Monday, June 18, 2012

Teach me how to.... read a nutrition label...teach teach me how to read...

Darlings,
Everyone knows they should make smart choices when it comes to what to put on your plate. Like everything that has to do with fitness, it's easier said than done. Nutrition fact labels will make the decision a little bit easier. You want to look for foods high in the nutrients your body needs and low in the nutrients that can be harmful (Fiber GOOD Sodium BAD). This information does you no good, however, if you don’t know how to interpret it….

First think you need to look for is Serving Size.
Serving Size tells you how much is in one serving, and how many servings are in the package. All the information on the label is based on one serving, so if you eat three servings, you must multiply all those number values by three to find out how much you are actually consuming...that's the easy part.

The next thing to look for is how many Calories are in each serving/package.  Calories are a measure of how much energy you get from a serving of that food. Eating foods that are packed with nutrients without being too high in calories means it is a nutrient-dense food—and a good choice.

Fat is something you need to look at when reading your label. Fat should not be avoided, but it is important to not consume tons of it. Fat provides essential fatty acids, which are not made by the body and help to control inflammation, blood clotting and brain development. Fat serves as the storage unit for extra calories. There are three types of fat- Unsaturated fat GOOD Saturated Fat OK in moderation Trans Fat BAD!!!!

Sodium is next.
You should limit your sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day. If you suffer from high blood pressure you should keep it closer to 1,500 mg per day.

The last fact I feel you should pay close attention to is Sugar.
It is recommended that women limit sugar intake to 100 calories, 24 grams or 6 teaspoons and men to 150 calories, 36 grams or 9 teaspoons.

So next time you're grocery shopping make sure you check out those labels and make the fit decision.

xoxo,
Fit girl

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