Spotlight: The Portion Plate - a Product Worth Owning

I first heard about the Portion Plate two weeks ago when it was displayed in a catalog I purchase a lot of my health education products from. I was drawn to the product right away as I am a visual person. I emailed the company and was very excited when I received samples of the products in the mail just yesterday. I see many clients and I think the most difficult lifestyle change for a lot of people is controlling portion size. Not only does the portion plate show you approximately how many fruits, veggies, starch, and protein is recommended on each plate, but it also shows examples of true serving sizes, a big misunderstanding in the United States. Choose from the adult, child, or diabetic plate and each give you an approximated amount of calories a plate would contain. In addition to plates, there are also place mats. I will be recommending this product to my clients. There isn't an easier way to visualize a meal than to plop it on your plate and at the reasonable price of $11.95, you can't lose.

Comments

Food Trends: A note about Stevia (zero calorie sugar substitute)

We’re all on the lookout for that sugar substitute that withholds calories, tastes good, and is natural and safe. Recently I was asked what my thoughts were on Stevia? Well to tell you the truth I didn’t have many thoughts on the product because basically I didn’t know much about it, except that in my mind it was a zero calorie product that could be substituted for table sugar. I put this thought in my attic with the hopes of getting more acquainted at a later time. As I get myself more familiar lets start with the derivation. Stevia is an herb that comes from South America and has been used by the Guarani Indians of Paraguay for over 100 years. This is advertised on the Stevia website along with a statement that it provides zero calories because the body doesn’t metabolize glycosides from the leaf or processed forms. Essentially Stevia is absorbed by the gut and broken down into Stevol which is excreted from the body as a waste. Th...

Miraculous Misconceptions: Raspberry Ketones

The interwebs are abuzz about the supposedly “miraculous” Raspberry Ketone supplements. Raspberry Ketone popularity started with Dr. Oz's show in February 2012, when he nicknamed it a “miracle weight loss drug.” Some even credit Raspberry Ketones with stimulating hair growth, but for our purposes here, let’s talk about weight loss. Raspberry Ketones are derived from red raspberries. Proponents claim that the supplement will stimulate your metabolism causing weight loss. However, there are no reliable studies to prove this. Specifically there is no scientific evidence to show how it alters metabolism to promote weight loss. There is also no scientific evidence to determine a proper dosage. If you find a study that claims otherwise, check the funding source. Most likely, that study was funded by a company who produces or funds raspberry ketone products. As far as I know, no major pharmaceutical companies are investing in Raspberry Ketone research. And it is my opinion ...

Food Trends: Plant vs. Animal Protein

In my practice I see a lot of vegetarians who have a lot of questions about the types of protein they eat. In case you need a refresher, animal proteins are proteins derived from meat, dairy, and eggs. Plant protein is derived from nuts, seeds, beans, legumes and soy. Most animal proteins are higher in saturated fat as well as cholesterol which have been proved to increase risks of arteriosclerosis, a precursor to cardiovascular disease. A lot of the general public, not just vegetarians, are starting to focus on decreasing intakes of animal proteins and focusing on plant sources to decrease total calorie, fat, and cholesterol intake. It’s important to know that most generally healthy individuals only need .8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Basically this means that a 150 pound man or woman requires about 54 grams of protein in an entire day. Protein is made from amino acids. Although there are many amino acids, ther...

Search This Blog