Food Labels – What You Should Know

Food Labels – What You Should Know!

In adults, FAQ, kids, martialarts, MMA, Nutrition by Maspeth Martial Arts

Food Labels – What You Should Know

‘You are what you eat’ – at least 90 per cent of the population would probably be terrified if they truly found out what ‘they are’. Most people don’t read labels with nutritional information on products they buy but why is it important to break that habit? Unfortunately we live in a world where most products are processed and contain additives – usually harmful. They can have bad effects on out health and the environment. They are used in our foods to help ease processing, packaging and storage. Should we be concerned about those ‘fresh’ foods that have such long shelf life?

For example most Americans spend 90 percent of their food budget on processed foods exposing themselves to a variety of artificial additives and preservatives. Let’s look at some of them now.

  • High fructose corn syrup is a highly-refined artificial sweetener which has become the number one source of calories in America. It is found in almost all processed foods. It packs on the pounds faster than any other ingredient, increases your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, and contributes to the development of diabetes and tissue damage, among other harmful effects.
  • Monosodium Glutamate is a flavor enhancer in soups, dressings, chips and some restaurant foods/fast foods. It can cause cellular damage, depression and obesity.
  • Trans fat is used to enhance and extend the shelf life of foods products and is a very dangerous additive. العب الأن Found in fast foods and certain processed foods trans fat increases LDL cholesterol levels while decreasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol, increases the risk of heart attacks, heart disease and strokes, and contributes to increased inflammation and diabetes (foodmatters.tv).

These are only some examples of dangerous additives but what else should we look for on the labels and how do we read them correctly? Since the best foods are non-processed, buy products with as few ingredients as possible. Watch out for mysterious additives and sugar/sweeteners. Choose foods high in protein and low in sugar. As for fats, aim for the ‘good’ones. There are four main types of fats that make up the fat in food:

Healthy fats (unsaturates):

  • Monounsaturated fats/Monounsaturates
  •  Polyunsaturated fats/Polyunsaturates
    • Omega-3 fat
    • Omega-6 fat

Unhealthy fats:

  • Saturated fats
  • Trans fats

They behave differently in our bodies, and the impact does vary on our risk for certain diseases (healthcheck.org).

When it comes to carbohydrates pick ones with low glycemic index which will not spike your blood sugar and ones that contain little sugar. Some labels will tell you how much fiber a food contains (fiber is good! موقع مراهنات كرة القدم مجاناً ).

Watch out for sodium and cholesterol, most labels will tell you the RDA – Recommended Daily Amount which enables you to understand the impact of the food.

Remember to check serving size – it may be the case that the values apply to a serving not 100g or the whole container.

One last thing to remember is to stay clear of ‘diet’ and ‘fat free’ products as they normally contain tons of sugar. كاس امم اوروبا 2024