4 Easy Ways to Lighten Up Your Holiday Recipes

Submitted by Lori Granich, RD, Clinical Dietitian at the Midwest Bariatric Institute

We all have our favorite holiday foods. This year, with a few substitutions, we can still enjoy our favorite treats without the post-holiday guilt.

Go half! - Replacing half of an ingredient will decrease calories and fat without sacrificing taste. For example, you can replace half the whole milk or cream with nonfat milk. You can also use low fat cheese in the same way. Use half oil/half low sodium broth for stir fries or replace half the butter in baked goods with fruit puree.

Spice it up! - Adding fat is not the only way to add flavor. Use your herbs and spices to add flavor without all the calories. Add basil to tomatoes and pasta; use rosemary on poultry, meats, roasted potatoes and stuffing; and use dill with rice, fish, eggs, cucumbers, green beans and potatoes.

Cook it Right - Always choose to grill, broil, bake or roast instead of deep frying. Cooking sprays are also low calorie and can be substituted instead of butter and oil.

Bake Better - Use whole wheat flour and oats in cookies, muffins or bread recipes. To avoid changing your product too much, use the “half” method mentioned above. For example, replace ½ of the white flour with whole wheat flour. The fiber will help you feel fuller longer.

A few changes here and there will make a big difference. Look at how these holiday favorites size up:

• Pecan Pie (1/8 pie) (470 calories) vs. Pumpkin Pie w/ 2 tbsp whipped topping (260 calories)
• Roasted extra-lean ham (150 calories) vs. Turkey wing with skin (185 calories)
• Egg Nog (350 calories) vs. Apple Cider (125 calories)
• Dinner Roll (170 calories) vs. Green Bean Casserole (1/2 cup) 80 calories
• Dinner A. Roasted turkey back without skin (3 oz), Homemade mashed potatoes (1/2 cup), 1 slice pumpkin pie topped with whipped topping (2 Tbsp), Thin homemade gravy (1/4 cup), Green bean casserole. Total: 536 calories, 27 grams fat vs. Dinner B: Roasted ham with fat trimmed (3 oz), Homemade mashed sweet potatoes (1/2 cup), 1 slice reduced-calorie pumpkin pie with reduced fat ice cream (1/2 cup), Cranberry sauce (1/4 cup), Dinner roll. Total: 945 calories, 26.5 grams fat.

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Sources: ARAMARK. Calorie Information obtained from SparkPeople.com

Hit a Weight Loss Plateau? Join Us for "Back on Track"

The Midwest Bariatric Institute at St. Margaret Health is offering a six-week course designed to assist those dealing with the "pain of regain" or weight loss plateaus.

Sessions will be conducted from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 9, 16, 23 and 30; and Feb. 13 and 20, in the Blessed Mother Conference Room on the Franciscan St. Margaret Health-Dyer Campus, 24 Joliet St.

The program will be conducted by certified instructor Millie Sasaki, a registered nurse; and Lori Grancich, a registered dietitian.

For more information, including course fee, call (219) 852-2518.

Dr. Cahill Nationally Recognized for da Vinci Robotic Bariatric Surgery

Gerald A. Cahill, M.D., has received the distinction of being among an elite group of 25 bariatric surgeons in the nation to receive da Vinci Si Robotic Surgical System quality and volume recognition from the manufacturer, California-based Intuitive Surgical Inc.

He also is the first physician in Northwest Indiana to perform minimally invasive bariatric surgery using the da Vinci Si system.

Cahill, who is medical director of the Midwest Bariatric Institute at Franciscan St. Margaret Health-Dyer, the area’s leader in such surgery, serves patients from all of Franciscan Alliance’s Northern Indiana Region hospitals. Those include, besides Franciscan St. Margaret Health-Dyer, Franciscan St. Margaret Health-Hammond; Franciscan Physicians Hospital in Munster, Franciscan St. Anthony Health-Michigan City and Franciscan St. Anthony Health-Crown Point.

Cahill has performed more than 2,500 bariatric surgical procedures and has one of the best safety records in the nation.

"I always have strived to make surgery as minimally invasive and safe for the patient as possible. Using the da Vinci makes it more precise and even less invasive, with fewer and smaller incisions. In addition, procedures are safer and patients experience less pain. They also are assured the best outcomes and spend less time in the hospital," Cahill said, adding, "Weight-loss surgical procedures help assure patients longer lives and improved quality of life."

Kathy O’Donnell, R.N., manager of the Midwest Bariatric Institute, said, "Dr. Cahill and the institute are committed to providing patients the best surgical quality and post-operation support. We continually strive to provide life-long weight loss success for our patients. I am proud to be part of a program that is constantly evolving to provide the best high tech options to promote quality patient outcomes."

The Midwest Bariatric Institute is located at Franciscan St. Margaret Health’s Dyer Campus, 24 Joliet St. (U.S. 30). For more information, call (219) 852-2518 or send e-mail to: kathy.o'donnell@franciscanalliance.org.

da VINCI ADVANTAGES FOR PATIENTS
Potential benefits include:

• Less pain.
• Less blood loss.
• Less scarring.
• Shorter recovery times.
• Faster return to routine activities.
• In many cases, better clinical outcomes.

About Dr. Gerald A. Cahill
Cahill has dedicated his practice to weight loss surgery and specializes in minimally invasive surgical (laparoscopic) techniques for the treatment of obesity. At the Midwest Bariatric Institute at Franciscan St. Margaret Health, Dr. Cahill performs lap-band, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, gastric sleeve procedures. Cahill has performed over 2,500 weight loss surgeries with no surgical mortality – a safety record that is unmatched locally. A practicing physician for more than 20 years, Dr. Cahill is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. He received his medical training at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He completed his residency and internship at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center, and a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at Cook County Hospital, Chicago.