Beyond Nutrition Labels

Our nation’s food is typically laden with harmful chemicals, trans fats, artificial ingredients and a wide range of other health-compromising toxins. A great deal of the food consumed today bears little resemblance to what our ancestors ate and, accordingly, it lacks the wholesome properties that our body best recognizes and thrives upon. A proactive way to rise above this predicament is to arm yourself with the knowledge of ingredients in your food as well as what to look for and avoid on food labels.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) dictates how food manufacturers describe their products on the Nutrition Facts label. These labels reveal information including the serving size, calories per serving and calories from fat per serving, as well as the overall amount of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) per serving and the percent daily value for each nutrient. Nutrition labels moreover list the cholesterol, sodium, trans and saturated fat content, the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) as well as the ingredients, listed in order from highest amount in serving to lowest.
Although Nutrition Facts labels might seem very informative, they are missing a great deal of essential information for you to identify if the food item is truly healthy. What is often missing from the label is the use of hormones and antibiotics fed to animals that produce the ingredients in the product.

Similarly, any pesticides and GMO ingredients are not necessarily listed. The food product could moreover contain environmental toxins and chemicals from packaging that may leak into the food and contaminate it, yet that information is not necessarily disclosed either. Also, the serving size could be misleading because people often assume there is a smaller amount of calories and sugar in a product when in reality the amount listed is often a divided number disguised as a serving size.

To quickly gauge if an item is healthy or not, look at the ingredients list to make sure it is of real, high-quality food. If you find an ingredient that you do not recognize or cannot pronounce, chances are it is not worth eating. Of course, there are plenty of healthy food options that are unique and challenging to pronounce, such as Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah), but more likely than not, if a label is full of ingredients that you have a hard time recognizing and pronouncing, your best bet is to pass on such items.

As a general rule of thumb, aim to avoid the following ingredients:

- Artificial Sweeteners: Aspartame, Sucralose, and Saccharin are a few prevalent artificial sweeteners used to cut calories and allow manufacturers to claim their product is “sugar-free.” Nonetheless, artificial sweeteners have been linked to a wide range of health complications including nerve damage and weight gain. Opt for sugar from real sources such as whole fruit, honey, and even raw organic cane sugar.
- Artificial Colors: Ingredients listed as a color followed by a number, such as Red 40 and Blue 1, are certainly worth avoiding. They are linked to potential tumors, adverse effects on children’s attention and activity, among other health issues.
- Soy: Although soy is frequently considered a health food, it is one of the most contaminated with pesticides crops in our nation and is highly allergenic. It is responsible for many people’s digestive issues and can potentially disrupt thyroid function as well as endocrine system processes. While a carefully selected, non-GMO and organic soy ingredient is okay to consume, the highly processed and toxic version is an ingredient to avoid. It is ubiquitous in many protein bars, chocolates, sauces and further food items.

To achieve your best diet and health, look for and select ingredients with minimally processed, whole foods. Decrease exposure to pesticides and GMO’s by selecting organic ingredients when possible. It is also helpful to purchase your foods in bulk and dedicate some time to prepare meals and snacks for the upcoming day or week ahead. That way, you will be more aware, selective and in control of what goes inside your body.