Check Out This Delicious St. Paddy's Day Shake Recipe From Bari Life!

A small size Shamrock Shake from McDonald's has 400 calories and 60 grams of sugar. If you’ve ever been tempted to grab one of these festive green shakes, look no further! This version is so thick and creamy that you can eat it with a spoon! The best part is, it’s packed with protein and is extremely low in sugar and calories. It tastes downright AMAZING! Get your St. Paddy's Day "fix" with this lean, green protein shake!

 St. Paddy's Day Shake Recipe
Ingredients:

• 1 packet Bari Life Vanilla pudding/shake mix (prepared)
• 1/4 cup vanilla or plain protein powder (1 scoop-100 calories)
• 1/8 tsp  mint extract (or to taste)
• 2-3 packets of Stevia or sweetener of choice (or to taste)
• 5-10 ice cubes (more or less depending on how thick you like it)
• 4 oz. water (again, alter according to desired thickness of shake)
• 2-3 drops green food coloring OR a handful of spinach to make it green!
• 1-2 tbsp Sugar Free Instant Pistachio Pudding Mix (Jell-O brand)
• Pinch Guar or xanthan gum

Directions:
1. ONE SIMPLE STEP!  Put all the base ingredients in the blender, and blend away until desired consistency! Swirl in one drop of green food coloring just before serving  *Top with fat free Reddi Wip if desired! *

Nutritional Information:
1 Serving


To your health!
The Bari Life Team
Improving the health and wellness of bariatric patients around the world by providing the most complete bariatric vitamin formulas that are highly effective and clinically proven.
Order Online Here www.barilife.com

Be aware of the importance of Thiamine/B-1 Vitamin!

Many bariatric surgeons are prescribing 100mg of vitamin B-1 (also called thiamine) daily for the first four weeks after bariatric surgery to prevent a deficiency, which is often caused by nausea vomiting.

Dr. Stephen Boyce shares his expertise and findings from his bariatric practice, The New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery, “My clinical experience tells me that patients who are deficient in thiamine are the patients who experience the worst nausea and vomiting after surgery.  In my practice, as a precautionary measure, I prescribe an additional supplement of 100mg of thiamine daily for one month after surgery to all of my patients.”

Vitamin B-1 is an essential nutrient and is one of the B complex vitamins that is water soluble.   Thiamine helps to convert carbohydrates into glucose, which is used to produce energy.  It helps to metabolize protein and fats as well as support the nervous system and promote good brain health. It is sometimes referred to as an “anti-stress” vitamin because it is thought to strengthen the immune system and improve the body’s ability to handle stressful conditions.
 
Dietary sources include, beef, brewer’s yeast, nuts, milk, legumes, pork, rice, seeds oranges, wheat and whole grain cereals.

Dr. Boyce explains the importance of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery thiamine recommendations and why patients sometimes need more thiamine than the recommendations: "The ASMBS recommends 3mg daily for weight loss surgery patients.  What patients must understand is that these recommendations are to prevent deficiencies and may not be enough if the patient is already deficient. There are no reported adverse effects from consuming excess thiamine from food and supplements.  Most of my colleagues agree that adding a B-1 supplement as a standard protocol after surgery is in the best interest of the patient.  Once the patient’s thiamine levels are normal then we recommend at least 3mg daily for maintenance.”

Very little B-1 is stored in the body and deficiencies can develop quickly in the bariatric patient.   Thiamine deficiency is quite common in gastric bypass patients due to impaired absorption and decreased acidification of food. Symptoms of deficiency include fatigue, irritability, depression and abdominal discomfort.  It can cause problems with digesting carbohydrates which allows a substance called pyruvic acid to build up in the blood causing a loss in mental alertness, difficulty in breathing and even heart damage. (A disease called Beriberi).

Bari Life Bariatric Supplements offers a 30 count (one month supply), 100mg tablet of B-1.  Additionally, all of the Bari Life multivitamin formulas contain 6mg of B-1 for daily maintenance.


About Dr. Stephen G. Boyce:
Dr. Stephen Boyce obtained his Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science from Texas A&M University, College Station, before beginning medical school in Dallas, Texas at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School where he received his medical degree. Surgical Residency was performed at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas where he completed his general surgery training and was introduced to weight loss surgery under the tutelage of Dr. Otto Wilbanks, a pioneering father of weight loss surgical procedures.

With more than 24 years of experience performing bariatric surgeries, Dr. Boyce has completed over 4,000 weight loss surgical procedures, has special training in advanced laparoscopic surgery and has also completed a Masters Certification in Bariatric Surgery. He started his own practice the New Life Center forBariatric Surgery in Knoxville, Tennessee in 2002, which shortly after became one of the Nation's first Centers of Excellence (7th in the Nation) in 2005.

He is the Medical Director of the Tennova Center for Surgical Weight Loss in Knoxville, TN.  His special interest in bariatric nutrition led him to develop Bari Life Bariatric Supplements, specializing in custom multivitamin formulas for the weight loss surgery patient.  Additionally, he is an active educator for Ethicon-Endo Surgery and he was the first physician to be awarded by the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), "Outstanding Membership Recruitment by a Physician Award.”

Bari Life Bariatric Vitamins and Supplements has 6 tips to get you started with exercise

6 Tips to Get You Started with Exercise from Bari Life

Bari Life Bariatric Vitamins and Supplements knows starting an exercise program can be difficult. However, Bari Life Bariatric Vitamins and Supplements has the tips you need to start an easy program that will have you looking forward to exercise every day!

It’s in the steps

Even before you have weight loss surgery, you want to begin preparing for the new life ahead of you. This includes taking your daily vitamins and supplements as well as developing other healthy habits such as exercise.
However, that doesn’t mean having to program yourself to get up and go to the gym every other day, or stand in front of the TV trying to get motivated to do another workout DVD. The secret – and it’s really no secret – is all in the steps.

A recent university study suggested that the use of a pedometer may help with significant increase in physical activity and significant decrease in body mass index and blood pressure. So what does this mean for you? Grab a pedometer, put on your shoes, and start walking. Finding ways to add 10,000 steps to your day can help you lose weight and maintain your weight loss.
And to help you start your walking exercise program, Bari Life Bariatric Vitamins and Supplements has six tips to simply add an additional 500 steps a day without even thinking about it:

1. For every hour you spend at your desk, get up and take a five-minute walk around your office or neighborhood.
2. When you go to the grocery store, walk the perimeter inside the store twice before you start shopping.
3. After you have loaded your groceries into your car, skip the cart return in the parking lot and walk the shopping cart all the way to the front of the store.
4. Walk a lap or two around your block before you check the mail.
5. Take a 10-minute walk after lunch and dinner.
6. Vacuum your house for 20 minutes, walking as much as possible.

Make sure to get yourself a good pedometer and soon you’ll realize that you’re walking 10,000 steps a day without even thinking about it. And, before you know it, you’ll be signing up for a 5K walk! Bari Life Bariatric Vitamins and Supplements knows that developing a safe and effective exercise plan, just like taking your vitamins and supplements, will become a healthy, simple, and fun daily habit for you.


To your health!
The Bari Life Team
Improving the health and wellness of bariatric patients around the world by providing the most complete bariatric vitamin formulas that are highly effective and clinically proven.
Order Online Here www.barilife.com

Blue Dress Internet Marketing

Jump-start Your Day With These Helpful Morning Routines

Are you starting to feel the drag of winter? I know The Bari Life team sure is here in Knoxville, TN! I'm sure that some of you are wishing for the cold wintery months to be over. It's easy to feel unmotivated and tired when it's dark and cold all the time. Especially in the mornings when it’s the coldest and as dark as night!

If you want an energetic, productive and efficient day then you need to have an energetic, productive and efficient morning. Here are 5 effective ways to jump-start your day:

1. Get out of bed quickly! All of us love to hit that snooze button in the morning --who doesn't? However, starting your day off sluggishly will increase the likelihood of living the rest of your day in the same manner. Be direct in your action. If you're sleeping, then sleep; if you're awake, then get up! There is no reason to float about somewhere in the purgatory of the in-between.

2. Hydrate. Drink at least half a liter of water when you first wake up - even before you eat and have coffee. Dehydration can lead to overeating, which in turn can leave you even more dehydrated and feeling guilty for eating too much. This will put you in a bad mood the rest of the day. We don’t want that! So hydrate.

3. Go outside. If you really want to jump-start your day then take a quick walk up and down your street, around your cul-de-sac or even to the end of your driveway and back. If you have a dog, then take your dog for a walk first thing in the morning. It's easy to stay tired and sleepy in a cozy warm bed and quiet house. There is nothing more energizing than seeing and feeling all of nature and the world around you up and about ready for the day. The natural light of the sun and crisp morning air will be sure to wake you up!

4. Keep an agenda. Make a to-do-list that you know you can accomplish. If you organize your week ahead of time, it provides a reference point for you to re-visit to help you stay on track. Have your daily duties ready to look at when you wake up, but make sure to focus on just a few. This way you won't feel overwhelmed. 

5. Be Positive! Positive minds lead positive lives. Make sure to start your day off on the right foot with positive thinking. If you wake up feeling negative, worried or anxious, then do something about it! Take a deep breath, read an inspirational quote and tell yourself that today is going to be a great day. There is more power to this than you think! 

To your health!
The Bari Life Team
Improving the health and wellness of bariatric patients around the world by providing the most complete bariatric vitamin formulas that are highly effective and clinically proven.

Order Online Here www.barilife.com

 

 

 

500 Miles in 2014 Walking Campaign

We are excited to sponsor the "500 Miles in 2014 Walking Campaign" this year! Every month we will be giving away prizes to the top mileage earners! Be sure to check out the Facebook page for the campaign!

Today we introduce, Jessica Dickey, the brains behind the campaign! Below, she shares with us her weight loss surgery journey. I hope that all of you will read and get as motivated and pumped as we are! She is an inspiration to us all! Thank you, Jessica! 

My Weight Loss Surgery Journey- Jessica Dickey

My name is Jessica and Bariatric Beginnings is my blog and my therapy. The blog has been a lifesaver for me. My personal weight loss surgery journey started on July 12, 2010, when I underwent gastric sleeve weight loss surgery as the first step in a "staged" bariatric surgery process. I had my second step surgery, gastric bypass, on Jan. 14, 2013.

I was too heavy back in 2010. I had a BMI of over 65 and my surgeon also felt that I was on too many medications for my anxiety and depression, after being misdiagnosed with bi-polar disorder in 2009, for the bypass to be safe.

I had type II diabetes and sleep apnea at age 27; something needed to be done. He said that one day I could have the bypass done if I ever got mentally better. I refused to believe that I had failed or been unsuccessful with my first surgery.

Most other bariatric people are not aware that the sleeve can often be the first step in a two-step process. Many are quick to tell me my sleeve failed since I had a second surgery. We did the first surgery, the sleeve, to get me to a better place physically and a better place mentally so that one day, when financially able, I could undergo the bypass surgery to help get the largest amount of weight off.

My sleeve helped me lose about 50 pounds and go off my diabetes medications. Mentally, I went from seven psychiatric medications to being medication-free. My sleeve did work, at least to me it did. My first surgery was also a difficult journey. I was hospitalized twice in the first 10 months for wanting to seriously hurt myself and used to have to take seven different medications to just barely function.

Somehow, I managed to lose about 50 pounds through all this and I have kept that off and am now living medication-free. I think that's successful considering I could have been six feet under at this point. I've now lost more than 150 pounds total through the aid of both surgeries, and I am losing more each month. As of December 2013, I officially no longer have sleep apnea or diabetes with a normal A1c of 5.4!

I had the second surgery because I wanted to be healthier, accomplish things I couldn't do before, to possibly start my own family someday and maybe be taken seriously by society. The people who matter most are by my side and don't judge me. This is my journey and mine alone.

I came up with the campaign because walking has been one of the most useful tools in my journey. During the warmer months in Ohio, I try to walk 2-4 miles every day.  I love walking and walking is a great exercise to begin with if you aren't yet very active. It's free, peaceful, a great bonding experience with loved ones and something we all can do!

I created the campaign to inspire others to get out there and move.  Encouraging others on their journeys is something I truly enjoy. By giving them the whole year to complete the challenge, it makes the goal less scary and hopefully feel more reachable.


To your health!
The Bari Life Team
Bari Life is high quality bariatric vitamins that are clinically proven supplements to help in post bariatric surgery. Order Online Here: http://www.barilife.com

Bari Life Bariatric Vitamins and Supplements and Valentine's Day, Oh My!

Bari Life Bariatric Vitamins and Supplements knows Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. And, while it is important to continue taking your bariatric vitamins and supplements, it also is possible to enjoy a healthy Valentine’s Day with that special someone.

Tips to a Healthy Valentine's Day

When considering what to do for Valentine's Day, here are some tips to making healthy choices:

Dine In: Consider making a romantic dinner for two. Not only is it a great way to save on calories, you can avoid the crowded restaurants. Find one of your favorite reduced-calorie recipes that you can make. Add some ambience with a linen table cloth, tapered candles and music, and finish with a romantic movie.

Dine Out: The key to eating out is meal modification. Don’t be afraid to ask for substitutions and make sure to ask for a to-go box when you place your order. That way, you’ll be able to divide your dinner to ensure proper portion control. The American Heart Association offers great tips for eating healthy when eating out.

Split an entrée: Save money and maintain portion control by splitting an entrée with your significant other!

Start with a salad: A good way to help you eat healthy and feel full is to start with a salad.

Make it an adventure: Do something different this Valentine’s Day. Send a health-e-card to your significant other. Plan a day that involves a physical activity, such as hiking or even a trip to the zoo.

Think outside the chocolate box: Instead of chocolates, consider giving your loved one a fruit basket, a healthy cookbook or food journal, or a bouquet of flowers.

The key to successful weight loss is about making the right choices. Taking your vitamins and supplements, eating healthy and enjoying special occasions with those you love can make every day a special day!

To your health!
The Bari Life Team
Bari Life is high quality bariatric vitamins that are clinically proven supplements to help in post bariatric surgery. Order Online Here http://www.barilife.com

Knoxville Bariatric Surgeon and Bari Life Bariatric Supplements Introduces Multi-Probiotics

Dr. Stephen G. Boyce, developer of Bari Life Bariatric Supplements, adds multi-probiotics to his line of bariatric supplements.

See it featured on Yahoo! Finance Here
See it featured on Marketwired Here

Knoxville, TN – Dr. Stephen G. Boyce, a board-certified Knoxville bariatric surgeon and developer of Bari Life Bariatric Supplements, says he is excited to add multi-probiotics to his line of bariatric vitamin products. According to a recent Stanford University School of Medicine study, supplementing weight loss surgery patients with probiotics can be beneficial for maximizing weight loss benefits. Dr. Boyce says after having a major surgical procedure such as weight loss surgery, the body can become depleted of its natural supply of probiotics. He says multi-probiotic supplements can be effective at restoring the body’s natural levels of probiotics, helping the body to be healthier and function more normally following bariatric surgery.

“Current research tells us that prescribing probiotics for our bariatric patients after surgery can provide many benefits. I believe that probiotics significantly improves the health of my patients after surgery,” says Dr. Boyce.

He says probiotics are the good bacteria in the body that keep the bad, illness-causing bacteria under control. Probiotics are usually found in many types of food, including yogurt and some soy products. Dr. Boyce says supplements generally contain a much more concentrated supply of probiotics than those found in food, providing a few million colony forming units (CFU’s). He says in addition to fighting off bad bacteria, probiotics can be useful for bariatric patients by assisting in the prevention of diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome, lowering bad cholesterol and raising good cholesterol levels, and supporting normal digestion.

Dr. Boyce notes, for patients who have had surgery for obesity to receive optimal health benefits, it is important to use probiotic supplements that contain multiple species of lactobacillus, such as L. acidophilus and bifidobacteria, as strains of these probiotics have been shown to improve digestion and have an extensive safety record for use in the generally healthy population.

“After researching probiotics, I found that many over-the-counter options for my patients were limited and expensive,” says Dr. Boyce. “Through Bari Life, we created a shelf-stable multi-probiotic blend manufactured in the U.S. by a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA) certified nutraceutical manufacturing company. We can offer this complete formula to our bariatric patients at a much more affordable price than some of the over-the-counter products available. Bari Life Multi-Probiotics contain eight different bacteria per capsule containing 15 billion CFU’s, and only one capsule is needed daily to restore the normal balance of bacteria in the digestive system.”

Bari Life Bariatric Supplements also offers the only bariatric multivitamin formula that meets or exceeds the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery’s (ASMBS) updated 2013 vitamin and mineral supplement guidelines, all in one bottle. Dr. Boyce notes: “These ASMBS guidelines are really important. These guidelines were established by combining the most recent findings of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), The Obesity Society (TOS), and the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.” He says Bari Life Bariatric Supplements aims to provide high quality, complete, and affordable products designed specifically for the weight loss surgery patient.

Dr. Boyce recommends people looking to maximize benefits after weight loss surgery add a multi-probiotic supplement to their daily regimen. He notes the importance of using only those supplements that meet or exceed ASMBS guidelines.
   
About Stephen G. Boyce, MD

Dr. Stephen Boyce has performed thousands of surgical weight loss procedures in his more than 20 years of bariatric surgery experience. He earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Following medical school, Dr. Boyce completed a residency in general surgery at Parkland Memorial Hospital. At Parkland Memorial he was trained by Dr. Otto Wilbanks, one of the pioneers of bariatric surgery. Dr. Boyce holds a Masters Certification in Bariatric Surgery and has been specially trained in advanced techniques for laparoscopic surgery (a surgical method employing small instruments and requiring only minimal incisions to help reduce recovery times and residual scarring). He is the Medical Director of the New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery and the Tennova Center for Surgical Weight Loss in Knoxville, TN.  Additionally, he is the developer of Bari Life Bariatric Supplements. Dr. Boyce is available for interview upon request.

###

New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery
(865) 694-9676
Physicians Plaza I, Suite 305
Turkey Creek Medical Center
10810 Parkside Drive
Knoxville, TN 37934

Rosemont Media
tom@rosemontmedia.com
(858) 200-0044
www.rosemontmedia.com