Today, I would like to talk a little bit about how to measure serving sizes.

Every day I receive many emails from people who have problems with serving (all portions are Masterfood); the most significant problem they usually encounter is that they are not clear on how to measure certain portions.

In countries where the metric system is used, we are used to weighing food, so many people ask me: what is the conversion from cup to grams?

The problem is that there is no single cup/gram conversion, as these two units of measurement measure different things. The cup measures the volume of food; grams measure the weight of food. Each food has a specific weight and volume, so even if two foods occupy the same volume, the weight does not have to coincide.

A practical example: 1 cup of raw spinach and 1 cup of cooked chickpeas do not weigh the same.

So what is the solution to measuring serving sizes in DMA?

The best thing to do is to buy a cup set. They are easy to find in many stores and bazaars, they are very inexpensive, and the best thing is that they come with several measures. If you don’t know where to buy them, here are some options from Amazon:

If you do not want to buy a cup set, you can also use a bowl or cup you have at home, measuring 240 ml = 1 cup.

Although cup sets are very convenient, sometimes we need measurements that are a little more “difficult”. For example, many people who write to me have doubts about measuring 3/8 cup, so I have prepared two cards with which it will be super easy to measure any serving.

When I was little, my math teacher used cake as an example to teach me fractions, so I decided to do the same and use pictures of some of my FMD cakes to make it more fun.

I hope you like this post 

The post How to measure foods in the FMD appeared first on Cooking with a Cat.

Christmas is the time of the year I prefer. The Lights dress the city; gloves and chesnuts warm our hands; decorations cover streets, and the kitchens are filled with a spicy aroma that smells of cinnamon, ginger, and happiness.

Even so, many people have a hard time during the Christmas holidays. A little bit because of the stress of making gifts for everyone, a little because it is difficult to cook for many people, a little bit because of feeling guilty when eating cookies and sweets. In the end, we feel bad and we also get fatter. But who says it should always be like this?

What if we could spend a perfect family Christmas without having to get fat?

I know it may seem impossible, but it is not. I tell you the problems that I used to find during my Christmas holidays and how I solve them.

1. If I prepare diet food for myself, I feel marginalized

I remember one year (before I met FMD) in which I wanted to make the classic Christmas menu for my family and one for my diet. It was horrible; the attempt failed after 5 minutes because as soon as my family saw that I had a different dish, they started to tease me and “pressure me” not to stay on a diet on Christmas. In the end, I listened to them, and I ate usually, but I did not get to enjoy it at all, and I ended up being very stressed because I could not respect my own words.

This is a mistake: stress and anxiety are our worst enemies. They make your body enter a state of emergency, for this reason, it is so important to relax and have fun.

Recommendation: If Christmas Day there is no way to follow FMD, do not worry, do not do it. Have fun with your family, remember to drink a lot of water and eat vegetables and enjoy the food. After holidays you can do Haylie’s 3-day soup cleanse, and then continue with DMA usually.

2. I can resist everything, except temptations

According to Oscar Wilde, a writer I love, “the only way to get rid of a temptation is to give in.” I agree, but using my head. You are celebrating Christmas with your family and propose a toast with that wine you like so much and decide to have a drink. Perfect. Just remember to drink more water during the day. The ideal ratio would be for each glass of wine or other alcohol (better organic wine or clear liquor and of good quality) an extra glass of water.

Recommendation: During the meal try to start with the most protein dishes, so the entry into circulation of sugar in our blood will be slower.

After the meal, the table is full of sweets and nougat, make sure you have a healthy and sweet choice made by you, it will help you to satisfy your desire for sweet without feeling bad.

3. The Christmas menu is full of forbidden foods

One of the things I learned from the DMA is that eating tasty does not have to exclude eating healthy. Often, it seems that a dish without butter, potato, flour or sugar is not delicious. Well, it’s not true. Many healthy recipes are incredible; You’d be surprised to find that most of you can easily include them in DMA. In the end, it is about paying particular attention to the choice of dishes and the ingredients you will use.

Recommendation: For example, Roast is one of the most typical Christmas dishes, I can cook it with butter and fried potatoes or prepare it with olive oil (or even without, look at this recipe) and baked sweet potatoes. The same goes for sweets. I can choose to make a dessert that has butter, sugar and white chocolate or make a much healthier one. For example, with xylitol or stevia (or even coconut sugar for F4) fresh fruits and wholemeal flours. It’s just about using the imagination.

4. I cook for my whole family, and I do not have time for my

One of the most significant problems was that cooking for the entire family, I spent hours in the kitchen and prepared all kinds of dishes being completely fasting, maybe trying some sauce, but without really eating. In the end, at lunchtime or dinner, I was starving. This is one of the most common mistakes, the best thing in these cases is not to forget to eat.

Recommendation: Do not leave your body without energy: consume protein snacks throughout the day. In this way, you will arrive at a quiet meal or dinner without being hungry.

I hope this post could help you for Christmas. Do not forget to comment on the issues that you find yourself so together we can help each other

The post How to spend a perfect family holiday without getting fat appeared first on Cooking with a Cat.