Newsletter #9A

Hello Friends

Well here it is my long overdue newsletter, and once again it will be in two parts. The first part will come to you from our contributing dietician, and the second on exercise and fitness will follow shortly after. The reason for the split is because Susan's contribution is so important I would like it to receive 100% of your focus.But before we continue I would like to take a moment to wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year. If any of you have made New Year?s resolutions I hope there all still in place and you're living up to them and for those of you that have not, it's not too late to start.

This month's piece is inspired by many of the questions I receive while reviewing my client's food journals. Hopefully it will answer many of your questions while grocery shopping

For anyone that would like to contact Susan directly about this newsletter piece I will include her contact info at the bottom along with my own

Label Reading 101

If something is designed to make our lives easier, why is it we feel more confused upon reading it? This is how many people feel after looking at food labels. Plain and simple : food labels are not user friendly. You almost need an interpreter to figure out what they are trying to convey and how to apply it to your life. It is similar to someone who has never attempted to do a crossword puzzle? so where do you begin?

Many things on the label are optional. For starters, we are not scientists and need to look at only key information which is pertinent to us. Percentages, numbers on the bottom are all comparisons to an average male adult of a certain weight, which may or may not apply to you. More importantly than the label is to start by looking at the list of ingredients in what you are purchasing. Questions to ask are:

• How many ingredients does the food have? If there are more than 5 or 6 ingredients, consider re-evaluating your food choice.
• Are any of the ingredients other names or components for sugar or starches? such as sucrose, dextrose, maltose, glucose, mannitol, sorbitol, molasses, monosaccharides, polysaccharides, maple syrup, maple sugar, date sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, turbinado sugar, high fructose corn syrup? If the product contains any of these names it is most likely a high sugar product.
• Does the product contain MSG, or other ingredients that may contain components of MSG such as aspartame, broth, glutamate, hydrolyzed, autolyzed yeast, monosodium glutamate, HVP, yeast extract, malted barley, rice or brown syrup? MSG is a flavor enhancer for foods but also can increase appetite and allergic reactions in some individuals.
• How many preservatives or stabilizers does the product contain? Sometimes one or two are fine for a week or two of extended shelf life, but many preservatives ensures the food would be there next year if you came across it in your cabinet.
• Is there anything you do not recognize or can't pronounce (one clue it is not such a healthy food)?

If a product contains less than 5 or 6 ingredients and does not have extras sugars or other preservatives you can now move onto the label. Look for serving size as many manufacturers make it small, (serving sizes are one of the hidden keys on a label) to make their product look better than it actually is. Look for "total carbohydrates" which will tell you how much carbohydrate/starch/sugar the product contains. 15 grams is equal to about a serving or a slice of bread. If a product contains 45 grams of total carbohydrates it like having 3 slices of bread worth in whatever you are consuming.

Trans fat is a big one to consider. Unfortunately many manufacturers make the serving size so small that it falls under the "do not need to report" guideline. If the serving size has less then .5 grams of trans fat a manufacturer can state "contains no trans fat" on the label. Don't rely on what the front of the package says. If you ate several servings of a food with "no trans fat" on the label of a packaged/processed food it could add up to well over 2 grams of trans fat per day, which is the most dangerous type of fat.

Current research shows consuming greater than 2 grams of trans fat per day can increase one's cholesterol or risk of heart disease by over 37 percent, well above any risk of consuming saturated fat. How much trans fat does processed foods contain?

• a medium size order of French fries has approximately 8 grams of trans fat
• a small bag of potato chips has 5 grams
• a donut has approximately 5 grams
• a regular sized candy bar has 3 grams

If you eat even small amounts of processed foods, eating 2 or more grams of trans fat can easily add up.

How much sodium does the product contain? The average consumer eats about 6000 mg. per day. It is recommended to consume no more than 4000 mg. per day. If you consume several products which contain more than 500 mg. per serving of sodium, it will accumulate.

Summing it up - start by looking at the list of ingredients. If this passes the litmus test, then move on to see if the product is moderate in carbohydrate, sodium, and trans fat. If it has some protein, some monounsatured fat (healthy fat) and fiber listed on the label, all the better for a balanced meal. Otherwise, stick with fresh unprocessed foods which do not have labels and limit your exposure to foods in a package. The more ingredients a food contains, the longer it may take your body to process the food. Furthermore, if there are items you cannot pronounce or recognize on the label it might be better to leave it at the store.

Please forward this to everyone that you believe may benefit from this newsletter

Susan Dopart M.S.R.D. Susan is a registered dietician that I regularly confer with. Susan has an office in Santa Monica and her contact information along with her website link can be found below.

Susan B. Dopart, M.S., R.D.
2336 Santa Monica Blvd. Ste. 201
Santa Monica, CA 90404
310-828-4476
www.susandopart.com

Best Wishes for continued good health,
David White
david@maximizefitness.com
Please let me know if there is anyone else that may benefit from future E-mails I would be glad to add him or her to the list.
Any questions regarding training or this newsletter please E-mail the above address or call
213-760-3144