As I was starting to write this blog, I had Dr. Oz playing in the background and heard the guest say "Be the hunter. Not the hunted." I'm not 100% sure what they were talking about but instantly wanted to change the title of this blog. Although we do not hunt like our ancestors did or other species do, we do go into a grocery store where food companies are hunting for us to buy their products with false or exaggerated claims on the front of their packages. To become the hunter we need to turn those packages around so we know what it is we are really buying. We have already started to explore the ingredients list looking for artificial colors. Now I challenge you to read and understand the nutritional panel.
The front of the package is prime marketing real estate for manufactures and some of the terms they put on the front are not regulated. The nutritional label however is fact. The panel is set up in order of nutrients/information you want to make sure you don't over indulge on (serving size, calories, fat, cholesterol and sodium) to ones you want to make sure you get enough of (fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron).
The first thing you'll want to look at is the number of servings in a package because the nutritional information is based on a serving… not the entire package. Often times a package seems small enough to be one serving but it’s multiple. For example a can of soup is 2.5 servings.
The next item on our list is calories which is a measurement of energy. If you do not burn all the calories you are consuming, it can contribute to obesity. Empty calories affect your metabolism on a molecular level. That is why quality is so important to know what you are eating; it helps your body work efficiently.
When it comes to saturated fat and cholesterol keep as low as possible. And trans fat... avoid it like the plague. Some foods may list that there is 0 trans fat but you'll want to look at the ingredients list for the word "hydrogenated" and "partially-hydrogenated" to insure you are avoiding it completely. Companies manipulate serving sizes to get the number of trans fat below the required minimum to report. In "The Engine 2 Diet" author Rip Esselstyn recommends keeping the fat to 25% or less of the food's total calories. To calculate take the total grams of fat multiple by 9 (number of calories in 1 gram of fat) and divide it by total calories. The foods you don't have to worry about calculating are nuts, seeds, greens, grains,fruit and vegetables because they do not have added/processed fats therefore contain fats that are healthier for you.
The % daily value on a nutritional panel is based on a 2000 calorie diet. In “The Engine 2 Diet”, Rip writes, “An easy rule of thumb to control sodium: Limit the amount of sodium per serving to the number of calories per serving - and of course the fewer, the better." I love this rule because it is quick and easy. In this book Rip also mentions that the Institute of Medicine recommends that adults consume 1,200 - 1,500 milligrams. The average American consumes 4000 milligrams. When you see labels stating that an item has reduced sodium, this does not mean that it is low sodium and often times reduced sodium foods are still extremely high.
With all the processed food that hit the market on a daily basis the less fiber is being consumed by Americans. Fiber is a carbohydrate that the body isn't able to break down. Its acts like a brush and helps eliminate waste and toxins from our bodies. Whole foods are a great place for fiber. Also when you look at the ingredients list on anything containing wheat, make sure the first ingredient contains the word “WHOLE” Wheat; Not “Refined”, “bleached”, “unbeached”, “multi-grain” or the word “wheat” by itself means, processed with the fiber and nutrients removed.
Lobbyists are fighting to have the government demand that companies show added sugars vs natural sugars. I hope that we will soon see this happen. Natural sugars occur in fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes and because they also have fiber and other nutrients they are healthy. Added sugar just adds empty calories, no nutrients and negatively affects your body. To see if a food contains added sugar, you'll have to look at the ingredients list for fructose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, molasses, evaporated cane juice, evaporated cane juice syrup, beet juice, honey, barley malt, basically anything that ends in -ose... the list goes on and on. There are over 50 different sugars companies add to processed foods. Ingredients are in order by weight. Other “fun” game food industries play is including 5 different types sugar in one food so that when people glance at the ingredients list, it is not one of the first items listed but sugar is really the main ingredient.
I know this may seem like a lot of information but the more you read labels, the easier it gets. When I began to discover some of the tricks that the food industry plays, I was upset and felt helpless. I have since turned that knowledge into power. The more we are educated, the better choices we can make. Not saying we need to eat perfectly 100% of the time but we should know what we are eating and eat healthy most of the time.
So read those labels while you are standing or sitting (less), keep an eye on those artificial colors too. Staying hydrated, sleeping 7-9 hours a night, meditating and exercising daily will help you stay focused as you explore labels.
For a list of 57 checkout the slide show provided by Prevention .
Check out FDA's (Food and Drug Administration) Nutritional Facts Label Programs & Materials for more information.
You are never too young to learn about labels. If you have children, check out the Youth Outreach Campaign for Nutritional Facts.
The front of the package is prime marketing real estate for manufactures and some of the terms they put on the front are not regulated. The nutritional label however is fact. The panel is set up in order of nutrients/information you want to make sure you don't over indulge on (serving size, calories, fat, cholesterol and sodium) to ones you want to make sure you get enough of (fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron).
The first thing you'll want to look at is the number of servings in a package because the nutritional information is based on a serving… not the entire package. Often times a package seems small enough to be one serving but it’s multiple. For example a can of soup is 2.5 servings.
The next item on our list is calories which is a measurement of energy. If you do not burn all the calories you are consuming, it can contribute to obesity. Empty calories affect your metabolism on a molecular level. That is why quality is so important to know what you are eating; it helps your body work efficiently.
When it comes to saturated fat and cholesterol keep as low as possible. And trans fat... avoid it like the plague. Some foods may list that there is 0 trans fat but you'll want to look at the ingredients list for the word "hydrogenated" and "partially-hydrogenated" to insure you are avoiding it completely. Companies manipulate serving sizes to get the number of trans fat below the required minimum to report. In "The Engine 2 Diet" author Rip Esselstyn recommends keeping the fat to 25% or less of the food's total calories. To calculate take the total grams of fat multiple by 9 (number of calories in 1 gram of fat) and divide it by total calories. The foods you don't have to worry about calculating are nuts, seeds, greens, grains,fruit and vegetables because they do not have added/processed fats therefore contain fats that are healthier for you.
The % daily value on a nutritional panel is based on a 2000 calorie diet. In “The Engine 2 Diet”, Rip writes, “An easy rule of thumb to control sodium: Limit the amount of sodium per serving to the number of calories per serving - and of course the fewer, the better." I love this rule because it is quick and easy. In this book Rip also mentions that the Institute of Medicine recommends that adults consume 1,200 - 1,500 milligrams. The average American consumes 4000 milligrams. When you see labels stating that an item has reduced sodium, this does not mean that it is low sodium and often times reduced sodium foods are still extremely high.
With all the processed food that hit the market on a daily basis the less fiber is being consumed by Americans. Fiber is a carbohydrate that the body isn't able to break down. Its acts like a brush and helps eliminate waste and toxins from our bodies. Whole foods are a great place for fiber. Also when you look at the ingredients list on anything containing wheat, make sure the first ingredient contains the word “WHOLE” Wheat; Not “Refined”, “bleached”, “unbeached”, “multi-grain” or the word “wheat” by itself means, processed with the fiber and nutrients removed.
Lobbyists are fighting to have the government demand that companies show added sugars vs natural sugars. I hope that we will soon see this happen. Natural sugars occur in fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes and because they also have fiber and other nutrients they are healthy. Added sugar just adds empty calories, no nutrients and negatively affects your body. To see if a food contains added sugar, you'll have to look at the ingredients list for fructose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, molasses, evaporated cane juice, evaporated cane juice syrup, beet juice, honey, barley malt, basically anything that ends in -ose... the list goes on and on. There are over 50 different sugars companies add to processed foods. Ingredients are in order by weight. Other “fun” game food industries play is including 5 different types sugar in one food so that when people glance at the ingredients list, it is not one of the first items listed but sugar is really the main ingredient.
I know this may seem like a lot of information but the more you read labels, the easier it gets. When I began to discover some of the tricks that the food industry plays, I was upset and felt helpless. I have since turned that knowledge into power. The more we are educated, the better choices we can make. Not saying we need to eat perfectly 100% of the time but we should know what we are eating and eat healthy most of the time.
So read those labels while you are standing or sitting (less), keep an eye on those artificial colors too. Staying hydrated, sleeping 7-9 hours a night, meditating and exercising daily will help you stay focused as you explore labels.
For a list of 57 checkout the slide show provided by Prevention .
Check out FDA's (Food and Drug Administration) Nutritional Facts Label Programs & Materials for more information.
You are never too young to learn about labels. If you have children, check out the Youth Outreach Campaign for Nutritional Facts.