Tip: Want to know how much calcium is in that thing you’re about to eat? Take a gander at the nutrition label. The percentage of calcium is based on a 1000mg being the daily value. This means, you can add a zero to the percentage and this becomes the actual milligrams of calcium in the product.
Nutrition label
In this instance, there would be 200mg of calcium in this product.
Breads, grains, & cereals
TOTAL Protein cereal, 1/2 c 100mg
Instant Oatmeal (1 pkt) made with 1/2c milk 216mg
TOTAL Corn Flakes cereal, 1/2c 384mg
Cream of Wheat cereal (1/2c) made with 1/2c milk 227mg
Whole Wheat Bread (1 slice) 25mg
Milk and Dairy
Milk (8oz) 300mg
Soy Milk Calcium Fortified (8oz) 300mg
Lite Yogurt (6oz) 200mg
Powdered Nonfat Milk (1 TBSP) 100mg
American Cheese (1oz) 160mg
Ricotta Cheese (1/4c) 167mg
Cheddar Cheese (1oz) 200mg
Cottage Cheese (1/2c) 50mg
Mozzarella Cheese, String Cheese (1oz) 150mg
Meat & Meat Substitutes
Salmon, canned with bones (1oz) 56mg
Soybeans, cooked (1/4c) 65mg
Almonds (24nuts or 1oz) 75mg
Tofu, calcium-fortified (4oz) 140-250mg
Kidney, Lima, or Navy Beans (1/2c) 25mg
Eggs (1) 25mg
Fruits
Orange (1 medium) 50mg
Calcium-fortified orange juice (6oz) 200mg
Vegetables
Turnip Greens (1/2c) 75mg
V-8 Juice Bone Health (8oz) 300mg
Spinach, cooked (1/2c) 150mg
Broccoli, cooked (1/2c) 25mg
Carrots, raw (1/4c) 25mg
Important note about calcium-fortified foods from the National Dairy Council:
Calcium Bioavailability. The bioavailability of calcium from calcium-fortified foods is another consideration. In general, calcium absorption is most efficient when consumed in doses of 500mg or less (5,50). Some well-known brands of cereal are fortified with calcium levels as high as 600 and 1,000mg/cup. A serving of these cereals with 1/2 cup of milk provides either 750 or 1,100mg of calcium. Calcium absorption from this high intake consumed at a single time islikely to be lower than multiple calcium intakes of 500mg or less.
A variety of calcium salts are used to fortify foods and beverages. Although the bioavailability of calcium from various salts is similar to that from milk (23,51), calcium bioavailability from calcium-fortified foods may differ from that expected. For example, calcium-fortified soy beverage is not comparable to cow’s milk as a source of calcium, according to a recent study (52). Becauses soy beverages naturally contain very little calcium (i.e., about 10mgper serving), they are often fortified with calcium, although the amountis not regulated and levels can vary from 80 to 500mg calcium per serving(52). In a study of 16 healthy men, the calcium from soy beverage was absorbed at only 75% the efficiency of calcium from cow’s milk. Sixtypercent more calcium (i.e., 500mg per serving) was needed in soy beverages for calcium absorptionto be comparable to that from cow’s milk (i.e., 300mg per serving) (52).
The bioavailability of calcium in calcium-fortified foods may be influenced by the presence of inhibitors such as phytic acid in certain foods (23,53). Phytic acidcan significantly reduce calcium bioavailability in calcium-fortified breads and cereals.
Finally.
In a quick Q&A, a CNN.com doc answers a question about resolution of diabetes with weight loss surgery:
Does roux-en-Y gastric bypass cure diabetes?
Asked by Rick Shetron, Troy, New York
“60 Minutes” had a story several months ago about a type of weight-loss surgery that seemed to also cure type 2 diabetes in many people. Has more research been done on this? Do you need the full bypass of about one-third of the small intestine or just the duodenum and jejunum? My weight problem came about with/after diabetes, not before.
Expert answer
Hi, Rick. I’m not a surgeon, so to answer your question more thoroughly, I consulted with a very well-respected bariatric surgeon in San Francisco, John Rabkin, M.D. He explained that the roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RGB) improves type 2 diabetes via at least three different mechanisms:
1. The surgery decreases caloric intake immediately after the procedure because food intake is restricted by the small volume of the created stomach pouch, which holds only 1 ounce. The decrease in food intake, particularly refined carbohydrates, which are not well-tolerated after this procedure, can help stabilize blood sugar levels and immediately improves control of diabetes.
2. The significant amount of weight loss that results from the surgery improves insulin resistance over time.
3. There are changes in hormones and caloric processing because the food ingested bypasses the segment of the small intestine closest to where it attaches to the stomach (the duodenum and proximal jejunum), but not quite as much as you mentioned (not one-third of the small intestine). Because of the anatomical changes resulting from the surgery, it appears that these hormonal changes are greater than would be seen with weight loss via diet and exercise, but no research has yet to compare the two directly and evaluate hormonal changes.
The overall outcome is complete resolution of type 2 diabetes in greater than 70 percent of patients with diabetes before the procedure.
Unfortunately, as many RGB patients regain weight over time, the durability of the cure isn’t as high as with a newer procedure called the duodenal switch.
In this procedure, there is a much larger pouch created (4 to 5 ounces), and the complete stomach anatomy is preserved, which helps preserve more normal stomach function. In this procedure, the rearrangement of the intestines leads not only to some restriction of food, but also causes your body to absorb significantly fewer calories, which has a more lasting effect.
Rabkin, a leader in this procedure, reports that he has had a 96 percent cure of type 2 diabetes at one year after surgery, which has persisted for five and 10 years post -op and seems to be similarly durable out past 15 years post-op.
Hope this helps. I strongly recommend spending a considerable amount of time with your surgeon if you are considering either of these procedures, as both have important lifestyle-related issues that should be discussed to determine the best procedure for you for the long term.
Answered by Dr. Melina Jampolis Physician Nutrition Specialist
Bout time this is really hitting the mainstream. I would take some exception with the assumption that all RNY’ers regain their weight, but many do. I get that. I only wish they had qualified this a bit better, but glad the DS got some mainstream attention.
Disclaimer – I got this from the OH Atlanta convention. Theresa from Bariatric Eating was handing these out, along with the Calcet creamy bites (which might be where I got mine, I’m not certain..) BE doesn’t know I’m doing this review — in fact, I’m not certain Theresa knows who I am, and she certainly didn’t know I was going to be blogging about the product when she handed it to me. Actually, neither did I. It took Beth several conversations over the course of the weekend to convince me to do so. So basically, again, no product endorsement was asked for, implied, or anything else.
Italian Cappuccino
Italian Cappuccino, is a Splenda-sweetened espresso latte, with 20 grams of protein, a blast of natural energy and a hint of caramel goodness.
You have never tasted anything quite as delicious as Believe, our new ready-to-drink sensation. Smooth and delicious coffee lattes filled with healing protein & natural energy – packed in premium glass bottles, they’re a pleasure to sip.
Believe is perfect for a busy morning or afternoon break – these deliciously bold coffee protein beverages invigorate the body and mind with pure natural energy. Bliss in a bottle that’s actually good for you!
We’ve infused the finest coffee with natural flavorings and 20 grams of protein, making Believe a smart alternative to skipping a meal or eating fast food. Enjoy a bottle either chilled or over ice; wherever you are it’s pure perfection.
So I’ll be honest — I opened this expecting it to be exactly like the Buxx drinks in the same containers. I’m not certain why, given that this is good for me and those, well, aren’t. But my mind saw the bottle, the packaging and thought “mmm.. creamy coffee goodness..”
Well, not quite.
It’s thinner, much much thinner. It’s sweeter, to me, than the Buxx drinks, and this comes from an admitted Splenda whore. To me, it leaves an aftertaste — kind of a gritty aftertaste on my tongue, like a dry taste, but not horrible. This might just be me because I handed it to the hubs, who does not like diet anything and he said it tasted much like the Buxx drinks to him. So maybe my tongue may be broken, or overly-sensitive, or something else. It is nowhere near as strong as Click is, so if Click is too much for you but you like your coffee, then this might be a good alternative to try.
The statistics are really good for the drink:
Italian Cappuccino Stats
So would I drink this again? Yes. In fact, since I have one in my fridge, I will be drinking it again. It’s not as strong as the Click, which might be great for people who aren’t into the massive espresso need like I am. It’s definately something I would drink, and would consider buying again. And let’s face it, the stats are super.
It may be on it’s way…
Source: MSNBC
Scientists are starting to test a kind of sensor that changes color with rising blood sugar levels. The high-tech tattoo, which is about the size of the clicker on the end of a ballpoint pen, is made up of tiny spheres that are injected into the outermost layer of skin. These nanospheres contain a special kind of ink that reacts with glucose, explains the tattoo’s inventor, Heather Clark, a biomedical engineer at Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, Mass.
What would be cool is if this could be used for those of us that are severely hypoglycemic rather than diabetic. Some of us don’t even begin to get symptomatic until comatose levels — quite recently, I remember a reading of 28 on my glucometer — a number that would have many people unconscious and drooling on the floor. If I had this implantable mood ring of sorts, I could save myself some of the misery that I encounter at such low numbers and try to head off the hours it takes to gradually get those numbers normal without doing a massive yo-yo of reactive-ness (yes, I am now making up my own words).
A girl can dream, right?
OMG. Really, OMG.
FTC disclaimer — Yeah, they don’t know I’m reviewing their product. I didn’t get this free — unless you count stealing it from Sam’s cabinet. Okay, so yeah, I got it free. But not from the company. And only because they are so very yummy.
Melting Mama had done a review on these suckers. She talked about how they were like little orgasms in tiny plastic containers. Okay, so I thought maybe they were good. I like Beth. I think she’s the best thing since Prime Rib (hey, I got fat for a reason — I lurve me a good Prime Rib — medium rare, please). But calcium? Really? It can’t be that good. There had to be a catch — something like the Upcal-D fiasco way-back when they were substituting some of the calcium with sugar to make it taste good and sweet-talking the labeling to make it look better than it was. So sure.. there had to be a catch. There was no way these were going to be that good and be that wonderful for us.
So at OH Atlanta, there were a number of tables that had these out. I think three or four. I don’t remember where I grabbed mine from, to be honest, but I grabbed one for me, and one for Sam — who does not do mornings and was still in bed. Stacy also had grabbed one and we sat down for the opening ceremonies with Bo. Together, we started to pry the packaging open.. and yes, it’s difficult. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that we needed scissors, or a flame-thrower to get it open.. perhaps a knife would have been handy. But we got them open and popped that little bite into our mouths.
Mini Lemony Goodness
Oh.
My.
God.
The flavor was wonderful. The texture was creamy. It was pure bliss in a tiny little flavorful package. And! And! And! it was calcium?! Really? This is good for us?
So Sam comes down and I plop this in front of her. She immediately thinks I’m trying to kill her (which is a normal occurrance), and after multiple assurances from others around her that it is not poison, she also tries it, and immediately buys two boxes (of which the pictured bite came from — so see FTC, I’m legal).
The taste is creamy.. I don’t get the gritty taste that I do with many of the other calciums out on the market (later, folks — I couldn’t help myself.. these had to come first). These have a smooth taste, a light lemony flavor without having an overtone of Pledge. And I saw that there is a chocolate flavor promised soon. I’m hopeful, of course, that the chocolate won’t suck. But regardless, I could totally do my entire 2000mg of calcium from these alone if they weren’t quite so pricey. At most places, they work out about 40 cents each, plus some shipping. But a treat, if you can limit yourself to just one — and yes they really are that good — would be worth it to me, and will be worth it. I have a list of things to buy when I get my credit card out and actually decide to do it. Probably next week. If I think I could leave them alone and only do 2000mg of calcium a day. Or do them 2 hours apart. Which actually might be difficult.
Oh, stats? These have them:
Stats -- yeah, these have them
It’s important to note these have some sugar and milk in them — so if you are seriously sensitive to sugar (3g) or milk, then be cautious when trying these (or buy them and send me any extras if they don’t work for you). Yeah, yeah, yeah.. these have 40 calories in them — shock! But being 5 years out, calories are not evil for me. I know that my resting metabolic rate is somewhere around 1800 calories on a normal day.. 1500 if I sit on my butt on the internet all day. Even if I did eat 4 of these a day, I’m not going to kill myself with calcium. A box-worth? Mebbe.. but 4 a day.. no. If you’re new postop, 4 might be hitting your caloric threshold, but not for me.
Final result? Yes, Andrea likes these. The problem is whether or not Andrea will leave them alone if they are in the house — they are very much like candy! Hey, at least I know my triggers.
