3430

3430-D Anderson Hwy.

Powhatan, VA 23139

804-598-5352 www.herbalconsultant.com

FAVORITE HEALTH QUOTE

“The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.” ~Thomas A Edison

FOOD LABELS - PART 1

I only shop for two people now that my kids are grown, but when I go food shopping, I spend almost two hours in the grocery store every other week. Why? It’s because I read food labels thoroughly to learn answers to the following questions:

1. What is the serving size of the food?

2. How many calories does the food item contain?

3. What is the nutritional value of the food?

4. What kinds of ingredients are in the food?

The food industry would like us to believe everything they say in their advertisements. They count on the fact that most consumers don’t understand how to read and interpret food labels. For example, when a bread commercial or label states that the bread is “whole grain,” many consumers are mistakenly led to believe the bread is made from 100% whole grains; however, that may or may not be the case. Many times, bread labeled as “whole grain” or “whole wheat” only contains a small amount of whole grain. It is easy to be confused by information provided to us by an industry that makes vast profits from our food choices. That’s why I read labels. I want to make informed food choices that will give me a nutritional bang for my buck so that I can eat smarter and stay healthy.

One of the most important pieces of information on a food label is the serving size, which is also the first item shown. How many times do you read the serving size and actually measure out your serving? Most serving sizes shown on food labels bear very little resemblance to what we normally pour into our bowls or serve on our plates. A 3/4 cup serving of a rice-based cereal will look very small in a typical cereal bowl. Most of us will pour at least twice that amount if not more. Serving sizes form the basis for calculating the nutritional content of our food, so paying attention to serving sizes is one of the most important ways we can improve our health.

Calories are the second item listed on food labels. Calories measure the energy a food will provide to your body. Eating more calories than our bodies use will cause weight gain and eating fewer calories than our bodies burn will result in weight loss. Let’s assume the calories for one serving of dry cereal are only 110, but when you add 1/2 cup of fat-free (skim) milk, you gain 40 more calories per serving. When you add more than 1/2 cup or use milk with fat (1%, 2% or whole milk), many more calories will be added to your serving. Three-fourths of a cup of cereal may be fine for a small child, but most kids over 10 years old and almost all adults will pour twice as much cereal into their bowl and add around 1 cup of 2% milk. In that case, you would need to double the calories for the cereal (110 X 2 = 220) and add 138 calories from the 2% milk (220 + 138 = 358). What began as a 110-calorie meal has expanded to 358 calories. When you add a piece of whole wheat toast (75 calories) with 1 tablespoon of reduced-calorie vegetable oil margarine (63 calories) and an 8-ounce glass of orange juice (112 calories), your total calorie count rises to 608. It’s easy to see how calories can add up quickly.

The nutritional value of food is always important to know, particularly for people who have to watch their weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, or cholesterol. There are several functions of nutrients. They help us provide energy, build cells and tissue, build immunity, and sustain mental health and capacity. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are the major nutritional groups.

Carbohydrates provide the most energy and are essential for maintaining good health, but we need to consume complex carbs from fruits, vegetables and whole grains and give up the simple carbs from processed and refined foods and simple sugars. Carbs also give us our best source of fiber which maintains cardiovascular and colon health. People who eat a 2,000-calorie a day diet and who don’t want to lose weight should get 40 – 60% of their daily calories from carbs.

Most of us eat much more protein than we need. According to www.dietitian.com, high protein intake stresses our kidneys and does not result in greater muscle gain, even for weight lifters and athletes. The function of proteins are for growth and maintenance, to provide enzymes that help tissues absorb nutrients, provide antibodies to fight invaders, regulate fluid balance, regulate pH balance (our acid-alkaline balance), and provide energy. Proteins are secondary to carbs as an energy source. The recommended daily allowance of protein ranges from 9 grams for infants up to anywhere from 46 – 56 grams for a typical adult. For reference, just 4 ounces of meat (the size of a deck of cards) contains about 25 – 35 grams.

Our April issue will continue this topic and will address fats and food ingredients. Watch for it!

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Debbie Markel, CH, CNHP

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