Everybody knows that avoiding snacks while dieting is one of the hardest parts of calorie control, and if you’ve had weight loss surgery then finding healthy small meals or snacks can be extra challenging. These seven snacks, however, won’t break your diet and can be found right here in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Pistachios – pistachios are loaded with vitamins and nutrients and they’re also the least calorie dense of all the nuts. That means that you can eat about 50 nuts for 160 calories.
- Bars – the ultimate convenience snack. Bars are portable and if you choose wisely they can have at least 3 grams of fiber and around 200 calories.
- Yogurt and Fruit – choose Greek yogurt which is higher in protein than normal yogurt. Pair it with your favorite fruit for added flavor.
- Peanut butter on bread – pair a healthy whole wheat bread with some natural peanut butter for a rich, protein and fiber packed snack.
- Popcorn – popcorn has gotten a bad reputation as a diet food considering all the fatty not-good-for-you toppings on it. Opt instead for lite popcorn and you can munch away happily.
- Cheese and crackers – 100 percent whole grain crackers paired with light low-calorie cheese makes a tasty and low fat snack.
- Shrimp and cocktail sauce – ask for this next time you’re out and looking for a healthy appetizer. Shrimp is a high protein, low fat food and the cocktail sauce is generally low in calories and fat. It’s a win-win kind of snack.
A new study reveals that for some patients gastric banding is an even better idea than previously believed. Gastric banding procedures, such as the Lap-Band procedure has many different health benefits outside of helping you to lose weight. The procedure has been shown to treat, and in certain cases cure co-morbid diseases often caused by obesity, including type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure and sleep apnea. One of the largest problems that patients have had with gastric banding procedures like the Lap-Band is the expensive price tag, but that may not be a problem anymore.
The truth is that being overweight and unhealthy comes with a hefty price tag of its own. In fact, according to a new study the gastric banding procedure pays for itself in only two years for patients that suffer from type-2 diabetes. For patients that do not suffer from diabetes the procedure pays for itself after only four years. The large amount of medical costs that amount due to diseases such as type-2 diabetes, in addition to other expenses that result due to obesity make up 10% of all medical costs in the United States annually, amounting to $147 billion every year.
What does this mean to you on an individual level? While gastric banding procedures such as the Lap-Band often feel very expensive with a large output of cost upfront, it will relieve a large amount of your medical costs over time, making it more expensive in the long run to NOT undergo the Lap-Band procedure. This means that in addition to being a great asset to your health, the Lap-Band procedure is also good for your wallet!