By Stefanie Sacks on May 26, 2009
It is not often that I find time to read. Typically I put books, magazines and newsletters in a pile and throw a few in my bag wherever I go thinking that I may catch a moment to read while waiting for one son while at a swim lesson, while the little one naps or perhaps at a red light!
So, excuse me if you have all heard about this before me, but I recently found out that our trusty supermarkets have now decided to implement their own nutrition profiling system—in the form of shelf-tag programs—to help shoppers identify healthy foods. What a great idea! NOT!!! There are several (five so far) different profiling systems and each is using different criteria to determine how healthy a food is (there are no regulations for these systems as of yet). Like we weren’t confused enough! And according to one system, Frosted Flakes is considered a smart choice. What?!
Is this going to make shopping easier for Americans (no need to read ingredient lists or nutrition facts labels anymore) or more confusing? Because each system has different criteria, I believe it will be far more confusing for a person to navigate the grocery store. My advice: stick to the ingredient lists and nutrition facts labels.
To make myself totally clear, we are talking specifically about packaged foods from bags to cans and everything in between.
Ingredient Lists
Let’s first talk about ingredient lists. The longer the list, the more processed the food is (less whole). So go for the shorter list. And, keep in mind that the first ingredient is of the highest quantity in the food product and the last ingredient is of the least. So if sugar (or some form of like corn syrup) is number one or two, the food has tons of sugar! Make sense? When it comes down to the actual ingredients, I tell my clients to lookout for the following:
Artificial Colors
FD&C Colors (Food Drug and Cosmetic Colors) are a wide variety of artificial colors used to color food (as well as drugs and cosmetics). Colors are typically a derivative of coal tar, a thick liquid or semi-solid tar obtained from coal. Main concern about coal tar derivatives is that they cause cancer in animals as well as allergic reactions. Found primarily in processed foods (candy, confections, cereals, puddings, jelly, hot dogs, imitation foods, condiments, soft drinks, etc.).
-FD&C blue no. 1/FD&C blue no. 2
-FD&C citrus red no. 2
-FD&C green no. 3
-FD&C red no. 2 (in Canada and Europe ONLY)/FD&C red no. 3/FD&C red no. 40
-FD&C violet no. 1
-FD&C yellow no. 5/FD&C yellow no. 6
Although all colors are permanently listed for use in foods and drugs with the FDA, their safety is not fully proven (inconclusive data).
Artificial Flavors/Flavor Enhancers
There are approximately 1500 synthetic flavorings added to foods. Most often food labels say “artificial flavors” rather than listing the individual synthetic flavorings (because they are typically flavoring compounds that are proprietary “recipes”). Flavor enhancers, such as Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), common in Chinese food and many processed soups and sauces, can cause headaches, chest pain and numbness. Although MSG is on the list of additives needing further study it is still considered Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the FDA. Just as MSG is GRAS so are all of the 1500 synthetic flavorings.
Artificial (and not so artificial) Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners refer to a group of non-nutritive, low-calorie sweeteners all with individual properties and concerns (see article in Articles of Interest on subject). Included are:
-Aspartame
-Acesulfame K
-Neotame
-Sucralose (Splenda)
-Saccharin
-Sugar alcohols (sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol…)
-Tagatose
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Also called dextrose, this sugar is a sweet syrup derived from corn and highly processed. Most commonly comes from genetically modified corn. It is cheaper than natural sugar. Contained in large amounts in processed food and thought to contribute to the obesity epidemic in our country.
Preservatives
Preservatives, unless natural (such as vinegar, citrus and salt), are synthetic chemicals used to preserve food and beverages. Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the FDA, these substances do not need pre-market approval:
-Calcium Propionate
-Disodium EDTA
-Nitrates/Nitrites
-Potassium Benzoate
-Potassium Sorbate
-Sulfur Dioxide
-Sodium Propionate
Trans-Fat
Also called hydrogenated oil, trans fat is liquid oil made partially solid by adding hydrogen gas under high pressure to liquid oils. Trans fat is cheap and increases the shelf life of food (that is why the processed food industry loves it) yet, it has been found to greatly contribute to raising the levels of fat in the blood thus raising cholesterol.
*Information taken from A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives by Ruth Winter, M.S.
A pretty long list, I know. But, put your antenna up and leave it up. Soon the label looker outer in you will be second nature!
Nutrition Facts Labels
This is that chart-like thing on the back of all packaged foods. What is critically important to know is that to make any sense of the label you must first look at:
-Serving size (like how many cookies are considered ONE serving!)
-How many servings in package
If you don’t get that down first, nothing else will make any sense. So, once you know the serving size then you can better understand the calorie, fat, carbohydrate, sodium and fiber distribution. And, why is all of this important? Well, some information may be important to one person but not to another. You can visit http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html#twoparts to get finer details on the nutrition facts labels.
What do I concern myself with? Mostly the ingredient list—I don’t want to put junk in my body; and from the nutrition facts label I always lookout for the salt content (I have to manage a kidney disease) and whether or not a food has trans fat (see above). Sometimes when I am feeling a little “over my normal weight” (as in trying to lose my baby weight) I keep the calories and fat in mind.
That being said, I like to think of myself as a “food product watchdog”. There are over 15,000 new food products introduced yearly. It is utterly exhausting to keep the pace as a consumer. So, keep this information in mind as you try to navigate your way through the maze we call a grocery store.
If you have specific questions, feel free to e mail me at sbs@stefaniesacks.com.
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By Stefanie Sacks on May 12, 2009
I recently turned 40. And, against my better judgment (caused by the “I can’t believe I am 40-blues”) I decided to treat myself to the most delicious, amazing chocolate coconut cake in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD. Only major problem is that it was NOT gluten-free (GF). And, I have been pretty much 100% gluten-free for about 8 years now. If you are wondering, I came upon this cake before my GF days and ever since I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind.
I don’t drink. I eat cake. The hangover from this gluten-laced cake was so intense. My head hurt (major stuffy nose, eyes sensitive to light and headache), my joints ached, my stomach felt funky, I was exhausted and irritable. Not fun when you have a 7 month old and a 4 year old! I must add that this feeling was not just a “day-after” thing like most alcohol-related hangovers. It was more like a 2-3 “days-after” thing. I would have been better off downing a bottle of white!
Ok, so now you all know that I can’t tolerate gluten. I realized this many years ago when I felt worn down all the time (experiencing the above symptoms on a daily basis including bloating and sharp stomach pains). My acupuncturist recommended that I remove gluten from my diet. Seeing as though I was a professional chef (trained at The Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts) and early in my formal nutrition training (studying for my Masters in nutrition at Columbia University), you think I would have been able to figure this one out!
So, I removed the gluten and within a week I was feeling better. I knew how to cook GF so I just applied it. And finding the BEST GF products became my personal quest. I have had a private practice for close to 10 years now and because of my personal experience (as well as professional training), I have been able to guide all of my clients needing and wanting to go GF.
So, for all of your novices out there, here is the low-down on gluten…
WHEAT OR GLUTEN FREE?
Firstly, people often confuse wheat-free with gluten-free so let me add a little clarity to the situation.
Wheat-free means that a person avoids all foods containing wheat.
Why does a person avoid wheat? He/she has a sensitivity to wheat, typically in the form of gastrointestinal distress such as bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, reflux; skin issues such as rashes; and allergies/asthma such as congestion and wheezing.
If a person is symptomatic and eliminates wheat, typically after a week symptoms should start to improve. It can sometimes be dramatic.
What contains wheat? Foods containing wheat are anything made with white or whole wheat flour such as cookies, cakes, breads, tortillas, pizza, pasta, pancakes, waffles, most fried food, tempura, dumplings, wontons, etc.; anything made with bulghur such as tabouli; wheat berries; cous cous; sauces that are typically thickened with white flour; soy sauce (although San-J has a wheat-free option).
What are the other options? Don’t worry, there are plenty of great alternatives to wheat (spelt, kamut and all gluten-free grains—see below) containing foods including breads, tortillas, pasta, pancakes, waffles, etc. Just make sure to read labels. Most products that are wheat-free will say so on the package. Also, anything that says gluten-free is also wheat-free (even if it does not say so).
Gluten-free means that a person avoids all foods containing gluten.
What is gluten? Gluten is the general term used to describe the protein found in many grains including wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, oat, triticale, semolina, pumpernickel and farro.
Why does a person avoid gluten? The absorptive surface of the small intestine is damaged by gluten resulting in malabsorption of carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals, all of which are needed for good health (Gluten Free Diet by Shelley Case). This condition, called Celiac Disease (or Celiac Sprue), is an autoimmune disease that can be very difficult to diagnose for symptoms can range from everything from diarrhea and constipation to chronic fatigue and depression.
Celiac disease is a serious disease that can be diagnosed through blood tests and intestinal biopsy. Should you suspect that you have, seek medical attention immediately. Please note that there is a large population of people who are sensitive to gluten though don’t have full blown celiac disease. These people also benefit from a gluten-free diet. Again, seek medical attention if you suspect you are sensitive to it.
What are the other options? Here is a list of gluten-free grains. Rice (all kinds but beware of rice pilafs and mixed grain rice mixes); buckwheat (if it says buckwheat soba make sure you look at ingredient list, for most times the buckwheat is mixed with wheat); teff; amaranth; quinoa; corn (as in polenta). These grains and other starchy foods such as beans, potatoes and tapioca are used to make all gluten-free products. There are many amazing products on the market that are gluten-free including breads, pastas, cookies, cakes, pancakes, waffles, etc. It is very important to read labels. Take note that a product that says “wheat –free” only is NOT necessarily gluten-free.
Living GF has totally changed my life. I feel alive and well every day (as well as you can feel with two small kids, working part-time and not enough rest). I have never formally been tested for a gluten allergy, no need. I know I feel better off it, so I just stay off of it. Except on major birthdays!
If you suspect a wheat or gluten sensitivity, I suggest first removing wheat. This may do the trick. If not, go down the GF road. I just contributed to a book, The Source, Unleash Your Natural Energy, Power Up Your Health and Feel 10 Years Younger by Dr. Woodson Merrell and Kathy Merrell. I created a 21-day plan and 70 recipes, all of which are nutritious, delicious (if I must say so myself) and GLUTEN FREE!
Feel free to e-mail me any and all questions! sbs@stefaniesacks.com
Some amazing GF resources/products are:
Resources
www.celiac.com
www.glutenfreediet.ca
www.celiacchicks.com
www.glutenfreepassport.com
Products (GF favorites!)
Yummies:
Pamelas cookies, dessert mixes, pancakes
Georges baked goods
Glutino
Glutano
Whole Foods (the store) gluten free bakery
Breads:
Food for Life (also rice torrillas)
Corn tortillas (found in freezer section of heath food market)
Whole Foods (the store) gluten free bakery
Make Your Own Bread
Bob’s Red Mill
www.glutenevolution.com
Pasta:
Tinkyada (other brands too but this rocks!)
Snack Foods:
Glutino
Glutano
Ener-G
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