It's Your Health!

Perhaps you prefer to use inanimate objects to estimate serving portions. A serving of cereal is about the size of a tennis ball, not a basketball. A medium-size potato is about the size of a computer mouse and equals two carbohydrate servings for diabetics. The size of a small bar of soap equals a three to four-ounce serving of chicken, fish or meat. We are all familiar with dice -- about four dice would equal one ounce of cheese.

If you want to watch the amount of spaghetti you are eating, this next tip will not only give you an idea if you are eating too much, but it will slow down your eating a bit. Enjoy it and savor it while you count the noodles! Yes, count the noodles! A single serving is equivalent to about 32 full strands of spaghetti and-or one carbohydrate exchange for diabetics. Here is another one -- an average three-ounce bagel is equal to the size of a hockey puck and/or one carbohydrate exchange for diabetics.

Americans have reached an all-time high of obesity and diabetes. This is due in part to the ever-increasing portion sizes sold to us in fast food chains, supermarket aisle, frozen foods and even in many restaurants. Consequently, we grossly overestimate a normal portion size. Another thing one could do to familiarize themselves with portion sizes is to begin weighing all your foods at home. In time, you will be able to tell what a portion size should be without using the scale. This practice is especially good for diabetics who have to watch their exchanges.

Practice restraint in restaurants as well. An appetizer makes a great meal and is plenty of food for one sitting. However, we are supposed to think of it in an entirely different manner, are we not? We have become accustomed to having an appetizer and/or drink BEFORE a meal. Yipes! Talk about adding calories, fat and ultimately: POUNDS! With an entree, you can split one and still get plenty of food for one sitting. Alternatively, you can set half aside when you get your dish, request a doggie bag and put that other half into the doggie bag right away. Two restaurant meals for the price of one!

Use your plate as a guide:
Picture your plate as a clock. Let's say it is 3:00 p.m. You would want to fill the section between 12:00 and 3:00 o'clock with your meat or dairy servings for that meal. If your meat or dairy portion is larger than the space on your plate, you're eating too much. The rest of your plate should be rounded out with servings of grains, fruit and vegetables.

A few more portion control tips:
Do not put more food out than what you want to eat. Pay attention to how many servings a recipes states it makes and try to stick to the equivalent of one serving.

When eating in a restaurant request salad dressings, butter, sour cream, pancake syrup and such be served on the side. This way you can control the portion you add to your food.

If you are not sure of ingredients in a recipe when dining out, ask! For example, if you want an omelet, find out how many they use to make their omelets. If they use three or four, request one or two. Your entree should be about the size of a deck of cards. If it is larger, consider asking half be put into a doggy bag before you begin eating.

Following is the 21st Century Guide to portion sizes:

• A medium potato = a six-ounce soda can
• 3 ounces of meat = the size of a floppy disk
• One scoop of ice cream = a round iMac mouse
• 3 ounces of grilled fish = a PDA
• 1 ounce of cheese = a pager
• 1-tablespoon of olive oil (or other cooking oil) = an individual eye-shadow compact
• A serving of pretzels or other snack food = a coffee mug's full

Now that you are more aware of portion sizes, consider what you have been eating. Most likely, you will find it has been too much at one sitting and you were not even aware of it. It is a struggle in today's society. This is why self-educating is so important. Once aware of things such as this, you can take total control over your weight destiny! All it requires is a little discipline and the rewards are fantastic for your health, well-being and wellness.