We are all bombarded with nutritional advice on the food we eat. Seems like everyone has an opinion or suggestion on how to do it best. And it got me to thinking: how do you read nutrition labels? Do you just skim for one particular ingredient, such as sugar, or fat? Are you singularly focused on one health issue, such as diabetes or cholesterol? And only concern yourself with that one factor? Can you rely on that type of system to give you the information that you need?
Labels and symbols were meant to help the consumer make it easier to identify and choose healthier foods. Is that what happened? Do you find it easier to identify healthier foods in your grocery store? I find myself being blinded by all the bright, colorful packaging and marketing and could easily come home with a bag full of "unhealthy" choices with great "healthier" marketing terminology on the packages. And I could convince myself that I was doing "good".
Here is an example: Kellogg's Apple Jack cereal. It's packaging says its low in fat, fortified with vitamins and minerals and an excellent source of iron. But its MAIN ingredient is sugar!!! Yikes! Nothing like starting the day off with a sugar high. That is 3 tsp. of sugar in 1 cup of cereal. But if you went by just reading the front of the package, you would think you were buying a healthy food for your family.
I want to quote David Katz, M.D., of Yale University's School of Medicine, who once suggested that it would be simpler to label junk food with a "Scarlet J". I love that idea. It would make it so much easier to know what I was putting in my shopping cart. But we all know that it is not going to happen! Big marketing budgets of huge food companies will see to that.
What is our practical solution for our everyday lives? We have to be our own best investigators. Here are some successful strategies that you may choose to use:
1. Read the first 5 ingredients on the label. If you don't like what you see, move on.
2. If there are too many ingredients listed that you can't pronounce or words you never heard of....move on. If you don't know what they are, then neither does your body.
3. Try to include as much fresh fruit as possible. Mother nature has always treated us quite well and her products are portable and pre-packaged! I am going to put my trust in her. Hard to beat that!
With 10 years experience in the weight loss industry, Gretchen delivers fire tested, real life strategies to kick your sugar sensitivities and food cravings. She arms you will skill power, so you don't have to worry about having a lot of will power. Her mantra is: "When You Conquer The Sugar, You Conquer The Pounds".
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