Tips on Nutritional Label Reading

I recently watched a short DVD by Dr. David Katz called “Nutrition Detectives”. It is geared towards children but speaks volumes to adults. You can purchase the DVD for a nominal cost. The DVD covers other healthful aspects but I summarize the basics of label reading below. 

Society has evolved from people growing their own food to purchasing convenient and emotional foods. Since many of us can’t do it like they did in the olden days, we can however, make smarter choices when we buy foods. So, use the following 5 clues to help you at your next trip to the grocery store or while out grabbing a quick bite to eat.

1). Don’t be fooled by the labels on the front of a package, but go to the nutrition facts on the back (or side).

    * They can be conflicting. For example, an off brand of juice reads “Orange Juice” on the front but the nutrition label has no oranges or orange juice concentrate listed.

2). The first ingredient listed is the biggest.

    * You’re looking for a breakfast cereal. If the first ingredient is sugar, it’s not a cereal – it is instead like eating candy for breakfast. Make the first meal of the day meaningful, full of flavor and healthy. It is what fuels you for the day ahead.

3). Avoid suspicious ingredients.

     * Anything hydrogenated, high fructose corn syrup (or its many aliases), aspartame (or Aminosweet), any dyes, etc.

4). The longer the ingredient list, the least healthy it is for you.

5). Look for whole grains and avoid imposters.

      * Fiber is our friend. Should be 2g or more if it’s truly a whole grain. 

There is 1 class of foods that do not require any label reading: Fruits and Vegetables.  Take it back to nature and eat whole foods as often as you can throughout each and every day. 

Aspartame is AminoSweet

This is a copy and paste from this blog as it was distributed around my wellness community. I'm sharing it here as it is important for you to know that the manufacturers are getting slicker by the minute. Be informed. Spread the awareness.

Artificial sweeteners especially aspartame has gotten a bad rap over the years, most likely due to studies showing they cause cancer. But not to worry Ajinomoto the company that makes Aspartame has changed the name to AminoSweet. It has the same toxic ingredients but a nice new sounding name.  And if you or your child happens to be allergic to Aspartame, well don’t take it personally it’s just business. Despite the evidence gained over the years showing that aspartame is a dangerous toxin, it has remained on the global market . In continues to gain approval for use in new types of food despite evidence showing that it causes neurological brain damage, cancerous tumors, and endocrine disruption, among other things.
Most consumers are oblivious to the fact that Aspartame was invented as a drug but upon discovery of its’ sweet taste was magically transformed from a drug to a food additive. HFA wants to warn our readers to beware of a wolf dressed up in sheep’s clothing or in this case Aspartame dressed up as Aminosweet.
Over 25 years ago, aspartame was first introduced into the European food supply. Today, it is an everyday component of most diet beverages, sugar-free desserts, and chewing gums in countries worldwide. But the tides have been turning as the general public is waking up to the truth about artificial sweeteners like aspartame and the harm they cause to health. The latest aspartame marketing scheme is a desperate effort to indoctrinate the public into accepting the chemical sweetener as natural and safe, despite evidence to the contrary.
Aspartame was an accidental discovery by James Schlatter, a chemist who had been trying to produce an anti-ulcer pharmaceutical drug for G.D. Searle & Company back in 1965. Upon mixing aspartic acid and phenylalanine, two naturally-occurring amino acids, he discovered that the new compound had a sweet taste. The company merely changed its FDA approval application from drug to food additive and, voila, aspartame was born.
G.D. Searle & Company first patented aspartame in 1970. An internal memo released in the same year urged company executives to work on getting the FDA into the “habit of saying yes” and of encouraging a “subconscious spirit of participation” in getting the chemical approved.
G.D. Searle & Company submitted its first petition to the FDA in 1973 and fought for years to gain FDA approval, submitting its own safety studies that many believed were inadequate and deceptive. Despite numerous objections, including one from its own scientists, the company was able to convince the FDA to approve aspartame for commercial use in a few products in 1974, igniting a blaze of controversy.
In 1976, then FDA Commissioner Alexander Schmidt wrote a letter to Sen. Ted Kennedy expressing concern over the “questionable integrity of the basic safety data submitted for aspartame safety”. FDA Chief Counsel Richard Merrill believed that a grand jury should investigate G.D. Searle & Company for lying about the safety of aspartame in its reports and for concealing evidence proving the chemical is unsafe for consumption.
The details of aspartame’s history are lengthy, but the point remains that the carcinogen was illegitimately approved as a food additive through heavy-handed prodding by a powerful corporation with its own interests in mind. Practically all drugs and food additives are approved by the FDA not because science shows they are safe but because companies essentially lobby the FDA with monetary payoffs and complete the agency’s multi-million dollar approval process.
Changing aspartame’s name to something that is “appealing and memorable”, in Ajinomoto’s own words, may hoodwink some but hopefully most will reject this clever marketing tactic as nothing more than a desperate attempt to preserve the company’s multi-billion dollar cash cow. Do not be deceived.

Sources:

Ajinomoto brands aspartame ‘AminoSweet’

Aspartame History Highlights

FDA’s approval of aspartame under scrutiny

An Overdue Ban On A Dangerous Sweetener

http://www.naturalnews.com/028151_aspartame_sweeteners.html

I'm looking for you! Join me!

I encourage you to join my family in getting active in your health by reading labels and not purchasing any food (candy included) or drink item that has high fructose corn syrup on the label.

** Challenge dates: April 19th through May 31st 2010. **

Like all habits, it sometimes takes baby steps to make them stick but it also takes repetition (over several weeks in this case) and support from fellow folks that are in the same boat as you. This is your support system and we can get there in at least 6 weeks. (May take longer...but again, baby steps).

You're invited to become a fan of "The HFCS-FREE Challenge" on Facebook. If you wish to join the challenge please annotate that in your post to the page or by sending me a private message (on Facebook).

We can share our challenges in taking on this baby step and I'd like for you to post pictures of foods that you have removed from you diet and what you have replaced the foods with.

I personally agree that HFCS is a contributor to weight gain (among other things). But in the short 6 weeks, we are only going to focus on weight.

You may weigh in on what you think HFCS has done to your family - positive or negative.

If you wish to share your weight goals, please do so. You can do this by listing your current weight and at the end of the challenge list your ending weight. Or if you're shy about your weight, please don't be discouraged - you can still share that you want to lose X number of pounds and if you reached that goal at the end of 6 weeks of eating NO HFCS!

We can take baby steps together! Let's do this! Our health matters! And our kids' health matters more!

Buy This Not That Ed.1

In this series, I will provide images of foods / drinks that contain High Fructose Corn Syrup (or its many aliases) and the healthier alternatives.  In some cases, you will find that the manufacturer makes both kinds - one with HFCS and one without.  For example, Heinz has an organic line and there is no HFCS in the ketchup.  

The philosophy I share with many others is this: Spend little now to save on your grocery expenses and pay more later on your health.  The choice is yours.

Note: Some of these foods are (soon to be were) found in my pantry - this shows you that I'm trekking along this journey of removing HFCS from my consumables with you.  However, over time, it is my goal that the pictures will be coming from the supermarket and not from my pantry!

Green with ... (kindness)

Wednesday is St. Patty's Day and although I am not Irish, I did visit Ireland for their holiday in 2007 for 5 days. They threw down with a fantastic parade and by noon all shops and restaurants were closed - it is a holiday - a day of rest!  The Irish are wonderful and kind-hearted people. Very polite and warm. I would love the opportunity to go back and visit more of the open landscapes. I visited several historical (and popular) places and have some pictures to show for! 

A recent follower mentioned adding smoothies as a way to get more of the fruits and veggies we are missing in our diets each day. I LOVE smoothies and this is a sure way to get young, picky toddlers to eat more veggies! 




On behalf of Dr. Mitra Ray, I have posted her green smoothie recipe. It is simply amazing. You can find it and many more free resources on her site.

Makes 1 Serving

• 
  

  3 large kale leaves, chopped

• 
  

  2 bananas-very ripe, frozen or fresh

• 
  

  1 fleshy fruit, chopped (apricot, peach, mango, etc), frozen or fresh

• 
  

  1/4c flax seeds

• 
  

  1 tsp milk thistle

• 
  

  Enough filtered water to make it as liquid as you like

Put flax and milk thistle in [vita-mixer] blender. Blend until powder-like. Add one cup of water and continue blending. Add fruits and vegetables, and then slowly add additional water while blending. Blend until liquefied, or until smoothie has reached desired consistency.

While you're out and about on St. Patty's Day, whether you're going to bring in / take-out the day with some green beverages of your choice, let's also do like the Irish and be kind to folks as you go throughout your day. Manners go a long way. Especially in the world we live in that has become obsessively selfish. Stand out from the norm and brighten someone's day.  Be blessed!

It's all the Hype - Or is it?

Over the last twelve months, I have submerged myself into not only wanting to eat better but actually doing it albeit most times it is baby steps but nonetheless I'm taking active steps.


I have the distinct pleasure of being surrounded by other women (and some men) who have the same desires. Some are just hoping to make nutritional changes and others are actually walking the walk. I have learned a lot about food and dead calories verses live calories and how there is really a difference in my behavior (moody, tired, etc) when I make (and eat) poor food choices. 


Live calories are foods that give you life - energy and a strong immune system, like fruits and vegetables and Dead calories are foods that well... tear you down and make you feel sluggish - prepackaged and processed foods.


The latest hype - High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). 


HFCS in its basic sense is a sweetener and a preservative. It is cheaper to make than using sugar and that's the main reason so many [manufacturers] are using it. The other reason is because it keeps you hungry (or thirsty) after consuming the item for which HFCS is found in. 


There are conflicting results in the research that has been conducted on HFCS. Most say it causes obesity and it contributes to diseases such as diabetes, cancers and diagnoses like A.D.H.D. and Autism. I do believe that HFCS is a contributor to the aforementioned but so is eating a poor diet overall. 


Bottom line, I believe that environmental factors (how you're brought up - what your parents ate, ingredients found in our foods, lack of education about health and wellness, lack of resources to teach this ever-so-needed topic, etc) are the real reasons why we are slapped with a label from the doctor's offices. 


Whatever your diagnosis may be... you don't have to let it consume you. Many of the times, if we correct (change) our eating habits, we tend to feel better and are healthier.  


Dr. Bill Sears, pediatrician and father of 8, has published more than 30 books many of which discuss the importance of eating right. He has 3 simple categories of foods: Green (eat every day all day foods), Yellow (eat sometimes foods), and Red (don't eat). He believes and has seen in his practice that many of the diagnoses as mentioned above, especially ADHD / ADD are misdiagnoses. It is really N.D.D. (Nutrition Defecit Disorder).  He has a book on this topic. 


Examples of green foods are all fruits and vegetables, healthy fats like avocado, lean meats, whole grains, nut butters, salmon, and yogurt (avoid the HFCS ingredient).  Examples of yellow foods are butter, home-made cookies, pasta, fatty meats, and white bread.  Examples of red foods are beverages pre-sweetened with sugar or corn syrup (HFCS too), dyes (red, yellow, blues #s), foods with hydrogenated oils, and foods containing nitrates (sandwich meats). 


Though the results from the research on HFCS don't lean one way or the other, one thing that's factual and can be observed from any angle is that everything you eat or drink that has HFCS has high calories and has very little to no nutritional value in it. One major culprit and the best example is soda, which is a Red food.


When shopping for food, read the labels. If it has HFCS or any of the names HFCS is known by like Inulin, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Iso Glucose, Chicory, and Fuit Fructose and if anything has been hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated find a replacement. 


In my next week's post, I will share some quick tips on label reading. You'll be surprised at how easy it is to remember the main things to look for.  Your grocery shopping trips may take a little longer initially until you know which foods to avoid and which ones to replace what your family has been used to eating. You may also find that your grocery bill for one trip may be more than what you're used to spending but what you will notice over time is that at the end of the month your grocery bill expense may either remain the same or even be lower than what you budgeted for. The main reason is because when you eat healthier, you tend to not overeat and you stay satisfied longer in between meals and snacks.


Another tip to avoiding HFCS is go organic. If you don't have a Whole Foods (Sprouts, Trader Joe's, Henry's, etc) store nearby, you can shop at a Target. They carry Archer Farms and most of these foods have the USDA Organic label on the packaging. 


I'd love to hear your views on HFCS by posting a comment below. 

Raw Foods Recipes

Resources:

Books:

Living on Live Food – Alissa Cohen

Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen – Ani Phyo

Raw Food Real World – Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis

Websites:

Alissa Cohen

Sharing raw, vegan recipes and advice

WALNUT TACO “MEAT”:

1 cup Raw Walnuts, soaked in water for at least two hours

½ cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes, soaked 30 minutes (save soak water)

¼ cup Yellow Onion, finely chopped

3 tsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Chili Powder

1 clove Garlic, minced

¼ Sun-Dried Tomato water

½ tsp. Herbamere

Preparation:

Combine ingredients in food processor until mixed well.  (For a less moist texture, put in dehydrator for 1 hour.)

SOUR “CREAM”:

1 cup Raw Macadamia Nuts

Juice of 1 Lemon

1 clove Garlic, minced

¼ tsp. Sea Salt

½ cup water (enough to make creamy)

Preparation:

Blend all ingredients in blender. (Adjust ingredients to your taste.)

March 2010 Newsletter

Tomorrow it's Spring Forward!! Do you know what that means? Yes, it's one hour less of sleep but more importantly, it's when the best fruits and veggies are in season. Before visiting your local grocery store chain or farmer's market, go here first "What's in Season?". Knowing what's in season is best for your health and your pocket. Picking, purchasing and eating Fruits & Veggies out of season isn't doing much for you. The taste isn't great and the cost is higher than usual. 

Getting fruits and vegetables from your local farmer's market is a good way to ensure freshness plus you'll be supporting your local farmers - it's a win-win situation! You're even encouraged to participate in a CSA - Community Supported Agriculture program in which you pay for local and sometimes (depends on the farmer) organic foods. You can find out if there is a participating farmer near you at U.S. Local Harvest. 

Last month, I had the privilege of attending a Raw Foods meetup (Vegan). I had always thought that Vegan foods lacked flavor. That is so NOT true. Actually the foods have more flavor for your taste buds then the food you eat on a regular basis. In my next post, you'll have two of the raw food recipes that I tried out. 

Introduction: Importance of Education

Welcome to my blog. 

I am a WAHM and am married to a kind and loving man. We have one toddler son. As noted in "Interests", education is a huge part of my being. I thrive on learning new things. Right now in this stage of my life, I am learning about nutrition and overall wellness - body, mind, spirit and everything in between.

Prior to getting to this juncture, it took me seven years to earn my Bachelor's Degree as I was a full-time working professional. I attended UMUC in Naples, Italy and I majored in Management with a minor in Human Resources and earned Honors. I initially started my higher education at a community college in Maryland and co-founded and ran an organization designed for the Women on Campus and also succeeded at co-running a Marketing Campaign. During that year, I was selected for the “Who's Who of Junior Colleges”. In the traditional work settings throughout the last ten years, I have been awarded multiple recognition rewards on excellence and “setting the bar high”.

I am a leader by nature but I know all good leaders start at the bottom, working their way up, building bridges and maintaining meaningful relationships. Max Lucado said it best: "The first step to leadership is servanthood". I believe that whole heartedly. I love to serve and have done so by volunteering in local communities and I have been an active member or officer of several organizations.

This brings me to the reason of starting this blog. I am educating people about eating better and living healthier. I am learning along the way about unsafe chemicals and toxins found not only in our foods, but in the products we use on our bodies and in our homes. I am not a green mom by any means but who knows... I may be headed in that direction. I want to teach you about how to identify and then remove the ingredients that contributes to rampant illnesses in our nation but first and foremost, what is making you sick and building up toxicity in your body later forming diseases like diabetes, cancers, high blood pressure, etc.

I want to share all that I have learned with you.

Are you open?