Get A Handle On Portion Sizes

According to the National Institutes of Health, food portions in U.S. restaurants have doubled or tripled over the last 20 years.

This is a key factor contributing to the increase in obesity and, by extension, the onset of heart disease and diabetes among other conditions.

For diabetics, adjusting portions is a great first step toward cutting carbohydrates and calories, which leads to better results on your scale and glucose monitor.

One good example is pasta. Fifteen grams of extra carbs can increase blood sugar by 30 to 50 points or more. A fifteen-gram serving of pasta is about 1/3 cup. Most restaurants serve pasta entrees with 2 to 3 cups of pasta.

Small changes make a difference.

Use some of these tips to watch your portions.

• Start measuring your foods to get an understanding of portion size.
• Learn what a cup of cereal or a teaspoon of honey looks like.
• Healthy portion visualization, three ounces of meat equals a deck of cards.
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter equal the size of a ping pong ball.
• ? cup baked potato or sweet potato equals a computer mouse.
• Pre-portion your snacks versus eating from the bag.
• Use smaller plates and bowls to make portions look bigger.
• Ask for a to-go box with your meal when eating out and, pack up half of your meal before you dig in. Or, split those big restaurant entrees with a friend.

See what comparisons you can find for your favorite foods online.

Watching your portion size makes it possible to continue to eat your favorite foods while working towards your health care goals.

RJB

Food And Beverages

In the chart above I have listed the common name for sugar found on food labels. Keep this list handy when checking your food labels.

Glycemic Index

The?glycemic index?(GI)?measures how quickly various foods?increase your blood sugar. On the glycemic index scale, food ranks between 0 and 100.??Pure sugar or glucose has an index of 100.??Food with a glycemic index?of 29 boosts blood sugar only 29% as much as pure glucose. On the other hand, food with a glycemic index of 95 acts like pure glucose.??In other words, the lower a food's GI, the slower your blood sugar?could spike?after eating that food.?

The lower a food's GI, the slower blood sugar rises after eating that?food.?Usually, foods that are higher in carbs have a higher GI.?Foods high in fiber or fat have a lower GI.

GI will tell you how high your blood sugar?could?rise with eating a certain food. It does not, however, tell you how high your blood sugar?will?rise after eating a certain food. This is where the glycemic load comes into play.?

Glycemic Index ranges:

• Low glycemic index?(GI of 55 or less): Most fruits and vegetables, beans, minimally processed grains, pasta, low-fat dairy foods, and nuts.
• Moderate glycemic index?(GI 56 to 69): White and sweet potatoes, white rice, couscous,?
• High glycemic index?(GI of 70 or higher): White bread, most crackers, bagels, cakes, doughnuts, croissants, and most packaged breakfast cereals.

Glycemic Load?

Now, to make this article more interesting, let’s throw in glycemic load?(GL).

Eating healthier carbs can?help you control your blood sugar along with a host of chronic conditions that come with having uncontrolled blood sugar.??

GL gives you a more accurate picture of how food impacts your blood sugar levels.?As you read earlier and warrant repeating,?GI tells you how high your blood sugar?could?rise, and GL tells you how high your blood sugar?will?indeed rise after eating a certain food.?

The glycemic load is based on?the?glycemic index but uses a standard portion size rather than 100 grams of carbohydrate.??Use this formula to calculate the?glycemic load?of your food: GL = (GI x the amount of carbohydrate) divided by 100. See example below:

Therefore, if an 8-ounce glass of skim milk, which contains 12 grams of carbohydrate, has a glycemic index of 46, the glycemic load is:?5.52 and is low. GL = 46 x 12 ÷ 100 = 5.52

The ranking for glycemic load is as follows:

• Low = 10 or less
• Medium = 11-19
• High = 20 or more

Most fruits, for instance, have a high GI, but low GL.

To get a clear picture of the effect of food on your blood sugar, download the?comprehensive?International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values. On that chart, you will find the GI and GL of thousands of foods to assist you in controlling your blood sugar and Master Your A1C.

Remember, the lower the glycemic load for food, the lower the rise in blood glucose after it is eaten.

Forgive me for not getting to sugar alcohol this week. I did not finish the research. Look for that topic next week. Let me know how you feel about this newsletter.

HWB

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