FOOD
LABELS HELP GET YOU INTO DESIGNER LABELS
By : JAMI ZAMYAD Summer
is upon us my friends and if you have done a good job hiding the
extra pounds underneath the layers of winter apparel, then you may
shy away from baring it in this summer’s latest style. In an effort
to avoid the seasonal crash diets, hit the gym to exercise, but
more importantly watch your dietary intake. Keep it off, so you
don’t have to burn it off! The best weapon in your quest for losing
the unwanted weight is to learn to use the handy dandy NUTRITION
FACTS labels located conveniently on most food products you buy.
The next time you’re out grocery shopping, take a look at the information
that the Food and Drug Administration requires companies to provide
for their consumers, THAT’S US.
Here are the things to look for on a nutrition facts label:
1. SERVING SIZE: Pay
attention to the serving size, including how many servings there
are in the food package, and compare it to how much YOU actually
eat.
2. WATCH THE TOTAL
CALORIES in a serving and how many of those calories come from the
fat content.
3. LIMIT THESE NUTRIENTS.
These are total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Most
of us eat too much of all three and need to avoid them whenever
possible.
4. GET ENOUGH OF THESE.
Most of us don’t get enough dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C,
calcium, and iron in our diet, so look for them.
5. % DAILY VALUE:
This tells you whether the nutrients (fat, sodium, fiber, etc) in
a serving of food contribute a lot or a little to your total daily
food intake. Keep the fats, cholesterol and sodium percentage 5%
or lower and keep the fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron
20% or higher.
6. % DAILY VALUE is
based on recommendations for a 2000 calorie diet. Even though you
may eat more or less than 2,000 calories a day, you can use the
%DV as a frame of reference.
After reading and analyzing these nutrition facts,
don’t be shocked to discover that you are consuming much more than
you bargained for. Learning to use this information can be effective
in helping you to lose weight by targeting foods high in fats, cholesterol
and sodium. It even saves you money by putting those NO! NO! items
back on the shelf and walking away .Before long, those designer
summer fashions will slip right onto your fit bods. Remember the
cliché,” You are what you eat”!
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