The Center for Bariatric Surgery Rhode Island Hospital & The Miriam Hospital
SUPPORT GROUP NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2018 MONTHLY ANNOUNCEMENTS •
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The monthly Support Group Newsletter is posted on The Center for Bariatric Surgery website at https://www.lifespan.org/centersservices/center-bariatric-surgery/patient-newsletter. Please visit https://www.lifespan.org/centers-services/center-bariatric-surgery , as well as the Facebook Weight Loss Striders group page, for important program announcements such as changes or cancellations to support group meetings. The Spanish–speaking Support Group will be on hold until further notice. Please continue to look for announcements on when the meeting will resume. Thank you for your cooperation. Upcoming cancellations: Due to upcoming observed holidays, there will be no 1st Monday morning of the month support group meeting on January 1, 2018 as well as the third Monday evening of the month support group on February 19, 2018. Please see the back of this newsletter for a complete listing of all support group meetings through March 2018.
FEATURED RECIPE OF THE MONTH Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup Adapted from The Pretty Bee at www.theprettybee.com Winter is the best time for soup making. It’s also ideal to kick off your new year’s nutrition goals with the power of plant based foods. This easy slow cooker recipe has plenty of fiber, protein and loads of vitamins and minerals from the beans and veggies without all the saturated fat and cholesterol that we’d normally get with any animal meats. Serves: About 8 Ingredients & Materials Needed: • Medium/large slow cooker • 1 small yellow onion, chopped • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 1 Tbsp. olive oil • 1 cup carrots (sliced/chopped/shredded) • 1- 14.5 oz. can garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), drained & rinsed • 1- 14.5 oz. can great northern beans, drained & rinsed • 1- 14.5 oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained & rinsed • 15 oz. can crushed or diced fire roasted tomatoes • 1 & ½ tsp. Italian seasoning • ½ tsp. salt • ¼ tsp. ground pepper • 2 bay leaves • ¼ - ½ tsp. ground cinnamon • 32-40 oz. vegetable broth (total four to five 8 oz. cups) • 1 cup fresh curly kale chopped into small pieces • 1 cup fresh or frozen green beans chopped into smaller pieces Instructions: 1) Place olive oil, onion & garlic in bottom of slow cooker & set to high. Then add in the carrots, rinsed and drained beans, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper & broth. Stir and place cover on slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours. 2) About 30 minutes before serving, add in the kale & green beans, stir and cook for remaining 30 minutes. Season with additional salt and/or pepper as desired. Enjoy!
HOT TOPICS AT UPCOMING MEETINGS January 1, 2018 New Year’s Day HolidayNo Support Group Meeting January 23, 2018 5:30 – 6:30 pm “Super Foods for Super Health” February 5, 2018 10:00 – 11:00 am “Patient Panel Support Group” February 27, 2018 5:30 – 6:30 pm “Defending Your Immune System” March 5, 2018 “Spring Into Fitness” 10:00 – 11:00 am March 27, 2018 5:30 – 6:30 pm “Managing Emotional Eating” 5:30 – 6:30 pm