Sugar-free treats

One of the most annoying (for want of a better word) parts of getting used to life after gastric bypass is avoiding the dreaded Dumping Syndrome.

This page explains dumping in a nutshell:

"As a result of gastric bypass surgery, you no longer have the Pyloric valve which regulates the passage of food from the stomach into the small intestines. Food enters the intestinal tract in a different place than it is supposed to - since the first part of the system has been bypassed. So, when sugar is now being dumped into your lower intestines (that aren't equipped to process it) and your body reacts by having all the symptoms mentioned above. The key is to avoid the foods that cause Dumping Syndrome."

I've read about this and heard from other patients that when they have dumped, it feels like they are going to die. It feels like a heartattack or an anxiety attack. And after it's over, you just want to sleep. Dumping isn't physically dangerous but it is not something any of us want to go through. So we must avoid sugar and all its by-products like the plague.

Now, every gastric bypass patient is different. Some people tolerate sugar fine, but I'm not about to test the theory. I just don't eat sugar. The irony of being cured of diabetes yet having to restrict the sugar in my diet even more now than when I was on 1000mg of Metformin a day is not lost on me. It sucks. But it is what it is so I put on my big-girl panties and deal with it.

I personally have never had a dumping episode. Again...I avoid sugar. I don't avoid sugar alcohols as they don't seem to bother me much though I know some gastric bypass patients have trouble digesting them. The only way to know is to test the waters, unfortunately. Splenda is my friend. I drink Crystal Light by the gallon and enjoy sugar-free candy, cookies, etc. I don't eat that stuff all the time, but I firmly believe that you gotta treat yourself occasionally or you'll end up at Walmart with an assault rifle, finger on the trigger, aiming for the first chick who reaches for the Twinkies in aisle seven. I'm just sayin'.

Some of my favorite SF gear include (click to enlarge):

Werther's Originals:

Hershey's Sugar-Free Miniatures (YUM):

Splenda Flavors for Coffee (only in the U.S., sorry):

Murray's line of sugar-free cookies. I'm partial to the chocolate-chip pecan. I found these at Walmart in the States, but haven't seen them in Canada. But I haven't looked for them a lot, either.

Voortman's makes a great line of sugar-free cookies, too. I found the wafers at Walmart here in town and they're a great after-dinner cure for the sweet tooth.

I like all these products but that's only my opinion. I'm just throwing out suggestions.

Over the holidays I found a couple recipes online that turned out quite well! I tested these on co-workers, family and friends and the 'normal' people really liked them, too.

Low-Carb, Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
3/4 cup Splenda
1 large egg

Mix all three ingredients with a spoon until well combined. Drop by heaping teaspoonful or even tablespoonful on an ungreased cookie sheet. Use a fork to squish them down to the height you like. You can make the traditional crisscross pattern with your fork or vary it. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Sugar Free Brownies

1/2 cup margarine
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
2 cups Splenda
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray Pam and flour an 8x8-inch pan. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt margarine and cocoa together, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Stir in Splenda. Combine the flour and salt; stir into the egg mixture then mix in the cocoa and margarine. Finally stir in the 1/4 cup of milk and if desired, the walnuts.

Pour into the prepared pan bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven. Stick in a toothpick--when it comes out clean it’s done. Let cool and then cut into squares.

Sugar-free peanut butter frosting

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar-free maple syrup
1/2 cup flour

Whisk or blend together all ingredients until smooth and creamy.

The peanut butter frosting goes well with the brownies. As you can see, I love peanut butter. LOL! I have several other recipes to try and if they turn out well, I'll share them.

I have used sugar-free Torani chocolate syrup in place of the maple syrup in the frosting and to me, it tasted better that way. You could use vanilla, too, or whatever flavor you like. A friend recently told me us Canadians could get the vanilla variety of the sugar-free Torani syrup at Williams Coffee Pub. You can also order from this website, but you need to contact them about the cost of shipping to Canada. Torani is $4.95 (or was it $4.25?) a bottle at just about any Walmart in the States. If you get to the States, you might want to just stock up.

In any event, treat yourself every now and then. You deserve it! I think of it this way: I had this surgery so I could live, you know? Don't tell me I can never have another cookie! :-)