Understanding the information on nutrition labels is a vital skill if you are going to make smart decisions about the foods you're eating. At Proactive Evolution, we suggest that the majority of food you put into your body comes from foods that do not have nutrition labels on them because they're things like fresh vegetables and fruits. And for the remaining foods, we strongly recommend minimally processed foods wherever possible. That being said, knowing the nutritional information of the foods you're eating is extremely important, especially if you want to make sure you're eating healthy and nutritionally dense foods that are good for your body. Reading the Label In the United States, by law, all processed foods are required have a label with the following information:
The nutrition information is all based on one serving. This is important because often people eat more than one serving. For example, how many people eat 1/2 cup of packaged cold cereal? In reality, the average person has multiple servings at a time. As such, the values need to be multiplied by the number of servings actually consumed.
All of these points about hidden calories also apply to the other nutrients as well. Due to the health issues surrounding saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, cholesterol, and sugars, you should also be mindful of those values when reviewing serving sizes. Fats The next item on the label to pay close attention to is the section on the fat content. While fat is necessary for human life, there are different types of fat, some of which are healthy and some of which are not. In general, saturated fat is not healthy. Examples of saturated fats include, beef fat, butter, chicken fat, refined-deodorized coconut oil*, cream, palm kernel oil, pork fat (lard) shortening or margarine. Saturated fat is solid at room temperature and has been shown to clog arteries. For this reason, it's best to limit saturated fat to under 10% of daily calories, and ideally under 7%. Since fat has 9 calories per gram, someone eating 2000 calories per day shouldn't have more than 140 calories from saturated fat (2000 × 0.07) or 15.5 grams (2000 × 0.07 ÷ 9). Note that you will need to perform the appropriate calculations if you're a smaller person who only eats 1500 calories per day, or an athlete who is eating more than 2000 calories per day. Trans fat is a manufactured product which takes liquid oil and pumps hydrogen into it. The process causes the fat to take a solid form at room temperature which is more stable and prolongs shelf life. However, trans fat has been linked to cardiovascular disease and should be avoided! Manufacturers do not need to label trans fat below 0.5 grams per serving, yet they may actually include it in the ingredients. For this reason, it is a good idea to read the ingredients to see if the product contains any "partially hydrogenated" oils. Even at low levels, trans fats pose a health risk. Fats The next item on the label to pay close attention to is the section on the fat content. While fat is necessary for human life, there are different types of fat, some of which are healthy and some of which are not. In general, saturated fat is not healthy. Examples of saturated fats include, beef fat, butter, chicken fat, refined-deodorized coconut oil*, cream, palm kernel oil, pork fat (lard) shortening or margarine. Saturated fat is solid at room temperature and has been shown to clog arteries. For this reason, it's best to limit saturated fat to under 10% of daily calories, and ideally under 7%. Since fat has 9 calories per gram, someone eating 2000 calories per day shouldn't have more than 140 calories from saturated fat (2000 × 0.07) or 15.5 grams (2000 × 0.07 ÷ 9). Note that you will need to perform the appropriate calculations if you're a smaller person who only eats 1500 calories per day, or an athlete who is eating more than 2000 calories per day. Trans fat is a manufactured product which takes liquid oil and pumps hydrogen into it. The process causes the fat to take a solid form at room temperature which is more stable and prolongs shelf life. However, trans fat has been linked to cardiovascular disease and should be avoided! Manufacturers do not need to label trans fat below 0.5 grams per serving, yet they may actually include it in the ingredients. For this reason, it is a good idea to read the ingredients to see if the product contains any "partially hydrogenated" oils. Even at low levels, trans fats pose a health risk. Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are the body's preferred source of energy. Carbohydrates, often referred to as "Carbs" may be broken down into three main types: Starches (also known as complex carbohydrates), sugars and fiber. On the nutrition label, the "Total Carbohydrate" value includes all three types. Starches are generally not listed separately on a nutrition label, so you will need to calculate the difference between the total carbohydrate value minus the sugar and fiber values to figure it out. Starch is a polysaccharide, or a chain of simple sugars chemically bound together into a single molecule, and is broken down by the body into glucose, a simple sugar, to provide energy for cellular activity. Because of its complex chemical structure, it takes the body longer to break it down, therefore, slowing the release of glucose into the bloodstream as compared to simple sugars such as glucose, fructose (fruit sugar), galactose, sucrose (table sugar--glucose + fructose), lactose (milk sugar--glucose+galactose) or maltose (glucose+glucose). Fiber Fiber is also a polysaccharide, but due to its molecular configuration, it is not broken down by the body and passes through the intestines undigested. Fiber has many significant health benefits, including reduced cholesterol levels, digestive health, regular bowel movements, and feeling "full" and satisfied after eating. It is recommended that adults eat at least 30 grams of fiber each day. Unfortunately, because of the use of refined grains and reduced vegetable and fruit consumption in the average American's diet, most people are not coming close to that value. Sugars The value listed for sugar refers to the number of grams of simple sugars, both added and naturally occurring. Naturally occurring sugars primarily come from milk and fruit, while added sugars include the simple sugars added during processing (such as sucrose added to make a cake). Sugar goes by many different names and is derived from a variety of sources beyond sugar cane. However, other than having greater or lesser quantities of minerals and vitamins, or being digested by the body in differing ways, added sugar is still added sugar. It's a good idea to reduce or otherwise limit the amount of sugar you're consuming to what your body requires for your level of physical exertion. Excess sugar, including starch, gets converted into fat and stored in adipose tissue. Protein The amount of protein listed on the label, in grams, is unique in that it often doesn't include a daily percentage value. In general, adults should consume between 0.5 and 1.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight, with more required for individuals looking to build muscle. Ingredient List The ingredients are listed in decreasing order of substance weight, and is most useful to determine whether the product contains trans fat, added sugars, whole grains or refined grains, as well as any chemicals or preservatives. In terms of grains, it is useful to note that if refined grains are listed before whole grains (e.g. enriched unbleached wheat flour vs whole wheat flour), then the product is not a whole grain product. As such, even though it may have some whole grain flour in it, it would be considered a "white" product (e.g. White bread vs Whole Wheat bread.) Given the higher fiber content of whole grains, it's in your best interests to stick to products that do not contain refined grains. Integrating Healthy Eating into your Life As already noted, here at Proactive Evolution, we recommend eating lots of unprocessed or minimally processed foods. fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, etc. If you're looking to integrate healthy eating into your life, we can help. We offer Registered Dietitian designed meal plans that take your individual preferences into account as well as shopping assistance, education and health coaching. Click on over to the "Contact" page and get started today! * An article in the Huffington Post (2014/April/22) had this to say about Coconut Oil: "Not all coconut oils are created equal. The flakey, fragrant stuff you might find in a superfood smoothie is a very different type of coconut oil than the partially-hydrogenated fat found in junk food in the ‘80s, which was a highly-processed version of the plant oil, containing trans fats and other dangerous, cholesterol-promoting compounds."
“The older refined-deodorized bleached coconut oil causes rapid and very unhealthy looking rises in cholesterol, for sure, no doubt,” Brenna said in an email to HuffPost Healthy Living. “There is no evidence that that is the case for virgin coconut oil, which is available today but was not in the 1970s and ‘80s when people were using RDB coconut oil.” "About half of virgin coconut oil’s saturated fat is lauric acid, a medium-chain triglyceride that turns out to have a number of health-promoting properties, including the ability to improve levels of “good” HDL cholesterol. People can also more easily digest medium-chain triglycerides and convert them to energy, according to The Wall Street Journal, making coconut oil a good choice for athletes. That said, because it’s so high in saturated fat, even the purest, most natural coconut oil could be problematic for long term heart health, according to a Harvard nutrition professor."
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Way back in the "olden days," before everyone had smart phones, tablets, or even PCs, I was told that I should keep a food diary. So, for a few days, I would write down everything I ate hoping to get some insights into what I was doing that was causing me to gain weight. On paper (literally) it didn't look like I was doing anything horrible. There were two problems. The first was that I wasn't really writing down all the food I was consuming. The second, and more difficult problem for me to overcome was that I just didn't have enough data about the nutritional value of what was going into my mouth. All that changed when I got what, at the time, was a cutting-edge app and had access to the USDA database of foods along with access to "nutrition" information from select companies via their web sites.
I was in the San Diego airport, on my way to San Francisco for work, when I stopped in at the Starbucks and got my usual "morning snack"--a Chocolate Muffin and a grande soy mocha without whipped cream. While I sat in the departure lounge, waiting for my flight, I decided to enter the data from my breakfast and my snack into that new app that I had downloaded. I went through all the foods in my morning smoothie, creating a meal so that I could easily add the smoothie again the next day (yes, like most people, I'm a creature of habit when it comes to breakfast.) Then, I went to enter my Starbucks snack. There wasn't any data in the app for Starbucks, so I used my WiFi access to visit their website. I looked up the nutrition information for the muffin and the soy mocha and I was given a rude awakening. Together, the snack that I finished in fewer than 10 minutes had over 1200 calories! Holy Shiznit! That little snack accounted for almost 2/3 of what I was supposed to eat for the whole day! No wonder I was overweight! From that moment forward, I made the commitment to keep track of everything I ate so that I was sure I'd have the data I needed to keep me losing weight. For the next year, I logged foods eaten and calories burned from exercise. I made certain that I had enough calories remaining before I ate something, sometimes going to the gym or for a run just so I could have a sweet treat at the end of the day. And, guess what...It worked. In that year, I made sure that each and every day I had at least a 900 calorie deficit (from eating less and from working out more) and the results were phenomenal. Of course, times change and technologies move forward. The app that I had been using stopped being updated and I moved to a new platform that wasn't supported. So, I set out to find a replacement. Nothing that I found was quite right or as easy to use as that old app. And so, I stopped logging the food I was eating. At first it was OK. But little by little, I started to gain weight again. It became clear to me that in all of that year that I had been using an app to keep me on the path that I had actually neglected to look at the path itself. I had learned how to count calories, but I hadn't learned how to listen to my body so I could discern actual hunger versus desire for tasty food. In order to get a grip on this area of my life, I decided that I had to take a two-pronged approach. First, I had to go back to counting calories. Second, this time I had to pay attention to what my body was telling me as opposed to what my mind was telling me. The first approach was easy. There are tons of apps on the market for Android, iOS and Windows mobile devices as well as computer and web based programs. Probably the easiest and most useful of those is MyFitnessPal.com which has programs to cover all platforms as well as a website for data entry. Basic functionality is free, and a premium version is available but in my opinion, doesn't really add enough features to be useful for most people. The second approach was a bit more difficult, and this is also where I see my clients struggle at first. Most people who are overweight aren't eating because they're physically hungry. Their bodies aren't saying "I need more nutrients to fuel cellular energy and regeneration." Rather, the food gets consumed due to emotional and mental hunger. The problem is that emotional and mental hunger is never satiated by food. In fact, emotional and mental hunger is usually increased by eating food. The way to quell emotional and mental hunger is by emotional wellness, mental engagement and physical activity. At Proactive Evolution, emotional wellness, mental engagement and what we call "strenuous play" are the center point of our success with achieving physical well being. And really, this is the best diet tracker of the year: By recognizing, tracking and resolving the challenges that create emotional and mental hunger, you'll be able to employ effective strategies to lose weight and change your life for the better. If you're struggling with your weight, we can help. Click on over to the Contact page and get a free consultation to see how you can use the power of Proactive Evolution health coaching and personal training to finally reach your fitness goals. Whether you're local to us in Encinitas, CA or you're half-way around the world and can use Google Hangouts or Skype, we've got you covered. What is gratitude and why is it important? Gratitude is simply the quality of being thankful and appreciative for what exists in the current moment. However, rather than being something that you give out, like a reward, gratitude is a lifestyle. People who live in a state of free-flowing gratitude see the world differently and get more satisfaction out of life than people who are miserly with their appreciation. In fact, people who live a lifestyle overflowing with gratitude are happier, healthier and better able to adjust to whatever life throws at them. Gratitude is important because of it's simplicity and power and because of the wide range of benefits that it provides. For people looking to lose weight, get fit, make a lifestyle change, improve their nutrition, or improve their physical and emotional well being, gratitude can make all the difference. Before getting into all of the benefits of gratitude and how it can help you, it's probably a good idea to discuss what it looks like to be grateful. As already mentioned, to be grateful is to have a quality of thankfulness. In our day-to-day lives, we experience a constant string of events. We wake up, start our day, learn about the activities or experiences of friends, family and strangers while engaging in our own activities and experiences. We interact directly or indirectly with other people and the objects in our environment. While it may not seem so to us, all of this interaction is neutral. In other words, nothing that happens to us or around us means anything without us adding a meaning to it. That is a difficult proposition for most people to accept. We want to believe that the things that happen in the world have intrinsic meaning, either good or bad. Again, it comes down to our beliefs. Perhaps an example will be useful to explain what I mean. When you accidentally drop an object, to the universe or existence, it's just an exchange of energy. The falling object interacted with air molecules which resisted being pushed out of the way. It interacted with the floor, according to the laws of physics, encountering an equal and opposite force. That interaction caused the bonds that held the material together to weaken or break. As those bond broke, energy was released which interacted with the air molecules and caused sound waves. Those sound waves were then were picked up by your ears. In the realm of the universe, the incident was just an application of the laws of physics. However, on top of the physics, you and I add our beliefs. We believe that the object that just broke was a priceless heirloom. We believe that the object had meaning because it was owned by our great grandmother. We believe that we have done something horrible by breaking the object. We believe that others will be upset with us. It is our beliefs about the world that change a neutral transformation of energy into something wonderful or something horrible. The Role of Beliefs From those beliefs, we then respond to the action with emotions such as sadness, anger, fear or happiness. And from here we perpetuate the cycle of our beliefs causing our emotional responses which back up our beliefs. I should note, that none of this is to say that the beliefs are not true or that the emotional response is not acceptable. However, when it comes to lifestyle change, it is important to examine our beliefs and our emotional responses. By doing so, we may find that a large number of our beliefs about ourselves have no basis in reality. Once we discover that these beliefs are just habitual ways of thinking that we've fallen into for whatever reason, we have the power to interrupt the cycle and insert new, valid beliefs. This is where gratitude comes in to the picture. If we start to explore the actions and events that occur in our lives from a place of gratitude rather than from other perspectives, we can find positive meanings instead of negative meanings. The Big List of Benefits for Being Grateful Studies have shown that being grateful can change your life for the better. An attitude of gratitude will impact your emotional, personal, social, career and physical well being. As a result of finding positive meanings to our experiences, we get the following benefits: Emotional Well Being
Personal Well Being
Social Well Being
Career Well Being
Physical Well Being
How Can Gratitude Help Me Lose Weight? If you aggregate all of those benefits, you will find that the numerous benefits result in one fundamental truth: Gratitude makes us happier. And as you look at your experience of the world you will probably recognize that happier people tend to be healthier people. Healthier people tend to be more physically active and eat more nutritious foods. And, those who are physically active and eat more nutritious foods tend to be more resilient and have higher levels of self-efficacy when dealing with the ups and downs of everyday life. From this space of resilience and self-efficacy, the cycle repeats. For weight loss, re-framing your experiences from a place of gratitude allows you to find the positive where previously you found fear, anger or sadness. Whatever was holding you back before now offers you an opportunity to proactively evolve toward the body and lifestyle you want. What Can I Do Today? There are several things that you can do that each won't take more than a few minutes out of your day but will give you an immeasurable return. Here are just a few:
How Can Proactive Evolution Help Me Increase My Gratitude And Lose Weight? At Proactive Evolution, gratitude is part of everything we do. We've watched the simple actions listed above help change lives and result in radical weight-loss transformations. If you want the help of a health coach to integrate a gratitude practice into your life for weight loss or you're looking for holistic personal training in Encinitas (in-person, via Google Hangouts or Skype) to help you achieve your fitness goals, click on over to the contact page and get started today! You'll be grateful you did! Whether you're just getting started with your fitness program, or you've been at it for quite some time, chances are you would like to see a higher return on your workout investment. One of our favorite ways here at Proactive Evolution to do that is through what is called "Metabolic Training".
How Metabolic Training Burns Fat Metabolic Training intended to torch fat involves performing a series of multi-joint, large-muscle exercises at high intensity with a minimal amount of rest between each exercise. There are other forms of metabolic training that have goals other than burning fat, but this article will focus on the fat burning type. Research has shown working out this way is as effective as long-duration (boring) cardio at burning fat, while having the added benefit of developing lean muscle mass which in turn helps you burn even more calories. Unlike long-duration cardio (which actually causes the loss of lean muscle mass), the fat burning benefits of increased lean muscle mass and density extends well beyond the end of your workout. In fact, the fat burning effect can extend up to 72 hours after you finish! It should be noted here that if you're a woman concerned about bulking up, rest assured that you have nothing to worry about except greater definition and a leaner body. Big bulky muscles are the result of high testosterone levels. Schools of Thought There are several different schools of thought about how to perform metabolic training for fat loss. Some have you perform a certain number of repetitions of an exercise, while others have you perform the exercise until fatigue. The problem with both of these methods is that not everyone will be able to perform the specified number of reps (which has a profound effect on motivation) and the closer you get to fatigue the more likely your form will suffer and that's when injuries tend to occur. The method we use at Proactive Evolution is to make the reps time-based. In other words, using a timer, you perform as many reps as you can within the interval period, rest, and then move on to the next exercise. So, if you're a beginner and you can only perform one rep in the interval period, that's fine. If you already have a good level of fitness, you will be able to perform more reps. The key, again, is to perform as many reps with good form as you can. Torching the Fat If you're doing it right, you'll find that Metabolic Training is challenging. Whether you're doing the workout that I've given you below, or one of the workouts I'll design for you during a Personal Training session with me, keep the following in mind:
Instructions
Proactive Evolution Bodyweight Metabolic Workout Warm-up with dynamic stretches for 5-10 minutes
Stretch and/or foam roll. |
Personal Trainer, Health Coach, Skydiver, Mountain Biker, Road Cyclist, Vegan, Medical Device Systems Engineer. |