Hey guys,
Sorry it’s been so long since I have been able to post anything up on the blog. I have been really busy! A lot of great things have been happening in 2010. I am finally out of the cubical and doing what I love full time, helping people get into the best shape of their lives. I just wanted to post a quick thought about nutrition. More and more food companies are launching new “whole grain”, “multigrain”, “natural” and “organic” products. Here are a few tips to help you sort through clever package design and continue to lose weight and stay fit.
1. Just because you bought it a Whole Foods or Trader Joes does not make it conducive to your weight loss. These stores are great because you have a large selection of healthy, minimally processed, organic, and vegan foods. The produce is fresh and colorful and sometimes it’s even locally grown. And we all just seem to feel a little less guilty walking out of a Whole Foods store than a convenience store at a gas station. Ok so this is what you need to remember. A 300 calorie brownie made with organic flour and raw sugar is still a 300 calorie brownie. You need to exercise the same portion control you would with a package of Twinkies. Yes, it’s a healthier, less processed option for a snack but when you are trying to lose weight a calorie is still a calorie, organic or not.
2. On the flipside, sometimes a calorie is not just a calorie. Sometimes, it’s a ton of chemicals and preservatives. There is a difference between eating to lose weight and eating to maintain a healthy body. The main concept in weight loss is “calories in, calories out”. This basically means you need to burn more than you consume. So calorie restriction is important for weight loss. Technically, you could still lose weight eating Big Macs and fries every day, so long as you burn more than those calories. You could eat 100 calorie packs, diet soda, fat-free yogurt and stay within your calorie range or your Weight Watchers points and still lose weight. What you need to remember is the quality of your calories. Sure you can still lose weight but your overall health will suffer from too many saturated and trans fats, sugar, fake chemical sweeteners, preservatives, artificial flavors and colors. So what you need to do is try to get most of your calories from natural, whole foods. Even if the calorie amount in a natural product is slightly higher than it’s over-processed counterpart, your body will run more efficiently if you put higher quality, nutrient dense foods into it and you will still lose weight. Plus, you will have more energy to work out, sleep better and feel better consuming less processed foods.
3. Read the back of the box, not the front. Basically, companies can put whatever they want on the front of the box to make it appealing to a consumer. Words like “whole grains” are being thrown all over food package design these days. The front of a box of crackers could say “whole grain, multigrain, natural”. And with clever color and image selection, you grab it and think you are making a great choice. Turn the box over and the list of ingredients is a mile long and the first ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. The serving size is 4 crackers. It’s 200 calories a serving, no fiber, no protein, basically empty useless calories. A better course of action is to immediately look to the nutritional info. No trans fats whatsoever! If it says “multigrain”, it better have some fiber and protein. And “fat-free” does not mean, you won’t gain weight from eating this product. Ingredients are listed from the greatest amount to the smallest amount. If the first or second ingredient is “sugar” or “high fructose corn syrup”, you should just put the package down. If you stick to the perimeter of the grocery store, you will find the freshest, least processed items. These products are perishable, fruits and veggies, meats, dairy. The middle of the store contains the items that can stay on your cabinet shelf for years! That long shelf life comes with a lot of preservatives.
Bottom line:
You can eat healthy and for weight loss.
Just because you bought it at Whole Foods does not make it low calorie.
Package design is just that. The truth lies in the ingredients. Shop smarter and you will lose weight the healthy way!
Email me with any questions about healthy eating or tips for a better shopping trip!
Keep up the good work!
xo JL
This is so true and this is coming from someone who works at WFM. So many customers think that since they bought it at WFM that they can eat as much as they want of anything in our store for that matter. Unfortunately that is not the case. There are plenty of products in all our departments which still have things in it that aren’t the best for people. They are loaded with sugar or there is that perservative stuck in there. If people took the time to READ the labels instead of just having the “I bought it at WFM” mentality shopping at WFM would benefit them. Great post Julz!