How to Understand and Use Nutrition Labels

Guest Blogger Post

They are on every food item that you buy, but how much attention do you actually pay to nutrition labels? If you want to take proper care of your physical fitness, you cannot hope to do so without monitoring exactly what you put in your body. But so often the nutrition labels blind you with science, or just so many misleading facts, that often you are none-the-wiser about what is actually in the food that you are about to eat. The good new is, once you know how to properly read and apply nutrition labels into your diet, it is actually quite simple to understand and can help to transform your fitness plan.

Check the Serving Size
Food manufacturers do not want to make it obvious just how unhealthy their food is, so the first thing that you should do is to check the serving size at the top of the label. For example, it could say that there is only 0.1g fat on the label, but there are actually 43 servings in one candy bar, so you are eating considerably more fat than it would first appear.

Check the Calories
Next check how many calories the food contains. Although calorie-counting is discouraged in keeping a healthy lifestyle, calories are a good indication of how good something is for you. Again, these can be deceiving, as the number will usually be the amount of calories per serving. So make sure that you multiply that number by the number of servings which you intend to eat.

Recommended Daily Values
For the rest of the nutrients, there will usually be a percentage that coincides with the quantity. It shows the percentage of your recommended daily total of that nutrient that this product fulfills. This can be useful, but it is important to remember that everyone’s recommended daily value is slightly different, and this one might not apply to you. If it is out of a 2000 calorie diet, it is generally the recommended amount for women. A 2500 calorie diet is recommended for men. If you are working out, you might need slightly more calories.

Picking the Right Nutrients
There are some nutrients that you will want to limit, and some that you will want to seek out. The ones that are usually at the top of the label: fats, cholesterol, and sodium, are ones that you will want to limit as much as possible. The ones on the bottom half: fiber, vitamins, calcium, and iron, are ones that you will want to get as much of as possible. If you are working out regularly, you might need more of certain nutrients, such as protein. Generally, anything less than five percent of your daily value is low (so preferable for the top items), and anything over 20 percent of your daily value is high, and should be avoided for the top items (and sought out for the bottom items).Of course everything is good in moderation, so too much of some of the bottom items could also be a bad thing.

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Author Bio: Paisley Hansen is a freelance writer for SIX Nutrition, famous for making the best vitamins for men.

Benefits of the Lunch Box Diet!

We’ve all had those days at the office where fitting in lunch just isn’t an option. However, starving yourself or eating from the vending machines just isn’t the answer.

First off, if nothing else, your brain needs a break so making sure you take the time, even 15 minutes, to go for a walk and pick up some food is a much needed to-do item.

Next, you can make sure that you are never far from healthy food options by packing a lunchbox. Your brain and body need nutrients so making sure they are close by is as easy as throwing them in a lunchbox every day. This will give you one less thing to worry about and you’ll never be caught off guard with a rumbling tummy.

Finally, when you take a few minutes at home and pack your food for the day, you are able to think about the portions and the selection of foods. Many times, when we get tired or stressed, we lose our ability to make a healthy decision – this leads to over-eating of junk food.

As you can see, if you can take the time to plan your food for the day and take it with you – you’ll be healthier, happier and more focused at work.

Lunch Box Diet:

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Which nuts are the best nuts?

In this Fit Life, we are talking about the healthiest nuts you want to add to your diet. Nuts get a bad rap for being high in calorie but as long as you keep the portion small, like a handful, they are good for you and the perfect afternoon snack! While a bag of raw mixed nuts is really the easiest because you get the benefits of all the nuts in one handful, most mixes add lots of salt, which you want to avoid.

Here are a few of the best nuts to pick:

• pistachios and almonds are the lowest in calories
• walnuts and brazil nuts are great for your heart and lowering your cholesterol
• hazelnuts are a good source of potassium and iron

Remember that a small portion will go a long way and make sure you don’t get a pre-packaged mix with lots of salt, sugar or other flavors.

Health and Fitness Tips at WithAmyMac.com

Making the Right Healthy Food Choices! Eat this, not that!

Talk of the Town segment from February 6th:  You can’t out train a bad diet!

Lots of people think that as long as you are exercising, you can eat whatever you want. This can get you in lots of trouble. If you go to the gym and burn off 300 calories, you can’t go indulge in a Big Mac. The math will never work in your favor!

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How to Pick the BEST Breakfast Cereal

It is easy to get sucked into the advertising of less sugar and more whole grains but what are you really looking for in a cereal that is healthy AND still tastes good? A quick glance at the nutrition label will tell you everything you need to know.

You want a cereal that has more than 3g of fiber per serving, fewer than 10g of sugar and a healthy amount of whole grains, which means that it should be the first thing in the ingredient list. Also, make sure that you can actually understand all of the ingredients so you know it is a more natural food with fewer artificial flavors.

Many cereals are now adding dried fruit and while it isn’t the worst idea, make sure to pay attention to all the added sugar and calories. You are always better off slicing your own bananas and strawberries into your bowl. Hopefully these tips will help you select a healthy and tasty cereal to start your day off right!

Health and Fitness Tips – WithAmyMac.com

Healthy Cooking with Herbs and Spices!

Did you know that herbs and spices can add flavor to your food while keeping them healthy?  It is so common for people to just dump salt on any dish to give it a boost of flavor but really there are so many other spices that are good for you that will liven up a dish. Some even add healthy benefits to your food!

Chicken – you can use rosemary, lemon and pepper or tomato sauce and oregano – each will give it a completely different flair.

Garlic – not garlic salt is a great way to flavor everything from meats to potatoes and vegetables!

Vegetables – adding a sprinkle of lemon to steamed vegetables is delicious and so good for you!

Other options include adding a dash of chili powder to scrambled eggs, experimenting with spices like cumin and tumeric and you can even add cinnamon to your coffee instead of creamer!

There are tons of options when it comes to spicing up your food and keeping it healthy so start experimenting and taste the benefits.

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World’s Best Lemonade!

World’s best lemonade recipe!

We already talked about how juicing is the diet trend of the year. So in this Fit Life, I’m going to show you a simple recipe that you will love and will impress your friends!

Lemonade Juice Recipe:

This is the first drink I ever make for people from the juicer is this lemonade because it eliminates so many of their objections.

You’ll need 4 carrots, 2 apples and a lemon.

Health and Fitness Tips and Exercise Videos at WithAmyMac.com

Do You Know Where Your Calories Are Coming From?

Guest Blogger Post

When we speak of weight loss, the majority of people immediately think calories. True, calories become a major consideration when you are trying to lose weight. In fact, there will be no weight loss at all if you cannot create a calorie deficit in your body.

A calorie deficit simply means you are using up more calories than you are taking in. To illustrate how a calorie deficit is achieved, let’s take the example of a slightly overweight woman in her forties who leads a less active though not completely sedentary lifestyle. Without much activity except for little chores around the home, she will need around 1,800 calories to maintain her present weight. Anything more than that will cause her to gain weight and anything less than that will allow her to lose some weight over a period of time.

One pound of body weight is equal to about 3,500 calories. Yes, that’s how much you will need to burn to lose a single pound! Assuming that the woman mentioned above has been maintaining a 1800-calorie daily consumption, she will need to drop that to 1,300 calories if she wishes to lose one pound each week. By reducing her calorie consumption to 1,300 calories, she is creating a calorie deficit of 500 each day. Multiply 500 by seven days and that amounts to 3,500 calories in a week which is equal to a pound of body weight.

However, weight loss is not simply about counting calories. It’s also about where your calories are coming from and what you do to burn them. Among the leading reasons why obesity is fast becoming a global concern is that we are making the wrong food choices and leading more sedentary lifestyles in this era.

People these days engage in less physical activity with the conveniences afforded by modern day gadgets and equipment. On top of that, we are getting most of our calories from carbohydrates and fats, the two main culprits of weight gain. The body turns to carbs and fats for needed energy and they are highly essential in a healthy and balanced diet. However if there is an excess of one or the other, they get stored as body fat.

Not too many people are aware that there are actually two types of carbohydrates – simple carbs and complex carbs. Simple carbs are usually found in processed food such as those made from white flour and refined sugars. They are high in “empty calories” which provide very little nutrients, vitamin and minerals. They can cause highs and lows in your blood sugar levels which can lead to food cravings. A high intake of simple carbs will lead to weight gain.

Complex carbs, on the other hand, are the healthier carbs. They come from most fruits and vegetables and are rich in fibre and low in calories. They provide consistent energy, help stabilize your blood sugar levels to quash those cravings and keep you feeling satisfied for longer periods.

By simply distinguishing between the unhealthy effects of simple carbohydrates and the health-boosting advantages of complex carbohydrates, you can begin creating that calorie deficit you need to trim off those excess pounds.

Knowing where your calories are coming from is one big step to successful weight loss. By learning to make healthier food choices and feeding your body with the right calories, you will be able to drop the extra weight and keep it off permanently.

Author Bio: Sean Byrne is the Sole Founder Of ItsAboutTreadmills.com. His Site Reviews Popular Products in the Treadmill Market such as the Sole F80 Treadmill and the Sole F63 treadmill. If Your looking for treadmill reviews, come check out his site.

Easy Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe!

I don’t know about you but I love grilled cheese and tomato soup – its filling, its perfect on a rainy day and its moderately healthy. One of the ways I’ve made this meal healthier is by making to soup from scratch! Now don’t be afriad, – I thought this was going to be very time consuming and difficult but I was way wrong so let’s jump to it.

Benefits of making the soup yourself!
- Cheaper than cans
- No crazy chemicals and preservatives
- In control of salt and sugar that go in to it
- Self-satisfaction!
- Basil is great for heart and bone health
- Tomatoes have anti-inflammatory properties which are good for nearly everything in the body.

Easy Homemade Tomato Soup Recipe: 

• 5 small tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
• 1/2 onion
• 1/4 cup basil
• 1 carrot
• pinch of sugar

There you have it – a simple, cheap and healthy way to make tomato soup.

The Quest for a Healthy and Tasty Breakfast Bar

This post brought to you by Quaker Oats. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m always looking for healthy breakfast bars that fill me up and are tasty. I’ve always struggled with mornings and if it’s cold outside, you can’t drag me out of bed! (There is a reason that I moved to the south!) I try to avoid morning meetings at all costs but when I do have to run out the door, I want to grab a bar and know that I’m making a healthy food choice.

The Quaker Oats soft baked bars only have 140 calories and they provide 6g protein and 5g fiber that will help to fill you up and some B-vitamins that will go you a bit of an energy boost. It’s hard to find a bar that is less than 200 calories that has some protein and fiber. This was a bit sweeter than what I crave in the morning but it was a great treat without feeling like a splurge.

The Quaker Soft Baked Bar come in 2 flavors, banana nut bread and cinnamon pecan bread. The cinnamon pecan was the house favorite disappeared rather quickly! The bonus is that it doesn’t have to be warm to be tasty, although it is a nice option! One friend said that he could imagine heating it up and enjoying it on a cold winter morning all bundled up and sitting in this car waiting for the ice to thaw so he could head to work. I thought it was a pretty vivid description and I agree that heating it up gives the Quaker Oats bar is a wholesome food that gives it an edge over ordinary breakfast bars.

I think the Quaker Oats Soft Baked Bars are a nice breakfast snack on those mornings that you have to grab something and go and not worry about ruining your diet plan. I’m so glad they invited me to try them!

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