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How to Read food labels

from NaturalNews.com

Each and every day, we consume products that have mandatory food
labels -- Nutrition Facts. These labels are regulated by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and are designed to inform the consumer of the actual
components of the foods that they are consuming. Food labeling is required for prepared
foods and is voluntary for raw produce and fish.

The Nutrition Facts are based off of a 2000 calorie diet, a standard of the needed calories
for the energy requirements of an average person. A calorie is a quantity of energy that is
derived from either a gram of fat, protein, or carbohydrate. One gram of fat will produce 9
calories, while one gram of a protein or a carbohydrate will yield only 4 calories. Many
people are so involved in counting calories that they forget to recognize the most
important factor of nutritional content. One could consume 2000 calories and easily not
receive any nutritional content; the body, hungry for nutrients, will require more food --
the individual will oblige and consume more food. This type of eating has been termed
"eating empty calories." The result of eating "empty calories" is an overfed and
undernourished individual. Most Americans eat enough calories, but are still
malnourished! Thus, it is important to know how to read food labels to ensure one
receives adequate nutrition. The earth makes nutrients that are vital to our health; no
wonder why Hippocrates, the "Father of Medicine" stated, "Let thy food be thy medicine
and thy medicine be thy food."

To properly read food labels, begin with the serving size. If the serving size is extremely
small, chances are the manufacturer of the product wants the calorie, carbohydrate, total
fat, and protein content to appear reasonable. In order to accomplish this tactic, food
manufacturers can legally make the serving size unreasonably small.
Eat organically! Even though organic foods are more expensive, you can rest assured that
there has been no pesticide or fungicide use, no artificial hormones, and no harmful
chemical fertilizers. In addition, organically grown foods emphasize the use of renewable
resources and the conservation of soil and water. Not only are organically grown foods
better for you, but they are also better for the earth.

Third, study the list of ingredients; the best nutritional information about a food product
is in this section. Follow these guidelines to ensure better nutrition and health:
* Look for ingredients that have recognizable names -- chemicals are long, difficult words
and are added to foods for flavor enhancement or to serve as a preservative. These
chemicals create long-term toxic effects on the body and on one's health. A good rule to
live by: if you would not like to spell or pronounce the word, chances are you should not
be putting it in your body (think about the names of pharmaceuticals).

* Ensure the presence of whole grains. Consider the following -- whole grains are capable
of producing more grain when planted in the ground. Flour and processed grains lack
vital components of a whole grain and are not capable of growing anything if placed in
the ground. Therefore, only whole grains are capable of producing valuable nutrition and
health. Another fact to consider –- if flour and water are used to make paper-maché, what
do flour and water make inside of you?

* Avoid artificial colors and flavors. Would you eat an apple artificially produced in a
laboratory? If not, then why would you want to consume an artificial flavor or color
made in a laboratory? Artificial colors have a USDA certified tag FD&C -- Food, Drug,
and Cosmetic. These colors are approved for use in foods, drugs, and cosmetics. Not only
can the same colors in your food be used in cosmetics, but many of these artificial colors
have been linked to cancer.

* Avoid trans fats -- they are poor for your health and do not occur naturally in nature.
Trans fats are used in food products solely for the benefit of the manufacturer because it
increases food "shelf-life". Amounts of trans fats in food content are permitted to be
rounded down. For example, a product can have 0.49 grams of trans fat and still be
labeled as containing no trans fats! To avoid trans fats, do not consume any food that has
"partially hydrogenated" oil listed in the ingredients.

* A "fully hydrogenated" fat is a manufactured saturated fat. These should also be
avoided as they do not occur in nature and the fat has been altered from its original form.
The body will not know how to properly process this fat.
* Observe the sodium content. Once again, sodium is added to benefit the manufacturer.
Sodium comes from salt and is a natural preservative –- using salt on meat (such as beef
jerky) preserves meat since the high quantity of salt prevents bacterial growth. Foods
high in sodium are poor for your nutrition and good for shelf-life. Foods that are grown
naturally are high in potassium; search for foods that have a low sodium and high
potassium content. Sodium and potassium are needed to maintain blood volume and
blood pressure; rampant high blood pressure rates stem from lack of exercise and high
sodium intake from processed and unnatural foods.

* Avoid all artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup. Artificial sweeteners are
chemically manufactured and are a toxic overload to the body. Accumulations of this
chemical overload will lead to future health conditions. Aspartame, the ingredient of
artificial sweeteners, accounts for about 70% of all complaints filed to the FDA! High
fructose corn syrup is an ingredient that is inexpensive and very sweet. It is added to
foods to enhance sweetness and to help the food manufacturer do so inexpensively.
Unfortunately, fructose (a natural sugar from fruit) does not need a carrier to enter into
a cell. Foods flavored with high fructose corn syrup result in an abnormal "sugar spike"
in the consumer's blood and a rapid accumulation of fat as the body converts the sugar to
fat for storage.

* Be aware of flavor enhancers. They come in many names and forms and are neurotoxic.
All of these flavor enhancers are derived from glutamate, a powerful neurotransmitter
used in the brain. The body utilizes L-glutamic acid which occurs naturally or "bound"
in a variety of foods, but processing renders it in the "free" form. This "free" form
resembles sugar and is neurotoxic. The common names for flavor enhancers are:
monosodium glutamate (MSG), hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed protein,
hydrolyzed oat flour, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, yeast extract, autolyzed yeast,
textured protein, plant protein extract, corn oil, and natural flavors.
The practice of reading food labels can be a daunting experience at first, but with practice
it will become easier and your health will thank you for it. Also, be sure to follow the
Honest Food Guide to ensure proper nutrition.