David Oliak, M.D.
Orange County Weight Loss Surgery
255 W Central Ave, #101
Brea, CA 92821
2617 E Chapman Ave, #311
Orange, CA 92869
Phone: 714-582-2530
Fax: 714-582-2537
|
LAP-BAND®  (mouse over for before photo) "I have lost 72 pounds and only have a few more to go!"  (mouse over for before photo) "My experience has been phenomenal!" Gastric Bypass  (mouse over for before photo) "Gastric bypass didn't just save my life, it gave me a better one." |
Oliak Center Newsletter
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Inside This Issue:
Note from Dr. Oliak
What's Happening at the Oliak Center?
Eating at Home when Exhaustion Hits
How to Cope with the Loss of One of your Best Friends...Food!
Scrumptious Dinner Entree Recipe
Patient Highlights
Note from Dr. Oliak
This is exciting – our first newsletter! Our goal is to provide you with motivating and interesting information on a regular basis to help you to stay on track and successful with your weight loss.
As you all know, long-term weight loss after surgery is an ongoing effort. When I see patients who are many years out after surgery I frequently hear that they would benefit from more support. It has been a continual effort on our part to deliver more useful support. A regular newsletter, our restructured online chat group, our continually improving support group meetings, our new dietitian and psychologist, and our healthy cooking classes constitute our effort to support our patients long-term.
The result of all this has been great patient weight loss outcomes, so congratulations! Your weight loss outcomes as a group significantly beat the published averages. Our goal as a practice is to achieve even better outcomes going forward, so I challenge you and us to continually improve. Here’s to a great 2010!
What's Happening at the Oliak Center?
As most of you know, we moved into our new office in Brea in August of last year. Since then we’ve grown quite a bit and have increased our staff to keep things running smoothly and give you the support you need.
Additions to the Oliak Center Staff:
Practice Manager- Lorraine Tiffany-Malone, M.S.
Registered Dietitan- Alexandra Mark M.S., R.D.
We are excited to welcome our new Practice Manager, Lorraine Tiffany-Malone, M.S. A graduate of UCLA with a master’s degree in Physiological Sciences, she received a university-wide award (chosen by the students of UCLA) for excellence in teaching. Lorraine has spent her career in health care administration, and recently returned to California after living for 9 years in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she was a Medical Practice Manager at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. Prior to that, she served as the Director of a large bariatric surgical practice with Michigan Medical Physician’s Corporation. For over 20 years, she was employed in a variety of capacities for the Pritikin Longevity Center in Santa Monica. Lorraine sings soprano in a local church choir, raises Kuvasz dogs (Brando and Denali), and drives sports cars with her husband Bob.
Alexandra Mark is the registered dietitian who recently joined our practice. Alexandra earned her Bachelor’s Degree with Distinction in Psychology from Barnard College of Columbia University. She then continued her education at Florida International University (FIU) and earned her Master of Science degree in Dietetics and Nutrition. Her graduate research at FIU brought her to Indiana University, where she presented to over 1,000 high school members of Best Buddies International on the importance of healthy eating and physical activity. She is a great addition to our team and is excited to provide you with the education and motivation you need to reach your weight loss and health goals.
Monday Night Support Group Update: The 2nd & 4th Mondays are still at Chapman Medical Center. All other Mondays will be held at the Brea office. All groups start at 6 pm. Check the yahoo chat group calendar for more info or the files section for a complete list of topics and speakers for 2010.
Eating at Home when Exhaustion Hits
Stress, work, family, social obligations…Life can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to meal planning! All too often I find myself coming home from work exhausted and unprepared to cook dinner. Instead, I rely on a “quick-fix.” I call up my favorite take-out restaurant, order my meal and get back in my car to pick up my food. Yet, when I find myself eating out at restaurants or “ordering in” too often, I know I need to stop and re-focus. I can’t fully control what I eat unless I prepare my meals myself. And when I really think about it from a time-management perspective, I try to keep this in mind: In the time it takes for my pizza or Chinese food to be delivered or to get into the car and drive to a restaurant, I could have cooked a delicious and nutritious meal in my own kitchen!
What prevents me from doing this? Not having the right “staple” foods. I know now that simply keeping healthy “staple” foods in my freezer, refrigerator and pantry allows me to seize control of what I eat, how healthy I eat, and even how much money I spend.
Below are some suggestions of foods to always have on hand. Staying stocked with these “staple” foods will enable you to effortlessly prepare healthy meals when exhaustion hits! Bring this list with you the next time you head to the grocery store and you’ll be well-equipped to eat in without ordering take-out or waiting for your pizza to be delivered!
Items for the Pantry:
Canned tuna, chicken or salmon (packed in water)
Canned fruit (packed in light syrup or its own juice)
Rolled oats or individual packets of oatmeal
Whole-grain cereal (such as Kashi Go Lean or Fiber One)
Canned beans (garbanzo, kidney, cannellini)
Canned tomatoes (for making quick, healthy tomato sauces)
Low-sodium broth-based soups (Healthy Choice, Pritikin, Health Valley)
Low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (use with protein and veggies in stir-fry or casserole recipes)
Cooking spray (use to coat non-stick pans when cooking protein and veggies)
Dried herbs (oregano, basil, parsley, cumin, chili powder)
Freezer Foods:
Frozen vegetables (spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, peas & carrots, veggie medleys)
Frozen fruits
Frozen stir-fry (Trader Joe’s or Skillet Sensations are two great options!)
Frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts or turkey
Frozen fish filets (halibut, mahi mahi, salmon)
Veggie Burgers (My Faves: Boca Burger’s Savory Mushroom Mozzarella, Morningstar Farms Grillers Original or Garden Veggie Patty)
Veggie Dogs or Sausages (Try Morningstar Farms Veggie Sausages, Lightlife Smart Dogs Veggie Links, Lightlife Smart Italian Sausages)
Egg Beaters (to make frittatas, omelets or crustlesss quiches)
Frozen 4% lean beef or turkey burgers (Costco carries wonderful low-fat turkey burgers!)
Frozen ground lean beef or turkey to make chili or meatballs
Frozen Turkey Meatballs (Trader Joe’s)
Fridge Items:
Dairy: (non-fat or low-fat cottage cheese, non-fat plain yogurt, low-fat string cheese, low-fat shredded cheese blend such as Sargento’s low fat Mexican cheese blend)
Bagged lettuce mixes (Romaine, Butter Blend or Lettuce Medley)
Baby carrots or sugar snap peas
Hard-boiled eggs
Low-fat or non-fat salad dressing
Low-fat or non-fat mayonnaise Salsa
How to Cope with the Loss of One of your Best Friends...Food!
We can all think of a million reasons why we eat. The reasons may vary from person to person, but we must admit that we all have our reasons. Some eat because of boredom, some stress, others because of different emotions they may be experiencing (anger, excitement, depression), still others may eat out of tradition or habit. Whatever the reason may be for eating, one thing is certain, hunger is not the one and only reason that we eat!
What most of you have probably discovered is that bariatric surgery has been a huge tool in helping to control your hunger cues. However, it does not help to control the recreational and emotional eating that is so much a part of our lives. That is because this type of eating is not based on hunger cues. In order to be successful in your weight loss following surgery, you must be able to get control of your emotional and recreational eating.
So, how can we go about doing this? How do we take back control? The first step is to recognize your patterns. In order to make changes, you must first be aware of the old patterns that you want to change. Keep track of the emotions that you experience when you are reaching for food. Ask yourself if you are hungry or if you are actually trying to relieve some stress. Be aware of your comfort zones, those places that you automatically go to when you are feeling stressed. Do you grab for the closest unhealthy snack? Resist the urge and try a different means of dealing with the emotions that you are experiencing.
We had a great group discussion at one of our recent support groups, and the group members were able to brainstorm MANY healthy ways to deal with stress. The next time you are feeling stressed and wanting to reach for an unhealthy snack, pull out this list and do one of the activities listed. Not only will you avoid eating something that would sabotage your weight loss progress, but you will also reap the rewards of doing something productive and enjoyable!
Stress Relieving Activities:
1. Text/Email/Call a friend
2. Play with a pet
3. Clean, organize, rearrange
4. Go for a drive
5. Go for a walk (with your dog, in your garden, on a track, around the block)
6. Go to a concert or listen to music
7. Read a good book or your favorite magazine
8. Do yoga, meditate, or take 10 slow cleansing breaths
9. Make a list (things to do, everything you want to do when you reach your goal weight, etc.)
10. Journal your thoughts and feelings or chat them on the chat group
If you don't see anything on the list that works for you, make your own personalized list of alternatives.
Scrumptious Dinner Entree Recipe
For those of you who missed our quarterly cooking class, below is a great recipe that adds lots of flavor with little fat.
Chicken Saute with Mushrooms
Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
1 pound chicken breast cutlets
3 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
¾ cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup white wine
½ cup plain, fat-free yogurt
½ packet Splenda
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat cooking spray until hot but not smoking. Sauté chicken for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and no longer pink inside. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.
2. Re-spray pan, add shallots and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, for approximately 2 minutes or until tender. Pour in wine, increase heat to high, and cook for 2 more minutes.
3. Add broth and cook for 3-5 minutes, until reduced by half. Reduce heat to low and stir in yogurt and sugar substitute. Cook for about 2 minutes or until thick enough to coat spoon. Stir in tarragon and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour over chicken and serve.
Makes 4 Servings.
Nutrition Information
Calories 181, Carbohydrates 8g, Protein 29g, Cholesterol 66mg, Fiber .5g, Sodium 230mg, Fat 2g
Patient Highlights
Sindy and David Reinbolt
Sindy: Lap-Band Surgery January 30, 2009
Down 66lbs
(67% of her excess weight)
David: Lap-Band Surgery October 16, 2009
Down 89lbs
(66% of his excess weight
“I will no longer hold myself back. I never thought I would be jogging and hiking on a regular basis. I love my new active lifestyle.” ~Sindy
“You have to set time aside everyday for yourself. I cannot stress the importance of this. I make the commitment to my mental and physical health by walking 30 minutes daily. I know without a doubt my physical activity is what has been the key to my rapid weight loss.” ~David
Inside This Issue:
Note from Dr. Oliak
What's Happening at the Oliak Center?
Eating at Home when Exhaustion Hits
How to Cope with the Loss of One of your Best Friends...Food!
Scrumptious Dinner Entree Recipe
Patient Highlights
Note from Dr. Oliak
This is exciting – our first newsletter! Our goal is to provide you with motivating and interesting information on a regular basis to help you to stay on track and successful with your weight loss. As you all know, long-term weight loss after surgery is an ongoing effort. When I see patients who are many years out after surgery I frequently hear that they would benefit from more support. It has been a continual effort on our part to deliver more useful support. A regular newsletter, our restructured online chat group, our continually improving support group meetings, our new dietitian and psychologist, and our healthy cooking classes constitute our effort to support our patients long-term.
The result of all this has been great patient weight loss outcomes, so congratulations! Your weight loss outcomes as a group significantly beat the published averages. Our goal as a practice is to achieve even better outcomes going forward, so I challenge you and us to continually improve. Here’s to a great 2010!
What's Happening at the Oliak Center?
As most of you know, we moved into our new office in Brea in August of last year. Since then we’ve grown quite a bit and have increased our staff to keep things running smoothly and give you the support you need.Additions to the Oliak Center Staff:
Practice Manager- Lorraine Tiffany-Malone, M.S.
Registered Dietitan- Alexandra Mark M.S., R.D.
We are excited to welcome our new Practice Manager, Lorraine Tiffany-Malone, M.S. A graduate of UCLA with a master’s degree in Physiological Sciences, she received a university-wide award (chosen by the students of UCLA) for excellence in teaching. Lorraine has spent her career in health care administration, and recently returned to California after living for 9 years in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she was a Medical Practice Manager at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. Prior to that, she served as the Director of a large bariatric surgical practice with Michigan Medical Physician’s Corporation. For over 20 years, she was employed in a variety of capacities for the Pritikin Longevity Center in Santa Monica. Lorraine sings soprano in a local church choir, raises Kuvasz dogs (Brando and Denali), and drives sports cars with her husband Bob.
Alexandra Mark is the registered dietitian who recently joined our practice. Alexandra earned her Bachelor’s Degree with Distinction in Psychology from Barnard College of Columbia University. She then continued her education at Florida International University (FIU) and earned her Master of Science degree in Dietetics and Nutrition. Her graduate research at FIU brought her to Indiana University, where she presented to over 1,000 high school members of Best Buddies International on the importance of healthy eating and physical activity. She is a great addition to our team and is excited to provide you with the education and motivation you need to reach your weight loss and health goals.
Monday Night Support Group Update: The 2nd & 4th Mondays are still at Chapman Medical Center. All other Mondays will be held at the Brea office. All groups start at 6 pm. Check the yahoo chat group calendar for more info or the files section for a complete list of topics and speakers for 2010.
Eating at Home when Exhaustion Hits
Stress, work, family, social obligations…Life can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to meal planning! All too often I find myself coming home from work exhausted and unprepared to cook dinner. Instead, I rely on a “quick-fix.” I call up my favorite take-out restaurant, order my meal and get back in my car to pick up my food. Yet, when I find myself eating out at restaurants or “ordering in” too often, I know I need to stop and re-focus. I can’t fully control what I eat unless I prepare my meals myself. And when I really think about it from a time-management perspective, I try to keep this in mind: In the time it takes for my pizza or Chinese food to be delivered or to get into the car and drive to a restaurant, I could have cooked a delicious and nutritious meal in my own kitchen!
What prevents me from doing this? Not having the right “staple” foods. I know now that simply keeping healthy “staple” foods in my freezer, refrigerator and pantry allows me to seize control of what I eat, how healthy I eat, and even how much money I spend.
Below are some suggestions of foods to always have on hand. Staying stocked with these “staple” foods will enable you to effortlessly prepare healthy meals when exhaustion hits! Bring this list with you the next time you head to the grocery store and you’ll be well-equipped to eat in without ordering take-out or waiting for your pizza to be delivered!
Items for the Pantry:
Canned tuna, chicken or salmon (packed in water)
Canned fruit (packed in light syrup or its own juice)
Rolled oats or individual packets of oatmeal
Whole-grain cereal (such as Kashi Go Lean or Fiber One)
Canned beans (garbanzo, kidney, cannellini)
Canned tomatoes (for making quick, healthy tomato sauces)
Low-sodium broth-based soups (Healthy Choice, Pritikin, Health Valley)
Low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (use with protein and veggies in stir-fry or casserole recipes)
Cooking spray (use to coat non-stick pans when cooking protein and veggies)
Dried herbs (oregano, basil, parsley, cumin, chili powder)
Freezer Foods:
Frozen vegetables (spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, peas & carrots, veggie medleys)
Frozen fruits
Frozen stir-fry (Trader Joe’s or Skillet Sensations are two great options!)
Frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts or turkey
Frozen fish filets (halibut, mahi mahi, salmon)
Veggie Burgers (My Faves: Boca Burger’s Savory Mushroom Mozzarella, Morningstar Farms Grillers Original or Garden Veggie Patty)
Veggie Dogs or Sausages (Try Morningstar Farms Veggie Sausages, Lightlife Smart Dogs Veggie Links, Lightlife Smart Italian Sausages)
Egg Beaters (to make frittatas, omelets or crustlesss quiches)
Frozen 4% lean beef or turkey burgers (Costco carries wonderful low-fat turkey burgers!)
Frozen ground lean beef or turkey to make chili or meatballs
Frozen Turkey Meatballs (Trader Joe’s)
Fridge Items:
Dairy: (non-fat or low-fat cottage cheese, non-fat plain yogurt, low-fat string cheese, low-fat shredded cheese blend such as Sargento’s low fat Mexican cheese blend)
Bagged lettuce mixes (Romaine, Butter Blend or Lettuce Medley)
Baby carrots or sugar snap peas
Hard-boiled eggs
Low-fat or non-fat salad dressing
Low-fat or non-fat mayonnaise Salsa
How to Cope with the Loss of One of your Best Friends...Food!
We can all think of a million reasons why we eat. The reasons may vary from person to person, but we must admit that we all have our reasons. Some eat because of boredom, some stress, others because of different emotions they may be experiencing (anger, excitement, depression), still others may eat out of tradition or habit. Whatever the reason may be for eating, one thing is certain, hunger is not the one and only reason that we eat!What most of you have probably discovered is that bariatric surgery has been a huge tool in helping to control your hunger cues. However, it does not help to control the recreational and emotional eating that is so much a part of our lives. That is because this type of eating is not based on hunger cues. In order to be successful in your weight loss following surgery, you must be able to get control of your emotional and recreational eating.
So, how can we go about doing this? How do we take back control? The first step is to recognize your patterns. In order to make changes, you must first be aware of the old patterns that you want to change. Keep track of the emotions that you experience when you are reaching for food. Ask yourself if you are hungry or if you are actually trying to relieve some stress. Be aware of your comfort zones, those places that you automatically go to when you are feeling stressed. Do you grab for the closest unhealthy snack? Resist the urge and try a different means of dealing with the emotions that you are experiencing.
We had a great group discussion at one of our recent support groups, and the group members were able to brainstorm MANY healthy ways to deal with stress. The next time you are feeling stressed and wanting to reach for an unhealthy snack, pull out this list and do one of the activities listed. Not only will you avoid eating something that would sabotage your weight loss progress, but you will also reap the rewards of doing something productive and enjoyable!
Stress Relieving Activities:
1. Text/Email/Call a friend
2. Play with a pet
3. Clean, organize, rearrange
4. Go for a drive
5. Go for a walk (with your dog, in your garden, on a track, around the block)
6. Go to a concert or listen to music
7. Read a good book or your favorite magazine
8. Do yoga, meditate, or take 10 slow cleansing breaths
9. Make a list (things to do, everything you want to do when you reach your goal weight, etc.)
10. Journal your thoughts and feelings or chat them on the chat group
If you don't see anything on the list that works for you, make your own personalized list of alternatives.
Scrumptious Dinner Entree Recipe
For those of you who missed our quarterly cooking class, below is a great recipe that adds lots of flavor with little fat.
Chicken Saute with Mushrooms
Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
1 pound chicken breast cutlets
3 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
¾ cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup white wine
½ cup plain, fat-free yogurt
½ packet Splenda
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat cooking spray until hot but not smoking. Sauté chicken for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and no longer pink inside. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.
2. Re-spray pan, add shallots and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, for approximately 2 minutes or until tender. Pour in wine, increase heat to high, and cook for 2 more minutes.
3. Add broth and cook for 3-5 minutes, until reduced by half. Reduce heat to low and stir in yogurt and sugar substitute. Cook for about 2 minutes or until thick enough to coat spoon. Stir in tarragon and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour over chicken and serve.
Makes 4 Servings.
Nutrition Information
Calories 181, Carbohydrates 8g, Protein 29g, Cholesterol 66mg, Fiber .5g, Sodium 230mg, Fat 2g
Patient Highlights
Sindy and David Reinbolt
Sindy: Lap-Band Surgery January 30, 2009
Down 66lbs
(67% of her excess weight)
David: Lap-Band Surgery October 16, 2009
Down 89lbs
(66% of his excess weight
“I will no longer hold myself back. I never thought I would be jogging and hiking on a regular basis. I love my new active lifestyle.” ~Sindy
“You have to set time aside everyday for yourself. I cannot stress the importance of this. I make the commitment to my mental and physical health by walking 30 minutes daily. I know without a doubt my physical activity is what has been the key to my rapid weight loss.” ~David