Nutrion Facts - You Must Know!

Nutrition facts are important to a greater number of people and that is very good news for your health.

Old man said: “You are what you eat.”
This holds true today just as it did centuries ago; even if it was originally coined when the majority of people received not enough food. Today it refers more to the worldwide trend of overeat.

Fortunately most of packaging now enclose with nutrition label which gives more advice on calories and servings. The major fault is that we ignore serving sizes; many people are quite happy to eat double size servings and then wonder why their weight keep going on and the inward curves turn outward.

The new US label regulations force manufacturers to be more open with Nutrition facts and here are few tips concerning what you should check on the label.

Check serving size and use it. This figure is nutritional fact.

Check calories. A healthy adult requires at least 2,000 each day in total. Try to keep it below 2,750. The average American adult currently eats around 3,500 calories each day.

Avoid sugars. Sugar is calorie high and each one of us should check whether we need the amount of sugar that we use. I avoid sugar in beverages so that I can eat sweet things from time to time.

Know your fats. Foods that are low in saturated fats, trans-fats and cholesterol are good foods and will help reduce the risk of heart disease. (5% DV or less is low, 20% DV or more is high). Most of the fats you eat should be polyunsaturated or mono unsaturated fats. Keep total fat intake between 20% and 35% of total calories.

Reduce salt intake. Research indicates that our total sodium (salt) intake should never exceed 2,300 milligrams (about 1 teaspoon) each day to reduce the risk of high blood pressure. You should also know that the majority of salt is taken in from processed foods rather than from the saltshaker. - Watch those processed foods. Also look for foods that are high in potassium because they counteract the effects of salt on blood pressure.

Finally we come to exercise. The whole world seems to have forgotten how important it is to exercise and exercise burns calories which reduces weight. We should slowly work our way up to one hour of exercise each day. This can be done in 12 five-minute periods or 6 ten-minute periods until you are able to exercise for longer periods.

Nutrition Food Labels - How to understand the Nutrition Facts?

Every labeled food you buy must list the nutritional food facts somewhere on it. The problem is most of us having no idea how to read them. For example the label may tell us the food we've chosen has 10g of sodium, but what does that really mean? Let's take a look at some common nutrition food facts to find out.

Nutrition food labels clearly outline the nutrients found in foods using grams (g) or milligrams (mg). Milligrams are very small. 1000 milligrams equal to 1 gram.

In addition to listing the grams of nutrients found in the foods we eat, nutritional fact labels also give the daily percentage of that nutrient a single serving of that food includes. Keep in mind that these percentages are based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet, so if you are eating less than that the percentages would actually be higher.

Now, let's take a closer look at individual nutrition facts listed on most food labels:

Serving Size:


Serving size is the amount of food being detailed within the nutrition label. It is very important to always check the serving size since one package or container may contain several serving sizes, so if you eat the entire thing the nutritional facts need to be multiplied accordingly.

Calories and Calories From Fat:


The number of calories in a single tells you the amount of energy that is found in that particular food. While the number of calories is important, the calorie from fat is even more important since they will be harder for your body to burn.

Percent Daily Value:


A daily allowance is the percentage of food/nutrient you should consumer in a day. So, if you eat a food with 445% of your daily allowance of sodium, you must be careful not eat more items with high sodium content for the rest of the day. Staying within these limits ensures that you are getting just the right amount of each nutrient every day ofr optimal health.

Total Fat:


Everyone needs to eat a certain amount of fat to remain healthy and strong - but eat too much and you'll become sluggish, depressed and unhealthy. Food labels list several different kinds of fat for better regulation: saturated, unsaturated, and trans fat.

Cholesterol and Sodium:


Cholesterol and sodium (salt) are usually measured in milligrams and are featured on food labels for those people who must restrict their intake of these nutrients.

Total Carbohydrate:


You need carbohydrates for energy. But too many can make you fat and cause other health concerns. Carbohydrate levels are usually broken down into grams of sugar and grams of dietary fiber on most food labels.

Protein:


Protein helps the human body build and repair essential parts of the body, such as muscles, blood, and organs. It is usually measured in grams.


Vitamin A and Vitamin C:


These list the amounts of vitamin A and vitamin C, with each amount given as a percent daily value.

Calcium and Iron:


Calcium and iron are essential for a healthy body. These minerals are usually listed as daily percentages per serving.
Now that you can understand your food labels better, start checking out what you're eating and how much of a good thing (or not so good thing) you're getting with each meal and snack.