My Blog

4 CARB DESSERT THAT TASTE LIKE ICE CREAM (KINDA)

• The first clue were the words “sugar-free”. other than sugar free bread crackers and cookies most sugar free products or low carbs.
• I read the label -

10 Total carbs is low, but the product only has 4 carbs that impact blood sugar. The product has 4 net carbs (Total Carbs – Fiber – Sugar Alcohol)

For more on net carbs click this link

ENJOY THIS, HUMANS LIKE SOFT MUSHY SWEET STUFF.

Anyone in a medically supervised weight loss program needs to be focused on cutting carbs to regulate blood sugar. Below are some simple low carb foods.

Here a few pictures of low carb food items I snapped while at Publix. Stock up on these items and enjoy.

In the section above I mentioned there are very few products with the perfect mix of protein and carbs. Well here is one where the food scientist at PF Changs  combined the food for us (27 carbs per serving).

HERE ARE SOME GOOD ALTERNATIVES TO BREAD

 25 carbs

27 carbs

5 carbs

HERE IS GOOD LOW CARB LUNCH – FOR THOSE WHO BUY FROZEN DINNERS

VITAMINS ARE THE GREASE OF YOUR METABOLISM

 I can’t tell you how many people come to the clinic and tell me “I don’t need no vitamins, and if I take some I just take my kid’s Flintstones vitamins”. Really. Flintstone’s vitamins, the ones designed for 40 pound kids? Seriously. Do you think something designed for a 40lbs kid works for a 150lbs – 300lbs adult. When you are in pain do you take children’s Tylenol, or when you are at the dentist do you ask for the children’s dose of Novocain, no. So, firstly we need adult vitamins…… but why Andre and Dr Valentine?…..well, we all need vitamins because they are necessary in small quantities for life, and our body cannot make them. Vitamins are catalysts that make every other chemical  reaction in your body happen faster, this is why many people experience an energy boost when taking vitamins.

One Chinese study showed that women who were given a daily pill (they did not know what they were taking) which contained essential vitamins and minerals ate less calories and lost more weight than women taking a placebo (sugar pill). This makes sense because its proven when you eat empty calories you are not as full as when you eat nutrient rich food you.

More often than Dr. Valentine would like, primary care doctors take people in our medically supervised weight loss program off the diet pills or the Metformin we prescribe. Many doctors do this based on misinformation, old information, or lack of knowledge related to modern obesity treatment. This is incredibly upsetting to Dr. Valentine as he spends many hours going over the latest medical information related to obesity. Dr. Valentine goes to many conferences run by bariatric specialists who only treat obesity.  Most primary care doctors do not have the time to study obesity at the depth of a specialist like Dr. Valentine as they are studying hypertension, asthma, rashes, diabetes, and many other more common ailments that they treat. Typically primary care doctors offer “cut calories and exercise as the solution” and we know that this is not as easy as it sounds. Prior to specializing in Obesity Dr. Valentine was a primary care doctor  for over 20 years so he understands some primary care doctors concerns. However sometimes he is frustrated by other doctors.  This week we had a guy with a BMI greater than 35 who was told by his primary care that he was not diabetic and did not need Metformin; the doctor scheduled a series of test for this gentleman to determine if he needed Metformin. Note that the American Diabetic Association has recently determined that people with BMI greater than 35 should be put on Metformin to prevent pre-diabetes and the onset Type II Diabetes. One lady was unnecessarily taken off the Metformin and starting gaining weight again. One man was taken off diet pills because of he was on SSRIs (anti-depressants) and his primary care was concerned about something called Serotonin Syndrome. The possibility of Serotonin Syndrome was debunked by weight loss researchers and doctors (see the attachment). Please do not take this the wrong way, we want you share information with your primary care doctor just make sure any decision they make are based in medicine and science not opinion. Dr. Valentine works hand in hand with many patients’ primary care doctors to make sure people are on the right medications. In fact many primary care doctors refer us overweight patients as they understand Dr. Valentine’s expertise and treatment methods. We value working with your primary care. If you are taken off anything we prescribe please call us or come in to discuss the change, Dr. Valentine will be happy to help you. Please find the attached article on the myths related to diet pills. The article is great to give to your doctors or loved ones who are mistakenly concerned about diet pills. If you have a medical issue or at diet pills would be a risk to you, we would not prescribe diet pills and put you on our natural program.

Article: Myths Related to Diet Pills – “Phentermine 50 years”

Natural Diet Pills & Blood Sugar Management

People often ask do we have natural diet pills. The answer is yes but not the way they think. We have one supplement Met – Assist that has appetite suppressing qualities, but it pales in comparison to the strength of a prescription diet pill. However, while you may not get the same appetitte suppression you are actually getting something that diet pill does not do, Met – Assist  and our other supplements like D.N.S, and Carb Check actually control insulin, regulate blood sugar levels or  block carbs.  Met-Assist has been proven to reduce body weight by 6% (that’s 12 lbs if you are 200lbs).

All of these can be used in conjuction with your existing Phentermine, Bontril, or Didrex prescriptions for superior results. Ask Dr. Valentine what product would be best for you.

Please note that 25% of our patients are put on prescription blood sugar management medication like Metformin, for plateaus related to blood sugar issues or Metabolic Syndrome. I  share this as an indication that blood sugar management is important for weight loss.

As well the ADA reccomends that anyone with a BMI over 35 be put on Metformin to prevent pre-diabetes.

Why do I have skinny friends and family that eat exactly like I do?

The amount of food you eat is not the biggest factor controlling weight; its your body’s reaction to food. Everything we eat turns into sugar (glucose)  in your body to be used bycells for energy. Basically, your body runs on sugar. Foods that make us gain weight, turn into sugar in your blood  very fast. When they started doing tests with humans to see how fast certain foods entered peoples blood, some people would register a 60others would register 100 for the exact same food. This partially explains the skinny friends and family that eat exactly like you. We have to assume we are in that group of people who register 100 not 60. Bad carbs and sugar enter our blood so quickly there are food that you just can’t eat like crackers, cereal, oatmeal and juice, sweet tea, soda, bananas, raisins, Crasins, and other high carb foods. You must change some of the foods you enjoy. Find something else you can enjoy.  There is a substitute for every thing you enjoy.  You don’t dress like you did in the 70′s, thankfully. You changed. You can change the 3 or four foods that are sabotaging your weight loss efforts.Between eating lower carb foods, getting protein to stay full and burn sugar, and working your appetite suppressant you can make the changes you need. If you can’t figure out a substitute, email me.

The measure used to rate the speed that foods convert to glucose (sugar) in the blood  is called the Glycemic Index (GI)

 Here’s a list of foods that enter blood faster than a sugar cube (GI=65): 

Glucose has a GI of 100

Foods with a GI of 80-95

Special K, Raisin Bran, Corn flakes, Coco pops, Rice krispies, Cheerios, Toast and jam,Honey, Instant mashed potatoes, Carrots, Most Cereals, Instant Oatmeal, Bananas.

Foods with a GI of 70 -79
Bread (whole-grain), White rice, Weetabix cereal, Potatoes – MOST BREAD (how to eat bread)

Food with a GI of 65 -69
Table Sugar, Bread (white), Rice (brown), Muesli, Shredded wheat cereal,
Bananas, Raisins,

To learn more about the Glycemic Index check out these links below.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/glycemic-index

http://www.glycemicindex.com/

http://www.mendosa.com/gi.htm

I got this article from a Diabetes Daily. It was written by Elizabeth Edelman

In the months leading up to our wedding (almost 2 years ago!), I was on a low carb diet.  I ate around 55-80 grams of carbohydrates per day and dropped weight faster than I could have imagined.  Now, I’m not a big person by any means, but these recipes are enough to satisfy even the biggest appetite.

1. Bacon and eggs.  Sure, this one’s a classic.  But there’s a reason that it’s everyone’s go-to, low-carb breakfast.  It’s delicious, easy to make, and has zero carbs per serving.  With the high protein and high fat content of this yummy combination, you’re sure to stay satisfied for hours.
2. Cantaloupe and cottage cheese.  Yes, fruit has carbs in it.  But one cup of sliced cantaloupe has only 16g of carbohydrates.  And the protein and calcium you’re getting from the cottage cheese is through the roof.  Plus, your sweet tooth can get satisfied at the same time.  It’s the perfect combination.
3. Low-carb tortillas with scrambled eggs, cheese, salsa and jalapenos.  If you’re craving a breakfast burrito, look no further than this tasty dish.  All you do is scramble the eggs with jalapeno.  Put the eggs and jalapeno in the tortilla, top with cheese and salsa and you’ve got a delicious and healthy breakfast.  The carb total is dependent on the tortillas you use, but when I made this, I bolused for 20g of carbohydrates.

Unfortunately over the past two years our costs for medications, shots, foods and facilities have gone up. We have not passed any of these costs to you, however now we must. The total cost of a weight loss visit with shots would go up only about $5.00 to $6.00. We apologize but still know that our prices are very competitive (a new patient visit at one of our competitor is $300, ours is about $180). Please click here to see our new prices.

Now Open The 1st and 3rd Sunday of the Month

To accommodate busy lives and difficult schedules, our medically supervised weight loss program will now be open two Sundays per month. We will begin scheduling appointments on March 4th, then will resume on the  first and third Sunday of the month thereafter.

Sundays are by appointment only and will require an Appointment Guarantee . Availability for existing patients will be from 9:00 to 1:30 and from 9:00 to 12:00 for new patients*.

Due to limited appointment slots and “no shows” we will require a $35.00 non refundable Appointment Guarantee prior to being scheduled. The $35.00 will be credited against your total bill on your scheduled Sunday appointment.

 Please call with any questions

770-833-7739

valentine@valentineweightloss