Why Work with a Nutriton Pro?

The Nutrition Facts label, which is by law placed on the back of just about every food product in the U.S., was meant to tell you most everything you should need to know about what a particular food product is made of. The problem for most Americans, however, is that 1.) they don't read it and 2.) they don't know what it all means. This is where the nutrition professional can help a great deal. Not only do we teach our clients and patients what each part of the label means and why it is important, we can educate them on how to interpret many important subtleties of the Nutrition Facts label.

One little known subtlety has to do with trans-fats. These come from hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils. While most fatty acids are actually beneficial in the right amounts, trans fats are just plain dangerous to your health.
These are the fats that truly clog arteries and the fats that should be avoided. Metabolism of these fatty acids results in the production of inflammatory pro-oxidative chemical messengers, which is in part why they clog arteries. You see, only when cholesterol is oxidized does it build up along the arteries walls. Knowing this, it is shocking that the Food and Drug Administration provides a labeling loophole that actually allows manufacturers to report "Zero grams of transfats", so long as there is less than 1 gram per serving of a food product. If there are 0.5 grams per serving and you eat 4 servings, you've just racked up 2 grams of transfats. That doesn't sound like much, but when we're talking about trans fats, well, that 's too much.
A good way to tell whether there are trans fats in a food product is to cross-check the ingredient list. Look for "hydrogenated" or "partially-hydrogenated" oils. If these are present, you know that there are trans fats present as well.
There is undoubtedly a lot of politics and money going into making sure that the food industry can continue to thrive at the expense of consumers, as we continue to learn more and more about the ill effects of the ingredients used in processed foods as well as how they are prepared. Otherwise, I think that only truly safe and healthy foods would be allowed to be produced and sold. While this can all seem discouraging, there is hope for you who choose to raise your own awareness about the foods you are consuming. Intelligent and informed label interpretation is just one way that working with a trained food and nutrition expert, such as a Registered Dietitian, can raise your awareness exponentially beyond that which you thought was possible, not to mention taking your health and quality of life to new heights. I challenge you--even those of you who feel you know a lot about nutrition-- to spend some time working with a trained nutrition professional. If more nutrition knowledge is what you seek, this is surely the best way to obtain it and to grow your awareness.

Blessings and Good Health,
The Gourmet Healer