Read food labels and watch weight

If you are a good label reader then you have great advantages. If you can read food labels then you are even luckier. It enables you todiffrentiate and choose healthy foods from unhealthy less-nutritious ones. And definitely your healthy diet contriutes to your generall well being.

The key words on a food label are:

1. Serving size
2. Total fat
3. Saturated fat
4. Trans fat
5. Cholesterol
6. Sodium
7. Total Carbohydrate
8. Dietary Fibre
9. Vitamins and Minerals
10. Percentage Daily value

Normally all the foods are listed per serving. Some items in this list have to be limited while some others are a must.

What to limit?

From item number 2-6, you need to have these in limit. Fat is not desirable for your body as it contributes to Cardiovascular problems and cancers. Saturated Fat (from animal products) is fundamental in increasing your risk of heart diseases and in raising your cholesterol level. You should ideally take only foods with 2% per gram or less of saturated fat per serving. Trans Fat comes from oil heated to high temperature as in frying. It lowers the good cholesterol and raises the bad one. Animal products like milk and cheese are the sources of Dietary Cholesterol. It is highly undesirable for cardiovascular health. You should not exceed it above 300mg per day. Sodium increase in your diet can raise your blood pressure levels. The American Heart Association recommends a maximum of only 2300 mg of sodium per day. As you look for the content of sodium in a food think of the number of servings you may have of it one day.

What to take?

For a low carb diet you should not take foods with more than 5 gm of sugar per serving. Normally, half of you diet is dependednt on carbohydrates as it is present in rice, bread, pasta etc. You should take a fiber rich diet as excessive fiber in the body decreases your risk of cancer and cardiovascular problems. You will need at least 3 grams of fiber per serving. Also look out for Vitamin A and C and minerals like Iron and Calcium since these are vital to your health. You will need 100% of each per day.

Daily values are listed for people who eat 2,000 or 2,500 calories every day. But your individual nutrient needs may differ from this.

By knowing how to read Food Labels, you can wisely buy healthy foods and avoid unhealthy ones and thus help your weight loss process.