There is no doubt that fitting into a healthy lifestyle will involve a lot of changes. One of those changes involves taking initiative and looking at the nutrition labels of the foods you buy. Honestly speaking, I was never the type of person to check out that white rectangular box at the back of the food packaging. However, when I decided to adapt to a healthy lifestyle, I started reading the nutrition label before anything.
“So I checked out that nutrition label on the cereal box, now what?”. Well, you have to keep in mind that paying attention to the amount of calories while quickly glancing over the ingredients and the breakdown of the nutrition label will do you no good. Here are a few things to keep in mind on your next trip to the grocery store.
You will need to pay attention to the 3 macronutrients along with other ingredients. Here’s a calorie for calorie breakdown (Proteins, Carbs, and Fats):
- Proteins = 4 calories/gram
- Carbs = 4 calories/gram
- Fats = 9 calories/gram
Proteins:
You will most likely see proteins without any subcategories on the nutrition label. Simply speaking, there is nothing to breakdown for you; a protein is a protein and all proteins consist of amino acids. The only difference is how well are the proteins absorbed. Of course, that will depend on the type and quality of the ingested protein. Carbs:
Carbs consist of two subcategories on the nutrition label: sugar and fiber. First thing’s first, sugar should not be treated as a close friend. It should be treated like someone who you would meet occasionally with a lot of moderation. Avoid foods that contain 14 grams or more of sugar; anything with a lower amount of sugar is a smarter choice. Attention: some sugary products are fat-free, but remember that excess sugar will eventually turn into fat in your body.
Conversely, make fiber your best friend. It works wonders on providing you with the feeling of satiety and helping out the digestion process. Ultimately, take it easy on sugars, but be generous with fibers!
Fats:
Fats are broken down into four categories: saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and trans fats. As a rule of thumb, it is recommended to eat more unsaturated than saturated fats. That is, of course, of total fat consumed. Also, in case you haven’t heard already, trans fats should be avoided at all costs!
The neglected ones (Cholesterol, Sodium, and Potassium):
Those are listed on the nutrition label, but they’re mostly disregarded by many. There’s a misconception about cholesterol which I personally believe that it has been influenced by the media. Cholesterol is good for you and your body does need cholesterol for many important functions such as vitamin and hormonal production. The twist here is to watch your daily cholesterol intake, because too much of anything is never good. The recommended daily intake for cholesterol is 300mg or less.
On the other hand, a lot of your health awareness should be towards sodium. You've probably already heard about the side effects associated with an excessive sodium intake such as hypertension and increased water retention. Sodium serves as a preservative. The lower the sodium in foods, the better.
The last neglected component is potassium. It should not be neglected because it serves as an important electrolyte. It also plays a vital role in maintaining bodily functions.
The ingredients:
So you analyzed that nutrition label and now you’re stuck at the ingredients list with terms and names that you can’t pronounce. Remember, the fewer the ingredients, the better. Ingredients are listed starting with the most abundant and ending with the least abundant. It is a smart choice to stay away from processed foods, and stick to whole and natural foods as the latter preserve their nutritional benefits. Stay away from words like “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” where both are referencing trans fats. Also, substitute products with the word “enriched” to products with the word “whole”. “Enriched” means that the product has been refined (i.e. stripped of its nutrients).
Posted in: 
