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Making Sense of Food Nutrition Labels by Ihor Magun, M.D., F.A.C.P. Nutrition fact labels can be found every where—on boxes of cereals, cookies, soup cans, and even packages of meat. They are an ever-expanding source of educational information on the foods we buy and eat. These labels can help us select appropriate foods and permits us to be more food "savvy." They can help us eat healthy meals and can even contribute to weight loss. The trick is to decipher them properly and use them to our advantage. Let's start with the serving size. Nutrition la bels provide not only portion size but also the umber of servings per container. To take advantage of this feature, make sure you focus on both. Frequently, a package that seems to contain a single serving may actually contain two servings. Should you eat double the serving size, the calories and nutrient content is obviously doubled. Next, look at the calorie content. The total of calories needed per day is determined by an individ ual's size and level of activity. For example, a 140- pound active woman will typically need 2000 calories daily whereas a 170-pound woman will need 2,500 calories. For men, these values have to be adjusted. Fortunately, many food labels also now carry charts that give approximate calorie levels that you can use as a guideline for you own calorie needs. The next item listed on the label is about fat. This section of the label is segmented into total fat and saturated fat. Whether you are slim or need to shed a few pounds, it is a good idea to limit your calories from fat. Select foods with fewer than 30% of calories from fat. Especially look for foods with low saturated fat. This is the "bad" fat which contributes to heart disease. Food labels also show carbohydrate content. Carbohydrates are the basis of our diets and include breads, potatoes, fruits, and vegetables. They provide nutrients and energy. Cutting down on fat allows you to increase carbohydrate intake. Dietary fiber, also referred to as "roughage," can be found in whole-grain foods, fruits, vegetables, and beans. These foods are healthy. They help in proper elimination and reduce the risk of some forms of cancer. Soluble fiber is digested. Foods with a high percentage of insoluble fiber, which is not digested, form the bulk of roughage. Food labels also provide information about proteins, which come from animal (milk, cheese, yo gurt, meat) as well as plant sources (beans, peanuts). Protein from animal sources contains fat and choles terol. This does not mean you should not consume foods with animal protein. It simply means that you should remember that there are options. Protein is found in skim and low-fat dairy products and lean meats. It is also found in poultry and fish that are bet ter for you than red meat. Vitamin and mineral content on food labels also has excellent educational value. While there is nothing wrong with taking a vitamin pill, vitamins and minerals that come from foods that we eat are best. Cholesterol content helps us focus on another nutritional fact. Since high cholesterol has been linked to health problems, it is important to limit intake. One thing to remember is that any product that comes from a plant has no cholesterol unless it is part of a meal to which animal products have been added. Next is the sodium content. High intake can raise blood pressure so the lower the intake the better. We tend to eat high sodium containing foods in the United States because they taste good. But so do a va riety of spices that are sodium-free, and these should be considered as a good alternative. Finally, food labels show the calories per gram and indicate how many calories are present per gram of fat, carbohydrate, and protein. Obviously, the highest calories per gram come from fat, which takes the longest for our bodies to bum off. Hopefully, this guide will help you crack to code of nutrition labels. There is a lot to look at, but the time you spend looking and the choices you make as an informed consumer will give you a healthful edge. Choosing well will help you stay well! From the editor. As we enter the New Year, we extend an invitation to UNWLA members and branches to send articles about their activities and accomplishments. Seasonal and holiday stories, poems, letters, and profiles of individuals whose achievements are interesting or inspirational are also welcome. Please forward your articles and photographs to English language editor Tamara Stadnychenko c/o UNWLA headquarters. We ask that all contributors include a tele phone number to allow us to acknowledge submissions and verify information. “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, СІЧЕНЬ 2005 17
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