Bariatric Surgery
Surgery for the purpose of weight loss in obese patients. Includes gastric banding*, gastroplasty* and gastric bypass* and is designed to restrict the passive over-consumption of calories.
Blood glucose
Glucose is a type of carbohydrate and is the body's main energy source. The blood glucose level rises when a carbohydrate* food is eaten and is also produced by the liver and muscles by the breakdown of glycogen, the body's store of carbohydrate. It is an important monitoring tool for those with diabetes.
Carbohydrate
A nutrient and major constituent of the diet, encompassing starches (complex carbohydrate) and simple sugars. It supplies 4 calories per gram. Starches are made up of linked glucose molecules and take longer to digest than simple sugars, which are made up of one or more monosaccharides, such as glucose, fructose, lactose or sucrose. All carbohydrates cause the blood glucose level to rise as they are digested and absorbed.
Fats
The most concentrated source of calories in the diet. Saturated fats are found primarily in animal products. Unsaturated fats mainly come from plants and can be monounsaturated (olive or canola oil) or polyunsaturated (corn and other oils). Excess intake of fat, especially saturated fat and trans-fatty acids, can cause elevated blood cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Fibre
There are two types of fibre - soluble and insoluble.
Soluble fibre is present in fruit, vegetables, oats, barley and pulses (beans, peas and lentils). It can help regulate blood glucose levels, reduce cholesterol and helps control appetite.
Insoluble fibre is the more fibrous type and is found in pulses, brown rice, wholemeal flour, edible seeds in fruit, maize, wheatbran, wholegrain bread and cereals. It is associated with positive effects on the intestine such as reduced risk of constipation, diverticulitis and bowel cancer.
Gastric Banding
This is done via keyhole surgery and involves a band being placed around the upper stomach and a small tube connected to a reservoir placed under the skin. Eight weeks postoperatively the reservoir or ‘balloon' is inflated using a special needle placed through the skin. The amount of fluid in the balloon is adjusted over subsequent weeks to produce the required weight loss.
Gastric Bypass
This is done via keyhole surgery and involves the upper part of the stomach being divided and joined onto the small intestine so that the main reservoir of the stomach is bypassed. A small amount of small bowel is also bypassed.
Gastroplasty
Surgical operation used in morbid obesity to reduce the size of the stomach e.g. vertical banded gastroplasty, where the stomach is stapled to form a small pouch, which restricts the amount of food that can be eaten. It is used in conjunction with a gastric band, which limits the size of the opening between the pouch and the rest of the stomach.
Glycaemic Index (GI)
Is a ranking of carbohydrate containing foods from 1 - 100 according to how quickly it affects the blood glucose level. Pure glucose and white bread have a GI of 100 as they are digested and absorbed the most rapidly. Low GI foods (55 or less) such as wholegrain bread, Basmati rice and porridge oats, have a positive effect on health and are useful in diabetes and weight management as they give a much more gradual rise in blood glucose levels and keep hunger pangs at bay.
Glycaemic Load (GL)
GL gives us more detail as to the blood glucose response after eating carbohydrate-containing foods as, in addition to GI, it also takes into account the quantity of carbohydrate eaten. If you ate a large bowl of pasta, for instance, it would give a high glycaemic response, whereas a small portion would give a lower glycaemic response. This is why for those with diabetes or those trying to lose weight, the quantity of carbohydrate eaten is just as important as the GI of the food
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone produced by beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, which is released when the blood glucose* level rises. It allows the body's cells to take up glucose to utilize it as energy. In type I diabetes, the body does not make any of its own insulin and so an artificial source has to be used in order to control blood glucose levels. In type II diabetes, the body still makes its own insulin although the body is not sensitive to its action (insulin resistance*) and so the blood glucose levels remain high and need to be controlled by diet and/or tablets or insulin.
Portion Control
Portion control is an important aspect of weight management as even if everything you eat is ‘healthy', it is still possible to go overboard in terms of calories. To achieve weight loss you must have a deficit between calories burned and calories eaten. To achieve weight loss, aim to cover half your dinner plate with non-starchy vegetables, one quarter with meat, poultry, fish, eggs or soya and one quarter with starchy, low GI carbohydrates.
Protein
Protein is a nutrient in the diet, supplying 4 kcals per gram, which is made up of amino acids. These are the ‘building blocks' of all the body's tissues and so is involved in growth and repair. It is present in both animal and vegetable products and good sources include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, yogurt and milk. Vegan sources include soya products, mycoprotein (e.g. Quorn), nuts, seeds, and pulses.
SmartWeight
SmartWeight is a medically supervised weight loss programme devised by Dr Abraham at London Medical. SmartWeight is a flexible, tailored approach to long-term weight loss proven to reduce insulin resistance, improve blood biochemistry and blood glucose control. In addition, SmartWeight has been known to increase self esteem, improve appearance and offer a better quality of life.
Sugar
A form of carbohydrate that provides calories and raises blood sugar levels. There are a variety of sugars, such as white, brown, confectioner's, invert and raw. Fructose, lactose, sucrose, maltose, dextrose, glucose, honey, corn syrup, molasses and sorghum are also sugars.
Sugar substitutes
Sweeteners used in place of sugar. Note that some sugar substitutes have calories and will affect blood sugar levels, such as fructose (a sugar, but often used in ‘sugar-free' products) and sugar alcohols like sorbitol and mannitol. Others have very few calories and will not affect blood sugar levels, such as saccharin, acesulfame-K, aspartame (NutraSweet) and sucralose (Splenda).
SmartWeight™ not only improves your appearance but can also have a significant impact on your life expectancy.