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PORTION DISTORTION - DO YOU KNOW WHAT A NORMAL PORTION SIZE IS?

In an era of super-sized portions, most people have lost touch with what an appropriate portion size is.  The serving sizes found in restaurants, supermarkets, cafes, and convenience stores has almost doubled in the past 20 years.  It is a well known fact that when served a larger portion of food, people eat more than when given a smaller amount.  We tend to believe that the portion size served is the appropriate amount to eat, regardless of size.

An extra 100-plus calories here and there adds up over time.  If you are not increasing your activity level to compensate for the additional calories, you will find yourself gaining weight. 

Research has shown that two decades ago, a coffee shop muffin weighed in at 2.5 oz and 210 calories.  Today the average muffin weighs 4 oz and delivers as much as 500 calories.  Check out other examples of our super-sized world:













So, what is an appropropriate portion size?  First of all, it's important to distinguish between portion size and serving size. A "portion size" is just the amount of food someone eats at a sitting. A "serving size" is a unit of measure that is based on nutrition needs. For example, The USDA & Canada's Food Guide suggests a range of serving sizes from the four food groups based on an individual's calorie and nutrient needs. These are the serving sizes we should be paying attention to. Here are some ways to help visualize what a serving size looks like:

•3 ounces meat, fish, chicken = 1 deck of cards
•4 ounces tofu = ½ baseball
•2 tablespoons peanut butter = 1 golf ball
•1.5 ounces (cheese = 3 dominos
•1/2 cup pasta or rice = 1/2 baseball or a small fist
•1 pancake or waffle = a 4-inch CD
•1 small muffin = a large egg
•1/2 cup cooked vegetables = ½ baseball or a small fist
•1 cup salad greens = 1 baseball
•1 small baked potato = size of your computer mouse
•1 medium sized fruit = 1 baseball
•1 teaspoon butter, margarine = tip of your thumb

If you're trying to eat less, the following strategies can help you control overeating cues and reduce portion sizes:

Use smaller serving dishes. In a study from Cornell University, people served themselves nearly 60 percent more ice cream - and were unaware they did so - when given a large spoon and big bowl compared to a smaller bowl and spoon. Instead of filling a dinner plate, serve your meal on a luncheon-sized plate (7 to 9 inches in diameter). Use small glasses for milk, juice and other caloric beverages and large glasses for water.

Plate your snacks. Don't snack directly from a large container. To see how much you're eating, measure or count out one serving and put it on a plate. Read the Nutrition Facts box to learn how many crackers, potato chips, cookies, and so on equal one serving.
Go for the real thing. Avoid buying low-fat or light versions of your favourite treats. Research has shown that people eat, on average, 28 to 50 per cent more calories when they eat low-fat snacks than regular ones. Low fat doesn't always mean fewer calories. Fat is often replaced with sugar, reducing calories somewhat but not as much you might think. Low-fat foods are also often perceived as "guilt free", causing people to overindulge. Satisfy your craving with the food you love, just in a small portion.
Avoid temptation. Foods that are visible and within reach encourage overeating. Keep unhealthy snacks hidden at the back of the cupboard or refrigerator. If possible, don't bring them into the house until you need to serve them.

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  2009    1990
500 Calories210 Calories
  2009    1990
590 Calories333 Calories
      2009    1990
  350 Calories 45 Calories
  (Steamed milk   (Whole Milk)
  & Mocha syrup) 
The Muscle Building Quiz - How strong is your strength training knowledge?  

There are dozens of strength training programs out there, each promising to deliver the results you want. So how do you know which techniques are right for you? Take this quiz to separate the myths from the facts.   


1.  For a muscle to get stronger, it has to get bigger.

MYTH - The amount of force a muscle can generate depends not just on the size of the muscle fibers but also on the number of fibers that can be activated and used. Each time you challenge your muscles to do more than they usually do, they learn to use more of your existing muscle fibers. Muscle fibers won't start getting bigger until after you reach the point where you're activating most of them--and you can gain a lot of strength before you get to that point.

2.  If you do circuit training, then you do not need to do cardio separately.

MYTH - Circuit training involves moving quickly from one strength exercise to the next with very little rest in between.  This will keep your heart rate elevated. But circuit training alone can't be your sole means of "cardio," which requires you to use large muscles in a rhythmic movement for an extended period of time. Strength training doesn't provide all of the same benefits as cardio, even if your heart rate is up.

3.  It is best to start your workout with smaller muscles and then train the bigger muscles.

MYTH - If you work out the smaller muscles first, they'll be too tired to help out when you're lifting heavier weights to train your larger muscles. So do the "heavy lifting" first, and finish off with the smaller muscles.
 


4.  You can reduce fat around your middle by performing specific exercises targetting your stomach.

MYTH - If you've ever done crunches to get six-pack abs or leg lifts to get thin thighs (and haven't we all?), you've fallen prey to the myth of spot reduction. This myth suggests that doing specific exercises for specific body parts will help you lose body fat there. But, the truth is, how and where we lose fat depends on, among other things, genetics, hormones and age. If you want to lose fat around the thighs or belly, you have to create a calorie deficit (through exercise and diet).  Lose body fat and see how your body responds. What you'll typically find is that, wherever you store excess fat,  that is the last place you'll lose it. For women, that's often the hips, thighs and lower belly and for men it's often the belly and waist.  One reason this myth is still hanging around is because of how aggressively it's perpetuated by the infomercials, diets and magazines promising thin thighs, flat abs and other extreme results for very little work.
Instead of wasting money on false promises and silly gadgets, try a healthier approach so that you can get your best body rather than an idealized body that always seems out of reach:

5.  Strength training makes women bulk up.  This is why women should focus on high reps and low weights.

MYTH - This is another popular myth that persists despite the fact that women typically don't have the amount of hormones (namely, testosterone) necessary to build huge muscles. In fact, even men struggle to gain muscle which is one reason steroids are such a popular drug with men who want to build big muscles.  Lifting heavy weights can benefit both men and women and, in fact, challenging your body with heavy weights during some of your workouts is the only way you'll really see results and get stronger.  Remember, muscle takes up less space than fat. When you add muscle, that helps you lose fat (along with your cardio and healthy diet, of course), which means you'll be leaner and more defined

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HIDDEN SUGARS

Sugar is everywhere in your supermarket!   It's in plain sight in many foods, such as cereals, cakes, cookies and candy. But it's also lurking under many different names in products that you might never suspect. Foods such as canned soup and spaghetti sauce can also be heavy on the sugar.

Even though sugar and other simple carbohydrates can play a part in a well balanced diet, hidden sources of sugar can wreak havoc with the best laid nutritional plans.

Sugar travels incognito under many different aliases. Some of the usual suspects are:  table sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup, and sorghum, honey and maple syrup.  These are common forms of sucrose.

But then it can get a little bit tricky. There are other sugars that also end in "ose" just like sucrose does. Glucose, (aka dextrose), lactose, maltose and fructose are in many products. Even though fructose doesn't affect blood sugar as easily as sucrose, it is still a sugar and must be counted as a simple carbohydrate when you're keeping track.

Even more sneaky are the "ols" which are basically sugar alcohols. A lot of chewing gums and breath mints have these sugars in them. You may have seen sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol and maltitol listed in the ingredients for these and other products.

How can you defend yourself against these masked marauders? Be aware and read the labels. If it ends in "ose" or "ol", it's most likely a sugar.