Slider Foods? What Are They...?

[MsJacquiiC]

Question: What are slider foods?

Kaye's Answer: In a malabsorptive procedure the pouch is made and the stoma or outlet is attached to the lower part of the middle intestine called the jejunum. The majority of caloric absorption takes place in the jejunum, so depending upon where your surgeon created the outlet the level of absorption can vary. Skilled surgeons will adjust the length of intestine bypassed according to their patient's projected needs based on dieting history and pre-op psychological screening.

Slider foods slide right through the stoma into the jejunum. My first test of the slider foods was graham crackers and coffee for my after work snack. Now imagine, I could eat a stack of graham crackers and wash it right through the pouch with the coffee and never feel any satiation. What resulted was an easily absorbed slurry that my jejunum sucked up like a sponge - it didn't have to do any work to absorb this simple carbohydrate slurry. Of course, weight gain resulted and I had to give up this little indulgence. Another popular slider food is pretzels. I speak with post-ops all the time who are addicted to pretzels - again, this is a simple carb that your jejunum is very happy to receive and convert to fat. Traditionally dieters are encouraged to eat pretzels or popcorn - fat free and fiber, right? But that doesn't work so well for us. Giving our re-routed bodies these simple carbs is dangerous because our bodies have spent years perfect the art of fat storage - slider foods are to the body a great big lottery win.

By the way, in my example I spoke of a slurry from graham crackers and coffee. Simple carbs, however, will slide right through without the added benefit of a liquid. And several others can talk about cheese nip crackers, popcorn, mashed potatoes, ice cream/yogurt etc.

Lots of times I hear, "But I don't like that uncomfortable tight feeling of solid protein in my pouch." But the very purpose of the pouch is to signal fullness, which often comes by way of slight discomfort when we are eating in compliance with our bariatric owner's manual. The slider foods will never ever signal fullness. They are dangerous and in most cases non-nutritional. When I feel that full-pouch discomfort I try to mentally psych myself up, "YEAH-BABY! The pouch is on the job!!" Silly, but whatever works.

Kaye Bailey is freelance health writer specializing in weight loss surgery. Using her gift for words and personal experience with gastric bypass Ms. Bailey brings a refreshing and real perspective to her articles. Her articles are widely syndicated on the Internet and used by bariatric centers and weight loss surgery support groups around the world.

Bariatrics The branch of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention, and treatment of obesity. The term bariatrics was created around 1965, from the Greek root baro ("weight," as in barometer), suffix -iatr ("treatment," as in pediatrics), and suffix -ic ("pertaining to"). Besides the pharmacotherapy of obesity, it is concerned with obesity surgery.

Malabsorption Malabsorption is a clinical term: A state arising from abnormality in the digestion and absorption of food nutrients across the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The digestion or absorption of a single nutrient component may be impaired, as in lactose intolerance due to lactase deficiency. The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass combines the malabsorption and restrictive techniques to achieve major weightloss.

Carbohydrate A major source of energy in the diet. There are two kinds of carbohydrates -- simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates: Simple carbohydrates are sugars Complex carbohydrates include both starches and fiber Carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram. They are found naturally in foods such as breads, pasta, cereals, fruits, vegetables, and milk and dairy products.

Jejunum The middle part of the small intestine responsible for digestion. It's approximately ten feet in length and is between the duodenum and the ileum.

Protein One of the three nutrients that provides calories to the body. Protein is an essential nutrient that helps build many parts of the body, including muscle, bone, skin, and blood. Protein provides 4 calories per gram and is found in foods like meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, beans, nuts, and tofu. Proteins are an essential human nutrient, obtained from both plant and animal foods. Though their greatest commercial use is in food products, they are also employed in adhesives, plastics, and fibres.

Stoma Opening to stomach created by stapling or placing an adjustable band around the upper part of the stomach during surgery.

Pouch Most bariatric surgeries restricts the amount of food a patient can eat by reducing the size of the stomach by gastric banding, stapling or removal. What results is known as the gastric pouch.