Saturday, February 22, 2014

FOOD SPECIAL ......BETWEEN READ THE LINES


BETWEEN READ THE LINES 
 
When a food label claims the eatable in your hand is ‘all natural’, what do they really mean? Here’s a fool-proof guide to reading food labels 

    So, the box reads ‘all natural’, and you are pleased as punch thinking that no harmful preservatives, colour, chemicals and antibiotics are entering your system. But ever wondered what ‘all natural’ even means? Well, to put it simply, it means nothing. The food industry makes empty promises, and we the people, don’t bother to turn the packet around and read the labels, and access the nutritional content. Here’s what you need to know.
WHAT’S YOUR DAILY INTAKE?
When information concerning vitamin and nutrient content is presented, it’s often accompanied by a percentage. That percentage is supposed to correspond to your ‘recommended daily intake.’ So if that glass of tetra pack juice you gulped claims to contain ‘100 per cent of your recommended daily intake of  Vitamin C,’ it is not necessarily so. Those recommended intakes are based on a specific diet. It also doesn’t take into account your lifestyle: the more active you are, the higher your nutrient craving will be.
    THE GOOD FATTY ACIDS
    
Thankfully, the Omega-3 craze is one health fad that has significant scientific backing. Studies have shown that a high Omega-3 diet helps combat heart disease, hypertension and arthritis. However, many food manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon in the hope of capitalising on the public awareness. When a food product says, ‘Contains Omega-3s,’ you’d be wise to check the specific content. How many grams of Omega-3s? And in what ratio to other fats, like harmful saturated fats? A healthy source of Omega-3s will have a high ratio of polyunsaturated fats (flaxseed, salmon) to saturated (butter, dried coconut) or trans fats (biscuits) and, low sugar content.
CONTAINS WHOLE GRAINS
Studies suggest that a diet rich in wholegrains helped bring down the incidence of heart disease in men. It’s obviously no surprise that every and any packaged bread is claiming to be ‘whole wheat’, or ‘wholegrain’. It doesn’t necessarily mean that those same whole grains are a significant portion of the contents. Manufacturers can get away with advertising this even if they include only a negligible portion of whole grains. Read the label carefully so that you don’t get mislead. There is a difference between whole wheat flour and wheat flour (read: maida).
ORDER OF PRIORITY
Food labels list their ingredients in order of their prevalence within the item. So when in doubt, check the label. If you’re confused about sugar content, or how much of a certain additive or preservative is being used, look to the back and compare it to the other ingredients. The earlier it appears in the list, the more of it there is in the food.
MADE WITH REAL FRUIT
You’ll find this slogan on everything from yoghurt to a bag of candy. But just because something is “made with” fruit doesn’t mean it has a large amount of fruit, or even enough to give you any health benefits. They might be convincing you to buy some sugary coloured substance that has been artificially flavoured to taste like fruit. Terrible.
FAT CHANCE
The negative publicity surrounding transfats — fats that have been artificially created to lengthen shelf life — has been the best thing to happen to human food consumption in the last few decades. Most products that used to contain large amounts of transfats simply replaced them with saturated fats and other unhealthy alternatives, so no, those oreo cookies you love to binge on aren’t magically any healthier than they were. The FDA permits companies to boast about having ‘no trans fats’ as long as they have less than one gram per serving, which means that you could still be consuming them in high quantities if your snacking habits aren’t healthy.
EGGSACTLY
Chickens are among the most inhumanely treated birds, and if that doesn’t encourage you to at least be selective in which chicken farmers you support, read this: chickens raised with access to quality food and exercise end up healthier and more nutritious, meaning that their eggs and meat are better for you. If you want the real health benefits associated with healthy chickens, and if you want to do the right thing and support the ethical treatment of animals, buy from a local market or do some research into a particular brand’s farming practises.
FIBRE CLAIM
Fibre helps to lower cholesterol levels and regulate your bowel movements. But not all fibres are created equal, and in a bid to capture buyers’ attentions, many companies advertise ‘high in fibre’ when, in reality, they are offering only poor substitutes that, while technically considered ‘fibre,’ but offer none of the health benefits. Inulin, polydextrose and maltodextrin are powderised ‘fibres’ that won’t lower your blood pressure or help control your insulin response. Dump the foods that incorporate these fibre impostors.
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