We're into week 4 already!

Wow, how time flies and the last 3 weeks are no exception. I hope you've found areas of greater strength and focus and suggest you take a moment to reflect on the many things you have done so well as we begin this new week. In fact, to reward you, here's an offering for free points this week:

• Chose 1 category that brings you satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment. For every day this week (beginning today) that you fulfill the requirement(s) of that category, double your points. This gives you an opportunity to gain 5 additional points!

To support you with your healthy habits, here's a tip I hope you'll find helpful regarding appropriate portions. Oftentimes, portions we're accustomed too have become much larger than recommended serving sizes. This guide easily identifies food portions for their serving size in comparison with common household items. This is not an exhaustive list but knowing appropriate portions for some common items should help you monitor consumption and may guide you when organizing your basic meal plans. Each item listed is considered 1 serving towards the daily recommended servings.

1. Dairy Group (2-3 servings/day): Milk (8oz) = small milk carton container Cheese (1 1/2 oz) = 2 9-volt batteries Yogurt (8 oz) = baseball Sour cream (1/4 cup) = golf ball


2. Meat & Beans (2-3 servings/day): Meat, poultry or fish (2-3 oz serving) = deck of cards Peanut butter (1 tsp) = a lipstick cap Beans (1 cup or 2 oz) = baseball 1 Egg serving is (1 whole or 2 whites) Tofu (1/2 cup) = bulb part of a standard light bulb


3. Vegetables & Fruits (5-9 servings/day): Raw, leafy greens (1 cup) = baseball Raw vegetables (1 cup) = baseball Cooked vegetable(s) or fresh fruit (1/2 cup) = a computer mouse Baked potato (medium size) = a computer mouse Juice -- fruit or vegetable (1/2 cup) = 4 oz baby bottle


4. Grains (6-11 servings/day): Bread (1 slice) = a computer disk Cereal, dry (1 cup) = baseball Rice or cooked cereal (1/2 cup) = size of a cupcake wrapper Pasta (1 cup) = baseball Roll (1) = bar of soap Bagel (small) = diamater of a round beverage coaster Tortilla (regular) = size of a salad plate Pancake (small) = CD


5. Oils & Fats (Consume sparingly and seek for monosaturated fats & oils rather than polyunsaturated or saturated fats and trans fats.) Salad dressing (1 tsp) = size of a 1/2 dollar Oil (1/2 tsp) = a thimble full Nuts (1 oz) = square package of dental floss