It can be so confusing with the number of products out there on what is healthy or what is not as healthy when it comes to food products.
I believe the beauty is that we have a choice when we go to pick the products. But sometimes it can be so overwhelming especially with the number of products showing “healthy claims” like ‘natural’, ‘sugar free’ ‘lite’ ‘low in calories’ ‘fat free’ organic’
What does it all really mean?
I have been educating clients for the past 10 years on food labelling and even then I buy things where I have trusted the brand before but it has deceived me by sneaky in naughty ingredients and it has left me bloated and in discomfort. My number #1 tip is to read the labels.
So, let me help you with that, I have created a 3 step hack next time your shopping.
Here is your Grocery Shop Label Hack
- Sugar content: aim for 4grams/100grams and anything higher then 22grams/100grams is way too high.
Have a look at added sugar content which is found under the carbohydrates. Please remember not all carbohydrates are sugar. Added sugar is snuck in everywhere. It still even shocks me to see claims of being “natural & healthy” but yet the second ingredient is sugar. As we know sugar is highly addictive too so when you make a swap from a product filled with sugar to one that isn’t of course it will taste different and less exciting for the taste buds. But also remember your taste buds will adapt and that once yummy food will take too sweet very soon. There are 56 different names for sugar so also be aware of that when you are reading the labels. Remember the recommendation of added sugar for males; 9 teaspoons and 6 teaspoons for female. (1 teaspoon of sugar = 4.2 grams of sugar)
‘That sugar film’ say ‘According to The World Health Organisation, we should eat no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar per day, yet the average Australian consumes around 14 teaspoons – that’s a whopping 420 teaspoons in the month of June alone.’
- Read ingredients: be sure you understand all ingredients in the product you are buying.
We all have a birth right to know what we are putting in our bodies! Ingredients for me has always be massive. It is pretty fair to say we are living in a very toxic environment in fact this is the highest amount of chemicals we have in our environment in history. Chemicals are put into our foods to either make our food taste better which we call an additive or to preserve our food called a preservative. What harm does this do to us? Well even though the quantity may be small remember this is just like the compound effect because overtime ingesting this small ingredient over days / weeks/ months / years it can really do damage to not only your metabolism but also how you function. Remember what breaks down fat is your liver so more toxins into the liver the slower it will metabolism fat burning as it will always prioritize a toxins first. Next time you read your food label and it says an ingredient you have no idea means research it better yet put it in an app called chemical maze. You will be surpised what the ‘no sugar’ products and ‘low -carb’ products actually have in them.
- Always look at the Serving size; If it says the serving size be sure to measure that size
This can be a sneaky way companies can make you feel like the sugar content or the macro nutrient content is not too bad. Take a look at this product for example a 700ml of chocolate milk. I don’t know about you but if I buy a 700ml I most definitely will drink the entire bottle rather then just drinking the 250ml and leaving it for later. In that case I must multiple the 2.8 serving size by the sugar contact which is a whopping 70grams of sugar which is 16 teaspoons!
An easy way to avoid these products is to shop around the perimeter of the grocery store, increasing your vegetable and fruit intake. Guess how many ingredients a piece of fruit or vegetable has? One. Yes one. Simple. By increasing your vegetable and fruit intake you are less likely need to have other food. Because of the high fibre, vitamins and minerals vegetables and fruit leave you fuller for longer. Perfect.
At Real Fitness Training we love educating our clients and giving them the right tools and motivation to be able to make the best decision possible. The accountability with a coach can truly make the difference in someone’s journey. This has helped our clients gain long -term results. If you are in the Hill’s District area including Castle Hill, Kellyville, Bella Vista, Baulkham Hills, Glenhaven, West Pennant Hills, Dural, Rouse Hill and surrounding areas and are looking for more guidance, accountability and support we would love to help you with current 2 for $20 offer. This includes 2 personal training sessions and access to our group classes and studio for $20. Reach out to us today and we will help you.
