Is It Important To Read Food Labels?

When it comes to weight loss, there are a number of healthy habits a person needs to engage in to be successful.  One habit in particular is extremely beneficial.  People that read food labels have a greater chance of losing weight than their counterparts that don’t know what they’re eating.

The reason behind this statement is simple.  A person that reads a food label knows the calories, fats, carbs and exactly what goes in to your body. That man or woman is aware of how many vitamins and nutrients they are getting from the foods that they are eating.  This allows them to control their intake of fat, carbohydrates, sodium, and sugar.  It also gives them an idea of how long they will need to work out in order to burn off the calories they consumed.

Reading food labels helps keep food allergies at bay.  It gives the consumer more control over his or her diet.  It also allows them to fight chronic disease by selecting foods that are healthier and lower in calories.

Food LabelsHere’s how you can read and understand food labels which will benefit you and your healthy lifestyle:

  • Start out by learning what a serving size consists of.  This will allow you to see exactly how many servings are in one container, tub or box of food.  People are often misinformed in this area and have a tendency to consume a larger serving than is intended for one person.

  • Note how many calories are found in each serving.  You’ll also learn how many of the calories consumed consist of fat.  This will allow you to make wiser choices where no fat and low fat foods are concerned.

  • Read the ingredients.  When looking at labels, you can see all the fats, sodium, cholesterol, etc in the foods but when you look at the ingredients that can really give you an idea of what is really “in” the food you are eating.  If it is a lot of words that you can’t pronounce, a good thing to do is google those words, see what they are and educate yourself so you know what you’re putting in to your body.

  • Turn to foods that are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Iron.  This important information is included at the bottom of a food label.  It gives you an idea of the percentage of daily values you receive by consuming particular foods.

  • Foot notes give you guidelines where percentage of daily values is concerned.  Based on a certain amount of calories per diet, you see how much of certain vitamin and nutrients you need to be healthy.  You’ll learn about Total Fat, Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, Sodium, Total Carbohydrate, and Dietary Fiber.

Knowing how to read food labels properly gives you the tools that you need to eat healthy.  With diet and exercise you can shed unwanted pounds, maintain your ideal weight, and combat disease like Hypertension and Diabetes.  Take a few minutes to get acquainted with labels on the foods you purchase for your household.  Knowledge is power and by working with every resource you have available to you, you add to your overall health and success while living a life of physical and mental wellness.

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