut butter sandwich crackers, peanut butter and jelly sandwich crackers, cheese and peanut butter sandwich crackers, and peanut butter-chocolate sandwich crackers. Customers and stores are asked to hold onto the Kellogg products, but not eat them, until an investigation is complete.

FDA compliance officer Sandra Williams said Kellogg's move is known as a stop-sale order and isn't as serious as a recall. Neither Williams nor a Kellogg spokesman could say how many units were involved, but Williams said, "It's a very large volume."

Kellogg spokesman Darryl Riley said federal investigators visited company facilities this week.

The Peanut Corp. recall was issued after an open container of King Nut peanut butter in a long-term care facility in Minnesota was found to contain a strain of salmonella. Health officials had recommended nursing homes, hospitals, schools, universities and restaurants discard containers of peanut butter linked to the outbreak. The peanut butter was in containers between 5 and 50 pounds.

"We deeply regret that this has happened," Stewart Parnell, owner and president of Peanut Corp. of America, said in a news release. "Out of an abundance of caution, we are voluntarily withdrawing this produce and contacting our customers."

Customers were notified by phone and in writing, the company said.

Kellogg said it gets peanut paste from several suppliers.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture so far has found nothing in samples tested from Peanut Corp.'s Blakely plant, spokesman Arty Schronce said Wednesday, but added the testing process can take several days.

Authorities have declined to identify the five people who died. But Virginia Health Department spokesman Phil Giaramita said Wednesday the cases there involved an adult over 65 in southwestern Virginia and a younger adult in the northwestern part of the state.

Health officials said a man in his 70s who had numerous underlying health conditions was the second person to die in Minnesota, where 13 people have been hospitalized. The Idaho death occurred in the fall.

The CDC said it appears most people became ill between Sept. 3 and Dec. 31 but mainly after Oct. 1.

King Nut recalled the peanut butter over the weekend in the seven states where it distributed it. King Nut president Martin Kanan had said he didn't want to wait for Peanut Corp. to act. He did not immediately return a message Wednesday seeking comment on the wider recall.

Besides the Georgia plant, Peanut Corp. of America has plants in Suffolk, Va., and Plainview, Texas.

Georgia agriculture officials have one to three inspectors at the Blakely plant and more people working on the case at the department's Atlanta headquarters, Schronce said. He said peanut butter plants in the state are inspected once or twice a year and more frequently if problems are found.

Associated Press writers Doug Glass in Minneapolis, Kate Brumback and Mike Stobbe in Atlanta, David Aguilar in Detroit and Thomas J. Sheeran in Cleveland contributed to this report.
clipped from news.yahoo.com
Peanut Butter Salmonella Scare

Kellogg pulls crackers over salmonella concerns

 blog it

confessions...

Yikes! It's been BAD the past few days! A friend gave me a bunch of fresh BREAD. Right after I was caught up on my slider food knowledge, I fell off the wagon! Bread and butter, tastes sooo good, but did nothing for my baby, my body or my bowels! Then this morning, it was so chilly and the girls were going to gymnastics...I made cinnamon rolls! And yes, I ate one :( I'm sorry! I didn't put any frosting on it, but that didn't keep me out of the bathroom!

Sigh, I'm climbing back on the wagon!

Mrs. Murphy

Monday, January 12, 2009

What is a Slider Food?

Well, here is a specific definition from Kaye Bailey from Living after WLS:

"Kaye's Slider Food Definition: A slider food is an old food friend that tastes good in the mouth and feels good in the pouch, though it requires liquid for the most comfortable digestive processing. Presumably a dieter’s best friend (pretzels, crackers, popcorn) a slider food can be consumed in unchecked quantity without immediately contributing to weight gain. A slider food has trace nutritive value and scant satiation factor: it neither feeds the body nor the soul, although we are temporarily comforted in taste satiation, our nutritive satiation continues to crave regardless of the feeding of slider foods. A slider food is a fraud and a deceiver.

Disclaimer: This is my definition alone based on my personal experience and interaction with countless surgical weight loss patients.

So, you have your go-to comfort food. How do you know if it is a slider food? I challenge you to eat your go-to food observing the liquid restrictions. No water before/after "meal" for 30 minutes. No liquid with "meal". Sit down with a sleeve of saltine or graham crackers or bag fat free pretzels and eat to your hearts content WITHOUT liquids. Does this satisfy your cravings and satiate your soul? Does hunger stay at bay for 4-5 hours following consumption? Are you left wanting more, peeking in the cupboards looking for yet something else to satisfy? Are you able to eat a half-cup of pretzels without liquid relief? Does your go-to food feel like a meal or a cheat?"

So, I probably should have looked at the definition a little more closely, I guess my protein noodles and soups are ok! I must have been thinking of things that "slid" easily down; as long as they are nutrient and protein rich, they are good to go! Good thing, because the baby really likes them!

Here also, is a hyper-link to a Slider Food discussion forum, there are lots of opinions of what other foods may be "slider foods".

Now, I need to check on Taco Bell tacos, just a plain little meat, cheese and lettuce taco... baby REALLY likes them!

Best wishes!
Mrs. Murphy

Sunday, January 11, 2009

What the Heck?!

So I created that post on the noodles, and yesterday I went to Walmart to restock (Walmart is the CHEAPEST place to buy these noodles-I'm a super comparison shopper as well!) and anyway, Cup Noodles changed from 2.5 oz, 8 grams of protein to 2.25 oz, 7 grams of protein! So...they are the same. But, Cup Noodles is at least 10 cents cheaper!

Another one I like is the Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup, they are in the little plastic bags and at Walmart they are only 16 cents! Each has 5 grams of protein, and they come in flavors like Creamy Chicken, Roasted Chicken, Oriental, etc. Now, as I can see Kaye in my mind shaking her head and yelling "slider food!", I do NOT recommend these as a MEAL, but for us constantly hungry pregnant ladies, as a snack with some protein.

I'm also working on a muffin recipe made from protein powder, I'll share how it works out later! Oh, AND I had to order a maternity jean skirt (LOVE SKIRTS) and I ordered it in a size 4!!! Last time around, my maternity clothes were bulging out of the 16-18 range!

Love to you all,
Mrs. Murphy

Friday, January 9, 2009

Maruchan vs Nissin

Well, noodles seem to feel just so good, as an evening snack, middle of the day pick-me-up. Much better than the peanut butter crackers. My husband got me two brands to try, Maruchan Instant Lunch and Nissin Cup Noodles. The Instant Lunch is 2.25 oz with 7 grams of protein, while the Cup Noodles is 2.5 oz and 8 grams of protein. Enjoy!

On a personal note, I'm so happy to let you all know today is my 10th wedding anniversary! I'm even happier that for the rest of our long marriage I will not be out of control fat, unhealthy, a heart attack risk or a diabetic!

With Much Love,
Mrs. Murphy

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Sorry for the look...

I'm on the hunt for a cute blog background, and when Cute Blogs is back up and running, I'm sure to find it!

If you have any other places to look for a cute baby blog background, let me know!

Mrs. Murphy

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Count that Protein!

I am now back into the 2:30 am 1/2 peanut butter sandwich phase. I make one before bedtime, put it in a ziploc baggie by the bed, and when I'm awoken with hunger pains I nibble it away so I can fall back asleep. 2 Tbls of peanut butter has 7 grams of protein, the bread I buy has 2 grams of protein for 1 slice, 9 grams total, that's pretty good!

Do you love Mission Garden Spinach Herb Wraps? I do! 1 tortilla has 6 grams of protein! In the morning I have been scrambling 1 egg (approx 6 grams or protein), I then lay out the tortilla and 1 slice of regular American cheese (2 grams of protein), I put the egg in the middle and wrap it up! 14 grams of protein!

What is the protein goal of a post WLS op pregnant patient? Between 60 & 80 grams of protein a day, so each small meal must be packed with it! I hope some of these ideas help... they have been working (and sitting well in my pouch!) for me!

A note on fat: now is not the time to be fat free! Yes, of course stay away from desserts and fried foods, no good for anyone anyway! But healthy fats like you find in dairy and meat are essential for the growth of your baby and development of it's brain.

Share with me some small meal ideas that have been working for you!

Mrs. Murphy

Sunday, January 4, 2009

My Vitamin Regimen

Thanks Kim H, for contacting me! I would be happy to share my vitamin regimen, it is one I have really put a lot of time into to make sure it is effective (ie, the results of my bloodwork prove it!). First though, I want to mention that I AM NOT endorsing any brand or trying to SELL anything, I am just tell you you what has worked for me. Please note, this article contains a lot of hyperlinks that will take you directly to what I am talking about!

I don't know about your nutrition pre-op classes, but mine were a bit lacking in info, and I am a research-info person, so this was a fun project for me. From what I understood, when they removed my stomach (I had the full/open RGB, they removed my stomach, my gall bladder and my appendix) gone with it were the acids that hence would work to break down and absorb things such as vitamins, tablets, etc. into my blood stream.

A vitamin with a high soluability, or oxidation rate is what I was looking for. While most multi vitamins are broken down in the stomach from the acidic environment, we frankly don't have that tool any longer. I needed a good vitamin that would break down and be absorbed directly from the intestines. Research, research, testing, trying, skip ahead....

What I was looking for was right under my nose because I use their products for my home anyway, it was a new kind of vitamin from Melaleuca. If you haven't heard of this company, they produce organic, chemical free products to clean your home, for beauty, health, etc. What I am currently using are the Multivitamin and Mineral Prenatal, the Prenatal Omega-3, the CellWise Broadspectrum Antioxidant, the Activate Immune Complex Immunity Booster, and Caltrate 600 plus Vitamin D.

I know, it sounds like a lot! Well, it is! But, it's so worth it. Here is how my schedule goes,
AM, tea then some breakfast (egg, toast), 1/2 hour after eating, with water I take:
2 Multivitamin and Mineral Prenatals
1Prenatal Omega-3
1 CellWise
1 Activate

about 2 hours later I eat again, 1/2 hour after I've finished eating, with water I take:
1 Caltrate
1 Activate

2-3 hours later, 1/2 hour after I've eaten something, with water I take:
1 Caltrate
1 CellWise

Late in the afternoon, 1/2 after eating with water I might get in another Caltrate

1/2 hour after dinner I take:
1 Multivitamin and Mineral Prenatals
2 Prenatal Omega-3
1 Activate

These are all spread out during the day for a few reasons, first, when you take Iron, you cannot take it with Calcium or Vitamin D within a 2 hour period or else they can cancel each other out. Second, your body cannot absorb any more than 500-600 miligrams of Calcium in a 2 hour period, so to get in 1200 - 1500 mgs you need to spread out your tablets.

If you are like Kim H., and are preparing for pregnancy, you absolutely need to start taking at LEAST a multivitamin with B6, B12, Folic Acid and your Calcium. These are accumulative in your system, they build up in your cells and need to be there BEFORE baby comes!

Again, I am not selling Melaleuca, but I have found these vitamins have a super high absorbtion, make me feel awesome and are reasonable to purchase, here is the description directly from the website about their Prenatal Vitamins:

Vitality Multivitamin and Mineral Prenatal is designed with essential vitamins and minerals to help bridge nutritional gaps and provide the extra nutrients nursing and expectant mothers require. With 1,000 mcg of folate to help reduce the risk of neural-tube defects and 30 mg of iron for optimal health during pregnancy, Vitality Multivitamin and Mineral Prenatal looks out for you during this special time of life.

Melaleuca’s Exclusive Oligofructose Complex™:
This groundbreaking, patent-pending process binds minerals to organic compounds (amino acids & oligofructose) to dramatically improve absorption and protect the potency of your antioxidant vitamins during digestion. In short, Oligofructose Complex delivers nutrients in a form that mirrors the way they are naturally found in fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods for energy, vitality, and balanced nutrition.

Vitality Multivitamin and Mineral Prenatal meets USP specifications for potency, uniformity, and disintegration, where applicable. Suitable for a vegetarian and kosher diet.

Women who consume healthful diets with adequate folate may reduce their risk of having a child with birth defects of the brain and spinal cord. Folate intake should not exceed 250% of the Daily Value (DV) of 1,000 mcg.

Warning: Accidental overdose of iron containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning of children under six. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or Poison Control Center immediately.

You of course will want to try your own thing, this amount if vitamin taking may not be for you... but it is what works for me! If you do decide to try it, I can help connect you with a Melaleuca account. You should write out the schedule, I keep mine on a white board on the cabinet door. If you are on the go, put them in a ziplock baggie and write on the baggie the approximate time you should take them with a sharpie.

I hope this helps! Keep the comments and questions coming!
Mrs. Murphy

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Feeling it Out

Well, I haven't been on the computer too much the past few days because frankly I've been feeling rotten. When the hunger and light headedness strikes, it's really not so easy to think logically "what is the most protein dense, nutrient filled, properly proportioned meal I can have right now?" The nausea usually follows for me quickly and I just wind up in bed.

My husband picked up a can of salted nuts, thinking it would be a good protein filled snack - what a wonderful thought, since it worked fine for the other pregnancies, but not this time. Now the grease, fat, and salt even in just a handful of nuts put me in the bathroom repeatedly.

Now I know, even though I knew before, but now I really KNOW that I have to have a plan and the food, in place.

Yesterday was much better, I was up at 4:30 with the growling pouch. I toasted a small piece of bread and scrambled one egg in the shape of the bread, buttered the toast and put a slice of cheese on it and then topped it with the egg. It took me 25 minutes to get down, but it was fine. A few hours later, a piece of peanut butter toast with some banana. We did a family trip to the Tacoma museums and on the way picked up BK (I know...) and I got a grilled chicken sandwich. I got a third down about every hour-and-a-half, minus most of the bread, and it got me through the afternoon.

So today, I'm dragging the brood to the store with my list and my coupons and I'm going to work on my plan. What do I need? Back to basics...lean protein, fruits and veggies every few hours. I'll let you know how it works out, I'm going to be working on a rotating meal plan that feeds me and baby every few hours. Please, share with me what you are doing! I would LOVE to know what is working for you!

And a special thanks to Kaye Bailey from Living After Weight Loss Surgery, who has been an amazing resource and so helpful from before the beginning for supporting my new Blog. Thank you!

More to come!
Mrs. Murphy