Here is a quick check list of how to read an ingredient label

• Ingredients are listed in descending order of predominance.
• The first two or three ingredients are the ones that matter most.
• The word “whole” should appear as the first or second ingredient if you are considering types of grains such as whole wheat, oats, rye, or another grain.
• Whole-grain foods should contain at least 3 grams of fiber per serving, but more is better.
• If sugar is listed in the top three ingredients, my recommendation is not to buy the product at all. To know how many grams of total sugar a product contains, check the nutrient facts label. Four to 5 grams of sugar is equal to a level teaspoon. For example, is the ingredient label has 40 grams of sugar in your “healthy drink” you have purchased, you will be consuming 10 teaspoons of sugar!
• Partially hydrogenated oils are the primary source of trans fats. If a food contains partially hydrogenated oils, it contains trans fats.

Other bedazzling ways to misrepresent foods

You’re trying to make the right choices in the foods you choose. Beware of manufactures tricks to deceive consumers into thinking that you are purchases healthier or better quality foods than they really are.

• It used to be you would look for sugar in the top three ingredients. Now a trick of manufactures is to distribute sugar among many ingredients that fall below the top three ingredients. They may use corn syrup, brown sugar, corn syrup solids, dextrose and other sugar products in smaller quantities so they do not fall in the top three spot.  Ingredients that end in the word “ose” are all forms of sugar, as are honey and corn sweeteners. These products still contain as much sugar as their counter parts.
• A food that states “trans fat free” may in fact contain up to 0.5 grams of partially hydrogenated oils, a source of trans fats, in the ingredient list.  In turn food companies have changed serving sizes to sell their product as fat free!
• Another trick is to list healthy ingredients and have the label state this clearly in the front as an added benefit.  Unfortunately the ingredients listed are in such small amounts or hardly even detectable amounts that you will derive no real value from the consumption of them in the product.
• Ingredients lists don‘t have to list chemical contaminants. Foods can contain pesticides, solvents, and other toxic chemicals without having to list them at all. The best way to minimize your ingestion of toxic chemicals is to buy organic, or go with fresh, minimally-processed foods.

Don’t pack on the pounds over the holidays. Save 1000 calories substituting the worst for the best  foods over the holidays.  It will take 5 hours of walking to burn off the extra calories of over eating in one meal!   

Best Bets                                        Worst Bets
Vegetable Broth-Based Soup   Cream Soups or Bisques
Calories:125                                    Calories:250

Gelatin Salad with Fruit-1 Cup  Cranberry Sauce 1 cup
Calories:150                                    Calories:400

Sweet Potato                            Mashed Potatoes/Gravy
Calories:175                                     Calories:350

Pumpkin/Ice Cream             Pecan /Whipped Cream/Ice Cream
Calories:320                                    Calories:900

Berries and Ice Cream Calories:250

Apple Cider, Mimosa,1 cup               Eggnog- 1 Cup
Calories:150                                     Calories:350

Step one: Have a goal and strategy in mind. The rationalization of “I’ll think about this later or I will start tomorrow” is what is getting you in trouble little by little. You don’t have to deprive yourself, but you do have to understand that your body can only consume a certain amount of calories; the rest of the calories can only turn into fat.

Sept two: Realize that it will take approximately 3 hour of exercise to burn off that holiday meal. Now make a decision if you want to make the sacrifice.

Step three: Don’t skip meals and save up for the big bang! If you do not eat all day long, your blood sugar will drop and you will end up ravenous and desiring to eat everything in sight. Many people think that they will save calories by doing so, but because the body is starving for many nutrients, calories and sugar, they end up eating more in the end.

Step four: Understand what a portion is and stick to eating only that. Your stomach is only about the size of two fists. Anything you consume that your body cannot use turns to fat. 4-6 ounces of protein, the size of a pack of playing cards, is all your body can consume before it turns to fat. Fruits, veggies and carbohydrate should be about the size of a baseball. Take a smaller plate to control what you consume. Don’t go back for seconds (remember it is fat on a plate at this point).

Step five: Look for options. For instance, you can save 300 calories by taking off the skin and selecting white meat. Or, instead of the crackers and cheese you choose the almonds you could save another 100 calories. Alcohol is a big factor in adding calories. 160 calories for only a 3 ounce drink! Learn to decide what foods you want to splurge on most and only take taste of them.

Realizing you can’t have it all may be a key factor in a healthy lean Thanksgiving.

Have you ever wondered why, if you have a choice, you CHOOSE to eat the wrong foods and too much of them at the expense of good health, energy, vitality, looking good and feeling fine in your favorite jeans, you choose the later?

For some people, maybe the deeper down response to food is that you are not aware of how the sight of food and taste of food elicits a deeper response to boredom, anger, happiness, comfort, and many other emotions that are connected to seeing food and responding with feeling of being deprived if you can’t have it. Your lack of self control may be lack of awareness of your feelings connection to food.

Unacknowledged feelings can manifest as over eating, drinking, gambling, shopping or many other “overindulgences” that you may just accept as “just eating too much or buying too much”.  If you acknowledge what part of your life is connected to your rewards to food and use of food for comfort then you can start to evaluate other options, solutions or mindsets to make better choices rather than food.

Finding the answer for overeating can be quite complex, however it may be the missing piece of the pie that you are looking for in the bakery of life:)

People come to me after years of dieting who are not in shape and unhealthy and are still looking for the perfect plan/diet. People who diet on and off over the years adapt a mindset, habits and eating plans that can become a set of complex eating “disorders” that may be part of the real reason a person can’t lose weight long term.

Even when people loose weight and are the weight they would like to be, they still talk and act like a dieter. Many times diets don’t educate you in ways that will allow you to make your own choices. You must rely on being on or off a diet. This does not work long term. You need to be able to be at piece with your body and food. If you are constantly keeping your weight at bay, counting calories, feeling frustrated and deprived, you will not succeed. Who could live with this pressure that weight loss typically represents? The odds are that the weight will eventually return because the main component of many diets is calorie restriction and deprivation.

If you took 10 people that don’t diet and are in shape and ten people that constantly diet and compare the mindsets regarding eating and dieting, you would consistently hear two totally different ways people think and behave as a group. The goal is to uncover the mindset of healthy, moving, mindsets and adapt a new way of thinking and believing to drive your behaviors in not a controlled manner, but making enjoyable choices.

Here are my ten tips for your success plan
1- Make exercise a habit not an option
2- Take it one meal and one day at a time
3- Get off the scale and use your clothes as a better measure for success
4- Eliminate processed foods
5- Build you support system for motivation
6- Find a good mentor who does not diet to be healthy and hang out with them!
7- Take a multi vitamin everyday to get boost your energy
8- Dedicate time to goal set and review those goals from time to time
9- Realize fitness is a choice and then act on that choice everyday
10- Eliminate as much sugar from your diet as possible

 If you do choose to eat your refined sugars you should combine with good fats, fiber, and protein to slow absorption. Many times I hear people state they are addicted to sugar. Realize that eating sugar causes your body to crave more sugar. That may be the addiction you think you have. Read the contents on your labels. Don’t concentrate on the carbohydrate number; look at the grams of sugar listed on the label.

Here are a few suggestions for meal planning before during and after a workout.

You should never exercise on an empty stomach. The pre workout meal is important in regards to the foods you choose and timing of your meals.  Without any or enough carbohydrates, blood sugar levels cannot be sustained. Sustaining blood sugar levels is essential in burning body fat most efficiently and sustaining energy levels during exercise.

If you are planning to eat 4 hours before a workout, your meal should consist of carbohydrates, protein and fats. This combination will help to stabilize blood sugar levels during your work out. Here is a simple list to choose from: fresh fruit, or vegetable juices, bread, bagels, baked potatoes, and sandwiches with a small amount of peanut butter, lean meat, or low fat cheese.
3 hours before a work out your meal/snack should comprise carbohydrates only. If you choose to add protein before you exercise up to 3 hour before you work out, these foods can result in delayed emptying of the stomach and you could potentially experience uncomfortable gastrointestinal side effects during your workout. Consider these snack ideas: A half of a bagel with jam, a banana and 20 mini-pretzels or an energy bar.
2 hours and up until your work out should consist of simple carbohydrates only. Approximately 200 calories is the suggested amount of calories you should consume. The majority of these calories should come from simple carbohydrates. Here are a few suggestions: fruit or vegetable juice and/or a sport drink.
During Exercise, listen to your body. If you start to feel light headed or tired during your workouts, you may want to add some simple sugars to your workouts. A suggestion is a sports drink of some kind. Feeling hungry is not an indication that you are burning fat. It is an indication that your blood sugar level is dropping and you should adjust your nutritional needs for your workouts.
Post Workout meals depend on the time and intensity of your workout. No snacks or meals need to be eaten if your workout is less than a half hour and mild intensity. If your routine is intense and last more than 45 minutes, a proper light snack or meal is suggested. A recovery meal of both carbohydrates and protein is important in a four to one ratio of carbohydrates to protein consumption.
Carbohydrates need to be consumed to replenish the glycogen stores that have been depleted during exercise. Eating within one hour after a work out will aid in the bodies ability to utilize the nutrition most efficiently. Waiting longer than an hour results in 50 percent less glycogen stored in the muscle.
Protein provides the amino acids that will aid in rebuilding muscle tissue that is damaged during intense, prolonged exercise. Too much protein can inhibit re-hydration. The amount of protein in a recovery snack/meal will depend on your age, weight, medical conditions, not  the intensity or duration of your workout.  You may want to consult USDA guidelines for more information on protein intake.

These are general guidelines for nutrition and exercise. Each person may find that slight variations may work better for each individual. This advice should be modified or approved by a consulting a qualified health professional for your particular needs or medical modifications.

Carolyn Phillips- Founder/CEO

Menu of Life- Carolynsmenuoflife.com

Fit Behavior- Fitbehavior.com

 
Americans spent $58 billion spent on weight-loss products and services in 2006. Weight Watchers collected $1.2 billion yearly in revenues, and second is Nutri-System at $568 million yearly. Yet America is in the top ten most obese countries.

 
Americans live in an environment that promotes obesity. Food is abundant and portion sizes have increased, while opportunities for physical activity have diminished and labor saving technology are all are part of the problem for expanding waist lines. There have been many nutritional changes that have impacted wait gain and obesity since 1950. Below are a few that might start you wondering where your extra calories are coming from.

Nutritional changes
• Serving sizes have increased over the years. In the 1950′s and 60′s McDonald’s french fries only came in one size. By 2000 the large serving of french fries had become a medium and a new seven ounce size topped the charts at 610 calories.
• Soft drinks sizes have also grown. In 1955 a 6.5-ounce Coca-Cola was the only size available. Today 20 ounces is standard.
• Children drink more soft drinks than milk, which is the exact opposite situation of 30 years ago.
• In 1987, 18 percent of our calories came from foods eaten in restaurants. Today, eating out contributes almost 36 percent of our calories. Studies show people underestimate the caloric and fat content of the food that is ordered in restaurants by more than have. When people are given nutritional information, this affects the food choices that they make.

Next week, I will list lifestyle changes that Americas have adapted that are making us fatter instead of fitter.