How to read a nutrition label

What to look for?

Serving Size

Total Fat (Saturated & Trans fats are bad, mono and polyunsaturated are healthy fats)

Cholesterol

Sodium

Total Carbohydrates

Sugar

Sugar Alcohols*

What you should know:

The more complex the process is to break down food in your system the less it affects your blood sugar levels. Simple carbohydrates are easier for the body to break down therefore your blood sugar spikes to a higher rate. Complex carbohydrates break down slower in the body which doesn't allow for such a big spike in your blood sugar. Adding fiber and protein to your carbohydrates will help slow the break down process therefore help the blood sugar from spiking. (See my previous post on simple vs complex carbohydrates for a list of foods. )

When reading the label you should be aware of how many actual carbohydrates you are consuming. As stated if you have fiber added to a food it will break down slower therefore take away from the total carbs in the food creating a smaller net carb count. 

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Example (from above Extend Bars):

The bar starts with 21 g Carbs. 

The 5 grams of fiber are subtracted from the total carb count = 16 g carbs.

We also know that there are 4 g of sugar alcohols in the bar = 12 g net carbs.

Of these 12 g carbs 1g is sugar.

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On this particular label they have done the math for you (see bottom of label).

They have pointed out that uncooked cornstarch and glycerine are also in the ingredients. This also take from the total carb count of the bar. (These are facts you wouldn't normally look for). 

So all in all this bar is GREAT from a carbohydrate and sugar standpoint. Below you can read about Sugar Alcohols and how beneficial they may be for you. In short they are used in place of a sweetener and are more complex for the body to break down therefore help in the process of carbohydrate breakdown. 

In contrast is a Snickers Bar nutrition label:

Can you find the difference in carbohydrates for the Extend Bar vs. the Snickers Bar? Tons more sugar, almost no fiber, much more bad fat!! 

Start reading your labels when you grocery shop! You'd be surprised with how much fat & sugar you consume. Excess carbs, sugar and fat are the leading causes of obesity and diabetes. This is controllable!! Take responsibility for your nutritional choices. Hope this will help jump-start your new choices!

*"Sugar alcohols are usually incompletely absorbed into the blood stream from the small intestines which generally results in a smaller change in blood glucose than "regular" sugar (sucrose). This property makes them popular sweeteners among diabetics and people on low-carbohydrate diets. However, like many other incompletely digestible substances, over-consumption of sugar alcohols can lead to bloating, diarrhea and flatulence because they are not absorbed in the small intestine." The Sugar Association, Inc.. 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-10.

My top 20 Tips

The tips that have gotten REAL RESULTS!


1- WRITE out your goals; for life, fitness and nutrition!
2- Accountability: give someone your goals or challenge them to do the same
3- Set a schedule. Even if you don't stick to it you will be more successful because you planned it.
"Failing to plan is planning to fail."
4- Easy days. Yes I said it, plan easy days in your routine. Avoid Burnout!
5- Prepare your meals. Get your recipes, shop, make your meals.
6- Vitamins. At the very least: Multivitamin, Antioxidant, Omega 3, Vitamin B.
7- EAT RIGHT! Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, snack, dinner.
8- Post workout shake. Doesn't take as long to digest = decrease in soreness & increase in lean muscle.
9- Monthly assessment: pictures, body fat, inches, weight, functional movement screen.
10- Workout 5x per week: 2-3 metabolic, 2-3 strength, 1 regeneration.
11- Wear a heart rate monitor during workouts. Make sure you are working 100% & seeing improvement.
12- 15 minute rule: If you don't have an hour to space don't skip it spend 15 minutes working on weak links.
13- Log your nutrition. Know what you eat and when to kick it up a notch!
14- 80/20 Rule: Anything you do in life! 80% of the time you must be strict, 20% of the time you can relax.
15- Treat yourself once a month. Get a massage, have a burger, take a day off.
16- Sleep 6-8 hours per day. Remember the hours before midnight are worth 2 after midnight.
17- Show appreciation to the people in your life. REGULARLY.
18- BE QUIET. set aside time daily to reflect, lay in silence or set goals.
19- Lead by example.
20- READ.
My personal goal for 2013: Read 1 book for enjoyment every 2 months.
BONUS TIP:
Don't be afraid to rely on other people!

Good Carbs, Bad Carbs

After a great seminar put on at Fit It In Fitness by TLS Wellness Coach & FII Nutrition Coach Melinda Osbourne I wanted to share some take home points.

Over-consumption of carbohydrates is the leading cause of obesity, adult onset diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Obesity is ultimately a leading cause of death in our country.

It is true, your body demands carbohydrates to maintain basic cell function.
Recommended daily amount of carbs is 65% of your diet. But what kind?

Let's start with Simple Carbohydrates vs. Complex Carbohydrates.
Simple carbs break down to simple sugars and have little to no nutrition value. Your body breaks down these carbs very quickly which is the reason having too much is not good. The fast breakdown of simple carbs effects blood sugar and insulin levels in the body.  The excess carbs will be stored as body fat. and eating these regularly will lead to many other sugar cravings.

Examples:
White Flour pasta
White flour bread
white potatoes
table sugar
juice
most packaged cereals

Complex carbs include fiber, vitamins and minerals. Because they have a much more complex chain structure they take longer to break down. They are used for energy over a longer period of time therefore sustain blood sugar level and energy.

Examples:
spinach
yams
broccoli
beans
lentils
whole grain pasta, cereal

In our seminar Melinda gave us an example of a white pasta:
One serving included 65 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber. THAT IS 50% OF YOUR DAILY CARB ALLOWANCE!!
To combat the quick breakdown of these simple carbohydrates be sure to add fiber rich foods to your pasta serving.

She then gave us an example of Dreamfields Pasta (a whole wheat pasta):
41 grams of carbs, 5 grams of fiber. You'll notice less carbohydrates than the white pasta and more than twice the fiber. This will help maintain blood sugar levels. The added protein also helps in the carb breakdown process.

The key to losing body fat is to control your blood glucose levels; how fast sugar enters and leaves the body. Eating foods low in carbs and sugar will help keep this in check.

Tips:
1) Eat 2-3 cups of veggies with every meal.
2) eat 4-6 oz of protein with every meal.
3) Stay away from simple carbohydrates for energy.
4) Start eating sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, high fiber cereals, wheat pasta instead of white.
5) Eat every 2-3 hours to avoid sugar cravings.

Thank you Melinda!