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Eating Right
People today easily get swayed into eating foods that they do not need to eat. This is precisely why the cases of obesity have increased in the past decade. There are a lot of calorie-filled and cholesterol-rich food items sold almost everywhere and people can easily buy them -- from popular malls to nearby street corners to even online stores. Because of the easy access to these tempting fares, people also easily get swayed into eating more than they need to. Unfortunately, a lot of people who have good appetites do not also get to lose the extra pounds and burn the extra calories. Apart from the probable lack of time or opportunity to hit the gym and exercise, another reason for eating too much and for not being able to burn and sweat off the fats is the possibility that people have already become too used to taking in large portions of food. This should be addressed as soon as possible since eating right and eating healthy are very crucial to one's health.
Serving and portion sizes
Research shows that portion sizes of food began to increase in the 1980's. Bagels of today, for instance, have a diameter of 6 inches and each have an average of 350 calories. Back in the day, bagels only had a diameter of 3 inches and an average of 140 calories apiece. Hence, people of today should really become more cautious of the food that they eat especially the serving and portion size, lest that they get wider waistlines and weaker health.
To serve as your quick reminder of the ideal maximum serving size, consider the following: a half cup of vegetables or fruit is just about the size of your own fist, a tablespoon of fatty peanut butter is about the size of the tip of your thumb and one and a half ounces of your favorite cheese is the size of a pair of casino dice. If you are fond of apples, remember that a medium one should be about the size of a baseball. Three ounce portions of either meat, fish or poultry is about the size of a deck of cards and of course, a single serving bagel should just be about the size of puck used in a hockey game. Basically, a cup serving is about the size of your own clenched fist --- and a cup is the ideal serving or portion size when you eat pasta, rice, vegetables and cereal. If you cannot help but eat some meat, remember that the ideal portion size is about the size of your palm.
Eating out or staying at home
Remember that if you will eat out, portions served at restaurants are generally two or even three times larger than the ideal portions. Ergo, be careful and remember the maximum serving sizes. As much as possible, split with a friend or the one you are dining out with the entrée, appetizer, salad or soup. On the other hand, if you are just eating at home, serve only the ideal maximum serving sizes and immediately store the rest for you to partake of the next time.
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