Day 5 Food For Thought: New Kind of Normal

When I was in my internship, I went to a dietetic conference in Texas with my co-interns—the best gals on the planet! We had lots of fun together, and we ate lots. We had been dining out every meal on really tasty food. Toward the end of the trip, my friend Kelly said, “Man, I am so hungry for just vegetables.” She indicated how she din not feel as well as she normally does. For some reason that really struck something in my brain because I was thinking, “I'm not hungry for vegetables.” I was enjoying the food we had been eating. Kelly was used to eating very healthful foods most of the time so when she began to eat outside her normal, her body picked up on that and she longed to feel best again. Her normal felt healthy because she consistently chose wise foods for her body.

Several years ago I had some issues with my thyroid. I felt ok even though there were a few symptoms like my hair was falling out. The hospital where I worked had an employee health fair where they were offering to take cheaper labs. I just felt lead to get my thyroid level checked. It turned out it was the worst level the nurse had ever seen. I was far from the normal range, but it felt normal to me because my body adapted to its function. I was put on medication to correct it, but I never noticed a big difference. After many months of normal range, I forgot to take my pill one day and the whole day I felt horrible. My level had crept up just a little above the normal range and was not even close to where I had been functioning before my medication. But I felt terrible. I did not know how I made it through the day. My point is this. When I found my new normal, just the slightest unhealthful act made alarms go off in my body and I longed to feel best again.

My way of thinking about food has been MY normal for a long, long time. I have allowed myself to develop some not-so-dandy habits. I want a new normal. I want to eat so healthful that I crave vegetables instead of calorie-dense, comfort carbs in my weak moments. To train my body for my new normal I desire, I must consciously make choices for wisdom. It doesn't mean I can't have “bad” stuff. (All food can have a place. There are not bad foods, but there are better choices.) I will continue to tell myself, I am worth feeling best. I am worth....broccoli instead cheetos, etc.

Wins for Today
1.I went grocery shopping and got lots of good healthful stuff. I love to shop for food! I guess the win is putting my more healthful plan in my pantry. I got some products I'm excited to try like Quinoa. It is an organic whole grain that has 7 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per serving. It is fun to have a buggy full of colorful fruits and vegetables. Although I am a big believer in “if I don't buy it, I won't eat it,” I did get a few other not-so-healthful goodies. Moderation is the key. I'm not going to make my family eat “cold turkey” on my new health kick. We can improve nutritionally as a family, but really my boys eat very healthy and I'm comfortable allowing them to learn moderation while still getting vanilla oreos. I don't want them to think there are foods that are special rewards. I want them to understand balance and never experience deprivation or that they lack. I want them to learn that spinach can taste good. I want them to know that broccoli is worth choosing over a brownie because it builds them as big as daddy.
2.I drank more water.
3.I stopped when I got full.

Nutritional Nugget
Most of the time, the portion sizes are what gets us. One of my all time favorite patients EVER was the worst nutritional risk I have ever had. She told me that she only ate one meal a day, but did have one Little Debbie for breakfast. Come to find out it was ONE WHOLE BOX. “One sittin'” is now one my favorite all time quotes. To go along with the exchange list I posted yesterday, here is a list of serving or portion sizes.

Woman's fist or baseball -- a serving of vegetables or fruit is about the size of your fist
A rounded handful -- about one half cup cooked or raw veggies or cut fruit, a piece of fruit, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta – this is a good measure for a snack serving, such as chips or pretzels
Deck of cards -- a serving of meat, fish or poultry or the palm of your hand (don't count your fingers!) – for example, one chicken breast, ¼ pound hamburger patty or a medium pork chop
Golf ball or large egg -- one quarter cup of dried fruit or nuts
Tennis ball -- about one half cup of ice cream
Computer mouse -- about the size of a small baked potato
Compact disc -- about the size of one serving of pancake or small waffle
Thumb tip -- about one teaspoon of peanut butter
Six dice -- a serving of cheese
Check book -- a serving of fish (approximately 3 oz.)
Eyeball it! Take a look at the recommended serving sizes on the new USDA MyPyramid Use a measuring cup or a food scale and practice measuring some of your favorite foods onto a plate, so that you can see how much (or how little!) a ½ cup or 3-ounce serving is. This will help you "eyeball" a reasonable serving!
(Google USDA Portions for a more complete list.)