Control Your Blood Sugar by Eating Healthy Portion Sizes

An important part of managing Type 2 diabetes is eating the correct serving sizes. If you know how many servings of each food group to eat, and you eat the right serving sizes, you'll be able to eat a balanced diet and keep your blood sugar in check. But, eating the correct serving sizes can be challenging. Portion sizes have increased considerably from 20 years ago, so you may not be able to eat the entire portion of food as it is packaged or served. Recognizing these portions can help you decide how much to eat. Here are some common portions that have become distorted over the years...

-bagels had a 3 inch diameter and 140 calories. Now, they have a 6 inch diameter and 350 calories.
    the average cheeseburger had 333 calories. Now, the average cheeseburger has 590 calories.

-a serving of French fries was 2.4 ounces and had 210 calories. Now, a serving of French fries is 6.9 ounces and has 610 calories.

-soda came in 6.5 ounce bottles, which had 85 calories. Now, soda usually comes in 20 ounce bottles, which have 250 calories.

-the average serving of coffee was 8 ounces, and when sipped with milk and sugar, had 45 calories. Now, an average coffee is 16 ounces and comes with whole milk and syrup, for a total of 350 calories.

-a muffin was 1.5 ounces and had 210 calories. Now, muffins are usually 4 ounces and have 500 calories.
    2 slices of pepperoni pizza had 500 calories. Now, two slices of pepperoni pizza have 850 calories.

Check out the National Institute of Health's Portion Distortion website for more examples and pictures of portion distortion. As you can see, eating what is nowadays considered a serving of food may be much more than you were wanting to eat. So, how can you determine the right portion size? There are some common rules of thumb you can use to quickly and easily estimate portion sizes, all using your hand and fingers.

    1 cup is the size of your fist.
    1 to two ounces of nuts or pretzels will fit in the palm of your hand.
    3 ounces of meat or fish is the size of the palm of your hand.
    1 ounce of meat or cheese is the size of your thumb from tip to base.
    1 tablespoon is the size of your thumb, from tip to first joint.
    1 teaspoon is the size of your fingertip (pointer finger), from tip to first joint.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.

The answer isn't in the endless volumes of available information but in yourself.