Portion Control and Mix - the Key to Healthy Eating

There are so many different types of diets advertised today, and depending on your goal one is likely more applicable than another for you. Certainly there are some that would not be beneficial to me personally, and in fact, likely would be detrimental; I imagine the same applies to you. When it comes to dieting, choose carefully, and even better, consult with your doctor

The diet I follow is based on my own personal needs given my health history. I don't have a name for it, but I like it a lot! After researching diets, I see that it is much like the Flexitarian Diet (see my next blog post). I prefer a low animal protein, low carbohydrate, high vegetable content meal which is vastly different than my meals of 15 to 20 years ago. I get my protein needs satisfied with a grain-based high-protein cereal for breakfast, along with a low fat, low sugar Greek Yogurt, and Almond milk. For lunch I eat a light meal, it might be dinner leftovers, or perhaps a sandwich with a little animal protein and a multi-grain bread, and for dinner, my protein source is often Tofu, or occasionally a fish like salmon, or maybe a little chicken. Whichever diet you follow, portion control needs to be a factor.  

I typically divide my plate into thirds with each third representing the protein component, the vegetable component, or the carbohydrate portion. If I have fruit, then I divide my plate into quarters. Looking back at my earlier years, I actually think that I became diabetic after we decided to remove fat and red meat from our diet in an effort to eat "healthier" and to reduce cholesterol. What we did not do is control portion size, and so we ended up eating a lot more carbohydrates, and since weight was generally not a concern of mine, I tended to eat a lot of carbo (obviously this is not the diet plan generated by someone that really understood what he was doing!!).

Fast forward...with several years of eating my share of carbs, and not getting sufficient exercise, I became diabetic. Now, I control my diet to the point where I will almost never have a carbohydrate unless I also have some protein with it to slow down the absorption of the sugar, which in turn helps me control my blood glucose. Combine this strategy with a daily walk, with a goal of getting 5,000 to 10,000 steps a day, and I have the control formula I need to remain on the safe side of diabetes.

Now on to portion control. Over-consumption, and the wrong mix is never good. While I don't weigh and track my food like when I was actively fighting diabetes, portion control for me is still important, which means I typically won't take "seconds" or as I used to hear in Puerto Rico, "repeats". 

According the the American Diabetes Association, eating correct portions of food can help manage blood glucose levels and your body weight. If you use a portion control plate as shown in the links below, you shouldn't need special measuring tools or weigh scales, or have to count calories to control your intake. 

The attached photograph shows my dinner plate from last evening, split in three parts, and in this case, the vegetables contributing about half (the egg roll was also vegetable and baked, not fried).The other half of the plate is split 50/50 between the carbo component which is jasmine rice (jasmine rice is lower in calories and carbs than white rice due to its fiber content), and the protein source which is Tofu (I personally enjoy Tofu so much I will feature it in a future blog post). 

Portion size was a large part of my diet control when I was diabetic; back then I weighed and counted everything I ate. Today, as I look for simpler ways, I think portion control by visually dividing your plate into thirds or using an actual plate designed for this purpose, combined with walking for 30 minutes every day (or using a fitness tracker and getting 5,000 to 10,000 steps daily) is a practical solution. 

As a further testament to the value of what I mentioned above, 12 years ago when my doctor told me I was a type II diabetic, I weighed 196 pounds. Following my self-imposed diet guidelines, measuring my foods, and counting grams/calories (this becomes quite tiresome) along with a 30-minute walk every day, I dropped a little more than 30 pounds in 6 months, was no longer a diabetic, and I have maintained my lower weight now for 10 years. I am in a maintenance mode strictly with portion control and controlling the mix and type of food on my plate. Truly, my eating habits have become a way of life, and believe me, I am not sacrificing at meal time!

So, as I suggested as an alternative to counting calories, and weighing food, try splitting your plate. Here are a couple of the portion control plates that you might like: a simple Diabetic Portion Plate and a more elegant solution, the Meal-Trax Portion Control Plate (set of two).

As always, if you are diabetic, or have other medical conditions that are diet related, consult your doctor and follow their directions!