Diet tips for the sensible dieter who wants to succeed – Part 2

I am a person who hates diets! I feel trapped and cheated if I have to follow a specific diet plan. One bad day on a traditional diet, and I want to throw in the towel and toss my diet out the window!

Last spring, after looking at some pictures of myself, I decided that I needed to lose some weight. Because I hate traditional diets, I wanted a system that was easy to follow, did not involve counting calories or carbohydrates, and was very successful!

So, by comparing a whole lot of different diet plans and programs, I came up with a diet plan that was very successful for not only me, but my husband as well. Both of us lost 30 pounds in 5 months – and were able to keep the weight off! This system is more about changing HABITS than following a certain program.

1. Motivation

What is motivating you to lose weight? Are you trying to drop a few pounds to fit into that dress for your cousin’s wedding? Maybe you saw some old “skinny pictures” of yourself and you want to look like that again. If it is a photo that is motivating you, tape it to the door of your refrigerator so you are reminded of your goal every time you open that door! It is very important that you have a motivating factor in your journey of weight loss if you are going to be successful!

2. Set reasonable goals.

Set small goals for yourself – they can be weekly goals or monthly goals, but make sure they are reasonable, very attainable goals! Most people lose about 1-2 pounds a week, maybe more, maybe less. You are not going to lose 10 pounds a week! If you set your goals too high and cannot reach them, you will be very disappointed and you’ll probably give up! Just remember, you are not going to lose any weight if you give up, so keep it reasonable!

3. The eating plan: Moderation, portion control, and healthy choices!

In my humble opinion, any diet that forbids you to eat any one thing, whether it is carbohydrates, fat, dairy or meat, is NOT a healthy diet! Yes, you should eat more fruits and vegetables than fatty foods or high-carb foods, but you should not cut any one of these things completely out of your diet. You must learn to control your portions and make healthier choices when you sit down to eat. Moderation is the key!

Here are a few tips for healthy eating:

- Put your dinner on a salad plate instead of a dinner plate for better portion control.

- Use olive oil or coconut oil in place of vegetable (or any other) oil.

- Choose the healthier whole

Does a vegetarian diet provide all the nutrients needed by the human body? – Part 5

To find out whether or not a vegetarian diet can provide sufficient nutrition, all you have to do is look at cultures that are primarly vegetarian. A traditional Japanese diet includes very little meat, though it does include fish. A traditional Indian diet (Hindu and Buddhist in particular) is vegetarian, though it includes a large amount of dairy in many cases. Ancient China, particularly under the period where Buddhism flourished, was nearly vegan. All of those cultures thrived. Many ancient monastic diets in these regions consisted of brown rice and mung beans, and the people who followed this lived long healthy lives.

I have been a strict vegetarian for 2 years, was vegan for close to a year, and now I include small amounts of fish very rarely, mainly because I cannot resist my boyfriend’s culinary prowess, and growing up on the ocean, it has been a major part of my diet growing up. I have noticed health improvements since dropping meat, and a few which are not expected.

I have had a history of low iron, and my doctor suggested I go on a supplement before I went vegetarian. I never got the supplements, and had a blood test about 6 months after going vegetarian, and my iron was fine. The reason for this is simple. Going vegetarian made me rediscover food. I started experimenting with heritage grains, and I pretty well cut all processed grains out of my diet, and based it on brown rice, rye, quinoa, buckwheat, and millet. All these grains are much higher in iron than wheat, and retain the nutrients lost in processing. Ofcourse, heritage and organic shade grown varieties provide the best nutrients.

Protein is another concern of many people, but it should not be. It is in everything from spinach to bread, so stop worrying about it.

B12 is the main thing that shouldd be looked after. A vegan diet will likely not contain this bacteria based food in sufficient amounts without attention. As it is the product of bacteria, B12 can be found in many fermented foods including kombucha, tempeh, saurkraut, and others. The main issue is to make sure that the fermentation was not too sanitary in a factory. You can make your own fermented vegetables, kombucha, and rejuvelac (fermented wheatberry beverage). Aim for tempeh that gives B12 content on it’s label, or buy the cheapest stuff you can find in a traditional Asian market.

There are a few other things to consider. Digestive difficulties can inhibit the absorbtion of vitamins and minerals with meat eaters and vegetarians alike. Celiac can provide a barrier for vegetarians, as it causes severe sensitivites to gluten (grain based protein) so many essential grains must be avoided. Wheat, spelt, rye, kamut, and many others. Even gluten free grains such as oats may be contaminated. Meat is on the safe list, so an undiagnosed meat eater may do better than an undiagnosed vegetarian, however, awareness makes it perfectly easy to avoid gluten even on a vegetarian diet. Soy intolerace can also be a problem. Sticking with only fermented soy products (no tofu, but tempeh is ok, and so is miso), and using almond or hemp milk instead of soy milk.

With some basic reading, a vegetarian diet can be perfectly healthy. It is good however for vegetarians and meat eaters alike to take a daily multi vitamin, and perhaps a vitamin D supplement for those in low sun climates.

3 Diet Tips for You

Sticking to your diet and exercise program is tough when you travel. From airports to airplanes, hotel meals to inadequate hotel gyms, you might just want to skip fat burning altogether.

But here are 3 diet tips taken from my recent trip to Vancouver for a seminar that will help you stay motivated and stop you from cheating on your diet.

1) Make NO Excuses at the Buffet Dinners…

On Tuesday evening, there was a seminar reception buffet dinner at my hotel in Vancouver. It featured pasta, beef tenderloin, lots of breads and cheeses, seafood, vegetables, and fruit. Lots and lots of food. Plenty of opportunity to overeat…or eat well.

And it was easy for me to stick to the raw vegetables, smoked salmon, crab, shrimp, and fruit. A free meal should not be a free for all meal.

2) Do not eat dessert for breakfast.

Somehow, it became socially acceptable, recommended even, to eat dessert for breakfast. Muffins are just cake without icing. Poptarts are just pie slices you can stick in a toaster. Cereals are just pieces of crackers you drowned in milk. None of these have many redeeming qualities. Stick to real food instead.

3) Eat more fruit and less pizza

Today on my way to Stanley Park where I walked about 10 miles, I knew I needed to pick up a snack. My earlier lunch of salmon and vegetables was light, and I knew the walk was going to be long.

I thought briefly about getting a slice of pizza, but I take my position as a nutrition role model to you quite seriously. And even though I could have “snuck” the pizza in and not mentioned it here, I don’t like to be hypocritical. So I found a grocery store/fruit stand and grabbed two bananas and a bag of local blueberries. Much better.

This is a choice that you can make too. Believe it or not, you’ll actually like it. And you’ll feel 10x’s better choosing fruit over grease. Both physically and mentally.

Here’s the Bottom line on dieting for fat loss. The REALITY of the situation is this…Eating takes about 5 minutes per snack, maybe 15 minutes for a meal.

That’s it. And often even when we “give in” to a craving, it doesn’t take us long to have that craving again. It’s not like eating ice cream today takes our mind off ice cream for the next 151 days. Nope. Ice cream is right back in our heads tomorrow. Or even later today.

The old saying, “A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips” is pretty accurate. It really is ONLY a moment on the lips. Eating is not a 3 hour orgy of the senses. It’s really over in a few short minutes. But your body and belly fat are there with you 168 hours per week, week-in and week-out.

Keep this reality in perspective, and it will help you make better nutrition choices. A moment vs. a lifetime, which will you choose? A little reward is fine when it fits the plan, a lot of cheating is
only going to ruin all your other hard work.

Should I be eating that fast food?

Living in such health-conscious times it is easy to feel guilty about eating fast food. The media seems to be in a state of mass hysteria, castigating models and celebrities for being too skinny and setting a bad example for young people, whilst newspapers and news programmes are continually offering the latest obesity statistics and claiming there is an obesity epidemic. It seems that there is little room for anyone in between these two extremes. We are either seen as fat or thin, which clearly affects what we eat.

For individuals who are concerned about their health, who want to maintain their weight and eat a reasonably healthy diet, it can be hard to let themselves give into the temptation of ‘bad’ food, without feeling guilty. As we receive a constant barrage of images of extremely obese people gorging on fast food, it is hard not to make the association between fast food and obesity.

Clearly fast food isn’t particularly good for us, but that doesn’t we can’t treat ourselves once in a while. The trouble with many obese individuals is that fast food has become part of their regular diet, so they don’t even recognise what their problem is.

The documentary ‘Super Size Me’ focused on one man eating only McDonalds’ meals for a month to see what the impact would be on his overall health, having been inspired by a news story about two girls who were trying to sue McDonalds for making them obese. It came as no surprise when he put on a significant amount of weight and his health had deteriorated.

It is obvious to most educated people that eating fast food all the time is likely to have a negative impact on their health, and yet plenty of people still live on such a diet, perhaps due to lack of time and the convenience of fast food.

The fact that there are individuals prepared to sue fast food franchises for making them obese demonstrates that there is a certain level of ignorance about what constitutes a healthy diet amongst ordinary people, and this must be contributing to the obesity problem. However, why shouldn’t a healthy person have an occasional fast food meal if they feel like it, without feeling guilty?

There seems to be a perception that a thin person is naturally healthy, which is not necessarily the case, but which can put thin people under pressure to maintain this faade. There are thin people who are able to eat as much junk food as they want without gaining weight, though they are in the minority, whilst there are other thin people who completely abstain from any unhealthy foods.

However, for most people it is about getting the balance right. Why should we feel guilty about having the occasional cheeseburger? Most of us know it’s not the healthiest option, but we can always burn it off down the gym, and as long as we are not eating fast food every day, who is to tell us otherwise, obesity epidemic, or not?

How to read a food label – Part 3

Food label mentions the Nutrition Facts mandatory in all packaged food. The information is printed somewhere close to the ingredient list. The nutrition information has really made easy for an individual to monitor his dietary requirements.

Serving Size

This is the amount of food generally used at one time. For instance on a butter pack, it is 1Tbsp(14g).So now the label will mention nutrition facts of butter relative to serving size which is one tablespoon or fourteen grams approximately.

Servings Per Container

Let me continue with the example above. A packet of butter weighs 8oz or 227g. Each serving size is 14g. Hence number of servings per container will be 16(227/14).It is simple mathematics.

Servings per container is a relative term, it varies from person to person, depending upon how much s/he consumes.

Amount Per Serving

Nutrition facts are displayed with respect to serving size (14g of butter in our case)

Calories

Calories is the measure of energy our body will get after taking one serving of the food product. For example a 12 FL oz (355ml) coke can mentions 140 calories.

Total Fat

It mentions the total fat content. The value is mentioned in grams as well as a percentage daily value. The percent daily value are based on a 2000 Calorie diet. The calorie intake vary from person to person.

Total Fat has two subcategories, Saturated Fat and Trans Fat. Here you have to be very careful, the value corresponding to trans fat needs to be zero. Trans Fat increases the risk of coronary heart disease.The Total Fat intake should not be more than 65g for a 2000 calorie diet.

Sodium

Sodium content also requires due attention, especially for people having High Blood Pressure. Daily intake of sodium should not exceed 2.5g on a 2000 calories diet.

Similarly values corresponding to Cholesterol, Total Carbohydrate and Protein are mentioned in nutrition facts.

Vitamins

Small amount of vitamin is found in packaged food which needs mention. Commonly found are Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Iron and Calcium.

Fiber

Most of the package food are not a significant dietary source of fiber; which they have to explicitly mention on the cover. We all know fresh Fruits and Vegetables are the best source of Vitamins and Fiber. Fiber in food facilitates in smooth bowel movement.

For writing this article I found interesting facts in different packages.

A packet of tea has zero values for all components Total Fat, Carbohydrate, Sodium and Protein and even next to Calories.

The Nescafe coffee bottle doesn’t mention any nutrition fact.

A gallon of Arrowhead water comes with the slogan; clean crisp refreshing spring water straight from the mountains.

Kroger low fat plain yogurt meticulously mentions a detail Nutrition Facts,which I can assure, everybody will find useful for planning the next meal.

Calories 2000 2500

Total Fat Less than 65g 80g

Cholesterol Less than 300mg 300mg

Sodium Less than 2.4g 2.4g

Total Carb Less than 300g 375g

Dietary Fiber 25g 30g

It was really fun writing this article. I myself got to know so much nutritional information while researching different products live from my kitchen closet. Hope the information proves useful for all the readers too.

Learn How To Boost Your Weight Loss Program and Calorie Burning to Get Rid of Obesity

If you want to boost your metabolism, lose weight faster and
keep the weight off, you need to maximize your weight loss
program and calorie burning to get rid of obesity, meaning
stored fat. Weight loss diets are not the only solution to lose
weight, neither exercise alone. An effective weight loss
program includes the combination of a postive attitude, a
balanced diet, weight lifting, aerobic exercise, and having the
right nutritional supplements. Exercises will help you to
keep your body toned and avoid excessive stretch marks for
losing weight.

Let me clarify a myth about weight lifting that helps you burn
more calories. There is a myth that weightlifting will make you
develop big muscles. This is not true. To develop or build big
muscles, you would need to have a detailed weight lifting body
building program. However, practicing basic weight lifting,
including dumbbells, will help you maximize your calories
burning mode and tone your body, not make you look big.

Weightlifting, meaning using weights between 5-50 pounds
approximately, will help you keep lean muscles, improve
strength, muscle definition, flexibility and coordination to
help you lose fat.

Lifting weights actually help you reduce body fat not only
because you burn more calories during the workout, but also
because you continue burning after training.

Hence, an effective way to maximize your weight loss program and
calorie burning is to combine weight lifting and aerobic
exercise. You can do this based on your needs. For example, when
I started my weight loss program at 230 pounds, I did cardio
exercise every day. I started with 10 minutes and gradually
increasing to 60 minutes.

I added weight lifting later because like many, I believed the
myth that I was going to look very masculine by doing weights.
It was only after carefully reading and experiencing with a
basic weightlifting program that I realized how wrong I was.

In fact, I started seeing better results with my weight loss
program when I combined all five ingredients: diet, aerobic
exercise, weight lifting, positive attitude and my
supplements. Most of all, my skin was tighter, and I was not
getting excessive stretch marks as others who were losing great
amount of weight.

Body Nutrients

The other aspect to maximize your calorie burning besides doing
your weights and aerobics is to consume between 15 -30 gr. of
protein within 30 minutes after your workout for muscle
recovery. A good example will be to have a whey protein shake.
Also, drink water throughout your exercise routine to replenish
lost body fluids.

Protein helps you boost your weight loss, increase loss of
body fat while reducing the loss of muscle tissue. Since protein
requires more energy to digest, it burns more calories and helps
your weight loss process.

For example, if your body does not get daily protein and the
essential amino acids on a daily basis, it will steal it from
your existing muscle tissue. Moreover, protein helps you slow
down the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. In
addition, it reduces hunger because it reduces insulin levels,
making it easier for your body to burn fat. Plus, it promotes
satiety, making you feel full, hence, having less cravings.

However, prior to your workout, make sure you consume enough
carbs to use as body fuel and not feel weak by following an
extreme low carb menu. For instance, if you love pasta like me,
then, this will be the right time to have your pasta dish.
Ideally, have your starchy carbs (pasta, rice, potatoes) before
3 p.m. Cardio exercise will help you burn stored fat.

Bottom line, you must combine all key aspects for a successful
weight loss program; nutritional supplements alone are not the
solution. They work as supplements to help you accomplish your
weight loss goal faster while providing you with nutrients.

Another great way to boost your metabolism and set it for
maximum calorie burning will be to drink green tea. Get your cup
of green tea first thing in the morning, mid morning, and prior
to workout. Besides, it will help you get rid of toxins.

Just do not forget that it is important to consult with your
physician before starting any weight loss program.

Basic Weight Loss Exercise Routine

1. Aerobic exercise 3 times a week (30-60 minutes)

2. Weightlifting every 2 days

However, if you do not resist a 30 minute cardio, start with 5
or 10 minute session. Most important thing is to start doing
your exercise. Enjoy it; do not condition yourself thinking
exercising is a burden. Prepare positively, visualize the
results, how exercising will help you burn that stored fat,
develop that trimmed abs, toned arms, tight buttocks, and toned
legs.

Same with your weightlifting program, start with 2 or 5 pounds
dumbbells, try to set 20 minutes for your dumbbells or if
running out of time, you can do your dumbbells while watching tv
or taking a break from work. Bottom line, it is always better to
do some exercise than none.

Hence, based on my experience and research studies, one can drop
body fat by adding free weight exercises and practicing at least
3 times a week cardio exercises. Some of the basic exercise
using free weights includes lunges, standing dumbbell shoulder
press, standing dumbbell curl, standing triceps overhead
extension, which is great to eliminate those flabby under arms.

Until next time, have a successful balanced weight loss
program and say bye bye to obesity! Welcome the NEW YOU with
a big smile and new wardrobe. In a nutshell, your obesity
solution is not having a fast weight loss diet to gain all the
weight back. Remember, your main goal is to lose weight and
to keep it off. Now, give me a BIG FIVE! You can do it. I am
here to help you! Therefore, cheers to your successful weight
loss plan and maximization of calorie burning!

PS: You can read the following articles for specific exercises

1. Simple Steps to Get Flat Abs – Bye Bye Belly Fat! href="http://www.officialoverweightnomore.com/get_flat_abs.html">

http://www.officialoverweightnomore.com/get_flat_abs.html

2. 15 Minutes to Firm Arms – No More Jelly Beans Arms

href="http://www.officialoverweightnomore.com/15_minutes_to_firm_
arms.html">http://www.officialoverweightnomore.com/15_minutes_to_
firm_arms.html

Before starting any nutritional program, exercise or diet
program, we advise you to consult with your physician.

NOTE: This article may be freely reprinted in your ezines,
ebooks, off-line publications, or on your websites. We only
require that the entire article – including the links, and the
resource box “about the author” at the bottom of each article
remain unchanged.

Metabolism boosting foods – Part 2

Finding foods that increase metabolism is actually much easier then most people think. Apples for example are favorite fruit for many of us and a terrific metabolism booster. When speaking of metabolism most of people think about weight loss. Our metabolism and weight is a kind of a stepping stone in defining our bodies.

But there’s one big difficulty with this, we often fail to remember that dieting doesn’t mean denying yourself food. Rather the opposite it means controlling food intake and paying attention to what you eat. You can eat foods that taste great and still eat foods that increase metabolism, you do not have to give up on tasty meals.

Most of the modern day weight loss diets are bad for overall body health. Most of them require complete absence of certain food groups (carbohydrates and fats) if you want them to work for you. Likewise majority of these diets works only as long as you stick with their strict regimen, once you stop, you will very likely gain all the weight you lost and probably gain a few pounds extra.

The key if you want to raise metabolism lies in actually eating more, not less. But you have to eat smart, drop the fast food and include much more foods that increase metabolism like vegetables and fruits.

The good news is that it is much easier to do then most people think. All you have to do is to substitute bad stuff for good and that’s it. For example, instead of eating Mars bar eat an apple. That’s it, apply the same principle on every one of your meals and you will soon feel the benefits of foods that increase metabolism. Not only will you lose weight but your general health condition will gain a huge boost. You can also eat spicy food as soices have been proven to have significant effect in boosting metabalism., just don’t over do it.

When you eat fruits and vegetables try to eat as many of them as you can raw. It doesn’t mean that you have to eat every single vegetable and fruit raw, but if something needs to be cooked – cook it.

List of foods that increase metabolism:

Fruits

Apricots

Asparagus

Blackberries

Blackcurrant

Clementines

Damsons

Grapefruit

Guava

Honeydew Melons

Lemon

Melon Cantaloupes

Oranges

Peaches

Pears

Plums

Raspberries

Strawberries

Tangerines

Vegetables

Aubergine

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Chicory

Cress

Cucumbers

Fennel

Gourd

Leek

Lettuce

Marrow

Peppers

Radish

Spinach

Tomatoes

Turnip

Other

Weight loss is science and not religion.

Weight loss, in the context of medicine or health or physical fitness, is a reduction of the total body weight, due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose tissue and/or lean mass, namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon and other connective tissue. Weight loss, for example, accompanied by insatiable thirst and hunger and fatigue may indicate diabetes mellitus, a chronic disease characterized by an abnormal accumulation of carbohydrates in the bloodstream due to insufficient production of insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas that, when secreted into the bloodstream, permits cellular metabolism and utilization of glucose. US residents in 1992 spent an estimated $30 billion a year on all types of diet programs and products, including diet foods and drinks. Usually, health professionals will recommend that their overweight patients combine a reduction of the caloric content of the diet with an increase in physical activity. Diets high in processed carbs promote a condition known as oxidative stress, where the natural defenses the cell has against oxidative damage become unbalanced. Diet pills you can buy over-the-counter don’t make much of a difference in how much weight you lose, how fast you lose it, or how long you keep the weight off. Is this celebrity-endorsed diet set to become one of the most popular diets this year. http://cwest37802.4idiots.hop.clickbank.net/ Health experts agree that you may gain health benefits from even a small weight loss if: You are obese based on your body mass index (BMI) (see BMI chart below). Health and fitness is always a person’s prime concern today’s hectic lifestyle and fast-paced society. Healthy Weight LossGuided by simple dieting principles, the healthy weight loss concept reveals the way to lasting weight loss success. Healthy weight loss plans that support natural and healthy weight management agree that the most crucial factors are following a healthy diet, exercising a minimum of three times a week, and drinking the equivalent of eight glasses of water a day. Tips, books, online nutrient analysis of your diet, plus nutrition counseling with a dietitian. It tells you exactly how to do great workouts, awesome diet tips and it told me what I was doing wrong before. We’ve got 26 tips to help you succeed. Read the remaining weight-loss tips » Top Searched Weight Loss Terms: diet plans, surgery, teens, spas, green tea, supplements, apple cider vinegar, laxatives, camps, walking, prescription drugs. Tips and advise on different methods to quit smoking and on healthy eating. Check out the benefits of being active, how much activity is best for you, and get a few tips to be more active now. Weight loss may refer to the loss of total body mass in an effort to improve fitness, health, and/or appearance. Weight loss is simple, burn more calories then you consume. Weight loss is a given, but other changes have been freeing. Weight loss is science and not religion. Written by: Christopher WestDiscount if you order Now. Limited Availability.For more information go to:http://cwest37802.4IDIOTS.hop.clickbank.net

Diet tips for the sensible dieter who wants to succeed – Part 9

When it comes to dieting, there is plenty of information available to choose from. Unfortunately, a large percentage of this information is inaccurate, outdated or down right dangerous. Here you will find some of the most updated information available regarding dieting.

Eat real food

The first thing anyone who is working on improving their diet needs to do is to get rid of the junk food. That’s right, get rid of it all! Now, I know you are probably thinking “You mean, I can never have chips, ice cream and cookies again?” Not necessarily, but what people seem to forget is that what you have done up to this point has gotten you where you are. So, if that includes eating junk food, then it has to go!

In addition, the body assimilates and uses real food to nourish you and keep you healthy. If you want a hot, toned and healthy body, you need to feed it the best, most nutritious food you possibly can. As the saying goes, “Garbage in, garbage out”!

There are many healthy cookbooks available, but my most favorite is by Tosca Reno, “The Eat Clean Diet” book and cookbook.

Portion control

This is one of the main areas where anyone can lose the weight loss battle. Whether it’s ice cream or broccoli, if you eat too much of anything, you will gain weight. Of course, the ice cream is a worse culprit than the broccoli, but everyone needs to remember to watch how much you are putting into your body. Calories in/Calories out is the formula to lasting weight loss.

There are a few ways to remember how much a real portion is:

Protein should be the size of your palm.

Complex carbs should be the size of a tennis ball

Cheese the size of four dice

Fruit should be the size of a tennis ball

These are just a few quick guidelines to help decide how large your portion is and how much you should really eat of it. The containers your food comes in also shows the serving size on the nutrition facts, and many cookbooks will also explain how much a serving size is.

Develop a new habit

Often times, people tend to eat too much when they are sad, lonely, depressed, bored or tired. If these truly are the reasons you want to eat, then it is time to develop a new habit. It has been said that in order to change one habit, you need to replace it with a new one.

The next time you are considering eating to fill some void, try one of these ideas:

Take a walk around the block

Clean out that junk drawer that has been driving you crazy

Play a game on the computer, or better yet, the Wii!

Read

How to read a food label – Part 2

What’s the best reason for learning how to read a food label? So that you know exactly what you’re eating! Labels take the guessing out of food choices and put the responsibility back on you to make healthier diet decisions.

At the top of the food label, in big letters, are the words “Nutrition Facts.” When this title is used it means that the information contained on the label is current, can be believed, and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. When each term is understood, it will only take a few seconds to quickly assess the product in your hand. Look at the label carefully and read on.

Serving Size

This isn’t hard to determine since it’s given right at the top of the food label. Keep in mind, though, that when the label says one cup, it means one cup, and not the entire container. If you decide to eat two servings, then double all the label information. Like those extra pounds around your waist? Then just keep ignoring the serving size.

Calories

Do you count calories each day? Your serving size may need adjusting for individual diet goals. Calories from fat should always be low. Keep in mind: an average sized, active woman needs about 2,200 calories per day while the same man needs 2,900.

Daily Value

The percentages shown are for people in the 2,000-2,500 calorie/day bracket. If you stray from the serving size, the daily value percentage will also change. Daily value percentages should be low for all the fats, cholesterol and sodium. For carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals, these percentages should be high and as close to 100% as you can get.

Total Fat

This number is given in grams and should always be low. Heart disease and cancer have been linked to diets too high in fat. Comparing the fat grams on product labels is a good way to control weight since each fat gram carries a hefty 9 calories.

Saturated Fat

This type of fat is broken out from Total Fat because it has been specifically linked to high blood cholesterol and is a risk for heart disease. Rule of thumb: avoid this type of fat when comparing labels.

Cholesterol

Most people know cholesterol is another keep the numbers low’ nutrient. If over 300 milligrams (mgs) per day is consumed, heart disease becomes a serious risk.

Sodium

Normally called salt, a good rule of thumb is that sodium should be kept below 3,000 mgs per day.

Total Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are one of the energy producing good guys on a food label. Think vegetables, fruit, breads,

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