Label Reading 101

When shopping, one of the traps we fall into is to buy items based on the marketing which the manufacturer places on the package (why do you think they do that?!).  The packaging nowadays has things like "all natural", "no trans fats per serving", "sugar free" and we fall prey to those claims.  But it's really important to become your own detective and read labels.

A few tips for label reading:
1. Look for 5 or fewer ingredients - the less processed the better!
2. If you cannot say or do not know what ingredients are, you should probably put it back!
3. If the label has the word hydrogen in any form, that means there are trans fats*
4. Do not buy foods that have artificial (anything) or colors
5. If a food is sweet yet has a low sugar gram count, that means there are other forms of artificial sweeteners (there are dozens of names, so it's important to get familiar with those so you can spot them!)

An example of label comparison is Triscuit vs. other crackers.  Triscuit (original) has whole grain, vegetable oil, sea salt - just 3 ingredients!  Other crackers have tons of ingredients including artificial flavors.  While I'm not advocating Triscuit as a healthy food, it's a healthier choice if you are choosing crackers. 

Manufacturers are out there to make money. And they feed on our need for complex combinations of taste, quick foods, and fancy attractive packaging.  The newest complex combination I've seen being sweet and savory.  My Kind bars now come with dark chocolate and sea salt - sounds crazy but tastes amazing!  That said, you can also get a milkshake at Denny's that has bacon in it...  which one do you think is a better choice?! 

There are also certain foods that you really need to be careful even though they appear harmless.  If your food contains wheat, soy or corn, it's really important to ensure it's organic, non-GMO.  Those foods are traditionally genetically modified and should be avoided.  Some good brands to look for are King Arthur (flour), Cascadian Farms (corn), Nasoya (tofu).

In summary, look for whole foods (no label = no processing), or items with ingredients you know and trust.  Also, it's a good practice to identify companies that care about our health and put out good healthy foods consistently.  This allows you to relax a bit, knowing that you are making good choices with their brand.  And look for healthy stores such as Whole Foods, your eyes will be opened to a whole new shopping experience!

So when you head to your local market, take your time....and your reading glasses!  Happy shopping!
In good health,
Jackie

*Trans fats are deadly contributors to heart disease and should be avoided. The government says that just 2g trans fats per day can severely deteriorate your health.  Packaging is allowed to show "less than 1g trans fat" as "no trans fats per serving".  Watch for this devious packaging message.  If the word hydrogenated is in the ingredients, it has trans fats - and 2g add up quickly! 

The Dairy Dilemma

So much to say on this topic! 

Did you know that we are the only species that drinks another species milk?  Doesn't that seem odd?  

Did you know that some dairy farms give their cows artificial growth hormones (rBST) to increase milk production and keep cows lactating?  That rBST along with hormones, steroids, and pesticides are likely in all in the non-organic milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream that you and your family consume.  Interestingly, rBST has not been allowed on the market in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, Argentina or the European Union.  I wonder why they all ban it but we allow it?  If I have your attention, I suggest you watch a few documentaries such as Forks Over Knives, Food, Inc., and Supersize Me.

From a different perspective, dairy has an impact on other aspects of our health - regardless of 'cleanliness' of the dairy.  It's known that dairy causes congestion, exacerbates allergies, negatively impacts our skin and unless you are eating fat free, can cause weight gain.  Those are just some of the more well known impacts.  

I'm guessing some of you are saying "but what about calcium"?  Well, guess what?  Calcium comes from many foods, not just dairy!  And by the way, do you really want cow calcium? Yuk.   You can get calcium from leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and collard greens, fortified orange juice, fortified cereals*, non-dairy milks (ie: soy, almond, coconut), soy**, and enriched bread, grains and waffles.  

So what to do...the world revolves around dairy.  And I know it's hard to give up - I've done it.  I will say that although I may miss cheese on my meal, at the end of the meal I feel great that I avoided the pitfalls of dairy especially the fat.  I have found many substitutes such as almond milk, coconut ice cream and vegan parmesan.  So there is the 'food for thought'.  Take it slow and your changes will stick much longer.  Doing too much change at once can be a recipe for disaster!

Vegan Parmesan:
In a coffee grinder, blend:

1/4c Nutritional Yeast
1/4c Toasted Sesame Seeds
1/4tsp Sea Salt

Store in a tightly sealed glass container in your refrigerator.  I usually make 2-3 batches at once.  And celebrate one non-dairy substitute!
In good health,
Jackie

*Be sure to check your label on cereal, some of them are loaded with sugars, by many names!  Email me if you'd like some healthy brands to consider!
**When eating any form of soy (edamame, tofu, etc) be sure to always choose organic, non-GMO as a very large percentage of soy is genetically modified.

Movie reference site:  http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/10-best-food-and-health-documentaries/ 

Are you eating for "life"?

I know, "are you eating for life"...that sounds very dramatic and draconian, but I truly believe we make the choice to 'eat for life', the alternative not needing to be called out...  Have you ever wondered "does this food choice have redeeming value to my body"?  

I have a food pyramid which I use for conversations with clients and at seminars.  It's not your typical food pyramid - eat this, don't eat that - but rather challenging the quality of food choices.  

The idea here is that most of America's diet (aka SAD*) consists of foods which have no nutritional or redeeming value in our bodies except for momentary gratification. Now as fun as that is, you are doing yourself no favors.  These DISEASE** foods consist of fast-food, fried food, soda, foods with hydrogenated oils (look for the word 'hydrogen' in any form), high number of sugars, artificial colors and many more.   These foods cause, exacerbate or promote bad health leading to disease.  

The middle section and the largest of our intake 'should' be MAINTAIN.  This consists of healthy foods which include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and organic lean meat and dairy.  These foods will maintain your good health, keeping your body fueled for work, exercise and enjoying quality of life.

The top section is HEAL.  These are foods that you consciously seek for healing your body.  By healing I mean transforming your health with food.  Did you know that is possible?!  This category includes many super-foods such as green tea, kale and other leafy greens, blueberries, wild caught salmon, quinoa, +70% cocoa, gogi berries, and many more.  The key here is to eat organic or the best quality available.  Pesticides wreak havoc on our system and very little has been published on the long term impact.  I would venture to say we are seeing the impact of all those hidden chemicals in our foods (more on that in the next issue).  By the way, the list does not include any meat, dairy or sugar, sorry! 

So for today, I challenge you to start thinking like this, and I bet that you will find that you make much better choices, and perhaps only the occasional slip, which will be a conscious decision.

In good health,
Jackie

*Standard American Diet
**Disease in this case is any debilitating physical ailment including but not limited to obesity, high cholesterol, type II diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, IBS, etc.

Coming next:  Why organic?



I am a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition where I received a certification in Holistic Health Counseling