^^^^^^ How much are you eating?

Food labels can be so confusing, with so much information like calories, low fat, protein, carbohydrates, energy and ingredients you can’t even say.

When looking to lose weight and more importantly sustain it we have to get our heads around what foods will help and what will hinder.

By understanding the information on all the food we eat, our nutrition becomes so much easier.

All food labels will list the 3 basic micronutrients which are:

Fat

Protein

Carbohydrates

All measurements are usually per 100g or 100ml depending on the type of food / drink.

So for instance a regular can of Pepsi would have

0 Protein

10.7g Carbohydrates

0 Fat

*NOTE The amount per 100ml is not the total amount within the product, for example the Pepsi is 330ml so the TOTAL Carbohydrate would be 35.3 grams per can.

The most important label for us when reading the labels is the total Carbohydrate of the product, (carbohydrates are basically sugar)

So 4 grams of carbohydrate (sugar) is the equivalent of 1 teaspoon of sugar.

So each can of Pepsi would have about 9 teaspoons worth of sugar.

Imagine having a cup of tea with 9 sugars?

For weight loss we want to limit our total sugar intake and the World Health Organisation has recently set new guidelines for daily intake to 7 teaspoons (28 grams) for men and 5 teaspoons (20 grams) for women.

So according to recommendations that can of Pepsi would take you well over your daily recommended allowance.

There are numerous studies and research to prove that sugar is the single biggest cause for obesity and health issues.

Although you will find some who would argue otherwise, my experience and work with lots of different men and woman looking to lose weight and gain health supports this.

So with respect to food labels the single most important aspect we should check is the carbohydrate (sugar content).

If you are overweight I will guarantee that you will be exceeding the daily guidelines of sugar consumption.

So check the labels and make sure to keep within the guidelines, and take into account natural sugars found within fruit and veg.

With the Reactive Nutrition plan vegetables especially greens can be consumed without much worry of overindulging.

Fruit however can be a hidden problem, far too often when cutting out sweet foods like chocolate and cakes we tend to substitute with fruit.

Some examples of sugar within fruit:

1 serving (handful) of grapes has 20 grams (5 teaspoons) of sugar

1 orange has 23 grams (5.5 teaspoons) of sugar

1 large apple has 23 grams (5.5 teaspoons) of sugar

1 banana has 17 grams (4.5 teaspoons) of sugar

1 serving of strawberries has 7 grams (2 teaspoons) of sugar

1 serving of pineapple has 9 grams (over 2 teaspoons) of sugar

1 serving of watermelon has 18 grams (over 4 teaspoons) of sugar

Next up is fat content, generally we are led to believe that anything that is low fat is healthy and the best option, WRONG.

Go to the fridge and grab that low fat yoghurt you love…

Yep rammed with sugar, basically the food company take out the fat and replace with sugar.

So all those healthy low fat options are actually bad?

YEP stay away from all those low fat options especially milk, go for the full fat options.

Not only will they satisfy your hunger and keep you fuller for longer, they will have less sugar.

Eating FAT will not make you fat, our body needs good healthy fats which help to produce hormones and help with weight loss.

Good fats can be found in dairy, meat, fish, vegetables, nuts and oils.

The only fat you should be avoiding is trans fats which increase your bad cholesterol and decrease your good cholesterol.

Normally found in margarine, cakes, pastries, fried fast food and takeaways.

Check those food labels for sugar content, limit this and see your results skyrocket.

Robert “Full Fat” Clarkson

P.S. The New Reactive Cookbook and Nutrition Plan will be launching shortly.