Reading Nutritional Guides

Reading about healthy foods, and learning which vegetables qualify as 'Super Foods' is much different than going to the supermarket and trying to decide which is the healthier brand of cereal. There are two ways to compare products, that are now required to appear on the label of any packaged food; the nutritional fact table and the ingredients list.

1. Nutritional Fact Table

The nutritional fact table summarizes the the percent daily values of the food contents. These contents include Calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein and 13 core nutrients (including fibre, vitamins and iron).

There are several important things to note when looking at a nutritional facts sheet. The first is the serving size, in this case '1 bowl' or 300 grams - in some cases, especially drinks, the serving size may not coincide with the amount you consume. For example, many 500 mL bottles of juice have a nutritional facts sheet for 250 mL (1 cup) of juice - so make sure to double all the values.

When comparing products, make sure you are comparing ones with similar serving sizes - or ones that you would typically consume. Granola bars, for example, may vary considerably in grams but you usually only consume one anyways so you can compare products.

The second thing to consider is the Calorie count - does the value seem appropriate for the purpose of the product? Light snack? Part of your dinner, breakfast?

Thirdly are the actual daily percent values. A good, quick, measure is that any value less than 5% is considered a 'little' and anything above 15% is considered a 'lot'. You should be choosing foods that have little fat (especially saturated and trans fats) and sodium (salt) and foods that have a lot of fibre, calcium, vitamins and iron. Another thing you do not want to see is cholesterol, which usually does not have a percent daily value because it is not part of a healthy diet. In cases where there are a lot of the good contents, as well as the bad (like in the case of this cereal) - the bad tends to outweigh the good. You should be looking for food that have BOTH a low content of the bad and a high content of the good.

2. Ingredients List

This is a list of the ingredients within the package ordered by their predominance by weight. In other words, the ingredient listed first is the ingredient which is present in the highest quantity. An ingredients list of "Sugar, Flour, Salt" means that if a pound of flour was used then more than a pound of sugar was used, and less than a pound of salt was used.

Confused by some of the ingredients listed? Just because you can't pronounce some of them doesn't mean that they are necessarily bad, but on the other hand some very commonly seen ones can be very dangerous! Click here for a list of ingredients and what they really are.

What is in Your Food

Below is a (growing) table of commonly seen ingredients in your food and what they really are. If you've come across one not listed, leave a comment and I'll add it shortly.

(Currently A Work in Progress)

Acetylated tartaric acid esters of mono and diglycerides

Active bacterial culture

Ascorbyl palmitate

Beta Carotene

Calcium carbonate

Calcium Chloride

Calcium Disodium Edta

Calcium pantothenate

Calcium propionate

Carob Bean Gum

Citric Acid

Defatted soy flour

Dextrose

Disodium guanylate

Disodium inosinate

Enriched wheat flour

Esters of fatty acids

Gelatin

Glucose fructose

Glucose solids

Guar Gum

Gum Arabic

Lactic Acid

Locust Bean Gum

Lysosyme from egg white

Malted barley flour

Maltodextrin

Mono & Diglycerides

Monocalcium phosphate

Monosodium Glutamate

Phosphoric Acid

Polysorbate 60

Polysorbate 80

Potassium chloride

Potassium sorbate

Protease

Pyridozine hydrochloride

Sodium Benzoate

Sodium Metabisulphite

Sodium metasulphate

Sodium Phosphate

Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate

Sorbic acid

Sorbic Acid

Soy Lecithin

Sucralose

Sulphites

Vegetable monoglycerides

Vitamin A Palmitate

Wheat gluten

Xanthan Gum

Yeast

Forming Habits - A 3 Week Process?

You have probably heard the phrase "It takes 21 days to form a habit", but did you know where it came from?

A Dr. Maltz (originally a Plastic Surgeon) noticed that it took 21 days for amputees to cease feeling phantom sensations in an amputated limb. Further research eventually lead to the conclusion that it takes 21 days for the brain to make new connections, if constantly given the same information. Meaning our brains won't actually take the information we are given as more than a single occurance until it has happened for 21 days in a row.

This was then extended to the idea of forming habits (from meditation to jogging to raising one's self esteem), and has taken the self-help world by storm.

Does this mean that it will take you 21 days to form a habit? Not necessarily. It is just saying that it takes your brain 21 days to realize the new pattern. Mind you, this also means that if you are capable of performing the same activity for 21 days in a row and your brain creates the new pathway, it will be harder to not perform the activity - because your brain will think something is missing from your day. However, I only say that it will be harder, not impossible. Forming (or breaking) and maintaining a habit is all about motivation, determination and will power.

However, having a short term goal such as "I will eat 5 meals a day for the next 21 days" is much more effective than "I will eat 5 meals a day for the rest of the year". Plus! Knowing that it will get easier after 21 days is a very good incentive.

Calories

It is the word you have heard a thousand times; it has appeared in every diet book, it is on every piece of food packaging, it has turned into a marketing technique and seems to be the only thing people think about when trying to lose weight. But what exactly is a Calorie and is it that important?

The Calorie is actually a measure of energy. It is not some phantom particle in the food you are eating, but the amount of energy the food you are eating gives your body. (Scientific ramble: A Calorie is the amount of energy required to heat up 1000 grams of water 1 degree Celsius, or about 4.2 kilojoules). The food you eat can be broken down into three categories; fat, carbohydrate (sugar) and protein molecules. When these molecules are broken down in your body they release energy your body uses to function. Fat molecules have 9 Calories per gram and both protein and carbohydrate molecules have 4 Calories per gram. If our body is given too much energy at one time the energy is reverted back to a fat molecule and stored in our fat storage cells.

It is recommended that the average person have an intake of 2000-2500 Calories a day, but this is dependent on many factors; including age, height, weight and activity level. If you are interested in knowing how many Calories you should be consuming this is a good calculator. Although tracking Calories for the rest of your life is very unreasonable, a good exercise is the 'Calories - A Wake Up Call' I have posted here. Many people do not realize the sheer number of Calories they consume in a day, if you are curious what 200 Calories looks like, this is an interesting website.

No matter what you eat (besides water, which is Calorie free!) you are putting Calories into your body. Cheese puffs or celery, pizza or tofu; all food has Calories, or in other words; all food has molecules that your body is going to break down into energy and use... or store as fat. This is where the consideration of empty Calories comes in. Some people eat exactly the right amount of Calories in a day, or possibly even slightly less - yet are extremely unhealthy. You could easily eat enough chips to meet your daily allotment of Calories; however the Calories that come from chips can be thought of as 'empty' Calories or Calories consumed without nutritional benefit. Your body needs many nutrients to stay healthy; including vitamins, minerals and fibre, and to consume all the required nutrients within a 2000-2500 Calorie limit you need to be eating nutrient-dense foods. Nutrient-dense foods are those that have a high nutrient content per Calorie. Think of the comparison between an apple and half a glass of soda - both of which are close to 50 Calories.

So in short, the Calorie is a very important word when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. You only want to give your body as much energy as it needs - so that it does not store excess as fat. You also want to make sure to eat nutrient-dense foods to ensure you are getting appropriate nutrition within the 2000-2500 Calorie range. However, do not get stuck in counting Calories if this does not work for you. Knowing approximations (ex: what a 500 Calorie meal looks like) is all the effort you should really have to put in.

Body Types

When considering an exercise program, or beginning a weight loss journey, it is important to know your body shape. Not only will it give you a better picture of your body's potential but it will show you which areas to focus on. Thinner body types will have to work much harder to gain muscle, while some body types will have to be careful to not gain too much muscle bulk. Determining where you gain weight the quickest can focus your efforts and encourage you along the way as you see the important inches drop off.

In general people can be divided into three groups; ectomorphs, mesomorphs and endomorphs. The diagram below depicts a male figure, but these classifications can be used for males and females.

Ectomorphs tend to be very thin naturally, with very little shape and muscle to their bodies - linear. They could be described as light boned or 'delicate' in the extreme case. Their limbs tend to seem longer and their shoulders tend to point downwards.

Mesomorphs are the athletic build. Medium boned and athletic looking naturally - they still have low fat levels but display an increased muscle mass. Shoulders are broader with a narrower waist.

Endomorphs are characterized by increased fat storage, especially around the midsection. They have a rounder face, trunk and thighs. They are set apart by a larger bone structure.

Important to note with these body types is that both muscle mass and fat storage can be altered, but bone structure cannot. These classifications are distinct for the simple reason that they are different. Was that redundant?

Furthermore, the female body type can be broken down into further categories depending on fat deposition; 'banana', 'apple', 'pear' and 'hourglass' (though these names can vary).

A banana shape is apparent when the waist is different from the hips and bust by less than 9 inches (though measurements can vary). Fat is deposited in the abdomen, buttocks, chest, and face first.

The apple shapes have a broad upper body, especially the shoulders, in comparison to their waist and legs. Fat is deposited mainly in the abdomen, chest, and face.

Pear shaped women have a larger hip measurement than bust measurement. Fat is deposited on the buttocks, hips and thighs first - then waist and upper abdomen.

An hourglass figure is one where the hips and waist have a similar measurement, with a thin waist. Fat deposition occurs on both the upper and lower body simultaneously, with the waist and abdomen last.

Although the majority of women will fit into one of these four categories, not everyone will. These are meant to be guidelines only - to help you better understand your body, do not be concerned if you have characteristics of more than one.

Taking Your Measurements

Taking your measurements weekly is a great way to watch your weight loss progress. Especially since some weeks you'll build more muscle mass than you will lose in fat - and though the scale won't show much progress your measurements may! It will also make you more aware of your body; where you gain and lose fat the quickest and what your trouble areas are. Although you cannot target fat loss, you can target toning exercises. It can also be encouraging when you don't see the weight loss yet, especially in areas you want it the most - losing inches, no matter where, is very reassuring.

When you are going to take your measurements, make sure to wear tight clothing (or only your skivvies!) - and make note of what you're wearing so you can use it every time. If you don't have an appropriate measuring tape handy use a piece of string and mark the spot with a pen, then you can measure the sting with a ruler afterwards.

Most measurements are fairly intuitive: arm, thigh, bust and calf are all taken at the widest part of each body part.

However, many of the rest are taken incorrectly. To properly take a hip measurement, you do not actually measure where your hips are but instead at the widest part of your derriere. For your waist you measure about halfway between your lowest rib and your 'hip' bone (actually your pelvic bone). This is approximately an inch above most people's belly buttons. For a chest measurement, the tape should go right below your pectoral muscles (women, this is right where the band of your bra lies).

Remember that the tape measure should touch your skin and be held taught but it should not compress any tissue. If you are starting to monitor your measurements weekly, you can use this tracking sheet to keep organized!

BMI and Waist Circumference

BMI and Waist Circumference (WC) are extrapolated from the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendations and are two of the methods Health Canada and many other organizations use to classify health risk levels. Keep in mind if you are using this system that it does not work for everyone, especially those under 18 and pregnant/lactating women. Other considerations include certain ethnic and racial groups and adults over 65 years of age. Further information is available here.

1. BMI
BMI, or Body Mass Index, is a classification of health risk (not of body fat) developed from collected population data. Since we are looking to start living healthier, one of the key components is ensuring our lifestyles correspond to a low risk of developing health problems. Our BMI helps us determine our ideal weight where this is accomplished.

BMI can be calculated directly by using the formula (weight in kg)/(height in m)². Or by using a straight edge on a Weight vs. Height graph like the one below; your BMI would be the dotted line closest to where your height and weight intersect. Another method is a BMI table, one is pictured below as well. (Or if you're online use a BMI calculator).

Taken from www.healthcanada.ca/nutrition

Your BMI value is then used to classify which BMI Category you fall in, which then has an associated level of risk. These 'risks' I keep talking about include affinity for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea and certain cancers - to name a few. The BMI categories are;

Underweight (BMI < 18.5) - Increased risk
Normal weight (BMI 18.5 - 24.9) - Least risk
Overweight (BMI 25.0 - 29.9) - Increased risk
Obese Class I (BMI 30.0 - 34.9) - High risk
Obese Class II (BMI 35.0  39.9) - Very high risk
Obese Class III (BMI 40.00+) - Extremely high risk

2. Waist Circumference (WC)
Along with BMI, your waist circumference is a very important part of determining your health risks. It helps distinguish between the common body types; such as hourglass, apple and banana. Click here for more information on body types.When fat accumulates around the organs (like in the apple body shape) it is actually more detrimental than when it accumulates elsewhere. It puts pressure on key organs (like your liver) and inhibits optimum performance; thus increasing your risk for health problems.

For women a WC anywhere over 35 inches has increased risk, for men it is a WC anywhere over 40 inches. For instructions on how to take a proper measurement of your waist click here.

3. Using both BMI and WC
When used together, BMI and WC can give you a more accurate evaluation of your health risk levels. BMI can be used in conjunction with your WC only when your BMI is between 18.5 and 34.9. When used together the new risks associated with the BMI categories, if your WC is over the maximum recommendation are;

Normal weight (BMI 18.5 - 24.9) - Least risk Increased risk
Overweight (BMI 25.0 - 29.9) - Increased risk High risk
Obese Class I (BMI 30.0 - 34.9) - High risk Very High Risk

So, keep in mind, if you have a body shape where you tend to accumulate fat around your centre, you may have to a) focus on that area, especially with toning exercises and possibly b) work towards a slightly lower BMI in the 18.5 - 24.9 range to obtain a proper WC.