- Ingredients on labels are listed from highest quantity to lowest quantity
- If the first ingredient is brown rice syrup put it back
- I don?t advocate counting?CALORIES
- Look for SMALL ingredient lists (6 or less is ideal?
- If you can?t pronounce an ingredient put it back on the shelf
- For example ? say this ten times ? BUTYLATED HYDROXYANISOLE or BHT used as a preservative in cereals, potato chips and chewing gum but the Health and Human Services pegged them as known carcinogens
- Be aware of SUGAR and all it?s different names!?(i.e. malt syrup, corn syrup, brown rice syrup, barley malt, cane juice, fruit juice concentrate, maple syrup and on and on?.) These aliases attempt to conceal the presence of large amounts of added sugars.
- 5 grams of sugar or less is a good baseline
- Stay away from fat free foods?because they typically have a high sugar content and often contain artificial ingredients
- Leave trans fat foods on the shelf, limit saturated fats,?look to the ingredients in regards to polyunsaturated fats, and increase monounsaturated fats, which are the healthy fats.
- Organic and/or gluten-free foods does not mean it is automatically healthy for you.
- Rice flour, potato flour, cornstarch, and tapioca starch all cause spikes in blood sugar/insulin levels which encourages fat deposition.
- Watch for certain artificial sweeteners
- Avoid?? Aspartame (in NutraSweet or Equal), Sucralose, or Acesulfam-K and Saccharin (branded as Sweet n Low)
- Use only in moderation?? Whey Low and Sugar Alcohols
- Best choice?? Raw Honey, Coconut Sugar and Stevia Leaf or Stevia drops
- Sodium?? it is important to have a healthy amount of salt to maintain the right balance of fluid in your body but avoid high sodium canned, prepared and processed foods.?Adding a bit of Himalayan salt to your meal is your best alternative.
- The?higher the FIBER content the slower that food will break down, keeping you full longer and helping with digestion. This is good?
- Lastly, there is?no need to count grams of protein?but a good baseline would be?6-10 grams of protein per meal. (if you are a body builder/pregnant or breast feeding this amount will be higher)
If you would like more information on one on one coaching, booking speaking engagements or podcasts, and any other services that Brian Gryn offers, feel free to reach out to him with your information below.