Enough And Too Much

I'm not big on measuring food, for two reasons. First, I think it's unrealistic to have to stop every time you need to eat and measure your food. Second, measuring food does not necessarily support behavior modification and therefore does not support long-term weight management. You can't just pull out a scale at a restaurant or dinner party or when you're traveling. What you can do is use the eyeball method. It's a tried-and-true method that has been around for years. A portion of protein or carbohydrates at a meal is typically the size of your open palm. A snack-sized portion of cheese would be the size of your finger; a handful of nuts is ten to twelve almonds. Your plate at any meal should contain 350-500 calories, consisting of one portion of a lean protein source(chicken, turkey, fish, soy products, nuts) and one to two portions of low to moderate glycemic carbohydrates in the form of highfiber fruits and vegetables. A snack should look like a smaller version of a meal and be only 100 to 150 calories.

Once you begin to make healthier food choices, you must be careful of the carbohydrate portion of your plate. The average American eats a great many calories, up to one third, in the form of simple, starchy high glycemic carbohydrates, such as sugary foods and drinks, bread, and potatoes. I would like to make one note here. Pasta and rice have received a bad rap lately for being high glycemic carbohydrates. To the contrary, because pasta is made from durum wheat, which your body digests more slowly than white flour, most pastas, not all, if cooked al dente, are actually a low to moderate GI carbohydrate. Most types of rice fall under the category of a moderate GI carbohydrate. The problem most people face when eating pasta or rice is that their portion sizes tend to be too high, they eat these two foods too often, or they don't eat these foods strategically. I suggest a portion size of ½ to 1 cup of pasta or rice per meal and it must be eaten with some form of lean protein. These two foods should be eaten in the early part of the day and in moderation so they can be utilized and burned for energy. You can have some pasta or rice, but no more than three times per week or preferably less if weight loss is your primary goal. I'm not giving you the total green light here to indulge in pasta or rice. But you can eat them in moderation depending on your weight-loss goals and how fast you want to shed those excess pounds. The more you reduce high glycemic carbohydrates, the faster you will see results. All of us are accustomed to eating simple carbohydrates. It is part of our cultural mind-set. But to shed excess pounds, it is essential to shed our addiction to simple sugars and starchy carbohydrates. It will take some time and patience, but you will actually reeducate your taste buds to enjoy healthier foods. They say it takes twentyeight days to break a habit, so be consistent and diligent. I promise, it will happen. It happened for me and countless clients of mine.

Choosing nutrient-rich foods that your body requires to restore your hormonal balance will not happen overnight, and it may be a little challenging at first. Do not get discouraged. After a few short weeks, your body should begin to adjust to nutrient rich foods rather than unhealthy ones. In fact, your body may begin to react negatively to the unhealthy foods it once craved. For this reason, I suggest that you choose to prepare your food in the most natural way. The less processed, the better.