Follow A Better Queue - Small Plates

A portion of food and a serving size are no longer one in the same these days. As featured in our July 15the newsletter, the size of our plates have gone from 8.5 inches to 12 inches in the span of 30 years. Along with the size of our dinnerware has gone the size of our portions and consequently, the size of the American waistline. Alex Bogusky made this discovery when he purchased a 1940's lakehouse of which the plate rack, to his dismay, would not fit his dinner plates. This led him to research about this change in our eating habits that have contributed to a costly change in our health. His book, "The 9-Inch Diet", discusses the difference in attitude and approach towards food that are distinctly American. Our July 22 cooking class on Spanish Tapas highlighted how eating from small plates or appetizer style, translates into improved health and decreased obesity for an entire population. More is clearly not better and quality is the key.

According to The National Cancer Institute, obesity and physical inactivity may account for 25 to 30 percent of several major cancers which are colon, breast (postmenopausal), endometrial, kidney, and cancer of the esophagus. Some studies have indicated that obesity may be linked to gallbladder, ovarian and pancreatic cancer as well. Our society clearly has a problem on it's hand with the epidemic of obesity from every aspect of human health. The financial, emotional and social cost of poor health habits are draining the American population of their inherent vitality. Having a schedule that does not allows for physical activity and meaningful leisure time is one big part of the picture of obesity. Having a poor relationship with our food is certainly another.

As a society, we are highly sensitive to visual queues. While this is not all bad, it's a problem when it comes to feeding our bodies. The messages that we are recieving about when we have consumed enough calories at any given time should be coming from internal functions that have nothing to do with vision. The hunger hormone is called ghrelin and is primarily found in the cells of the stomach lining, but also in various areas of the brain. Ghrelin is very high before we eat so as to signal the body that it needs nourishment and then it drops significantly after we eat. The counterpart hormone of ghrelin is leptin, released by the adipose (surface fat) tissue. Leptin is the "satiety hormone," as it provides the neuronal cells with satiation signals. Because we rely so much on visual queues for the decision to put down the fork, we are not in tune with these internal mechanisms that keep us from metabolizing way more than our share. If we are inclined to clean our plates, then a 12 inch plate versus an 8.5 inch plate is going to lead to overeating.

So what are some options if we are to adopt healthier eating habits? Control portion sizes, eat slowly and check in with your body while you are eating to pick up on the internal queues. Controlling portion size means dishing out an actual serving rather than something quite larger. Shop around for smaller plates which will make it easier for you to stick to this. Use these visuals for correct serving sizes.

1 slice whole grain bread or bagel - size of a hockey puck
1/2 cup cooked grain - size of a cupcake wrapper
3 oz lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs or legumes - deck of cards
1 tsp of healthy fat - tip of the thumb
1 piece of medium fruit - size of a tennis ball
1/2 cup berries, root veggies or other non-leafy veggies - size of a light bulb
1 cup raw leafy greens - size of a baseball

If there is any splurging to do, make it happen in the fresh veggie or fruit department where the calories are relatively low and the nutrient value is high. After we have dished up a true serving of food, it is up to us to savor the experience of eating a nourishing meal and enjoying the company of those with whom we are sharing it. If we take the time to eat a meal, our bodies hormonal queues will have time to act on us before we overeat. By pausing and breathing between bites, we will have the awareness of those signals. Combine this awareness and more appropriate visual queues and you have a recipe for healthy eating!