ArcaMax

5 Ugly Things I’ve Learned About Gastric Bypass Surgery

Right off the top, I have to admit I have no personal experience with gastric bypass surgery and I am not a medical professional. What you are going to read here are things I’ve learned in talking to people who have had weight loss surgery. They wanted to share with me some of their experiences. You’ll also see a few statistics.

I put my foot down in my own weight loss journey when gastric bypass surgery came into the market decades ago. At this point, there are several types of surgery all aimed at helping people lose weight. I am lumping them all into the category of bariatric surgery.

Over the years I tried every type of diet I thought might give me hope of losing weight and keeping it off. Some helped me get the weight off, but none helped me keep it off. When it came to bariatric surgery I was adamant that I was not going to do it unless the doctors told me death was imminent and I had no other options.

So I’ve never done it. Why?

First off because death is one of the listed side effects. They don’t emphasize that 1 out of every 1000 patients who undergo gastric bypass die within a year after the surgery. I don’t like those odds...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

Chicken Verde

This is going to taste just like a traditional enchilada without the tortilla. The ZReboot people even get to have the ooey, gooey cheese topping. If you have Mexican food fans in your family this is a hit!

Servings: Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the chicken

3 boneless, skinless, chicken breast pieces
1 cup organic chicken broth
1-1/2 cups of water
1 clove of minced garlic (jar garlic will work)
1 good grate of sea salt

For the sauce

1-1/2 lb of tomatillos (Peel them. They will be sticky. Don’t worry. Then cut them in quarters.)
3 serrano peppers chopped (Take off stem and cut crosswise into slices. You can even add the seeds. Careful not to get juice in your eyes.)
1 clove of garlic, minced
½ of a medium white onion, chopped
1 cup of chicken broth

For toppings

chopped tomato bits
chopped red or white onion
minced cilantro
grated cheese, Cheddar, Chihuahua or Mexican blend
Sour cream (optional)

Instructions:

For the chicken. Get out a medium sauté pan. Add the chicken and other ingredients. Bring to a boil to poach the chicken. Boil for approximately 15 minutes, turning once, until no pink remains. Set aside until cooler. Then shred with two forks. To make this easy, first I slice it in 1/2 “ slices. Then just pull at the slices with the two forks. Work across the grain and it pulls right apart. (If you have kids, get them to shred it. That’s a good cooking lesson. A nearby spouse can do this too!)

While the chicken is cooking you can make your sauce.

Get out a large sauce pan. Put in the tomatillos, onion, peppers, and garlic. Cover with just enough water so they float. Bring to a boil. Cook on low boil for about 10 minutes until the tomatillos go from bright green to mossy green and until they are fairly soft. Strain them along with the onion.

Then put in your blender with the last portion of chicken broth. The mixture will be hot, so be careful when you go to blend them into a sauce. I put the top on tight, vent it (take out that round plug in the middle), cover with a folded kitchen towel. Hold it down tightly and then turn on low. The hot air pressure has to escape so be careful. If you keep it low you should be fine. Don’t make the mistake of blasting it or you’ll be scraping green slime off your ceiling!

Put the shredded chicken in a bowl. Pour one cup of hot tomatillo sauce in and stir it all up. (You might have to re-heat this mixture if it’s been hanging around a while). There will be extra sauce for garnish or for those who want extra.

To serve. Get out soup bowls. Put a cup of chicken mixture in the bowl. Top with a little extra tomatillo sauce. The put on grated onion, cilantro and chopped tomato. This will likely be your protein and veggie portion, depending on how much you garnish it.

For those who do dairy: when you put the chicken in the bowl I’d put a nice layer of cheese on top and pop it in the microwave to melt the cheese. Then garnish with tomatoes, onion, cilantro and even a dollop of sour cream. I love the cold sour cream on top of the hot cheese and chicken.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola