Knowing The Right Information To Look For On Food Labels Will Help You Lose Weight

Knowing The Right Information To Look For On Food Labels Will Help You Lose Weight

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In the quest to achieve a better body, whether it's losing weight, dropping sizes or toning up, our results are maximized once we shift our primary nutritional focus to building health.

All too often, choices are made based on the calorie count of foods, or the fat grams, or some marketing hype that leads us to believe that this miracle food or supplement will result in us achieving a sleek physique in no time!

Instead, based on the simple physiological principles explained by the Wellness Formula, I encourage you to make your nutrition choices based on the food's health-building quotient rather than misleading percentages and measurements on labels.

In a nutshell, the Wellness Formula describes what it takes to create optimal health and function and what causes us to lose our health. Our health, or lack thereof, is the result of our environment - internal and external. Making nutrition, movement and mindset choices that meet the innate requirements of our cells will move us toward optimal health when the choices are pure and we supply adequate amounts (sufficient).

On the other hand, toxic and deficient choices move us away from health. Of particular interest to those focusing on weight loss and shaping up is the fact that toxic choices trigger the physiological stress response. This is an intricate cascade of neurological and hormonal events that affects every cell, tissue, organ and system in the body in response to the environmental stressor we provide.

One of the stress hormones released as part of this stress response is cortisol. When the stressor/toxic environment is chronic, this causes us to gain weight and have a difficult time shedding it.

Knowing that this happens when we make toxic (and deficient) choices, it makes sense that it would dramatically assist our weight loss efforts to choose food that is non-toxic and pure as often as possible. Of course, this also supports our overall health and well-being... not just our external features!

One of the simplest yet most powerful food selection tips I can offer that will help you achieve both goals, weight loss and improved health, is to read labels differently. Of course, the more food you consume that doesn't come with a label, the better! Fresh produce, for example. Also, shopping the periphery of the grocery store is also where healthier options typically exist - like fresh meat counters.

Alas, most of us come into the center of the grocery store at some point and need to know how to read a label!

I recommend that instead of choosing your food based on the number of calories, the amount of fat and the amount of sugar or salt, you first look at the list of ingredients. Why? If this "food" is made of toxic, processed, chemically-infused ingredients then it's going to send you reeling into the physiological stress response... regardless of being low-fat and low in calories!

Remember? If you're in the stress response, you're pumping out cortisol and other stress hormones and you're gaining weight, especially around the mid-section.

Look to the ingredients first. Look for real foods in that list. Look for a relatively short list. Avoid the most dangerous toxins like, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats, any artificial sweeteners or flavors or colors, monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed vegetable protein and other neurotoxins, as well as refined white sugar, white flour, refined cereal grains, and soy.

Many toxins aren't clearly labeled, which is frightening. In many cases, you need to find labels that indicate what's NOT in that food, like meat, eggs or dairy products without hormones, steroids or other chemicals. The 'conventional' options don't announce that they contain these toxins.

Other potentially dangerous choices, because of the nutritional deficiencies they can result in, are fat-free and low-fat foods, and foods marketed as "low-calorie".

Is the number of calories or the amount of fat in food insignificant? No. I'm just saying that the quality of the food itself is far more important. If you're comparing two truly healthy products side-by-side and both are made of real, pure ingredients, then you can move on to choosing based on calories or fat or whatever else floats your boat!

Having an awareness of the number of calories and fat in your food is a good thing. It's just not the most important thing! If all our food choices were made from a selection of real foods that were pure and non-toxic, and close to their naturally occurring state, then we'd have little-to-no cause for concern over trivial percentages and measurements.

This type of food eaten in reasonable portions throughout the day, accompanied by regular exercise, doesn't cause us to "get fat". Rather, it serves as fuel that our body knows exactly how to use efficiently.

When you consistently make food and nutritional choices based on the health-building properties of that food, you will move toward optimal cell function and better health. When your cells are functioning in a healthier way, your body naturally becomes more lean and efficient.

A better body is a natural by-product of better health!

About the Author:
Dr. Colleen Trombley-VanHoogstraat ("Dr Mom Online") is a leading expert in Natural Health & Wellness. Her unique perspective and scientific understanding of Wellness, as well as her popular and engaging approach, provides simple solutions and transformational results for those struggling with stubborn weight loss and health issues. To discover her breakthrough approach to achieving better health & a better body, go to
healthy weight loss and fat loss



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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