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The process of creating vegetable gardening compost is the same as creating compost for any garden. Gardening compost is a cheap, healthy organic fertilizer relished by the best veggie gardens. It helps soil hold more water and assists you to produce successful organic vegetable crops. To create organic gardening compost for your vegetable garden, follow these easy steps.

Find a shaded part of your vegetable garden protected from hot winds for your gardening compost pile. Make sure it has a cement or solid sand base. Edge your pile with cement blocks or timber planks and divide it into three bins to make the composting process efficient. Each bin should have a floor area of around 12 square feet and be about 3 feet high. One is for new material, another for material to be turned and the other for completed compost.

Begin the pile by spreading your compost material 6-8 inches high. This material can include grass clippings, leaves and other garden waste. Dust with agricultural lime and a handful of complete fertilizer containing nitrogen.

Cover with a layer of garden soil and repeat this layering process until it is about 3 feet in height. Turn the heap every two to three weeks with a digging fork or shovel to assist with the decomposition of your gardening compost. Turning allows the pile to cool and aerates providing the microbes working in it some fresh air. Not all microbes (bacteria and fungi) need air to survive, but those in your compost pile do.

Water a little after turning but make sure not to over water as compost heaps work best with the right amount of moisture. To this end, cover the compost bins with Hessian or even an old piece of carpet to avoid the effect of heavy rain.

Watch the temperature of your compost pile as it can get very warm and should not exceed a temperature of 150F. Your finished compost should be ready for use after about three turns in around 8-10 weeks when it’s warm. The composting process will take longer in cooler weather.Distribute the compost 2-3 inches over your vegetable garden and turn it into the topsoil.

To save the time it takes to establish a compost pile of your own, you might consider buying a ready made compost bin (ranging from around $100- $300) or in a smaller garden or even a patio garden, a less expensive compost pale (approx $29-$39). Whether you build or buy your compost piles, know that gardening compost is the cheapest and most environmentally friendly organic fertilizer for your vegetable garden.

Warm regards

Antonio Fontanes

For theteam@MightyDigitalDownloads.com

Transforming Lives, One Person at a Time

Antonio Fontanes is from a family of successful gardeners and grows delicious organic vegetables year round. Want to learn more about how to grow great veggies? Go to my website www.vegetablegardens4U

As the Silverseas Inside Passage cruise travels up the Lynn Canal, the longest and deepest fjord in North America, it stops at Haines a fascinating town with the carefully preserved Fort Seward, built there in 1901. The world’s largest hammer museum is located in Haines and this little town looks out on to some of the world’s most spectacular mountainous scenery.

Juneau is Alaska’s political capital, set at the foot of Mt Robertson. Its population is with an unusual combination of ‘suits’, part of the political scene there and the local folk, environmentally aware and keen to maintain Juneau’s integrity. Walks around this hill city are only for those with stout shoes and clear arteries. The foreshore abounds in shops catering for every tourist need.

A range of activities are available for Silverseas cruise passengers, including helicopter flight seeing over the Juneau icefield and the famous Mendenhall Glacier along with dog sledding, bear spotting, whale watching, kayaking or salmon fishing.

The thrill of a dog sledding experience high up in the icefield behind Juneau leaves its participants feeling jubilant! After landing on Norris glacier the amazing silence of the place is interrupted only by the occasional yelp of the huskies and the sound of the sled blades cutting the ice. The breathtaking scenery all around makes this whole day seem almost surreal.

Glacier watching on an Inside Passage cruise is a close up and personal way to grasp the enormity and grandeur of these ‘rivers of ice’. Nothing can prepare you for their sheer size or their impact on the temperature of the surrounding air. Despite the cold, they always seem more authentic when viewed outside so passengers are advised to dress well as they venture out.

The Silverseas cruise headed south to Ketchikan listed on the top 100 artisan communities in the US. A popular option there is a Ketchikan Walking Tour starting at the Visitors information Center and taking in the Totem Heritage Center’s impressive collection of 19th century totem poles, This is one of Alaska’s most extensive collections of totem poles most of which were rescued from abandoned native villages when this center was established in the 1970’s.

Homeward bound to San Francisco, this Inside Passage cruise was the trip of a lifetime providing the best of amazing scenery, cultural insights and wonderful service with someone else ‘doing the driving’!

If you’d like to read about other information about this Inside Passage Cruise read my article ‘What to Expect on an Inside Passage Cruise Part 1’ on my website at alaskacruisetravel4U

Warm regards

Rowena French

For theteam@MightyDigitalDownloads.com

Transforming Lives, One Person at a Time

Rowena French has enjoyed a life-time love affair with Alaska, returning often, ‘just once more’, to experience another aspect of this spectacular part of the world.

A Patio Vegetable Garden, Easy to Establish and Enjoy

Recently my mom moved into apartment living and found herself living above her beloved earth. Not even this has prevented her from growing a regular supply of fresh vegetables, just as she did in our family home. Now she grows vegetables on her small patio and has more than she can eat.

These are her tips for anyone thinking of establishing a patio vegetable garden.

Select an apartment with a patio facing the right direction to attract as much sun as possible. If your patio faces the wrong direction you are unlikely to enjoy the best success growing vegetables. If you have no choice about your patio's position, move your vegetable pots regularly so that they are exposed to the maximum sunlight available. If your patio is largely shaded, find another well positioned spot on your apartment’s grounds and suggest the establishment of a communal garden.

Start with vegetables that you enjoy and that are easy to grow. Mom loves tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, spinach and beans but started with tomatoes and spinach. Review your success after the first season and the consider extending the variety of vegetables you plant the following year.

Select pots large enough to accommodate your mature vegetable plants. Investigate how large each vegetable will grow to give it the best chance to reach its growth potential and its highest yield.

Make sure that your pots that are mobile enough to move to get the best access to the sun. This is one of the real advantages of a patio vegetable garden. Position pots according to the sunlight requirements of each vegetable.

Always invest in the best soil. Along with access to extended sunlight, this is a fundamental requirement for a patio vegetable garden, in fact any garden. This is the same advice mom gives land-based vegetable gardeners. Patio garden soil is financially advantageous too as you need less of it! Include plenty of compost in each pot.

Make sure that your pots are well drained. Mom places pieces of broken terra cotta pots on the base of her pots for the best drainage. Small rocks serve the same function.

Water your vegetables regularly as pots tend to dry out easily. Allow enough room above the soil in the pot to hold water before it drains down.

Invest in the best organic fertilizers, some slow release, others with a more immediate effect. These perpetuate healthy soil despite the regular watering necessary for pot based vegetables.

Invest in sturdy trellises or poles for vegetables that climb.

If you’re a retired gardener with limited space or if you're a busy urban dweller with limited time but a hankering for fresh vegetables, you’ll find that these tips will help you establish a healthy patio vegetable garden that will be the envy of all your neighbors!

Warm regards

Antonio Fontanes

For theteam@MightyDigitalDownloads.com

Transforming Lives, One Person at a Time

Antonio Fontanes is a well seasoned vegetable grower from a family of experienced gardeners. Want to learn more about how to grow great veggies? Go to my website vegetablegardens4U

The answer is ‘Yes’ because eating at home or eating out, the guidelines are the same. You can continue to follow a portion control eating plan when you dine out because the choices you make about what you eat and how much you consume should remain the same. A balanced healthy meal is available to you when you dine out, provided you ask for it!

The obvious up side about eating in restaurants is that there is a wide selection of dishes available to you and some one else prepares your meal and even clears away dirty dishes! There are however some downsides for those managing their food portions. Restaurants often serve meals that are way too large. All-you-can-eat buffets are disastrous if you are unable to control and manage the portions you eat. Avoid this type of restaurant, at least in the beginning of your journey towards controlled eating.

Even if dining out provides some challenges to those just beginning to enjoy the benefits of portion control eating, restaurants do expect special requests from patrons with special dietary needs. You have these, so make sure you ask that they be accommodated. Ask your server to hold the sauce, substitute a salad for fries, or hold the bread. Some restaurants will allow you to order from the lunch or children’s menu, so don’t hesitate to ask.

When it comes to dessert, you have options that will see you keeping the integrity of your healthy eating without appearing that you are going without. Fresh fruit is a healthy alternative to a very rich caloric dessert so order this or just ask for a coffee.. If you crave a sweeter dessert make sure you eat only a small amount or share it with you partner or a friend.

As you dine out, consider these tips so that you can continue to lose weight:

• Only eat a main course
• Don’t fill your self with bread before the meal begins, one slice only
• Drink water before your meal and while you eat
• Restrict your alcohol, one glass can go a long way
• Make sure that you food is cooked healthily; baked, broiled, steamed or baked
• Skip fried foods, a couple of French fries only if you weaken
• Ask that sauces, sour cream or butter be served ‘on the side’ and use only a little
• Select food portion just as you do at home
• Request that no food is sautéed for you
• Fresh fruit for dessert
• Avoid any large meal regardless of the ‘value’
• Ask for the kid’s menu for adequate sized portions

Regardless of where you eat, take time to savor the flavors, textures, and aroma of your food. Enjoy eating this and allow sufficient time for your stomach to learn (from your brain) that you have eaten enough. Resist eating until you have over eaten because the damage will already have been done. As you begin to feel full, reduce your eating and then stop and push your plate to one side. This is an important step in the process of potion controlled eating and can be taken either privately at home or publicly in a restaurant.

Warm Regards

Rowena French

For The Team @MightyDigitalDownloads.com

Rowena French uses responsible portion control to successfully manage her own weight and her family’s health. Tired of dieting without success? Sign up to my free magazine to learn more about how to use portion control for healthy, permanent weight loss. If you haven’t already subscribed to my free product sample, watch my preview video for more information about the whole portion control package.

Thankfully portion control eating does not include depriving yourself of everything you enjoy eating! Overall you do need to consider what type of food you eat and how much of this is right for you in this eating plan. Regularly depriving yourself of foods you really enjoy will not help you to healthily reduce and manage your weight. In fact it is likely to undermine your efforts in the long run. So, this is how portion control can help you successfully lose weight and still eat chocolate!

Chocolate bars have expanded in size more than 10 times since they first became available. This reflects our increasing taste for chocolate and our increasing consumption of it. The implication of this for consumers of chocolate today is the need to decide how much of a chocolate bar is good to eat, instead of assuming that the entire bar is up for grabs! You can eat chocolate but in moderation. It’s not hard to determine a moderate serve of chocolate, so you can get a taste of something so rich and decadent!

Foods that fit into the same category and are rich in sugar include donuts, ice cream, cookies, desserts, creamy toppings. An occasional indulgence in these special treats is OK as long as it only happens occasionally and involves small sizes. A small piece of banana cake now and then or a small cone of honeycomb ice cream will not see your weight balloon or your health diminish. You can avoid by including ‘unhealthy’ food in a healthy way – in small portions and only sometimes.

You probably won’t lose weight after small treats like these but you probably wont gain any either. By restraining from overindulgence, and controlling the size of your food portions you will be able to maintain a healthy weight and eat most things you enjoy.

Eating these foods too frequently and in large servings is what leads to weight gain and health problems but eating them in moderation is acceptable. If you have a craving for a small muffin, then have one!

The secret is the number of muffins you eat. One is fine more than one slowly and insidiously becomes a problem. Don’t eat cookies or donuts from a package until there are none left. Avoid eating packaged foods like cookies or muffins if you are really hungry as you will always eat more than one.

One muffin won’t make you gain weight, but many muffins will do just that and you are certain to feel worse for it! An additional warning about eating packaged cookies and treats is that they generally contain the unhealthy transfats and saturated fats in the oils used to cook them. You need to steer very clear of these.

Sometimes chocolate may be the only food that will satisfy your ‘sweet craving’ but other treats can do the same thing. Consider sometimes fresh fruit or low-fat yogurt as an alternative as these are sweet without a high concentration of complex sugars. But when chocolate is the only food you really desire, then eat it, in small portions only. In this way, portion control eating accommodates an occasional treat as you keep focused on your healthy weight loss and weight management goals over the long term!

Warm regards

Rowena French

For the Team @MightyDigitalDownloads.com

Rowena French uses responsible portion control to successfully manage her own weight and her family’s health. Tired of dieting without success? Sign up to my free magazine to learn more about how to use portion control for healthy, permanent weight loss. If you haven’t already subscribed to my free product sample, watch my preview video for more information about the whole portion control package.

Reading food labels can overwhelm us, especially when we rely on them to help us make the right decisions about food that will help our weight loss program. We can however learn to interpret food labels as part of our portion control eating plan. If you know what information to look for on pre-packaged food you can chose wisely and avoid being mislead.

Make sure that you understand the information provided about the content and number of each serving in your package. Don’t be fooled by details of fat in one serve if you plan to eat more than one at each sitting. For example, if there are three servings in one pack and each contain 7gm of fat, be sure to realize that 2 servings will contain 14 gm fat and if you eat the whole package, you will consume a staggering 21gm all at once. When you are really clear about how much fat each serving contains you can decide how much you will eat and how you will remove and store any remaining servings. Getting a clear idea of the content of each serving requires a careful look followed by sensible action. This is how portion control eating works best!

Label-reading doesn’t have to become an obsession but doing this the right way will assist you to make good use valuable information pre-packaged foods. The guidelines below will help you to read these food labels. By doing this, you’ll make more informed decisions about the best foods for you and the portion size you should eat.

There are some things like salt and sugar that you will want to diminish in your diet. Others like fiber will need to be increased. The checklist below provides some simple guidelines for label reading.

Always count the servings per container and check the content of each of these

Note the calories

% daily values are 5% or less = low / 20% or more = high

Search for low percentages of saturated and transfats

Limit salt (often referred to as sodium)

Eat plenty of fiber and protein

Reduce your sugar intake

Food labels should indicate the amount of saturated fats and transfats. Look for those foods that contain a low percentage of both of these. Keep a close eye out for foods where the salt (sodium) content or the sugar (sometimes referred to as glucose) content is low. Food labels on foods containing healthy fats will show ’polyunsaturated fats’ or ‘monounsaturated fats’. Whatever the fats, minimize your total fats to between 20%-35% of your daily calories.

Plan your portion control diet with the help of food labels. Details of the fat, sugar, protein, fiber and salt in this food is crucial for your decisions about what to eat and how much. Use this information to allow yourself the pleasure of eating some of every type of food as you lose weight. Don’t eliminate whole sections of the food pyramid in a dramatic and unbalanced eating regime.

This balanced eating program is a breath of fresh air after so many fad diets that can’t provide your body the nutrition it needs as you lose weight. Add this advice on interpreting labels to your portion control checklist.

Warm Regards

Rowena French

For The Team @MightyDigitalDownloads.com

Rowena French uses responsible portion control to successfully manage her own weight and her family’s health. Tired of dieting without success? Sign up to my free magazine to learn more about how to use portion control for healthy, permanent weight loss. If you haven’t already subscribed to my free product sample, watch my preview video for more information about the whole portion control package.

1. Consider whether or not you really are hungry or perhaps something else instead of eating in response to your next set of hunger pangs? You may be anxious or depressed or stressed or even bored. Eating food may not be the best response for you. Taking a walk, reading a good book, calling a special friend, or some other activity satisfies your needs just as well, or better, than food!

If you take long enough to consider your hunger signals, you will find that your common sense will inform you whether or not you’re really hungry. Consider an alternative to the kitchen pantry or the nearest drive-through when stress or loneliness attack for greater satisfaction mainly because you are listening to your common sense and making better choices.

2. If hunger not other feelings are causing your hunger signals, when you do drive up to a fast-food restaurant, think about the size or portion of the food you’ll consume not just what type of food you’ll eat. This is the basis of portion control eating. Consider a child sized meal or order a salad and fruit with your burger instead of high-fat fries. A small hamburger and fries go a long way toward satisfying hunger.

Over eating is generally brought about by eating those extra large, super-size, portions on offer when your body doesn’t need them. Regular eating of portions that are too large causes you to feel tired and unhappy. It also causes blood sugar levels to rise quickly and fall sharply leaving you tired and zapping your energy shortly after you eat. Your common sense tells you to think about the size of your meal! Listen to yourself and you’ll make better choices! Common sense and an understanding of how much you need to eat through portion control is a vital tool for helping you manage your weight and your life.

It’s akin to self-control and the two are partners in how healthy or how poorly you eat. When you pair common sense and self-control, you have the power to overcome unhealthy eating habits and enjoy the foods you eat too. It’s all about thinking about what you should eat, how much you should eat, and realizing and stopping when you are full, or nearly full. And remember that it takes about 20 minutes after you eat to realize exactly how full you are.

On a visit to a McDonald’s restaurant in Thailand, Professor Steven Hawks from Brigham Young University had a revelation about the portion size of our food. ‘The portion size was about a third to what you get in the United States," he said. "My first reaction was 'What a rip off,' but then I started to see, 'Well, that was enough to be satisfied.'

To lose weight and control this weight loss over the long term, you do not need to restrict your food so much that there is little or no enjoyment in eating. Don’t feel guilty about what you eat, just manage how much you eat through portion control eating. This will see you stay within your nutritional plan to lose weight or maintain it. The occasional cake, cookie or cheeseburger is not what made you overweight to begin with. It’s the culmination of years of over-eating and indulging that created the problem. Those years of ignoring your common sense finally caught up with you in a big way.

The good news is that you can control what and how much your eat. Make a point of discovering the nutritional value of foods, understanding the importance of successful portion control, exercising self-control, and stepping into tomorrow with a healthy, positive attitude will make all of the difference!

Warm Regards

Rowena French

For The Team @MightyDigitalDownloads.com

Rowena French uses responsible portion control to successfully manage her own weight and her family’s health. Tired of dieting without success? Sign up to my free magazine to learn more about how to use portion control for healthy, permanent weight loss. If you haven’t already subscribed to my free product sample, watch my preview video for more information about the whole portion control package.

Have you ever wondered why hamburgers, French fries, fried chicken, pizza, and cheesecake are these so much worse for us now than they have been in past years? After all they have been around for a long time. Why do they appear to do more damage and why is the concept of food portion control becoming so important to us?

The answer to this question is related to the general health of our nation. The inclusion of these foods in our diet certainly is impacting on our lives. Obesity in the United States has just become a national epidemic in the past 20 years. Children are not exempt from this catastrophic obesity epidemic in our country. Childhood obesity continues to escalate in all socio-economic populations as children’s understanding of food portion sizes has been determined and controlled by large international food organizations. The marketing departments of these organizations increase the portion sizes of comparatively inexpensive food to increase their sales.

According to registered dietician, Dr Lisa Young, also an MSNBC reporting contributor, ‘When McDonald’s first opened, a soda was 7 ounces. Today, the child size is 12 ounces, a small is 16 ounces, and the large 32 ounces.’

So it’s not the inclusion of these foods in our diet today that is the real problem. Its how much of these foods we consume that’s at the heart of our health crisis. When you compare food portions 20 years ago with today’s extra generous super sized servings it helps to give some idea of the cause of the obesity epidemic in our country. Take a look at the change in caloric intake in foods today compared to 20 years ago below. You’ll be amazed at how different they are and understand how we need something as helpful as portion control to keep a today.

Food Portions Today Compared to 20 Years Ago

Information Source: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

So what can we make from these figures? The outcome is clear. The result is obvious. We are consistently and unwittingly consuming more food than we need. As we do this, we regularly stretch the size of our stomachs and condition our bodies to feel hungry when we should not feel this way. The more we eat like this the greater the likelihood that we will gain weight and the more calories we need to use to burn off excess and unwanted fat. Our desire for oversized food portions of have overpowered our good intentions to exercise more or get fitter.

How can we avoid becoming a victim of mega sized eating?

• Don’t be seduced by extra large size meals for only 39cents more! Decide how much food you need and only eat that much
• Find out what size portions of different foods is right for you so you can eat the correct amount of everything you enjoy without gaining weight
• Learn how portion control eating habits will help you do this as a way of life, and avoid overnight fad diets that generally don’t last much longer than that.

Reclaim Your Health. Start today.

You Can Do It!

Warm Regards

Rowena French

For The Team @MightyDigitalDownloads.com

Rowena French uses responsible portion control to successfully manage her own weight and her family’s health. Tired of dieting without success? Sign up to my free magazine to learn more about how to use portion control for healthy, permanent weight loss. If you haven’t already subscribed to my free product sample, watch my preview video for more information about the whole portion control package.

The short answer to this important question is ‘Yes’. The more important response is an explanation of ‘How’ and ‘Why’. Knowing about your body’s needs is important when planning a portion control menu that will help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. There are four (4) main food groups that supply essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients for your body:

1. Grain and Wheat

2. Dairy and Cheese

3. Vegetables and Fruit

4. Meat, Fish, and Alternatives

One common characteristic of most diets is that they limit or eliminate entire food groups from their menus because they are deemed unhealthy and unpopular at the time. Many diets restrict food groups and minimize the inclusion of nutrients, such as fats and protein, in the dietary plan. This is not the way portion control eating works. Your body requires a variety of essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals found in carbohydrates, proteins, fats, sugars, and water. The secret is knowing where to find these nutrients and how much of each your body needs. Armed with this information you will be well equipped to make sensible decisions about what and how much food you eat.

The inclusion of carbohydrates in any weight loss menu is important because foods containing carbohydrates have essential nutrients for the body and provide a much needed energy supply to the body. There are good and bad carbs. Highly processed carbohydrates typically raise blood sugar levels and eventually lead to that ‘crashing’ feeling you experience once they are processed through the body. Complex carbohydrates are good carbs. They pack the most nutritional value and promote appetite suppression. Brown rice and whole wheat flour are examples of good carbs. These foods are not only valuable sources of energy but an effective means of keeping your rumbling ‘hungry tummy’ quiet much longer.

To remain healthy, your body needs a regular intake of foods containing protein. We can’t afford to do without it because protein is another essential nutrient for the body and is used to create muscle mass, to support healthy cell creation and function, and to strengthen the immune system. Proteins are found primarily in meats, poultry, dairy products, and fish, beans and legumes. Protein is found predominantly in meat (lean is the best by far) and fish. A portion of these foods representing a third of your meal in your portion control meal provides your body with a healthy intake of protein.

Foods containing fats have been deemed unpopular across recent years. They have been reduced or completely excluded from many diet plans. Because fats are important to your diet however they are included in portion control menus, but they should be restricted to between 20 to 35% of your daily intake – targeting less than 30%. There are healthy fats and not-so-healthy fats so it’s important to know the difference. The best source of fats are from meats, oils, nuts, and dairy products. The most important information you need to know when including fats in your eating plan is the foods that contain healthy fats.

Foods containing a group of processed fats known as Transfats need to be avoided or eaten in small portions and only occasionally. They are basically healthy fats that have been hydrogenated to increase their shelf life and flavor. They are found in high percentages of cakes, cookies, and snack foods. Transfats are known to raise LDL (unhealthy cholesterol), levels in the body. High LDL levels can lead to serious heart disease.

Transfats do not contribute to weight loss or the development of a healthy body and their inclusion in your portion control eating plan should be considered carefully. The key is to significantly reduce the amount of saturated fats in your diet and to manage these is to watch the amount of fat you consume from meat and dairy. Make use of low-fat or fat-free choices. Remember it’s often at the store that you make the most important decisions about portion control meals.

Many foods contain fats that are good for your body and are referred to as healthy fats. These fats add to the condition of your skin and hair and need to appear on your menu regularly. Olive oil is a sensible and healthy choice for fats since it contains monounsaturated fat, which reduces the LDL levels in your body and, in turn, lowers your risk of heart disease. It is a healthier choice for fats, especially the lighter extra-virgin olive oil choices and recommended in portion control eating plans. In addition to olive oil, you should also consider canola, peanut, sunflower, and soybean oils. Many of these oils are now used in products such as mayonnaise to make them healthier for you

Portion control eating plans include foods from each of the four major food groups. These choices reflect an understanding of the right kind of foods within some of these categories. You can achieve and keep a healthy body weight through portion control, losing excess weight and most importantly keep it off. By including smaller portions of foods that are more calorific on your menu, you will discover how to make eating an enjoyable way of life rather than another grueling diet. By eating sensible portions of the right foods you will avoid feeling hungry and stay healthy by giving your body everything it needs.

Connie Diekman, Director of Nutrition at Washington University, St Louis has to more to say about how to get healthy and stay healthy using portion control here.

Warm Regards

Rowena French

For The Team @MightyDigitalDownloads.com

Rowena French uses responsible portion control to successfully manage her own weight and her family’s health. Tired of dieting without success? Sign up to my free magazine to learn more about how to use portion control for healthy, permanent weight loss. If you haven’t already subscribed to my free product sample, watch my preview video for more information about the whole portion control package.

Whenever you start a new diet you generally discover that at some stage you will need to abstain from at least one food group- which ever one is deemed to be the ‘bad guy’ at the time. The greatest ‘weight gain’ culprits over recent years have been carbohydrates and fats. Portion control eating does not subscribe to abstinence from carbs, fats nor any foods as a means of long term weight loss. Instead it promotes eating the right sized portions of these and all foods.

The benefit of eating carbohydrates as part a weight loss program can be confusing as there are some carbs that should be eaten and others that should not. Highly processed carbohydrates typically raise blood sugar levels and eventually lead to you feeling ‘down’ once they are processed through the body. Complex carbohydrates pack the most nutritional value and promote appetite suppression. Brown rice and whole wheat flour are examples of good carbs and an important component in any portion control menu they will stave off your hunger longer.

The inclusion of fats in your portion control menu is important but the total amount of fat you eat should be monitored and generally less than 30% of your daily food consumption. As is the case with carbs there are healthy fats and not-so-healthy fats so it’s important to know the difference. Fat can be obtained from meats, dairy, nuts, and oils and knowing where to find the healthiest fats is important.

You can eat sugar or artificial sweeteners and still lose weight, it’s just a matter of how much. Using natural sugars may be more satisfying but either source should be used in moderation. Unlike most fad diets portion control eating is not restrictive – it’s a way of life, so there is a place for the inclusion of limited amounts of either natural or artificial sweeteners.

The jury is still out about the value or not of sweeteners in weight loss programs. However, they can be a useful strategy for reducing the amount of sugar in your diet, which does lead to better weight control. The important thing to understand is that the use of real sugar in your diet is not necessarily a bad thing when you practice portion control – unless you are diabetic or have some other illness that prohibits the consumption of sugar.

Take care when you select artificially sweetened drinks as these often contain empty calories and can promote hunger rather than suppress it. There is some value in a limited portion of something sweet rather than continually depriving yourself of a delicious sweet treat or cup of carbonated soda. This generally leads to overeating later. The solution is found in an underlying principle of portion control! A small taste of something calorific is MUCH healthier than prolonged abstinence and then binging.

You can lose weight without abstaining from the foods you really enjoy. Smaller portions of food from every food group Combined with physical activity, is a winning combination! If you eat 100 more food calories a day than you burn, you’ll gain about 1 pound in a month. That’s about 10 pounds in a year. If you reduce the same number of calories seamlessly by managing the size of your food portions through portion control and gradually increase your physical activity you WILL lose those extra pounds and keep them off. All without the agony of abstinence from entire food groups.

Take a look at what Connie Diekman, Director of Nutrition at Washington University, St Louis has to say about how to get healthy and stay healthy using portion control.

Warm Regards

Rowena French

For The Team @MightyDigitalDownloads.com

Rowena French uses responsible portion control to successfully manage her own weight and her family’s health. Tired of dieting without success? Sign up to my free magazine to learn more about how to use portion control for healthy, permanent weight loss. If you haven’t already subscribed to my free product sample, watch my preview video for more information about the whole portion control package.