Take a BIG Step For Your Health: Read the Fine Print on Food Labels, Label Maze 1

06 Nov Take a BIG Step For Your Health: Read the Fine Print on Food Labels, Label Maze 1

Have you ever wondered what is really in your food? Do you just buy whatever food catches your eye, or do you read the fine print on the food labels of products before you buy at the grocery store (be honest)? For me, the more I learned about nutrition the more I investigated labels and ultimately found that several foods and ingredients I consistently ate were NOT safe or healthy to eat. It was a big surprise! This realization ultimately lead me into formulating my own food, energy bars, drinks, elixirs, recipes and supplements because I could control what I was consuming.

You can control what you are consuming – and your health – by reading the fine print on your food’s labels. In this three-part series, Label Maze, I want to share some key, simple ways you can decipher food labels to look past those empty claims and upgrade the quality of food you choose to put back or place in your cart.

Reading food labels is as important as checking out the price. And it is much more important that the attractive marketing on the front (admit it, it is hard to ignore the buzzwords and well-crafted sales pitch!). Turning that yogurt cup (or any packaged food item) over to read “Ingredients” in small print is hugely important and not to be underestimated. The ingredients list is the true story behind the food you buy. Don’t let claims such as “low fat,” “sugar free,” and “natural” fool you. Sometimes I too forget to look at the label thoroughly and get taken in by a slickly packaged gimmick, only to realize when I get home that I’ve made a mistake. I have actually thrown food away for having a bad ingredient in it. My health is more important than the money I paid for it.

Below are two simple mindsets you can implement when shopping for food and looking at labels. These two things can have a significant impact on your life and radically improve the quality of food that you buy.

1. BE SKEPTICAL. Start by not believing everything packaged food products say or claim to be. Question each ingredient that is in the food you buy. Become a food expert (or detective) by doing research and educating yourself. Go to product’s websites for nutrition information if needed, Google search, ask, ask, ask, and find out about what you are consuming. Keep a list in your phone of the ingredients you are avoiding. Environmental Working Group is an awesome resource!

2. BEWARE: SUGAR. Above all else, it you monitor the amount of sugar that is in the food you are considering for purchase, you will dramatically improve your health and the quality of the foods you put in your body. Added sugar and foods high in sugar should be eaten in moderation. My rule of thumb is to try not to consume more than 10 grams of sugar per sitting. If you are eating an energy bar and it has 21 grams of sugar per bar (even if it is from natural sources) then I would only eat half. This will help keep the adrenals in check and not produce so much blood spiking. The American Heart Association gives a rough estimate on how much added, refined sugar we can consume per day; for men it is 150 calories (nine teaspoons) and for women it is 100 calories (six teaspoons).

One important note while you are trying to avoid or reduce the sugar in your food. Do not get fooled by artificial sugar replacements! You have to read the label and find out what ingredients are taking the place of that sugar-free promise on the front. Very often, chemically created artificial sweeteners are added to make up for the lack of natural sweetness in a product and these are highly toxic for the body. Remember, if a food has been modified, the body cannot usually readily digest or recognize the food. Artificial sugars should be eliminated completely, which includes high fructose corn syrup, Aspartame, Splenda, and regular refined white and brown table sugar.

What do you look for when reading food labels? Share with me in a COMMENT below.

Love How You Live,

Darin Olien

UNCOVER MORE: In this three-part series, Label Maze, I looked at the key, simple ways you can decipher food labels to look past empty claims and upgrade the quality of food you choose to actually place in your cart.

• Take a BIG Step For Your Health: Read the Fine Print on Food Labels (Blog 1 of 3)
• Remember this TOP TIP When You Read Food Labels (Blog 2 of 3)
• Are Food Labels Fooling You (Blog 3 of 3)

Sources: http://www.ewg.org/, http://christinehfarlowdc.com/