Rule #8

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I'm not going through each category of the food labels, because this has been beat in to our heads for years, so I just highlighted the items I found particularly helpful, so here goes....

FAT: "The label will also tell you the percentage of fat calories per serving; if it is over 20%, walk away.  Also remember that not all fats are equal.  Look at the ingredients section to find out what kind of fat it is.  If it is a saturated fat - lard, butter, oil, suet - it will be listed.  Don't buy that product.  Look for monounsaturated fats made from plants - olive oil, canola oil."

"TRANS FATS: The demon spawn of industrial food, trans fats are essentially highly saturated, inflammatory molecules used for convenience items likes cakes, donuts, cookies, and other baked items.  Trans fats help keep vending machine items fresh - for years.  Do you really want that in your body?  Unfortunately, trans fats do not have to be listed on the label if they weigh less than half a gram.  That hidden trans fat can add up if you eat a lot of processed foods.  Which is another good reason to stay away from processed foods and go to the ingredient source!"

CARBS: "Check the ingredient list to see where the carbs come from.  'Wheat flour?' No. '100% whole-wheat flour?' Yes.  'Potato Starch' Uh-uh.  Cornmeal, no-not if it's in the first five ingredients.  Farro or barley? Yes."

FIBER: "Paying attention to this number will really tell you something about how processed this item is.  It will also give you a sense of how long this food will hang around in your guy.  Also look in the ingredients section to where this fiber comes from - whether it is added (OK in principle, as in the case of apple fiber or bran) or comes from industrial sources (not OK)."

THE INGREDIENTS LIST: One rule of thumb: the more items in this section, the less positively you should view this food.  Why?  For one, if it's got that many ingredients, it's probably incredibly processed - dense in chemicals that Mother Nature never intended you to eat.  Two, it is dense in calories and low in fiber.  In short: if a sweetener - any sweetener - or any refined flour (remember, it must say whole-wheat flour-appears within the first five ingredients, then just keep on pushing that grocery cart"

CHEMICALS: "We live in a world of things like stabilizers, preservatives, and dyes, and escaping them entirely is unrealistic (Unless you are wealthy, eccentric, or wealthy and eccentric)  But there are a few notorious ones, often found in diet and "lite" foods and you can avoid them if you know how to spot them."

FOOD DYES: "Uncertainty about their health effects still reigns, but their prominence on the label tell s you how fake the product in your hand is Phone food - no!"

ASPARTAME: The just is still out about the connection between artificial sweeteners and various neurological conditions.  I don't like the stuff - especially if is is in the top five ingredients.  Why?  Because aspartame, like high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or lots of salt, keeps you in the appetite-twisting world of 'hyperflavors,' which have conditioned you to crave sugar, fat, and bad carbs.

POLYSORBATE 60: Pro-technology Wired magazine described polysorbate's main uses this way: 'detergent, an emulsifier, or , in the case of polysorbate 60, a major ingredient in some sexual lubricants."  There you go.  Try not to eat it.

OLESTRA: Olestra products have labels.  The labels say: 'Olesra may cause abdominal cramping and loose stools. Olestra inhibits the absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients.  Vitamins A, D, E, and K have been added."  It can also cause diarrhea and anal leakage.  Yay, Olestra!

MSG: A.k.a. Monosodium Glutamate, the stuff we know is in a lot of Chinese food.  But packed foods often come stuffed with it, the better to jack up our salt-craving taste buds.  Many people are allergic to it: headaches, wheezing, nausea, difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest.  Fun.  If you are pregnant, do not eat anything with MSG in it.

Note: It is sometimes hard to spot MSFG on the label because it has so many aliases.  Among them are free glutamate, hydrolyzed proteins (any type), autolyzed yeast, yeast extract, caseinate, and "natural or artificial flavors."

Also Note: MSG is also used for making 'chewing fum, drinks, over-the-counter medications (especially children's), as a binder and filler for nutritional supplements, in prescription drugs, IV fluids given in hospitals, and in the chicken pox vaccine."  As with Olestra, why would you want to eat this stuff?

That's about it for today, sorry for the lack of posts.  I'm doing well and staying on track and have started another challenge.  Hopefully I'll time to get to more personal stuff tomorrow.  Happy Tuesday!