Food Labels – Understand What You’re Eating
You’ll hear a lot of claims when you listen to commercials or look at the front of the food package, but the real truth comes from reading the part of food labels where the nutritional information is. Knowing serving size and calories per serving can make a huge difference if you’re trying to lose weight. Checking the food label can tell you how much sugar was added to the product. It informs you on the amount of sodium, fat, total carbohydrates, and cholesterol to guide you to make the healthiest choices.
The label also contains ingredients.
Eating whole foods is always best. It’s closer to its natural state without a lot of additives. If you check a food label and it reads like a science experiment, put the food back on the shelf. If you don’t know what the ingredient name means, it’s a signal that it may be a chemical additive. Peanut butter, for example, should contain only peanuts and maybe salt. You can find the information in two places, the ingredient list and the nutritional information where they identify added sugar.
The percentage of daily nutritional values based on a 2000-calorie diet is on the label in two spots.
The label shows the daily value of macronutrients and sodium at the top, and below it, there’s a chart for the other nutrients it contains. It’s a percentage of the nutrient you need or the amount not to exceed each day. For instance, the percentage for sodium is the amount not to exceed, while the percentage for vitamin A is the amount you need. When you check food labels, you can compare similar products and choose the healthiest.
You’ll learn the serving size and whether health food is really healthy.
Check out cookies or chips. They don’t appear to contain that many calories until you notice the serving size. The serving size may be so small it would only suit a toddler. Some foods you thought were healthy will show their true colors when you read the food label. They often are high in sugar and fat with few nutrients. It can open your eyes and help you find the best workout snack that puts more power into your efforts.
- If you’re counting carbs or calories, the food label helps you by showing both per serving. Some labels will surprise you with the amount of added sugar they contain.
- You’ll be newly impressed with some of the canned vegetables. Most have nothing or just salt added and contain almost as much nutrition as fresh alternatives but at a lower price.
- Before the last mandated change to food labels, manufacturers used several types of sugar to make each type further down on the list and mask the amount of sugar the food contained.
- Manufacturers are required to show the amount of vitamin D, iron, calcium, and potassium. If they choose, they can show the vitamin A and C content.
For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness
Your attitude can determine so much. If you have a negative attitude and think everyone is against you, you’ll interpret everything that way and find reasons to reinforce your belief. If you don’t think you can do something, you’ll give up before you master it. The same is true for fitness. Whether you hate exercise or just think you’ll never lose weight or get fit, that attitude can spell disaster. Luckily, you can change your attitude toward fitness and turn failure into success.
If you want a flat stomach and that lean, svelte appearance, Pilates can help. It’s a good way to build core strength that supplements traditional workout techniques used in the gym. It involves low impact exercises that balance muscles and improve the neuromuscular pattern. You’ll gain flexibility, strength, and functional fitness. You’ll also reduce pain. As Pilates builds core strength, it also builds grace and agility.
Mindfulness is a practice often used in Livermore, CA, and throughout the world. It is often associated with yoga and Eastern religions but has become part of the fitness community in recent years. Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment and the body-mind connection. If that sounds like doublespeak, explaining it as an example is better. When you’re working out, you focus on each move and how every muscle feels, using all your senses. Your mind is on the present movements. You’re not thinking of the problems you face at work or what to make for supper.
If you’re like most people who exercise regularly, your activity doesn’t end when you leave the gym. Most people live an active lifestyle, whether it’s dancing on the weekend or playing sports like softball or basketball. One interesting active interest is kickboxing. While you get plenty of cardio when you play basketball, with kickboxing you get a full-body workout. Unlike softball, where you’re not moving constantly, kickboxing keeps you constantly active. It resembles a HIIT—high intensity interval training—workout.
What’s your best workout time? For some people, it’s at lunch. Others like exercising after work. Many people find morning suits them best and have good reasons for that choice. There is no one right time to workout. Everyone is different, so what’s best for one is not the best for another. Your schedule, circadian rhythm, and obligations
One of the biggest problems overweight people face is a lack of nutrition knowledge. It often starts early in life and starts bad habits that are difficult to break. At LIV Fitness in Livermore, CA, we help break those bad habits with nutritional education so you can teach your kids healthy habits as you develop them yourselves. Here are a few ways to boost your child’s knowledge that will be valuable throughout life.
Anyone who ever has had a goal they held near and dear, knows that sometimes there are roadblocks in the way. If your goal is losing weight, building muscle, or getting fit, you might find yourself hitting a wall, too. When that happens, it’s easy to get frustrated and think about quitting, but don’t give up. It only takes one more week, one more day, or one more workout to see results. You’ll love what happens when you don’t quit.
LIV Fitness in Livermore, CA, helps people build muscle mass by using science-backed methods. You’ll get stronger if you lift heavy things, but there’s more to building muscle than that. If you want to build muscle mass, it takes a different approach than it does to build strength. Knowing that difference is key. How much weight you lift, the number of repetitions, and your form is also important are also important. If you lift wrong, you can strain muscles and live in pain for months. Lifting without using scientific techniques can bring progress, but it will be slower than what you get from the best methods.
Is there a way to improve your running form? After all, you’ve been running since you were very young and your form has served you well until now. Yes, it is not only possible but also important if you’re going to run often or in competition. It helps reduce the potential for injury, improves efficiency, and increases speed. If you want to boost health benefits, you need to improve your gait. That lets you run further and at higher intensities. You may not have learned to run properly first started to run, or you’ve picked up a lot of bad habits along the way.