Nutrition
The Good Stuff
The Bad Stuff
Fast Facts about Fats and Oils
Fat is solid at room temperature; Oil is liquid.
Everyone needs some fat in their diet. Around 20-30% of daily calories.
A tablespoon of fat or oil has 120 calories! Or 250 calories per oz. or 9 calories per gram.
Vegetable Oil – from peanut, soy bean, sunflower, sesame, coconut, olive, and other vegetable oils
Animal Fat – lard (pig fat), fish oil, and butter. From fats in the milk, meat and under the skin of the animal
Hydrogenation – artificial process conversion of liquid vegetable oils to solid or semi-solid fats (as in margarine). turns unsaturated fat to saturated fat. Creates trans-fat. Increases the risk of heart disease. Very Bad.
Hydrogenated oil – vegetable oil that has been hydrogenated. Keep away.
Partially hydrogenated oil – vegetable oil that has been hydrogenated to some degree. Keep away as well.
Saturated fat – occurs naturally in animal fats, or artificially in vegetable oils when hydrogenated. Use in moderation – raises risk of heart disease
Monounsaturated fat – “good fat” – lowers bad blood cholesterol levels (LDL). May increase good cholesterol (HDL)
Polyunsaturated fat – “good fat” in moderation.
Trans-fat – “bad fat” created by artificial hydrogenation. Increases the risk of heart attack even in small quantities.
Cholesterol – found only in animal fats. Humans have cholesterol too, but it is mostly derived from saturated and trans-fats, not directly from animal cholesterol.
Omega-3 - polyunsaturated fat. Required in our diet. A quarter teaspoon a day. sources: leafy veggies, fish, fish oil, eggs, chicken.
Omega-6 – polyunsaturated fat. Required in our diet. sources: seed oils – soybean, safflower, sunflower or corn.
(Note: the right proportion between omega-6 and omega-3 intake is important. It should be 4:1, but in most western diets it is 10:1. That’s why we are all being encouraged to consume more omega-3.)
Omega-9 – polyunsaturated fat. good. sources: olive and nut oils.
(source: Fooducate.com)
Fat is solid at room temperature; Oil is liquid.
Everyone needs some fat in their diet. Around 20-30% of daily calories.
A tablespoon of fat or oil has 120 calories! Or 250 calories per oz. or 9 calories per gram.
Vegetable Oil – from peanut, soy bean, sunflower, sesame, coconut, olive, and other vegetable oils
Animal Fat – lard (pig fat), fish oil, and butter. From fats in the milk, meat and under the skin of the animal
Hydrogenation – artificial process conversion of liquid vegetable oils to solid or semi-solid fats (as in margarine). turns unsaturated fat to saturated fat. Creates trans-fat. Increases the risk of heart disease. Very Bad.
Hydrogenated oil – vegetable oil that has been hydrogenated. Keep away.
Partially hydrogenated oil – vegetable oil that has been hydrogenated to some degree. Keep away as well.
Saturated fat – occurs naturally in animal fats, or artificially in vegetable oils when hydrogenated. Use in moderation – raises risk of heart disease
Monounsaturated fat – “good fat” – lowers bad blood cholesterol levels (LDL). May increase good cholesterol (HDL)
Polyunsaturated fat – “good fat” in moderation.
Trans-fat – “bad fat” created by artificial hydrogenation. Increases the risk of heart attack even in small quantities.
Cholesterol – found only in animal fats. Humans have cholesterol too, but it is mostly derived from saturated and trans-fats, not directly from animal cholesterol.
Omega-3 - polyunsaturated fat. Required in our diet. A quarter teaspoon a day. sources: leafy veggies, fish, fish oil, eggs, chicken.
Omega-6 – polyunsaturated fat. Required in our diet. sources: seed oils – soybean, safflower, sunflower or corn.
(Note: the right proportion between omega-6 and omega-3 intake is important. It should be 4:1, but in most western diets it is 10:1. That’s why we are all being encouraged to consume more omega-3.)
Omega-9 – polyunsaturated fat. good. sources: olive and nut oils.
(source: Fooducate.com)
Sugar Synonyms
If you encounter one of the names below in a product ingredient list – it’s sugar in one form or other and will contribute 4 calories per gram consumed (exceptions noted in parentheses). Artificial sweeteners contain no calories but are at times controversial due to other health risks they may or may not pose.
Aspartame – marketed as Nutrasweet (artificial, 0 calories)
Acesulfame potassium (acesulfame-K) / E950 -
marketed as Sunett / Sweet One (artificial, 0 calories)
Agave
Agave Nectar
Barley Malt Extract
Brown Rice Syrup
Brown sugar
Corn sugar
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup, or corn syrup solids
Crystalline Fructose
Dehydrated Cane Juice
Dextrin
Dextrose
Evaporated Cane Juice
Evaporated Cane Syrup
Fructose
Fruit juice concentrate
Glucose
High-fructose corn syrup
Honey
Invert sugar (golden syrup)
Lactose
Maltodextrin
Malt syrup
Maltose
Mannitol (2.6 calories)
Maple syrup
Molasses
Neotame (artificial, 0 calories)
Raw sugar
Rice Syrup
Saccharin (artificial, 0 calories)
Saccharose
Sucralose – marketed as Splenda (artificial, 0 calories)
Sucrose
Sugar
Sorbitol (2.6 calories)
Sorghum syrup
Syrup
Treacle
Turbinado Sugar
Xylose
(source: Fooducate.com)
If you encounter one of the names below in a product ingredient list – it’s sugar in one form or other and will contribute 4 calories per gram consumed (exceptions noted in parentheses). Artificial sweeteners contain no calories but are at times controversial due to other health risks they may or may not pose.
Aspartame – marketed as Nutrasweet (artificial, 0 calories)
Acesulfame potassium (acesulfame-K) / E950 -
marketed as Sunett / Sweet One (artificial, 0 calories)
Agave
Agave Nectar
Barley Malt Extract
Brown Rice Syrup
Brown sugar
Corn sugar
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup, or corn syrup solids
Crystalline Fructose
Dehydrated Cane Juice
Dextrin
Dextrose
Evaporated Cane Juice
Evaporated Cane Syrup
Fructose
Fruit juice concentrate
Glucose
High-fructose corn syrup
Honey
Invert sugar (golden syrup)
Lactose
Maltodextrin
Malt syrup
Maltose
Mannitol (2.6 calories)
Maple syrup
Molasses
Neotame (artificial, 0 calories)
Raw sugar
Rice Syrup
Saccharin (artificial, 0 calories)
Saccharose
Sucralose – marketed as Splenda (artificial, 0 calories)
Sucrose
Sugar
Sorbitol (2.6 calories)
Sorghum syrup
Syrup
Treacle
Turbinado Sugar
Xylose
(source: Fooducate.com)
ADVERTISING
Food Marketing Tricks
Trick # 1: ”Natural” means that it is not made of artificial ingredients:
The word “natural” on the front of the box of food makes it sound good for you. The word “natural” on food products has no agreed upon definition and can be used to describe a food that has been refined so much that it has no nutrient value, or to describe a processed food to which artificial flavorings, colorings, and other chemicals have been added. “Natural” on the box does not mean it is real food or that it is healthy.
Trick # 2: Wheat/Whole Grain in the title means that it is a substantial ingredient:
Descriptions like“Made with wheat,” or “rye,” “whole grains”, or “multi-grains” imply that the food is a good source of whole grains and fiber, but unfortunately, this doesn’t tell you how much whole grain is actually in the product. For example, a Wheat Crisps box says on the front “contains whole grains”. Actually, enriched flour is the very first ingredient listed, which means it is the ingredient that it has the most of. Enriched flour is white flour. We don’t know how much actual whole grain/wheat is in the product. It may be very minimal.
Trick # 3: Junk Food Can Be Healthy with Vitamins added:
My mother-in-law was excited to show me new “Healthy” chocolate chip cookies that she had purchased while I was visiting over Easter. She was so proud that she had bought these cookies instead of “unhealthy” cookies. Wow! The marketers went overboard to make these cookies seem really healthy and nutritious. Claims = “Nutrition Rich Cookies” right on the front of the box. On the back = “As much calcium & Vit. D as an 8 oz glass of milk, as much iron as a cup of spinach, as much vitamin E as 2 cups of carrot juice, as much Vit. C as a cup of blueberries”. All this wrapped up in a serving of 3 CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES. REALLY??? Have you heard the saying “If it sounds too good to be true it probably is”? With closer inspection of the actual ingredients I found they are made with wheat flour (not whole wheat), enriched wheat flour (again – not whole wheat), sugar, high fructose corn syrup, oil, artificial flavors, corn syrup, & trans fats. Then they added some vitamins into the cookies and sell them as “nutritious cookies”. They are still JUNK and are a recipe for weight gain and feeding sugar addiction!!!
Trick # 4: 100% Fruit Juice is just as good as eating a piece of fruit:
Most bottle juices are “From Concentrate”. This means that the juice is dehydrated during packaging process then water is re-added. Both “from concentrate” and “not from concentrate” are typically pasteurized before packaging and selling. The heating process of pasteurization decreases the nutritional value of the juice. It also takes 3-4 small apples to get 8 – 12 ounces of juice. This is a lot of sugar with little to no fiber. How often do we eat 3 – 4 apples in one sitting?
Trick # 5: “High in Protein” or “Good Source of Protein” means the food is a protein:
One popular cereal claims that it “has as much protein as an egg”. When I ask a client if this cereal would be classified as a protein, carb, or fat the client typically says “Protein”. We believe this because of advertising. However this cereal has over 3 times as many carbs as protein.
Trick # 6: A food is “part” of a balanced breakfast/meal:
A popular breakfast biscuit claims it is specially baked to release energy regularly and continuously to fuel your body through the morning and that it is “part of a balanced breakfast”. What???? When I examined the ingredients the cookie like biscuits are loaded with carbs, sugar, and a decent amount of fat. They are very low in protein making them not at all balanced. What is the other part to balance these out??? They are a junk food.
Trick # 7: You can eat/drink what you want and just exercise to maintain weight:
You can’t out-train a bad diet. Many people that I see that are “stuck” and spinning their wheels “think” they are eating healthy or “pretty good”. In reality their food is completely out of balance for their body. Others know they are eating poorly and believe that they can exercise to counteract all of the calories coming in.
You can eat in 2 minutes what it can take 2 hours of cardio to burn. If you are stuck, work with a professional to get your food in balance.
Bottom Line: If a food item is packed with lots of ingredients that you can’t pronounce (they are artificial sounding) and it includes trans fats, you should look for a better food choice. Try to stick with products that are made from whole foods (REAL FOOD), with little to no preservatives, and with little to no artificial sounding ingredients. Actually, the most healthy food often has the least marketing muscle behind it. The best source of fiber and vitamins are fresh vegetables and fruit, and yet it’s the processed, packaged junk food fortified with vitamin and fiber powder that screams for our attention. The only 100% fruit juice is from a piece of REAL FRUIT!
(Source: www.thepinkphysique.com)
Trick # 1: ”Natural” means that it is not made of artificial ingredients:
The word “natural” on the front of the box of food makes it sound good for you. The word “natural” on food products has no agreed upon definition and can be used to describe a food that has been refined so much that it has no nutrient value, or to describe a processed food to which artificial flavorings, colorings, and other chemicals have been added. “Natural” on the box does not mean it is real food or that it is healthy.
Trick # 2: Wheat/Whole Grain in the title means that it is a substantial ingredient:
Descriptions like“Made with wheat,” or “rye,” “whole grains”, or “multi-grains” imply that the food is a good source of whole grains and fiber, but unfortunately, this doesn’t tell you how much whole grain is actually in the product. For example, a Wheat Crisps box says on the front “contains whole grains”. Actually, enriched flour is the very first ingredient listed, which means it is the ingredient that it has the most of. Enriched flour is white flour. We don’t know how much actual whole grain/wheat is in the product. It may be very minimal.
- Many products are actually made with refined white flour labeled as “enrinched wheat flour or wheat flour”. Note: “Fortified”, “enriched”, “added”, “extra”, and “plus” usually mean the food has been altered or processed in some way.
Trick # 3: Junk Food Can Be Healthy with Vitamins added:
My mother-in-law was excited to show me new “Healthy” chocolate chip cookies that she had purchased while I was visiting over Easter. She was so proud that she had bought these cookies instead of “unhealthy” cookies. Wow! The marketers went overboard to make these cookies seem really healthy and nutritious. Claims = “Nutrition Rich Cookies” right on the front of the box. On the back = “As much calcium & Vit. D as an 8 oz glass of milk, as much iron as a cup of spinach, as much vitamin E as 2 cups of carrot juice, as much Vit. C as a cup of blueberries”. All this wrapped up in a serving of 3 CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES. REALLY??? Have you heard the saying “If it sounds too good to be true it probably is”? With closer inspection of the actual ingredients I found they are made with wheat flour (not whole wheat), enriched wheat flour (again – not whole wheat), sugar, high fructose corn syrup, oil, artificial flavors, corn syrup, & trans fats. Then they added some vitamins into the cookies and sell them as “nutritious cookies”. They are still JUNK and are a recipe for weight gain and feeding sugar addiction!!!
- Even if you add vitamins to junk food, it is still junk food.
Trick # 4: 100% Fruit Juice is just as good as eating a piece of fruit:
Most bottle juices are “From Concentrate”. This means that the juice is dehydrated during packaging process then water is re-added. Both “from concentrate” and “not from concentrate” are typically pasteurized before packaging and selling. The heating process of pasteurization decreases the nutritional value of the juice. It also takes 3-4 small apples to get 8 – 12 ounces of juice. This is a lot of sugar with little to no fiber. How often do we eat 3 – 4 apples in one sitting?
- Eat your fruit, don’t drink it and you will get more nutrieints, more fiber, less sugar, and less calories.
Trick # 5: “High in Protein” or “Good Source of Protein” means the food is a protein:
One popular cereal claims that it “has as much protein as an egg”. When I ask a client if this cereal would be classified as a protein, carb, or fat the client typically says “Protein”. We believe this because of advertising. However this cereal has over 3 times as many carbs as protein.
- Clients also tell me that beans are a protein and that peanut butter is a protien. Both FALSE. They have protein in them but look at the nutrition facts and see how much fat and carbs they have then you will know what they really are.
Trick # 6: A food is “part” of a balanced breakfast/meal:
A popular breakfast biscuit claims it is specially baked to release energy regularly and continuously to fuel your body through the morning and that it is “part of a balanced breakfast”. What???? When I examined the ingredients the cookie like biscuits are loaded with carbs, sugar, and a decent amount of fat. They are very low in protein making them not at all balanced. What is the other part to balance these out??? They are a junk food.
- A balanced meal should contain protein, carbs, and a little fat. Carb loaded foods are not balanced.
Trick # 7: You can eat/drink what you want and just exercise to maintain weight:
You can’t out-train a bad diet. Many people that I see that are “stuck” and spinning their wheels “think” they are eating healthy or “pretty good”. In reality their food is completely out of balance for their body. Others know they are eating poorly and believe that they can exercise to counteract all of the calories coming in.
You can eat in 2 minutes what it can take 2 hours of cardio to burn. If you are stuck, work with a professional to get your food in balance.
Bottom Line: If a food item is packed with lots of ingredients that you can’t pronounce (they are artificial sounding) and it includes trans fats, you should look for a better food choice. Try to stick with products that are made from whole foods (REAL FOOD), with little to no preservatives, and with little to no artificial sounding ingredients. Actually, the most healthy food often has the least marketing muscle behind it. The best source of fiber and vitamins are fresh vegetables and fruit, and yet it’s the processed, packaged junk food fortified with vitamin and fiber powder that screams for our attention. The only 100% fruit juice is from a piece of REAL FRUIT!
(Source: www.thepinkphysique.com)
Good Questions to Ask When Viewing Ads
1. Who created this media message and why?
2. Who is the target audience? What text, images or sounds suggest this?
3. What is the literal meaning of the message?
4. What is the hidden message?
5. What tools of persuasion are used?
6. What healthy and unhealthy messages are communicated?
7. What part of the story is not being told?
1. Who created this media message and why?
2. Who is the target audience? What text, images or sounds suggest this?
3. What is the literal meaning of the message?
4. What is the hidden message?
5. What tools of persuasion are used?
6. What healthy and unhealthy messages are communicated?
7. What part of the story is not being told?
FAST FOOD