Upsetting Buzz About Popcorn

How does it all go down? How do raw corn kernels turn into the puffy goodness we know as popcorn? A little bit of knowledge may go a long way, because it could make the difference between buying a useless popcorn maker, and making a more informed decision when purchasing the right one for your needs. And really, it’s a wonderful piece of equipment, when you think about it. When the right corn and the right conditions are provided, there’s really a delicious outcome. Whether it is an antique popcorn machine, used popcorn machine or kettle popcorn maker the inner workings of the machine and its needs are pretty much universal.

By all accounts it is a high fiber “healthy” snack. However, for many gastric patients popcorn becomes the king of slider foods leading to digestive upset, dumping syndrome and ultimately weight gain.

When a gastric bypass, gastric banding or gastric sleeve weight loss surgery patient is compelled to eat popcorn they should follow these eating guidelines that are provided by most weight loss surgery centers. Applying these guidelines is not radical or gimmicky, it is following the rules we agreed to when we signed on for gastric surgery.

• Measure a 1-cup serving for your meal or snack. Do not butter, salt or season the popcorn. Air popped is preferred.
• Cease liquid consumption 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after enjoying your 1 cup serving of popcorn.
• Do not consume liquid while having your 1-cup serving of popcorn.
• Do not exceed the 1-cup serving of popcorn.
• If you chose to eat anything else with your popcorn meal/snack you must decrease the volume of popcorn by the volume of other food you will be consuming so that total volume of food is 1 cup.

Nutritional per serving: 1 cup lightly buttered popcorn is 82 calories; 1g Protein; 6g Fat; 6g Carbohydrate. Additionally we experience a dry mouth, bad breath and thirst. This is your pouch doing its job: You are supposed to feel uncomfortable when you follow the guidelines and eat something that appears on most “avoid these foods” lists provided by bariatric centers.

If we ignore the guidelines and eat popcorn while drinking a beverage often our portion size goes unmeasured and we cross over to grazing-style eating. This is a problem with popcorn because popcorn is a high glycemic food and it elevates our blood sugar. If the beverages consumed with it also raises our glycemic load we are in danger of dumping syndrome. Soon this state of “offness” begins to feel normal and it can only be sustained by nibbling or grazing on similar simple carbohydrates such as pretzels and crackers.