My husband had Aortic Valve Replacement 10-11-05 at the age of 27. He has a St. Jude Mechanical Valve - therefore he is on Coumadin and of course has to have his INR checked regularly. He is very concerned about his weight. He gained about 25 - 30 pounds after the surgery. He has maintained that weight since the surgery but he would like to lose it.
I have no idea what to do for him - or what he can do for himself. I have to cook for 3 boys, my husband and myself, so it is difficult to know what to prepare that won't cost an arm and a leg! I don't fry foods, and most everything I cook is prepared with low-fat, low cholesterol items. He still doesn't lose weight, and I wonder if it is due to the medications he is on.
Dr. Gourmet Says...
The key to your husband's weight loss, as with all weight loss, is a matter of eating fewer calories and burning more.
Folks who are taking Coumadin (warfarin) can feel that this is a challenge because they believe that they are limited in what they can eat. In truth, there are very few ingredients that are an issue.
We've created software that can help you build menu plans for your entire family that will satisfy your husband's need for weight loss and at the same time limit the amount of Vitamin K in his diet. You can get started here:
http://www.drgourmet.com/qualitycaloriediet.shtml
Once you register, the planner will create two weekly meal plans for your entire family, complete with recipes and shopping lists. When building the profiles, simply check the box for Coumadin on the profile you build for your husband. The planner will do the rest.
Thanks for writing,
Timothy S. Harlan, M.D.
Dr. Gourmet
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How Much Vitamin K is in....?
There's an easy way to find out about the nutrition content of any food. Just use The Dr. Gourmet Diet Plan Software.
Just register to use the software, then click the Recipe Box tab. The ingredient database includes over 7,000 ingredients and will show you the nutritional information for those ingredients - including Vitamin K. Use the Food Diary section to help you track your daily Vitamin K intake along with calories and other nutrients. Try it now!