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Nutrition label changes coming soon
February 28 2014
After more than 20 years since the original labeling law went into effect, the FDA is working on revamping nutrition labels on packaged foods.
Please note that it could take 2-4 years before these changes are actually implemented. The FDA is now allowing the public (and corporations) to comment for 90 days. Manufacturers will have a 2-3 year grace period to change their labels.
Here are some of the highlights of the proposed nutrition label changes proposed by the FDA.
1. New easier to read layout.
2. Focus on Calories. Americans need to reduce their calorie intake. By making calorie information much larger, it will be easier to spot on the nutrition label.
3. Real serving sizes. For years we’ve known that the suggested serving sizes are not realistic. For the new labels, the FDA is overhauling its definition of standard servings for tens of product categories. The serving size has an immediate effect on all other numbers on the nutrition panel, because they are all calculated per serving.
4. Serving size depends on package size. Many food and beverage items come in a single serve package, yet claim to contain 2 or more servings. The FDA won’t have any more of that. If you’re a 20 ounce bottle of Cola being dispensed in a vending machine, you are one serving. Of course, the calorie value will reflect that. Instead of consumers seeing just 80 calories per serving (of 8 ounces), they will now see 200 calories (for 20 ounces).
5. Two columns of data. For packages that may be consumed as a single portion or as several servings, two sets of information must be presented.
6. Getting rid of “calories from fat”. As we all know, fat is not evil. We need good fats. Counting calories from fat is not the right way to count calories.
7. Show added sugars. This is a great addition, and one that food companies will furiously try to repeal. Americans consume 16% of their calories from added sugars. The most current recommendation is that only 5-15% of calories come from added sugars AND solid fats. Obviously America needs help separating natural occurring sugars (fruit, yogurt) from added sugar. You’d be surprised how much sugar is added to bread, pasta sauce, and other foods. The challenge will be implementing this correctly. Manufacturers may start to use fruit purees instead of table sugar to avoid labeling added sugar, despite the fact that they are identical from a nutrient perspective.
8. Mandated Vitamin D and Potassium information. Currently these two nutrients do not have to be listed on the nutrition facts panel. But Americans are woefully deficient in both. Vitamin D helps build stronger bones (along with calcium). Potassium has multiple roles, among them regulating mineral and liquid balance in the body, reducing blood pressure spikes from excess sodium, and helping muscles contract. Expect more foods to be fortified with vitamin D.
9. Optional Vitamin A and C information. Currently these 2 nutrients need to be listed. But since most Americans get enough, displaying their amount will not be mandatory.
10. Changes to recommended daily value for some nutrients. Sodium goes down from 2400 to 2300. Fiber will go up from 25 grams a day to 30.
Magnesium helps fight diabetes…are you getting enough?
February 26 2014
According to a new study published this month in Diabetes Care, adults with the highest intake of magnesium were half as likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. Magnesium-rich diets were also linked with a 37-per-cent reduced risk of developing pre-diabetes.
It’s estimated only half of North Americans achieve daily targets for magnesium: 310-320 milligrams for women and 400-420 mg for men. Experts contend that 79 million adults aged 20 and older have pre-diabetes and that number is expected to rise. It’s also a number that’s largely preventable by managing weight, exercising more and eating a healthy diet. Careful meal planning can help you make sure you get enough magnesium.
The study, which followed 2,582 adults (average age 54) for seven years, also determined that a high magnesium intake cut the risk of pre-diabetes progressing to Type 2 diabetes by one-third. Magnesium is needed for the proper action of insulin; too little can cause insulin resistance, a precursor for Type 2 diabetes. Excellent sources of the mineral include legumes, nuts, leafy greens, halibut, yogurt and wheat germ.
These foods can give you an edge against pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes.
• Legumes (especially black beans)
When it comes to legumes, black beans are a top source of magnesium (second to soybeans): a 3/4 cup serving delivers 100 mg of the glucose-regulating mineral.
• Almonds, cashews, peanuts
Among people with pre-diabetes, eating an almond-rich diet has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Among individuals with normal blood sugar, regular nut consumption is linked with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Nuts are a good source of cardio-protective nutrients including unsaturated fat, fiber, folate, vitamin E and potassium. They’re also high in magnesium, with almonds, cashews and peanuts leading the pack and they make a perfect and portable snack.
• Spinach, Swiss chard, kale
Eating more leafy green vegetables – 1.3 servings daily versus only one per week – is associated with a lower risk of diabetes (1 serving = 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw). Antioxidants and magnesium in leafy greens are thought to be responsible for their protective effects.
• Salmon, arctic char, trout, mackerel
So far, two large studies suggest that consuming more of the omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish reduces the risk of diabetes by 32 per cent. Omega-3 fats are thought to improve how the body uses insulin. Try to include at least six ounces of oily fish in your diet each week.
• Ground flax seed
This tiny seed is also a rich source of omega-3. Higher intakes of ground flax seeds have been tied to protection from Type 2 diabetes.
• Coffee
Drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee (caffeinated and decaffeinated) per day is related to a 25-per-cent lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. Coffee’s benefits may be due to chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant that dampens inflammation, reduces glucose absorption and improves insulin sensitivity. Coffee is also a source of magnesium.
The importance of portion control
February 22 2014
One of the major factors that can help you to achieve your weight loss goals is proper portion control. An important thing to remember as you attempt to manage your weight is that your weight is a direct function of the number of calories that you ingest through food and drink as compared with the number of calories that you burn off. You can burn off calories through normal activity and bodily functions as well as exercise. By adjusting these intake and output levels, you’ll adjust whether you gain, lose or maintain your weight.
How Portion Control Helps to Lose Weight
Portion control directly helps you to lose weight by tipping the scales in favor of the output of caloric energy. When you carefully monitor your portion sizes, you decrease the amount of food that you eat. This decrease in food intake also represents an overall decrease in the number of calories that you eat, provided that you eat the same foods that you did previously. This makes it easier for you to burn off those calories through less activity. You’ll therefore begin to gain weight more slowly or, ideally, to maintain or even lose weight.
Proper Portion Control
Proper and healthy portion control is characterized by moderation and mindful eating. While it’s important to not eat too much of any particular type of food, it’s also equally important to avoid eating too little. Learn about the recommended serving sizes of various types of food, and do your best to adhere to them. Using a meal planning tool can help you keep track of your calorie intake as well as help monitor your portion sizes. This will ensure that you are eating a proper amount and that your body is fully nourished.
Also, it’s important that you not limit the amount of food that you eat too severely when you exercise portion control. Eating moderate portions of only food that is unhealthy in general will not necessarily yield you good results in terms of weight loss.
Other Benefits of Portion Control
There are a number of other benefits of portion control. First, you’ll condition your body to become full after consuming a smaller quantity of food. This means that controlling your portions should become easier and easier over time, and that you’ll have to concern yourself less as time goes on. Additionally, many people find that they generally feel better and have more energy when they’ve eaten moderate portions than they did when they ate overly large portions. Finally, monitoring your portions appropriately can help to improve your digestion process and your regularity as well.
In addition to monitoring your portion size, an effective weight loss program should also contain a healthy mixture of different types of food. You should also include regular cardiovascular exercise as well, in order to achieve the best results. For more information about setting up a diet or an exercise regimen that is suitable for you and your needs, speak with a doctor.
Lack of sleep leads to weight gain
February 20 2014
Here’s another reason to make sure you’re getting enough sleep.
A new study shows that people who sleep less to tend to eat more and be more inactive compared to those who sleep more. This then results in weight gain. It is recommended that adults should sleep between seven to eight hours a night, while children are encouraged to sleep for 10 hours in order to get a full rest.
It has been shown that less sleep can have drastic long-term effects on the mind and body. Everything from cardiovascular disease to an increase risk of car accidents, work performance errors, more fatigue during the day, even obesity if you can believe it.
Along with proper nutrition, a good night’s sleep is vitally important for optimum health.
What is the alkaline diet?
February 18 2014
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the alkaline diet, or pH diet. Here’s what you need to know.
According to some alternative practitioners, the shift to an acid-producing diet is the cause of a number of chronic diseases and that’s why some practitioners recommend the alkaline diet.
Although conventional doctors do believe that increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables and reducing one’s intake of meat, salt, and refined grains is beneficial to health, most conventional doctors do not believe that an acid-producing diet is the foundation of chronic illness.
An alkaline diet is a diet that emphasizes, to a varying degree, fresh fruit, vegetables, roots and tubers, nuts, and legumes. It is also known as the alkaline acid diet and acid alkaline diet. The idea behind the alkaline diet is that certain foods including meat, eggs, dairy, grains as well as sugary and salty foods –which are staples of the North American diet – make the body acidic, which can lead to a host of health problems including weight gain, osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, even cancer.
By eating more fresh fruit, vegetables, roots and tubers, nuts, and legumes, proponents of the diet contend you’ll have more energy, lose excess weight, boost immunity and fend off countless chronic diseases.
The goal of the alkaline diet is to maintain the pH level of your blood (alkaline). If you don’t – because you eat too many acidic foods – your body will restore blood pH balance by robbing minerals from your bones (calcium, magnesium and potassium are alkaline). Proponents of the alkaline diet contend that’s how our meat- and dairy-heavy diet causes osteoporosis.
According to most experts, the notion that diet can markedly change the pH of your blood goes against what we know about the body’s chemistry. The human body naturally regulates a constant pH in the bloodstream. (Diabetes and kidney disease can cause problems with pH regulation.) There’s not a stitch of evidence that any food – or diet – can substantially change blood pH. Clinical trials on the effectiveness of an alkaline diet for reducing health risks are also lacking.
Is the alkaline diet healthy? There’s no question a regular intake of alkaline foods is good for you. Eating more fruit and vegetables increases your intake of potassium, a mineral linked to protection from high blood pressure and stroke. A steady intake of magnesium-rich beans (e.g. kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas) and lentils helps guard against heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and prostate cancer. Avoiding foods packed with sodium and refined sugar is beneficial too.
But depending on which version of the alkaline diet you follow, you could be lacking protein and key vitamins and minerals. Strict alkaline diets eliminate all meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy and grains, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies.
It’s a good idea to consult your doctor before trying any new diet. Stick to a diet that is easy to follow, nutritious, safe and backed by plenty of scientific evidence. If your goal is weight loss, a sensible and mindful eating system such as the MealEasy Weight Loss Plan is the best bet for overall health.
Here’s why we should all get chocolate for Valentine’s Day
February 13 2014
A study published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007, found that of more than 34,000 post-menopausal women who consumed the most flavonoid-rich food, 22 per cent had a lower risk of developing coronary heart disease. Chocolate was ranked as one of the top flavonoid-rich foods associated with a protective effect, along with bran, red wine, grapefruit and strawberries.
These findings support previous research published in 2006 in the Archive of Internal Medicine, which found men who consumed high amounts of cocoa products (2.3 grams or more per day) had a 50% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease, compared with men with the lowest consumption.
A study two years earlier, published in the journal Hypertension, uncovered similar findings using more chocolate. Researchers randomly assigned 20 subjects with high blood pressure to receive either 100 grams a day of flavonoid-rich dark chocolate or 90 grams per day of flavonoid-free white chocolate. The group receiving dark chocolate experienced a drop in blood pressure. Researchers also found that levels of LDL cholesterol dropped by 10 % in the dark chocolate group.
The latest research backs up claims that chocolate has cardiovascular benefits: In a 9-year Swedish study of more than 31,000 women, those who ate one or two servings of dark chocolate each week cut their risk for heart failure by as much as a third.
Wish that was a serving each day? Another big, long-term study in Germany this year found that about a square of dark chocolate a day lowered blood pressure and reduced risk of heart attack and stroke by 39 percent. Most of the credit goes to flavonoids, antioxidant compounds that increase the flexibility of veins and arteries.
But since those antioxidants come with a generous portion of sugar, milk, and butter, chowing down on chocolate isn’t an excuse to skip your workout. Chocolate and exercise actually work surprisingly well together: Another recent study, out of Australia this time, showed that eating chocolate high in healthy antioxidants reduced the blood pressure-raising effects of exercise on overweight individuals. So go ahead and reward yourself. A chocolate bar has five times the flavonoids of an apple, after all.
Your heart health isn’t the only thing with a link to chocolate. A 2007 study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that men who preferred chocolate to other types of candy had a lower body mass index and waist circumference than men who did not eat chocolate. Chocolate lovers also experienced more feelings of happiness and better psychological well-being.
If you’re wondering how you can add dark chocolate to your diet plan without putting on pounds, the good news is that it should be easier than you expect.
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen found that dark chocolate are far more filling, offering more of a feeling of satiety than its lighter-colored sibling. That is, dark chocolate lessens cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty foods. So if indulging in a bit of healthy dark chocolate should not only make it easy for you to stick to the small portion recommended for optimal health, but it should make it easier for you to stick to your diet in general. Jackpot!
Losing weight is about making the right choices
February 11 2014
If weight loss tops your New Year’s resolution list, you’re probably off to a good start making healthier food choices. A smoothie at breakfast, salad at lunch and a snack before you hit the gym after work.
But healthy eating doesn’t always equal fewer calories. In fact, your newfound habits may be adding calories to your diet and stalling your weight loss. Here’s how to sidestep 10 common calorie blunders in 2014.
1. Cut the smoothie “boosters.” If you’re heavy-handed with the ground flax, chia seeds, hemp hearts and flax oil, your smoothie can be more calorie-laden than a McDonald’s Big Mac. Adding a tablespoon of each to your drink adds 315 calories. Factor in the protein powder, milk and banana and your healthy shake will cost you 625 calories. To boost your smoothie with plant-based omega-3s, add one tablespoon of ground flax, chia seeds or hemp hearts or one teaspoon of flax oil.
2. Limit salad toppings. A main course salad might seem like a smart choice, but all those toppings can make your so-called light lunch add up to 1,000 calories – or more. A few crumbles of blue cheese (1/4 cup), a sprinkle of dried cranberries and sunflower seeds (2 tablespoons each), a few slices of avocado and a splash of vinaigrette dressing (4 tablespoons) add 500 calories to your grilled chicken and spinach.
At the salad bar, choose only one high-calorie topping. Load your salad with lower-calorie fresh vegetables, include lean protein and use only two tablespoons of dressing. At restaurants, order simple main salads (e.g. grilled salmon and greens); skip the croutons, bacon, candied nuts (140 calories per 1/4 cup) and go easy on the cheese.
3. Weigh your protein. Just because it’s fish – and contains heart healthy omega-3 fats – doesn’t mean it’s calorie-free. It’s common for people to eat twice the serving size of fish as they do meat or poultry. Yet that six-ounce portion of salmon has nearly double the calories (365) as a four-ounce sirloin steak (195). Whether it’s meat, chicken, fish or tofu, measure your portion size to ensure you’re sticking to your plan.
4. Preportion nuts. They’re packed with protein, healthy fats and magnesium. And, of course, eating nuts can help lower elevated blood pressure. But a handful (or two) here or a handful there can deliver a considerable calorie hit to a weight-loss plan. To prevent overeating, keep the nut jar out of sight. As snack, stick to a one-ounce serving a day. One serving (160 to 190 calories) is about 23 almonds, 14 walnut halves, 18 cashews, 28 peanuts or 49 pistachios. If you’re including fruit with your snack, reduce your nut portion by half.
5. Don’t be fooled by “light.” You might think you’re slashing calories from your diet by opting for the light version, but in many cases this isn’t so. Spread your toast with light versus regular peanut butter and you’ll save only 10 calories per tablespoon. Often, the health halo effect of “light” may prompt you to eat a bigger portion. Stick to the regular version. You’ll find it more satisfying and might not be as tempted to overeat.
6. Count your crackers (and chips and cookies). Whether they’re gluten-free, 100-per-cent whole grain or baked not fried, if you eat your snack from the box or bag, chances are you’ll eat more calories than you think, and certainly more than you need. Don’t eat from the bag or box. Read the nutrition label and measure (or count out) one serving.
7. Lose the protein obsession. Unless you’re a muscle-bound guy lifting heavy weights at the gym, most people don’t need to start and finish their workouts with a hefty protein shake or protein bar. Some bars, especially meal-replacement varieties, deliver 300 calories or more. If your goal is weight loss, limit your pre- and post-workout snacks (protein-rich, of course) to 150 to 200 calories.
8. Drizzle, don’t pour, cooking oil. No matter how nutritious the oil – be it extra virgin olive, cold pressed canola or organic coconut – every tablespoon you add to the wok, brush on grilled vegetables or pour over your salad greens adds 120 calories. Measure the cooking oil you use with a teaspoon to become aware of much you’re adding to foods.
9. Ease up on “natural” sweeteners. A little agave nectar here, a little honey there, adds up: Every tablespoon has 60 calories. If you must sweeten your oatmeal, coffee or tea use only one teaspoon.
10. Drop the wine habit. Along with those antioxidants supposedly good for your heart, two glasses of red wine with dinner serves up 240 calories. If it’s a daily habit, those calories are enough to slow your weight loss. Try to reserve alcohol for special occasions and/or weekends. Limit your weekly intake no more than seven five-ounce glasses for women and nine for men.
MealEasy can help you make the right choices.
Let’s take Action on Sugar
February 06 2014
There is a new global campaign called Action on Sugar to reduce “hidden sugars” in food by pulling together international experts in obesity and labeling sugar as “the new tobacco.” This voluntary group of scientific, academic and medical obesity experts believes that reducing the sneaky sugar hidden within foods can help battle lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
Knowing that there are now more obese people in the world than there are starving must motivate some change. The apple cart is well and truly upset: A predictive study published in 2008 by Harvard and MIT researchers suggests that, if we continue the current numbers trend in North America, it is believed that 100 per cent of the population will be overweight or obese by 2050.
Action on Sugar is the same group that has effectively taken action on sodium (under the name Consensus Action on Salt and Health, or CASH). By keeping the topic in the media, lobbying governments and educating the public as well as working with food producers they have turned the tide on salt. You would be hard pressed to find someone who isn’t aware of the impact of sodium on their health.
This group’s goal is a 30-per-cent reduction in added sugars in packaged foods, which they believe will reduce calorie consumption by 70 to 100 calories per day. In theory, accomplishing this would create a calorie deficit sufficient for weight loss just by improving junk foods alone.
Manufacturers need to do their part and media need to continue to share truthful messages, but consumers must also take on a role. What we need to watch out for is how manufacturers spin this new initiative. “Reduced sugar” could provide the same debacle as the low-fat trend that made us collectively fatter. Foods sold as “low fat” often actually contain more calories overall, since the fat was replaced with other ingredients, including – you guessed it – sugar.
What you can do?
It is simple for an individual to reduce their own calorie intake by 70 to 100 calories per day, as this action group is suggesting. That’s merely one cookie, one double-double, one glass of wine and perhaps choosing foods that are sugar-laden less frequently. Doing so prevents you from becoming the statistic affected by what excess sugar consumption leads to: liver disease, heart disease, obesity, inflammation and diabetes.
The power, as always, is in your hands.
Our sugar addiction is killing us!
February 04 2014
Americans consume too much sugar, and our collective sweet tooth is killing us.
So says a study published Monday by the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. It finds that 71.4% of U.S. adults get more than the recommended 10% of their daily calories from added sugars in foods and drinks – and that higher levels of sugar consumption are correlated with higher risk of death due to cardiovascular disease.
Researchers used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, or NHANES – a large study updated each year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – to measure changes in sugar consumption over time and to see its effect on health. Added sugars were defined as “all sugars used in processed or prepared foods, such as sugar-sweetened beverages, grain-based desserts, fruit drinks, dairy desserts, candy, ready-to-eat cereals, and yeast breads, but not naturally occurring sugar, such as in fruits and fruit juices.”
Between 2005 and 2010, about 71 percent of Americans consumed 10 percent or more of their daily calories from added sugar, according to the study. The World Health Organization recommends limiting calories from added sugar to less than 10 percent of your daily total.
What’s more, people who consumed between 17 and 21 percent of their daily calories from added sugar were nearly 40 percent more likely to die from cardiovascular disease over a 14-year period than those who consumed about 8 percent of their daily calories from added sugar, the study found.
In general, people who consumed more added sugar also had more fat and cholesterol in their diets, and they ate less meat, vegetables and grains, according to the study.
Soda and other types of sugar-sweetened beverages were the No. 1 source of added sugar in American diets, accounting for 37.1% of the sweeteners. Those were followed by grain-based desserts (13.7%), fruit drinks (8.9%), dairy desserts (6.1%) and candy (5.8%).
In the past, experts focused on obesity and cavities as the primary health problems related to over-consumption of added sugars. But recent studies have linked the sweeteners directly to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, liver cirrhosis and dementia, among other chronic health problems.
The sugar found in convenience foods, sodas, “energy drinks”, processed foods and breakfast cereals are the main culprits. Avoiding soft drinks and limiting sweets to a once in a while treat as well as a diet rich in natural, whole foods with an emphasis on grains, lean meats, fruits and vegetables such as the MealEasy Balanced Meal Plan, will keep your calories from added sugar to well below the 10% mark. Mindless eating and over consumption of foods that are not good for us has led to a major problem. MealEasy has the solution.
Getting kids to eat healthy foods
January 31 2014
For a lot of parents feeding their children, or rather getting their children to eat healthy foods, is a tough task. Nothing is quite as frustrating as preparing a meal full of healthy, nourishing ingredients, only to hear your child say: “that looks gross”.
It’s almost enough to make us want to throw in the towel and go for fast food. But, according to a new study, by changing HOW you eat (not WHAT you eat) you can increase your child’s willingness to eat, nutrient absorption and overall vitality? It’s possible! It may take a little time and tenacity, but even the pickiest of eaters will benefit from these mealtime rituals.
1) Make time for a family meal.
Research continues to support the importance of a family meal. A meal eaten without the distraction of TV or cell phones is a positive ritual for the entire family. For kids especially the simple act of eating a meal as a family is associated with improved vocabulary, enhanced self-esteem and better eating habits. Needs some meal ideas? MealEasy has lots kid friendly meals that are easy to prepare and are nutritionally balanced for growing kids.
2) Get them to help.
A great way to get kids invested in what’s for dinner and the act of eating is to include them in the preparation. Let your child pick out the music or have her help set the table. When children are involved in the preparation of a meal, they become invested in the ritual and are more likely to sit down and partake in the event. And getting children to sit down at the table (especially picky eaters) is no small task!
3) Take on a sous chef.
Kids who help prepare food are more likely to eat it during dinner. Yes, sometimes it is hard to include small children in food preparation—it takes more time and kids create more mess but it’s worth it. Not only will you establish a strong relationship between food and nourishment for your child, but you will also grow self-esteem and a sense of responsibility. A child who cooks a meal is more likely to eat it.
4) Relax.
Once everyone is seated at the table, take 1 minute to relax. Why is this important? Because, studies have shown that eating under stress actually decreases the body’s ability to digest food and absorb nutrients. And how many of us are rushing to dinner from sports practice, school, or work? When we rush around our bodies adapt by shifting into “fight or flight” mode and start pumping out adrenaline. Our bodies are not built to digest food in a stress response. It only takes 3 deep breaths to put your body into a relaxation response. That’s it! 3 deep breaths are all it takes to prepare both your body and mind to eat.
5) Don’t talk about what’s for dinner during dinner.
The quickest way to stop children from eating is to start criticizing what or how they are eating. Criticizing children during dinner only leads to negative mealtime associations and could cause rebellion about food and eating down the line. Instead of talking about the food on the table, try shifting the conversation to a neutral topic that’s interesting to everyone.