1 Magical pill that will get you in that bikini body. This magical pill  will have heads turning all summer long. It’s a all natural nutrient packed formula combined with the ultimate extra sexy sizzle that will have heads turning all summer long and even guaranteed to attract the opposite sex!

Do I have your attention? Well, of course I do. We all seem to be looking for a 1 fit all program or that “magical pill” to get the imagine in our minds of what we think we should look like but guess what? There’s no such pill and  no such program but what we do have is lifestyle choices and lifestyle changes.

You need to make your calories count! Healthy weight management starts with eating the right foods , physical activity and another powerful tool called reading labels.

Reading labels isn’t that hard but it can be very misleading. Food manufacturers are brilliant in using misleading tricks to convince people to buy their products.

One of the best suggestions I can offer you on this is ignore the labels on front of the packaging.  Front labels are there to entice and lure you into purchasing the products by making health claims. Companies  want to make you believe that their product is healthier than others.  The first list of  ingredients is what the company has used the most.

Glance over first three ingredients, this is actually the largest part of what you’re eating.

If your first ingredients include refined grains, some sort of sugar or hydrogenated oils, you can beat your bottom dollar that this product is unhealthy.

What you can do when reading labels is opt for items that have whole foods listed as the first few ingredients. Also if the ingredients list is longer than 2–3 lines? You guessed it, it’s highly over  processed.

This has actually been studied. Research shows that adding health claims to front labels affects people’s choices. It makes them believe a product is healthier

A few things you should look at when reading labels.

 

What is the serving  size?

Make sure you do the math and get the serving sizes right.

How many serving are in the container?

How many calories are in a single serving?

How much sodium does it have in it?

Too much sodium can raise blood pressure, which increases heart disease risk, and it may be a sign of a more highly processed . The recommended daily limit for sodium (2,300 mg). If you have high blood pressure already you are not suppose to consume more than 1,500 mg’s of sodium per day.

How much fiber does it have?

The idea is to eat heart healthy foods . If you anything that has enriched wheat flour or enriched anything that  it is  a sign that the grain has been refined, meaning it has been stripped of the germ and bran, which pack most of the grain’s nutrients including fiber. Any product that contains grains you want it to have  at least have 3g per serving.

How much saturated fat does it have?

It if it has healthy unsaturated fat, that’s a better product.  If the product has any trans fat, put it back on the shelf. Trans fat has been shown to increase levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol while decreasing levels of “good” HDL cholesterol— YUCK- a major health hit.

Misleading Labeling Claims – and What They Actually Mean

Health claims on packaged food are designed to catch your attention and convince you that their product is healthy.

Here are some of the most common ones, and what they actually mean:

• Light: Light products are processed to reduce either calories or fat, and some products are simply watered down. Check carefully to see if anything has been added instead, like sugar.
• Multigrain: This sounds very healthy, but basically just means that there is more than one type of grain in the product. These are most likely refined grains, unless the product is marked as whole grain.
• Natural: This does not necessarily mean that the product resembles anything natural. It simply means that at some point the manufacturer had a natural source (for example, apples or rice) to work with.
• Organic: This label says very little about whether the product is healthy or not. For example, organic sugar is still sugar. Only certified organically grown products can be guaranteed to be organic.
• No added sugar: Some products are naturally high in sugar. The fact that they don’t have added sugar doesn’t mean they’re healthy. Unhealthy sugar substitutes may also have been added.
• Low-calorie: Low-calorie products have to contain 1/3 fewer calories than the same brand’s original product. However, one brand’s low-calorie version may contain similar calories as the original of another product.
• Low-fat: This label almost always means that the fat has been reduced at the cost of adding more sugar. Be very careful and read the ingredients listed on the back.
• Low-carb: Recently, low-carb diets have been linked with improved health. However, processed foods that are labeled low-carb are usually just processed junk foods, similar to processed low-fat junk foods.
• Made with whole grain: There is probably very little whole grain in the product. Check the ingredients list and see where the whole grain is placed. If it is not in the first 3 ingredients, then the amount is negligible.
• Fortified or enriched: This basically means that some nutrients have been added to the product. For example, vitamin D is often added to milk.
• Gluten-free: Gluten-free does not equal healthy. It simply means that the product doesn’t contain wheat, spelt, rye or barley. Many foods are gluten-free, but can be highly processed and loaded with unhealthy fats and sugar.
• Fruit-flavored: Many processed foods have a name that refers to a natural flavor, such as strawberry yogurt. However, there may not be any fruit in the product, only chemicals designed to taste like fruit.
• Zero trans fat: “Zero trans fat” actually means “less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving.” So if serving sizes are misleadingly small, the product can actually contain a lot of trans fat (5).

 

Sugar goes by many names in ingredient lists, many of these you might not recognize.

Types of sugar: beet sugar, brown sugar, buttered sugar, cane sugar, caster sugar, coconut sugar, date sugar, golden sugar, invert sugar, muscovado sugar, organic raw sugar, raspadura sugar, evaporated cane juice and confectioner’s sugar.

• Types of syrup: carob syrup, golden syrup, high fructose corn syrup, honey, agave nectar, malt syrup, maple syrup, oat syrup, rice bran syrup and rice syrup.

• Other added sugars: barley malt, molasses, cane juice crystals, lactose, corn sweetener, crystalline fructose, dextran, malt powder, ethyl maltol, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, galactose, glucose, disaccharides, maltodextrin and maltose.

You can always  avoid being misled by these labels and start eating whole foods and avoid processed foods altogether.

However, if you decide to buy packaged foods, it is necessary to sort out the junk from the higher quality products.

Keep in mind that whole food doesn’t need an ingredients list, because the whole food IS the ingredient.

Remember Babe you got this!

I want to thank you  for reading my latest blog.  Please let me know if you need any support with it. 

Otherwise, are we friends on Facebook yet?  If not let’s do that now, Got Hypothyroidism?   I like to connect on a more personal level there and often; offer social media only products that can only be accessed on my page and share daily updates along with recipes. Remember sharing is caring. Please share and post a comment to this blog! I would love to hear from you. Sign up for my blogs @ thehypothyroidismchick.com .  You can also  Follow me on instagram @ Thyroidismchick or Follow me on twitter @Thyroidismchick.

Health and Happiness,

 

 

Resources:

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/videos/CFSAN/HWM/hwmintro.cfm

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20708150_4,00.html

 

Disclaimer

The information and recipes contained in blog is based upon the research and the personal experiences of the author. It’s for entertainment purposes only. Every attempt has been made to provide accurate, up to date and reliable information. No warranties of any kind are expressed or implied. Readers acknowledge that the author is not engaging in the rendering of legal, financial, medical or professional advice. By reading this blog, the reader agrees that under no circumstance the author is not responsible for any loss, direct or indirect, which are incurred by using this information contained within this blog. Including but not limited to errors, omissions or inaccuracies. This blog is not intended as replacements from what your health care provider has suggested.  The author is not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of any of the suggestions, preparations or procedures discussed in this blog. All matters pertaining to your health should be supervised by a health care professional. I am not a doctor, or a medical professional. This blog is designed for as an educational and entertainment tool only. Please always check with your health practitioner before taking any vitamins, supplements, or herbs, as they may have side-effects, especially when combined with medications, alcohol, or other vitamins or supplements.  Knowledge is power, educate yourself and find the answer to your health care needs. Wisdom is a wonderful thing to seek.  I hope this blog will teach and encourage you to take leaps in your life to educate yourself for a happier & healthier life. You have to take ownership of your health.