NUTRITION LABELS: DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE EATING?

KRUPALI SHAH

SPORTS NUTRITIONIST, WEIGHT MANAGEMENT COUNSELOR AND HEALTH BLOGGER

http://www.sportsnutritionist.seotogrow.in

INTRODUCTIONThe Nutrition Facts label was

introduced 20 years ago and

provides consumers with important

information, including: the serving

size, the number of servings in the

package, the number of calories per

serving, and the amount of nutrients

for each serving of a packaged food.

However, research has shown that

consumers often miscalculate the

number of calories and the

nutritional content of products that

have two or more servings per

container but are usually consumed

in a single eating occasion.http://www.sportsnutritionist.seotogrow.in

What exactly are you getting in  your “healthy” box of cereal, bottle of

juice, or buttery spread? It’s hard to be sure. Screaming for your attention

on most packaged products  are ingredient lists, nutrition fact labels

(which list calories, fat grams,  and other nutrient amounts), health claims

(these tie a food to lower disease or health risk), and nutrient claims (such

as “low fat” or “high in fiber”).While the FDA and USDA regulate what

manufacturers can say on packaging, the   intricacies in labelling laws

often allow some ambiguous—and in some cases downright misleading—

labels and claims. So how can you know if the loaf of   multigrain bread

you’re holding is worth your cash and calories? Start by learning how to

make sense of some of the most   frequently used (and abused) lingohttp://www.sportsnutritionist.seotogrow.in

YOU THINK: It has lots of whole

grains

WHAT IT MEANS: “Multigrain”

means only that it contains more   than

one type of grain. The first ingredient

in “multigrain”   products is often

enriched or unbleached wheat flour,

which is simply refined   white

flour with a few nutrients pumped

back in. “Refining strips wheat   of

its fiber-rich bran and germ, which

contain valuable nutrients for  

runners, including zinc and selenium,”

says Monique Ryan, R. D., author  

of Sports Nutrition for Endurance

Athletes.

“MULTIGRAIN” BREAD

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YOU THINK: No trans fats

WHAT IT MEANS: Since 2006, all packaged

foods must list trans fat  content. But thanks to

a loophole, products claiming “0 grams trans

 fat” can actually contain up to 0.49 grams per

serving. Trans fat raises   LDL (so-called “bad”

cholesterol) levels, and researchers have  

found just a two Percent increase in calories

from trans fat boosts heart   attack risk by 32

Percent. The American Heart Association

advises no more   than one Percent of your

total calories come from trans fat. If you eat

2,000   calories a day, that’s two grams of trans

fat daily—or potentially just four   servings of

“trans-fat free” food.

“TRANS-FAT FREE” SPREAD

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“HIGH FIBRE” BISCUITS

Consumption of food prepared away from home

increased from 18% of our total calories to 32% of

total calories between 1977 and 1996. All this

"away" food not only has more calories and fat per

meal than home-prepared foods, but also less fiber

(on a per-calorie basis). Look for a brand that

doesn't contain any partially hydrogenated oils,

which means they are free of unhealthy trans fats.

Most brands, including many generic brands, offer

a reduced-fat version of their biscuits, which will

cut the saturated fat a small amount. Even better,

seek out biscuits that are made with whole-wheat

flour. They'll contain more fiber than their white

counterparts.http://www.sportsnutritionist.seotogrow.in

“SUGAR FREE” DRINK

Unfortunately, there is no such thing

as sugar free fruit juice, even though

many parents think that is what they

are buying and giving to their kids.

Many brands of 100% fruit juice,

which is the type of juice that is

recommended by the American

Academy of Paediatrics when you do

give your kids juice, state that they

have 'no added sugar,' even though

they may have as much as 35g of

sugar per serving.

To put that in perspective, a can of

Coca-Cola has 39g of sugar per

serving.

http://www.sportsnutritionist.seotogrow.in

DIET SODA

Diet sodas are carbonated beverages.

Instead of sugar, they are sweetened

with artificial sweeteners like

aspartame, cyclamate, saccharin,

acesulfame-k or sucralose.

Almost every popular sugar-

sweetened beverage on the market

has a “light” or a “diet” version…

Diet Coke, Pepsi Max, Sprite Zero,

etc. There is of course, no

physiological need for these drinks in

the diet, although many people tend

to enjoy them.

http://www.sportsnutritionist.seotogrow.in

CONCLUSION

Thus, following traditional practices of eating home and eating more of Natural foods benefits the body and prevents Obesity, Diabetes, Hypertension and other disorders.

Reducing the amount of processed foods and eating healthy, natural foods would relax the gut muscles and aid in normal functioning of the stomach and intestine.

Daily consumption of milk, vegetables, fruits, juices, broths, soups from natural sources aids in Weight loss, Weight Management, Staying active and also protects you and your family from harmful chemicals used in processed foods.

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THANK YOU

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