Scales For You

Our children often don’t listen to what we say, but you can bet they watch what we do!  They learn how to deal with conflict, how  to forgive,  how to set priorities and a lot of other things while watching us live our daily lives.

Since the mid-seventies, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased sharply for both adults and children.   We are all aware that being overweight or obese increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions.  Yet, many of us just keep eating more and exercising less.  Stop and think what our children are learning!  Wouldn’t it be better if they could watch us eat a reasonable amount of healthy food, increase our daily exercise and keep our weight down?  Get yourself a good bathroom scale and begin changing your lifestyle today!

Usually when we hear the word “diet”, we think about trying to lose weight.  However, there are many medical conditions that require diet changes that may be even more difficult than dieting to lose weight.  A good kitchen scale will help measure portion sizes, but the Escali Cibo digital nutritional scale will do much more.  It displays calories, sodium, protein, fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol or fiber via the input of 999 different food codes.  It can calculate the total nutritional value of up to 99 different meal components. 

If you or someone you love is having a problem controlling their sodium level or cholesterol, this kitchen scale can literally be a lifesaver.  It has a capacity of 6 lbs. or 3000 grams and a removable  stainless steel plate for fast and easy clean up.  The Escali Cibo will prove to be an indispensable tool in your health conscious way of living.
 

A weighing scale (usually just “scale” in common usage) is a measuring instrument for measuring the weight or mass of an object.  There are two basic types.   A spring scale measures weight by the distance a spring deflects under its load.  A balance compares the unknown weight to a standard weight using a horizontal lever.  Weighing scales can be used in many home and  commercial applications and can weigh anything from feathers to loaded tractor-trailers.

Digital electronics are electronics systems that use digital signals.  The word “digital” comes from the word “digit”.  Scales that use digital electronics are easier to use and understand for some of us.  When I look back and think of all the advances in technology that have occurred in my lifetime, I am astounded.  Scales have really improved in their precision and accuracy.  However, the variety of sizes, styles and colors makes it a lot more fun to shop for a weighing scale.

Sometimes the truth hurts, but it is better to face it and work on the problem.  My Mom always said worry was useless.  She said, “If the problem is something you cannot change, the worry will not help.  If it’s something you can change, stop worrying and work on the solution.”  I believe that worry adds to a weight problem.  When I worry about my weight, I somehow seem to crave food.  However, when I firmly decide to change my eating habits, the cravings decrease and it’s easier to control what I eat. 

A good set of weight scales is an asset when trying to lose weight.  However, weighing should not become an obsession.  It can be discouraging to weigh every day, because weight sometimes fluctuates.  It is more reasonable to weigh once each week and record those weights.  Then the progress will become evident.

Diabetics learn that the carbohydrates in food have the most impact on the blood sugar. A gram scale is a must for measuring carbs in odd-sized foods like fruits, unsliced bread, soups or casseroles. The formula for finding the amount of carbohydrate in a serving of food is:

1. Weigh the food to find its total weight in grams
2. Find the food’s carb percentage in one of the food groups. (You can find the information in Appendix A of Using Insulin.)
3. Multiply the food’s total weight in grams by its carb percentage.

The result of this multiplication gives the number of grams of carbohydrate that the food contains. For example, one gram of apple has 0.13 grams of carbohydrate, so 100 grams would have 13 grams of carbohydrate. Therefore, 13% of any apple’s weight is carbohydrate (most of the rest is water).

People with borderline diabetes, serious hypertension, etc. are often overweight.  A change of lifestyle, including improving eating habits and increasing exercise, can sometimes really make a difference in our overall health.   Eating healthy food and exercising regularly can help take the extra weight off, which often improves the disposition, too.  That’s a happy thought!  Our family will be delighted.  It’s a self-esteem killer to know we need to improve our diet and exercise program, yet continue with the same old destructive habits.

A good bathroom scale is a necessity to a serious dieter.  It needs to be accurate and easy-to-read.   Bathroom scales come in all sizes, shapes and colors and match any bathroom decor.  Successful dieting begins with a positive mind-set that says, “I can and I will!”  A pretty new bathroom scale will help furnish the needed motivation to get started.

It’s difficult to stay on a diet when you’re not at home. If you travel much, you’ll find yourself in hotels and restaurants with no way to measure portion size. This can be very frustrating, as well as detrimental to the diet.

Consider purchasing a digital pocket scale–a handheld-pocketable food scale that you can take with you anywhere. It will fit into the palm of your hand and has a durable case and a stainless steel weighing pan that can be cleaned fast and easy. Whether you prefer to weigh your portions in ounces or grams, this scale will fill your needs. You’ll never have to wonder again if that porkchop weighs 4 oz. or 6 oz. Your diet will be easier at home or away, even if it’s not much fun.

Remember the commercial that said, “Let your fingers do the walking”? Well, I say, “Let your scales do the counting.” Are you aware that Escali makes a counting scale that can count small parts. Then, why count parts by hand? It is boring, time-consuming and there is a high probability of human error.

The Escali C-Series digital counting scales is equipped with a rechargeable battery for easy portability. It has three displays that show Total weight, Individual weight and Quantity. The Tare feature subtracts the container’s weight to obtain the weight of its contents and it will measure in Pounds, Ounces, Pounds+Ounces and Grams. Wow! With all the time I can save, I’ll have more time to ride my Harley!

Our grandmothers cooked on an old wood stove with a few pots and pans and a measuring cup or two.  Wouldn’t they be in awe of the modern kitchens of today!  Every kind of appliance and gadget is available to cooks now, but guess what–we all eat out!  One lady said, “I wouldn’t have a kitchen, but it came with the house.”  With the gas prices rising, we may all need to go to cooking school and learn to cook at home again. 

If we’re really going to get serious about cooking, we need to take a look at our kitchen and its appliances and gadgets.  Do we have a set of food scales.  Food Scales are useful for accurately weighing ingredients such as butter or shortening, as well as measuring food portions as specified by diet requirements.   Oh, I didn’t mean to mention diet, but it is an important word if you really want to stay healthy.  Many health conditions require specified diets and a good set of food scales can make it easier and more accurate to follow the plan. 

You’ve probably noticed that very few homes now have an analog bathroom scale. These scales, which have a mechanical needle to indicate weight, are being replaced by a digital scale. Digital scales promise more features and better accuracy.

It’s hard to be precise when reading an analog scale. Your weight could be 130 or 130 1/2 or 130 1/4. Who knows? The needle points somewhere near 130. A digital scale (depending on its weight increments) may tell you that you weigh 130.2 or 130.5.

Digital Scales can offer features that are not possible with an analog scale. Some digital scales can keep track of several users. Some offer the choice of weighing in pounds or kilograms and the display can be brighter and easier to read. Advances in electronics have affected the scale industry as well as a lot of other areas. If your bathroom scales are older and out-of-date, consider shopping for a new digital scale.