Publication: Diet Buddy
Do you know what you're reading? | |
Subscribe FREE to Diet Buddy by clicking here.
Diet Buddy - Monday, September 25, 2006
------------------------------------------------------------
Hi there Buddies:
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are enjoying
what's left of these summer days. Fall is quickly
approaching and that means shorter daylight hours and more
time spent indoors. We'll also be more inclined to just
sit back, relax, and watch those "new shows" that are on
our TV screens, and with all that sitting comes that extra
weight. This is the perfect time to remember that diet
plan you've let slip or maybe change gears and start a new
one.
OK, you've finally motivated yourself enough to start that
new plan and are off doing some grocery shopping looking
for just the right type of foods, when you get completely
confused by what looks like a food label stating inform-
ation you're not quite sure about.
What is a serving size? Does this contain too many
calories? How much fiber are we suppose to consume a day?
What are carbohydrates? And then there's that dreaded fat
we're trying to get rid of. Have you ever wondered what
all these items really mean and whether we need a special
class to understand it all?
Not to worry, thanks to these nutrition labels on most food
packages, it's easy to follow a nutritious diet without
becoming confused about what they say and mean. Today
let's take a look at what those food labels mean and how
they can make a difference in the various types of foods
we choose to purchase at the store.
"The key to healthful and enjoyable eating is to make
informed food choices that are right for you, and labels
can help you do that, says Bettye Nowlin, R.D.., a spokes-
woman for the American Diabetic Association. The
simplified lables highlight the information most consumers
require when assessing a food product.
Reading food labels can improve your diet by helping you
make more sensible food choices at the grocery store. You
can also buy with confidence knowing that foods claiming
to be low in cholesterol or fat have met standards set by
the Food and Drug Administration.
------------------------------------------------------------
Is Your Pet Part of the Family?
If you're like most pet owners, your pet is extra special
to you and your family. We understand that and have devoted
our site and services to reflect this. Here are five reasons
why we are the #1 site on the net for you and your pet.
* Convenience - your pet's medication delivered directly to
your door.
* Free Shipping - you can get free shipping on orders over
$39.
* Price - Save on all your pet's health care needs.
* Quality - just like your vet, we provide US FDA/EPA
approved medications.
* EXTRAORDINARY Customer Service - We truly care about your
pets and want to help.
Come and visit... we'll help you save time and money.
Save at 1-800-PetMeds
------------------------------------------------------------
What to look for:
* Serving size
* Total carbohydrate
* Dietary fiber
* Calories
* Total fat
* Saturated fat
Always check the serving size first: the information on
the label refers to this specific serving size but your
packages may have more than one serving. If you eat more
or less than the specified serving, you need to adjust the
numbers.
For example, the serving size for spaghetti is usually 2
ounces (1 cup). If you, like many people, eat 2 cups at a
meal, you have to count this as two servings. This not
only affects total calories, but also the grams of
carbohydrate and fat that you just ate.
Check the total carbohydrate next. It is listed in bold
letters that stand out. If you are counting carbohydrate
grams, count this amount against your goal for your meal
or snack.
Sugar, other carbohydrates, and dietary fiber are part of
the total carbohydrate listed on the label. Since
carbohydrates turn into sugar, the total grams of
carbohydrate affect your blood glucose not only the grams
of sugar in the particular food item.
Dietary fiber is listed just below total carbohydrates.
Look for whole-grain foods that are high in fiber. In
addition to checking for the word "whole" in the
ingredients, also look for at least 3 to 4 grams of
dietary fiber.
The calorie information tells you the number of calories
in one serving. Adjust the number of calories if you eat
smaller or larger servings.
------------------------------------------------------------
The #1 DVD Rental Site Just Got Even Better...
Check out Netflix and see why now is the time to join:
- Only $5.99 a month. - No Late Fees.
- Over 65,000 Titles. - Free Trial.
And of course shipping is always free both ways. Get more
info and browse the more than 65,000 titles by visiting:
check out Netflix
------------------------------------------------------------
Check the total fat in one serving. Pay particular
attention to the amount of saturated fat in one serving.
Choose foods that are low in saturated fat.
For example, drink skim milk rather than whole milk. The
former only has a trace of saturated fat while whole milk
has 5 grams of saturated fat per serving. Similarily, 3
ounces of fish has less than 1 gram of saturated fat while
3 ounces of hamburger has more than 5 grams.
It is important to know that if a food item has less than
0.5 mg of saturated fat, the manufacturer is allowed to
say that there is no saturated fat. This is especially
important to know if you are eating more than one serving
at a time because you may be getting a lot more saturated
fat than you realize.
For example, if you eat two servings of a food item that
says "0.0 mg of saturated fat," you may be eating as much
as 0.8 mg of saturated fat.
As of January 2006, the Food and Drug Administration will
require that trans fats in a food are listed on the food
labels. Trans fats are a type of fat created from a
process called hydrogenation in which liquid oils are
transformed into solid fats. These fats raise the LDL-
cholesterol (bad) and lower the HDL-cholesterol (good).
They are mostly found in processed foods like snack foods
and desserts.
When they are included on the label, trans fats will be
listed under total fat. Trans fats are measured in grams.
Look for foods that are low in trans fats (1 gram or less).
The % Daily Value is listed on the label as a guide. These
values are based on a 2000-calorie diet with precentages
for calories, fat, carbohydrates and saturated fat.
------------------------------------------------------------
This can be your chance to be 10 K Richer...
You could be the next $10,000 iWon weekday winner - plus,
get the latest news, sports scores, stock quotes and more.
You could win up to $25 Million just for checking your
email, reading your horoscope, or catching up on the latest
news. To get your chance to win cash, visit:
Don't miss your chance at cash
------------------------------------------------------------
Helpful Tips to keep in mind: by Amanda Ursell, Nutritionist
- Always check the number of servings in a pack.
Fat and other nutrients are given per serving. You need
to know how many servings there are in a product to
gauge how many calories for example, you are getting in
total. An individually wrapped muffin may have 100
calories per serving, which sounds good. On closer
inspection the muffin could however be supplying 4
servings, which means that if you eat the whole thing,
you are eating 400 calories in total.
- Don't rely on nutrition claims such as "low fat" to tell
you the whole story about the product. Look at the
whole picture by checking the nutrition facts box and
ingredients list. A "low fat" cookie can still be high
in sugar and have plenty of calories.
- Be aware that labels are like mini-advertisements for
the food or drink. While they have to be legal and
honest, they are there to persuade you to buy them and
can be confusing. If you are in any doubt whether a
product is good for you, leave it on the shelf.
- Don't be swayed by terms like 'naturally better' or
'nature's way.' Take a step back, because they don't
really mean anything. Concentrate on the facts (which
appear in the nutrition facts panel) rather than wooly,
meaningless hype.
- Try not to be influenced by cozy pictures, bright
colors and funky names on labels. They can really
press your emotional buttons and end up in your cart
because they look good. NOT because they are good.
Learning to read labels takes some time, but can be a
very beneficial tool regarding your food choices that you
take home. Next time you're at your favorite store take
the time to turn that box of cookies around and see just
how good they really are for you, and your diet.
Did You Know ???
That reading labels lets you know what ingredients you're
actually paying for in a package. The first ingredient
listed is the one which occurs in the greatest amount and
the last ingredient will contain the least amount.
Have a great week everyone !!!
Have any suggestions for a Diet Buddy topic? Let me know.
E-mail me at bottom link or stop by our new Diet Buddy
Forum to discuss your personal diet stories at:
http://archives.gophercentral.com/Forum.aspx?fid=5
Disclaimer: Since I am not a medical professional any
statements in this column are strictly based on research I
have done and should not be misconstrued as medical advice.
-----------------------------------------------------------
GopherCentral's Question of the Week
Topical, timely, controversial, click the link to answer
this week's GopherCentral.com Question of the Week.
Please take a moment to share your opinion, visit:
Question of the Week
------------------------------------------------------------
Questions...Comments...? email us at: Email Libby
------------------------------------------------------------
Here's the link to the new Diet Buddy Forum:
The Diet Buddy Forum
ARCHIVES: Diet Buddy Archives
------------------------------------------------------------
END OF DIET BUDDY
Copyright 2006 by NextEra Media. All rights reserved.
 E-Mail this issue
Subscribe FREE to Diet Buddy by clicking here.
|