It's true, size matters, always has, always will.
And here's another truth, most of us eat way too much.
Back the clock up twenty years; Canadians may have gained their Charter of Rights and Freedoms but what we hadn't gained was a lot of weight. Pierre Trudeau was our Prime Minister, Canadians were thinner, and our dinner plates were smaller. Now we're serving ourselves on large restaurant style plates that are so big they don't even fit into circa 1960 kitchen cupboards.
Twenty years ago a regular bagel was 3-inches (8 cm) in diameter and had 140 calories; today's regular bagel is 6-inches (15 cm) in diameter and has 350 calories.
Twenty years ago a cup of coffee with milk and sugar was 8 oz. (250 mL) and had about 45 calories. Today's average size mocha, lattéd, new fangled coffee concoction weighing in at 16 oz. (500 mL) can hit you in right in the belly fat with a whooping 350 calories.
That bagel and coffee in the 1980's was around 200 calories, today that same snack is 700 big ones. Which in exercise language means the average person would have to walk, not stroll, just shy of three hours to burn that innocent little snack off.
How did this phenomenon happen? When did we start thinking that eating bigger portions was such a brilliant idea? Can we blame someone? Please?
There are theories galore out there, but the bottom line, pardon the pun, is what are you going to do about it?
This month's new behaviour is to start looking at our portion sizes. One of the easiest solutions is to downsize our plates. We eat with our eyes and if we see a mountain of food on a plate we think we've hit the jackpot. Brain says, go nuts, eat.
You can fool your brain when you go with a smaller plate.
Here's an example: According to Canada's Food Guide one serving from the Meat and Alternates category is 2 ½ oz. (75 g) of poultry, fish, shellfish or lean meat. That little old piece of poultry looks lost on a huge plate making you feel as if you've been ripped off in the calorie department. That same piece of poultry looks enormous on a smaller plate. Factor in last month's new behaviour Ready, Set, Slow Down and you have winning combo.
This month use the size matters strategy, put your food on smaller plates; take 20 minutes to eat it, and let your brain think you just pigged out. A little Vulcan Mind Melt on the brain can make you a winner in the health department.
And here's another truth, most of us eat way too much.
Back the clock up twenty years; Canadians may have gained their Charter of Rights and Freedoms but what we hadn't gained was a lot of weight. Pierre Trudeau was our Prime Minister, Canadians were thinner, and our dinner plates were smaller. Now we're serving ourselves on large restaurant style plates that are so big they don't even fit into circa 1960 kitchen cupboards.
Twenty years ago a regular bagel was 3-inches (8 cm) in diameter and had 140 calories; today's regular bagel is 6-inches (15 cm) in diameter and has 350 calories.
Twenty years ago a cup of coffee with milk and sugar was 8 oz. (250 mL) and had about 45 calories. Today's average size mocha, lattéd, new fangled coffee concoction weighing in at 16 oz. (500 mL) can hit you in right in the belly fat with a whooping 350 calories.
That bagel and coffee in the 1980's was around 200 calories, today that same snack is 700 big ones. Which in exercise language means the average person would have to walk, not stroll, just shy of three hours to burn that innocent little snack off.
How did this phenomenon happen? When did we start thinking that eating bigger portions was such a brilliant idea? Can we blame someone? Please?
There are theories galore out there, but the bottom line, pardon the pun, is what are you going to do about it?
This month's new behaviour is to start looking at our portion sizes. One of the easiest solutions is to downsize our plates. We eat with our eyes and if we see a mountain of food on a plate we think we've hit the jackpot. Brain says, go nuts, eat.
You can fool your brain when you go with a smaller plate.
Here's an example: According to Canada's Food Guide one serving from the Meat and Alternates category is 2 ½ oz. (75 g) of poultry, fish, shellfish or lean meat. That little old piece of poultry looks lost on a huge plate making you feel as if you've been ripped off in the calorie department. That same piece of poultry looks enormous on a smaller plate. Factor in last month's new behaviour Ready, Set, Slow Down and you have winning combo.
This month use the size matters strategy, put your food on smaller plates; take 20 minutes to eat it, and let your brain think you just pigged out. A little Vulcan Mind Melt on the brain can make you a winner in the health department.
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