Food Labels

Food labels are dictated by rules and regulations, but can still be very misleading. Take trans-fats for example. A product can advertise zero trans-fats and still have hydrogenated oils in the ingredient list. The very definition of a trans-fat is a hydrogenated oil. The FDA's position is that if the product has less than a half gram per serving, than the product can make that claim.

Also, a product can say it is "all natural" or "no artificial preservatives", and I assume this is not regulated because to look at an ingredient list proves otherwise. I went to the FDA site for food manufacturers at http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/default.htm and found no regulations or guidelines regarding the two previous claims.

If you are confused by nutrition fact labels and nutrition content claims on food packages, let me try to make it easier, and give you some tips on how to interpret their claims:

Tip #1: Don't trust any claims made on the package, such as "low-fat", "heart-healthy", "all natural", "sugar free", etc. Look instead at the ingredient list. If you do not know what some of the things listed are, it is probably not "all natural." If some form of fat is listed as one of the main ingredients, it is probably not "low-fat." Also, if a product lists high fructose corn syrup, glucose, glucose syrup, fructose, malted barley or corn syrup, sugar, brown sugar, molasses, or some really obscure names like maltodextrin and fructooligosaccharides, it contains sugar or a sugar-like substance.

Tip #2: In general, the shorter the ingredient list, the better it is for you. One exception to this is if it lists artificial flavors, preservatives, or colors.

Tip #3: I hope everyone is aware of this already, but an ingredient list is listed in descending order of predominant ingredient--if there is more sugar than anything else, it will be listed first.

Tip #4: This is related to tip #1, a food manufacturer can make a nutrition claim by stripping an ingredient of all of its healthy benefits, and replacing them with artificial so-called nutrients. For example, most breads are made with enriched bleached wheat flour. Some of us may think this is healthy because it is wheat, but essentially the flour is stripped of all of its beneficial properties to make it a "white" flour and then some nutrients are added back to the flour, thus "enriching" it. Therefore, the bread manufacturer can claim that the bread has ample amounts of nutrients by artificially adding them to the bread.


Let me just stop right here and say that most nutrients work synergistically in our bodies, meaning that they work together for optimum performance in the body. One good example of this are amino acids which make up protein.

Our body can make what are called non-essential amino acids, but we require other amino acids, essential amino acids, in our diet. If one eats animal products, including cheese, eggs, milk, and meat, their intake of essential amino acids is probably adequate. However, if one does not consume any form of animal products, then they must consume plant products in combination to provide all of the essential amino acids. For example one can eat corn and beans at the same meal and get all of the essential amino acids. Otherwise, if over time one does not eat essential amino acids in the right combinations, than their body will suffer from a protein malnutrition called kwashiorkor or marasmus. This is why some vegans start to lose their hair, or their skin becomes pale, dry, and cold.

Other synergistic vitamins and minerals include calcium and vitamin D--vitamin D is essential in the absorption of calcium in our bones and tissues, thus vitamin D is added to milk. Also, an adequate amount of vitamin A is needed to prevent night blindness. However, it must be combined with niacin, vitamins C, D, E, pantothenic acid, zinc, selenium for optimum absorption and use by the body.

This is just what we know through science, but nature knows best. God created foods to be eaten in tandem for maximum nutritional benefit. I think even scientists would admit that they don't know how all foods work together in our bodies for our health. We must eat a variety of real food to get the maximum benefit of all of its nutrients, and naturally occurring nutrients are best.

Tip #4: Always look at the serving size. The nutrient claims on a Nutrition Facts Label are determined by the serving size. For example, one serving of a certain lemon/lime carbonated beverage is 1 cup. One cup contains 26 grams of sugar. To put this in perspective, one teaspoon of sugar weighs 4.2 grams, so there are 6.2 teaspoons of sugar in one 8 oz. serving of this beverage. If your child drinks 4 servings (1 cup each) of this beverage a day, they are probably consuming their whole daily recommended allowance of carbohydrate from this beverage alone. That is less than 3-12 ounce cans of this sweetened carbonated beverage a day. I know some kids are consuming much more than this, and we wonder why they are hyperactive!

All of this makes me mad. The reason the FDA has so many rules and regulations for nutrient content claims and nutrition facts labels is because food manufacturers are trying to irresponsibly claim fictitious data to sell their product. That is their motivation, not our health. We must be smarter and more informed than they are, so we can make good choices without their "help."

Sweetener

Aren't those little yellow, pink, and blue packages on your table at restaurants cute? They remind me of something innocent and sweet, no pun intended. I think, however, that they should be black with a skull and crossbones on them. They should say "Caution: do not consume unless you want to poison your body."

This may seem drastic to you, but one of them has been shown to cause cancer in mice...cancer in one of the most genetically similar animals to us. One of them is made from chlorine, a toxic substance to our body. The other major one has so many different side effects, I cannot list them all here. And the more you consume, the worse they are for you.

This is where our kids come in. These artificial sweeteners are so prolific that they are in almost every variety of food that kids love...juice, yogurt, bread, cereal, ice cream, peanut butter, pudding, syrup, jelly, granola bars, sodas, cakes, and cookies. The scarier thing is that manufacturers of these foods are not required to indicate that they are present except in the ingredient list. Many times the product will be labeled as "diet" or "light", so consumers think they are making a healthy choice.

Please do not be fooled; artificial sweeteners are chemical additives used to replace sugar, honey, maple syrup or another natural sweetener. They are created in a lab by chemists and are actually the cheapest sweetener of all. Money talks, so they are becoming a popular choice for food manufacturers.

You may be wondering why the FDA has approved these artificial sweeteners if they are so harmful. Why does the FDA approve medications with so many harmful side effects that most pharmaceutical commercials are spent listing them? I truly do not know the answer to this question except for consumer power. The consumer buys these products in great quantities, and the consumer wants an alternative to sugar. Also, there is an obesity problem in this country, and we think that the answer is in these little pastel packets.

It is tragic that in our desperation to consume sweet foods, we have replaced a natural substance that our body can handle (if we don't consume too much) with an artificial substance that our bodies cannot handle. I don't want to use any scare tactics on you, but I want you to start researching this yourself. In my research for this topic, I came across a list of disorders connected with artificial sweeteners that alarmed me. I knew they were not good for us, but I had no idea how dangerous they are.

Watch the following video on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvFRLIjOLOU. I don't know when the news report aired, but besides the health issues related to aspartame (Nutra-sweet), I think it does a good job of describing the politics involved in getting a food (or drug, for that matter, but that is a topic for another day) approved by the FDA. Food manufacturers have a vested interest in selling their product: money. However, we, the consumers, have more power. We can ban these products from our homes, and choose not to buy them or support their production in any way.

My recommendation is to reduce the amount of sweet things in your diet. Consume fruit or a single piece of dark chocolate if you have sugar cravings. I believe sugar cravings are like a reaction to an addiction. Your body craves whatever it is given. If you eat many sugary foods, your body will crave them. Start reducing this amount and choose alternatives to cookies, cakes, donuts, and other sweets.

Eat more vegetables and whole grains; they will fill you up and most have a natural sweetness to them. Look at the ingredient lists though. If you don't recognize the ingredient, it is probably an artificial additive. We have to use our common sense to know that if an ingredient is artificial, that food is probably not the best choice.

I have said it before, and I will say it again, fresh is best. Try to avoid processed foods. Make your own sweet things occasionally, and limit the amount of sweets that your children eat. I may sound like a broken record, but all of this bears repeating for the health of our children.

Organic or not?

I have to admit that the only time I buy organic is when it is on sale, which is rare. This may surprise you, but my thriftiness often outweighs my desire to shell out huge wads of dough on organic fruits and vegetables. I love the idea of them, and I hope it becomes more and more the norm so it drives down their price. However, I choose instead to buy fruits and vegetables that are reasonably priced and wash them really well.

I try to wash fresh fruits and vegetables two or three times, especially greens. They tend to have lots of hiding places for toxic herbicides and pesticides. For example, when I get my lettuce home from the grocery store, I tear off the leaves, core it with my hands, put it in my salad spinner bowl and fill that with water. I move the lettuce around like a washing machine, and pull it out of the water leaving the dirt and residue behind. I then pour out the water and start all over again. Then I spin the leaves, drain them in a single layer on paper towels, roll them up in the paper towels, and put them in a green bag. Lettuce (not iceberg) will last a good week or two this way.

Someday, I may decide the gain is worth the cost by buying organic, but I will also have to make up my mind to buy all things organic--sheets, towels, hairspray, lotion, etc. I do try to buy all natural, which is not the same thing, but I haven't made that giant pocketbook leap yet. Instead, I eat lots of fruits and vegetables with phytochemicals that help me eliminate all of the toxins that we consume every day. I also exercise, and when I can, I sit in a steam room at the gym. In addition, I sit at an oxygen bar for about 30 minutes a week. If you haven't heard of an oxygen bar, look them up. They are well known in Vegas for hangovers, but the true value of them is to help eliminate toxins from your cells.

Someday, I hope to have my own little organic garden, but for now I will do what I can within my families budget. If you are able to buy organic, please do so. You will be helping out the rest of us by making it more than just a trend, and hopefully, buying organic will be more affordable in the future.