Food Labels Tricks that Manufacturers Employ! Here's the Heads Up!

Do you read food labels?  It is important to be cognizant of the following tactics used by food manufacturers that may sabotage your best intentions to eat healthy.  Here are some of the most common "traps" that these manufacturers set:

1.  Sugar by any other name......is still sugar!   Watch for any ingredients that end in "ose" such as sucrose, dextrose, maltose, fructose - these are all sugars. Other "offenders" include honey, molasses, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, barley malt, caramel, fruit juice concentrate, and cane juice.  In other instances sugar alcohols (which all end in -ol, such as mallitol and xylitol )may be used which can cause stomach upset if eaten in excess.

2. Low Fat or Fat Free
   Many consumers will seek out products with reduced fat or fat free options assuming that they are always the healthier choice.  This is not always the case.   Fat is added to foods to create flavor and texture. Manufacturers have to replace fat with other ingredients  so you don't taste a huge difference or so that the food is palatable.  Many times additional salt or sugar is added in the place of fat.

Some companies will add the "fat free" product claim on a food item that is typically unhealthy despite not containing fat.  A good example of this would be a product like licorice or other candy item.  Yes, this item may be non-fat, however it is high in sugars.

3.  Portion Distortion

READ YOUR LABELS.  In many cases, the nutritional information listed on your favorite food item is not for the entire package.  Many products which reasonable look like one portion are not when looking at the food label.  For example, that bottle of sweetened ice tea that you may swig down in one shot is for 2 servings!  Therefore multiple those calories and sugar by 2!!!

4. "Reduced" and "Low"

These two words are not synonymous.  A food listed as having a "reduced" ingredient (i.e. salt, sugar, fat) means that it contains at least 25% less than the original version of a product.  For example a Reduced Fat salad dressing may contain 25% less fat than the regular version, but that doesn't mean it is low fat. 

5.  "Zero" and "Free"
Foods with less than 0.5 grams of trans fat are by law allowed to be labeled as "trans fat free" or to say "zero grams".  Keep in mind that if you are eating more than the recommended portion on the label this can add up.  For example,  let's say you are using a margarine labeled, "trans fat free" and it contains .4g of trans fats and you have a portion equivalent to 10 serving sizes or consume this amount over a period of a few days, you are really consuming 4 grams of trans fat - not zero!
Another caveat is the term "sugar free".  Sugar free foods are not calorie or carbohydrate free.

6.  Read Your Ingredients
Look at your ingredient list in your favorite foods.  Can you identify all of them - can you pronounce all of them?  Ingredients are listed in order of  predominance.  If you see sugars or other questionable ingredients listed first -- you might want to avoid the product.  Another important point is to look at the ingredient lists on your favorite organic product.  Just because it is "organic" doesn't mean that it is all natural - it can be a processed foods with an organic label.

Guest Post: Healthy Eating Provides Wide Range of Benefits for Cancer Patients

The following is a guest post by Jillian McKee on the importance of nutrition and nutritional status  in regards to prevention and treatment of various cancers.  Ms. McKee has worked as the Complementary Medicine Advocate at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance since June of 2009. Jillian spends most her time on outreach efforts and spreading information about the integration of complementary and alternative medicine when used in conjunction with traditional cancer treatment.

Healthy Eating Provides Wide Range of Benefits for Cancer Patients

Cancer treatment was once viewed as something separate from the daily life of the patient. Cancer itself was a chance occurrence, and treatments worked or did not work regardless of the habits and lifestyle of each patient. With rapid rise in cancer incidence over the last two decades, this thinking has changed dramatically. It is now understood that a poor diet can contribute as much to the risk of cancer as a sedentary lifestyle. Researchers have also discovered that eating healthy can have major impacts on the patient's experience of symptoms, efficacy of treatment, and risk of later recurrence after successful treatment.

One set of reviewed findings from the National Center for Biotechnology Information discusses how several common treatment-related symptoms are strongly related to the patient's nutritional profile. Weight loss, anorexia, and fatigue are commonly reported side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but the underlying mechanism has been largely ignored. Systemic damage caused by these forms of treatment results in a decline of available macro- and micronutrients absent changes in diet, because the body works hard to repair damaged tissue. This is compounded by the treatment effects of nausea and loss of appetite.

Individualized Nutrition Recommendations

The guidelines for a healthy diet are well understood by nutritionists, but they are subject to modifications even for otherwise healthy people. Children need more of certain vitamins and minerals and less of others, and seniors likewise have different needs from those of adults and children. Since nutrition plays a critical role in treatment efficacy, researchers suggest every patient have access to an individualized nutrition profile. This will show areas of deficiency and allow maximum prevention of symptoms.

All patients can benefit from the use of a profile, but some will benefit more than others. Palliative care patients, for instance, may need intravenous feeding, or they may be sharply limited in the amount of food they can tolerate. Their symptoms and serum levels can be monitored to prevent deficiencies and improve quality of life. Those undergoing treatment for mesothelioma and other terminal cancers will have a better experience with a nutrition program designed specifically for them.

Benefits for Surgery

Studies have documented the rise of surgical complications related to MRSA and other infections. Other studies have shown healthy eating to provide a prophylactic more effective than spectrum antibiotics. Besides ensuring the body has all the materials necessary for repairing damaged tissue, which is a tactic for speeding recovery and reducing hospital stays, good nutrition also has the effect of boosting the levels of beneficial bacteria in the intestines. Research on probiotics, which are supplements containing these beneficial bacteria, have shown them to significantly reduce the risk of post-operative infection.

Healthy eating is not unlike exercise in that it benefits every system in the body and has a positive effect on outcomes for all cancer patients. However, nutrition is often seen as more mysterious. Patients with common, highly treatable cancers should strive to get nutrition based on their body type, gender and age, but even they can benefit from a nutritional profile.

March 2012 is National Nutrition Month!

March is National Nutrition Month!  Take this month to make small achievable goals towards better health.

Today's tip is to account for liquid calories.  High calorie beverages can undo even the best of intentions and weight loss efforts.  A cup of coffee or tea has no calories, however you must keep in mind the milk, cream, sugars, and syrups you may add.

Whole milk and fruit juices do contain healthy nutrients, however they are very calorie dense.  Rather than fruit juice - a piece of fruit is less calories and has more fiber.  If you are really hooked on juice, try a "splash" of juice in a glass of seltzer or water.  Choose 1% or Skim milk over Whole Milk.  There are plenty of great tasting skim milks (such as SkimPlus and Over The Moon) on the market today.    Soda, is laden with sugar and not much else - alcoholic beverages contain more calories than you might even think.

Save your calories for the food.  Calories from beverages do not tend to keep you satisfied.   Choose no-cal beverages such as water (which you can flavor with a lemon, lime, cucumber, or orange slice), naturally flavored seltzers, unsweetened iced tea (which you can use flavored tea bags), and unsweetened coffee.

Can Food Affect Memory? Is there such a thing as "Brain Food"?

 I'm sure you have heard at least once in your life, "eat this, it is brain food".  I remember this personally when someone was referring to fish. Those people are right - fish, as well as fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can be considered "brain food".

How and why may you ask?   All cells in your body require a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients in order to live and function properly.  Brain cells are especially needy for oxygen and nutrients and require a steady flow of both for optimal functionality.  Anything that interferes with that blood flow will cause issues for those brain (memory) cells.

Issues such as hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, and high blood sugar are all issues that will affect blood flow in the body and not ideal for optimal brain functionality.  A healthy balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low in saturated fat is key to preventing such medical issues.

What are good foods to choose to help with memory?

• Fruits and Vegetables rich in color are also rich in natural compounds called phytochemicals.  These antioxidants not only help against the damage of oxidative stress that occurs naturally during metabolism, but they may also prevent the buildup of plaque in your arteries to keep blood flow strong and steady (especially to the brain).  Blackberries, raspberries, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, kale, spinach, argula, and other leafy greens to name just a few.
• Foods containing Omega 3 are also good for the brain and memory.  The human brain is almost 2/3 fat by weight and the most abundant type is called DHA.  DHA is one of the most potent forms of Omega 3's (the other is  EPA) and a great source of them are fatty fishes such as salmon.   Other sources of Omega 3s include sardines, trout, flaxseed and flaxseed oil, walnuts, canola oil, chia seeds, and soybeans.

To protect your memory and brain, you will want to limit your intake of foods containing large amounts of saturated and trans-fats.