Reading Food Labels – what does it all really mean?

Understanding nutrient information and ingredient lists

Reading labels can be a confusing and frustrating part of grocery shopping…and maybe you’ve given up on it altogether!  Here are some easy tips to help you make healthy choices while grocery shopping:

1.  Look at the serving size first – remember that the information on the label is only for 1 serving of that food.  Many food companies manipulate the serving size to make the nutrition facts look healthier. Be aware of small serving
   sizes!
2. Companies must list the nutrient information for total calories and 13 core nutrients:
   calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, carbohydrate, fibre, sugars, protein, cholesterol, sodium, vitamin A, calcium, iron and vitamin C.
3. The amounts of nutrients are listed in milligrams or grams, as well as expressed as a percentage.  This % Daily Value (DV)
   indicates how much of that nutrient is in one serving of the total you should be getting in a day.  Since it is based
   on general recommendations, the % DV is not as specific as actually looking at the milligrams/grams, but will give you a good indication of which foods generally contain more or less of a certain nutrient.
4. The ingredient list is also something to watch. Ingredients are listed in order of quantity in that product: from highest to lowest.  Beware of any sugars listed within the first 3 ingredients, such as anything ending in “ose” – glucose-fructose, sucrose etc.  Remember that the fewer ingredients in the list, the better. And if you know what all the ingredients are, even better.  The less processed your food is, chances are the healthier it is for you, and always keep in mind that the best place to shop (for your health) is on the perimeter of the grocery store.  If you can, avoid the aisles althogether.

 

I’m not seeing results!!!!

Although without a personal assessment, it’s a little difficult to determine the exact cause of
why people do not see results when they exercise. That being said there are a few common mistakes people make when exercising.

1. Not writing down specific GOALS for your training. Are you looking for fat loss? How much and by when. Make sure your goals are SMART, that is Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic and Time-oriented. For example, your goal may be to lose 20
pounds of fat (specific & measurable) by working with a personal trainer and nutrition coach to devise a food and exercise plan that suits my lifestyle (action-oriented). I will accomplish this by July 1 (time oriented).

2. Not lifting weights. This is a very common problem, especially among women fearful of getting ‘bulky’. Weight training turns your body into a fat burning machine, strengthens bones, boosts immunity, offsets the effects of aging and corrects muscle imbalances.

3. Not lifting weights properly. In order to achieve the most from your weight training program, it is important that you i) understand which exercises you should be doing; ii) understand how to progress so that you prevent from plateauing iii) understand how heavy the
weights you choose. My advice – hire a qualified strength coach such as those carrying from the prestigious Poliquin International Certification Program (www.charlespoliquin.com) or the National Strength & Conditioning Association (www.nsca-lift.org).  These coaches have the expertise to design a safe and effective weight training program.

4. Ignoring nutrition. Too often people complain to me about not achieving results. Too often it’s these same people who believe they eat well, and ‘don’t cheat that much’. I have yet to have a client who follows my recommendations not achieve amazing results. You’re either not listening to your coach, or you need to find a new one.

5. Failing to keep a training and nutrition log. If you’re not logging your workouts (exact sets, reps, weights, tempo, rest periods) and food (yes, including that tiny square of chocolate),
you have no way of tracking your progress, and your coach will have no way of making adjustments. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Spiral notebook works fine. There are also several free online sources for tracking food and exercise, if that’s your style.

Start with these five tips and I’m sure you’ll begin to see rapid changes.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is seizing the moment

At a recent dinner party two of our guests − a psychiatrist and a social worker − were explaining the concept and popularity of mindfulness psychology. I found the discussion engaging and immediately thought of how well that concept fits into the discipline of corporate wellness.

By definition, mindfulness is a state of active and open attention on what is current in your life. When you’re mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience, instead of just letting life pass you by.

Mindfulness applies to wellness.

This definition resonated with me, not only personally, but also with our executive clients who struggle to get healthier and live better lives. It is not that people don’t know what they need to do to live well. Often, what keeps them from living their best is trying to understand how to make lifestyle changes last. Is it a lack of motivation, commitment or willpower?  Not really. I believe our lives are simply so busy that competing priorities cause inaction and we sometimes put ourselves last. Staying motivated is also difficult. It requires at least six weeks of commitment for a habit to stick; but many things can happen in those six weeks, which can lead to failed attempts.

In applying the mindfulness concept to wellness, be more aware of how you feel when you eat, sleep and exercise, for example. So, if running is your exercise of choice, the next time you get ready for a run, remind yourself how refreshing it is to be outside. Think about how great it feels to make your body move and to do something invigorating. Savour the moment. When you finish, congratulate yourself on the effort, not on how long you ran or how far.

Be mindful of food and sleep.

The same can be applied to food. Healthy, nutritious food is a delight with its display of great colours and textures and wonderful to eat. We need to be more conscious of what we eat and learn how to enjoy our food. Rather than simply satiating hunger, we can help to control what we eat and how much we consume.

Finally, sleep is crucial to overall health. In fact, poor sleep habits have been linked to obesity and a variety of lifestyle diseases. Be
mindful of the need for sleep and how you approach sleep. If you believe that sleep is a necessary evil (as I did for many years), you are probably not getting enough sleep to benefit your overall health. If you embrace sleep as an important part of your overall ability to perform your best, you will likely make better sleep choices.

Learn to live in the moment.

Learn to recognize when you are tired, ensure your bedroom is conducive to sleep and make sure you have a routine that allows sleep to happen naturally. Be mindful of all the things that encourage sleep such as darkness, quietness, comfortable bed and comfortable surroundings.

Mindfulness is living in the moment and awakening to valuable experiences, instead of letting life’s problems overtake you. Since that means personal commitment, be active and eat well. Remind yourself of how you feel when you exercise, eat a delicious
salad full of fresh veggies and protein, and wake up rested and refreshed.

Seize that state of mindfulness.

Investment Diversification – Seek Professional Advice

Investment Diversification

Seek professional advice to diversify your investment portfolio and determine your risk tolerance.

If you want to diversify your portfolio, here’s a valuable tip. Don’t try it on your own. Instead, rely on a highly-qualified professional  – a registered portfolio manager preferably with a coveted Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation − to advise you on creating a diversified investment portfolio. Considering the overwhelming array of investment options available to Canadians,  making investment decisions should always include the insights of a CFA professional.

Making good investment decisions should also involve these key steps:

Step 1: Risk Profiling – What type of an investor are you and what is your risk tolerance?  You may have once completed a questionnaire that asks a few obscure questions and then magically determines your level of risk.

But unless the risk tolerance profile has at least 20 different questions, those questionnaires are pretty much useless, because they
simply don’t ask enough.  When should risk tolerance profiling be conducted? Either about every five years or in the wake of
a major life event, since our tolerance for risk changes over time.  For whatever reason, it’s often only one spouse who is asked to complete these questionnaires. However, two people rarely have the same risk tolerance, which can vary greatly between a husband
and wife.  Not only do both parties need to complete their own profiles, but the investment portfolio must reflect the risk of each partner.

Step 2:  Management Approach/Style
– Before you can make investment choices, preferably with the help of a CFA [or at least someone who holds the Canadian Securities Course (CSC) designation], you really need to know what style of portfolio management you want.  You will have three main styles from which to choose:

1) Active vs. Passive Management*

2) Strategic vs. Tactical Asset Allocation*

3) Growth vs. Value*

*We will review and explain these terms in a follow-up post.

Unless you select and apply one of these management styles regularly, these terms likely mean very little. But the three categories are the cornerstone of investment diversification and essential to managing the portfolio, as well as choosing securities.  In some cases, the style you choose for selecting the management process may be different than the style you choose for selecting individual securities.

Step 3: Securities Selection – Before picking diversified securities, such as stocks and bonds, for your portfolio, it is important to determine the approach that best suits you.  For example, do you prefer to look at larger market trends, or the performance of individual companies, regardless of the prospects for the overall industry?  These decisions will drive the process in selecting the appropriate securities.  Again, a CFA will help you make the right investment strategies

Still skeptical about the benefits of exercise in fighting disease?

Exercise can lower your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Acccording to Dr Mark Houston, MD, a leader in natural and medical treatment of heart disease and the prevention of premature aging, claims that “Exercise 60 minutes per day,  ((include both aerobic and anaerobic exercise (with and without oxygen))” can treat and even help reverse cardiovascular disease.

The research backs him up. Aerobic exercise can decrease blood pressure by 5 to 7 mmHg and resistance exercise (with weights) generated a 3 mmHg reduction in blood pressure. As is consistent with other research, 30-60minutes per day seems to provide the most bang-for-your buck protection.

The majority of risk factors for developing cardivascular disease are lifestyle related and therefore it is possible for us to take steps to live a more heart healthy life.  According to Health Canada, build physical activity into your everyday life. Where possible, walk instead of driving. When practical, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Start by aiming for 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day and increase that to 60 minutes over time.

Finding the time to exercise is always a challenge, but exercise can be beneficial even at 10 min allotments so long as you achieve 30-60 minutes each day.  In general, more is better if it is done consistently (everyday if possible).  So park farther away from your office and take the stairs,  you will be amazed how quickly the 10 minutes will add up.

For the purposes of this post, Exercise or (Physical activity) is broadly defined to encompasses all forms of muscle movements. These movements can range from sports to lifestyle activities. Furthermore, exercise can be defined as physical activity that is a planned, structured movement of the body designed to enhance physical fitness. Regimented or purposeful exercise consists of a program that includes twenty to sixty minutes of activity at least three to five days a week. Some examples of this type of activity include walking, running, cycling, or swimming.

Before embarking on any exercise program, you should consult a physician to to avoid illness or injury.

Fit after Baby

Well,  it has been 16 weeks since I delivered my third child, a beautiful baby girl. We are still waiting for a full night’s sleep, but other than that we have developed quite a nice routine.  With three children at home for the summer and a business to run, finding the time to exercise as much as I should, and to eat as healthy as I would like is challenging. 

With each baby “getting back in shape” is a little more difficult, and unfortunately I am no longer 29 and my body doesn’t respond to food and exercise like it use to.  I do however, have the immense advantage of running a corporate wellness business, and thus have access to exceptional professionals to assist me in succeeding at my post-baby fitness goals.  

Even before I delivered my daughter,  I spoke with one of our Exercise Physiologists (Tyson Staples), and Registered Dietitians (Cara Kasdorf) to have them assist me in developing a post-baby fitness and nutrition plan.

I set a very realistic goal of  being “pre-baby fit” within 6 months of delivery. Then, my brother announced that he was getting married, and my timeframe was shortened to 13 weeks.  I wasn’t sure what I was going to do except leave it to the professionals.  Within a week of delivering my daughter, I had a program from my exercise physiologist, and meal plan guidelines from my registered dietitian.  Both programs were easy to follow and I have seen great results.  Don’t get me wrong.  I have worked hard and I have not yet reached my goal.  There are many days that I don’t feel like lifting weights for an hour, or running four miles, and I will forever have a weakness for rich food (I adore dark chocolate & red wine), but I remain committed.

With exactly 2 months to go, I am excited about being successful in my healthy pursuit.  I feel strong, and enjoy eating well.  I am also very fortunate to have an incredibly supportive spouse who often works out with me, and our children know that being physically active and eating well is part of every day life.

Living well (which I define as healthy and happy) isn’t rocket science. It is about being good to your body and being committed to living a healthy active life.  Being healthy and active isn’t always easy.  The demands of today (children, work, spouse, community etc.) are many, but being healthy is always worth it.

For Athletes and Active People: Drink Up!

Heat illness is a serious and a potentially fatal condition for active people. It covers a range of medical problems when the body is unable to dissipate heat generated while exercising. Dehydration is a main factor in causing heat illness and is also associated with bloody diarrhea and bloody urine.

 Types of Heat Illness:

• Heat cramps
• Heat syncope( post-race fainting)
• Heat exhaustion: fatigue, weakness, headache, light-headedness, dizziness, confusion, nausea/vomiting, muscle aches, increased heart rate
• Heat stroke: severe increased body temperature, decreased level of consciousness (can lead to serious kidney problems and even death). 

Prevention:

• Appropriate fitness
• Heat acclimatization: 2-3 weeks required for body to adapt to hot environment
• Decrease training intensity/volume if very hot and humid
• Drink fluids, fluids and more fluids!

Fluid Recommendations:

• Daily adequate fluids: approx. 2 litres per day (8 cups.)
• Before game or event:
• 2 hours prior: 500 ml (2 cups)
• 15 minutes prior: 150-250 ml (1/2 to 1 cup)
• During game or event:
• every 15-20 minutes: 150-250 ml (1/2 to 1 cup)
• may need more (especially if hot and humid, high sweat rate)
• After game or event:
• weigh yourself and replace your weight loss with fluid (e.g., if you lose 1 kg, then drink at least 1 litre of fluid)
• refuel with carbohydrate-based drink

Type of Fluid:

If the sport or activity is less than 1 hour, water is adequate. If the game is greater than 1 hour, then fluids should contain some carbohydrates.

• must replace your body stores of glycogen (stored carbohydrate) that your muscles use for endurance exercise
• shown to improve endurance and athletic performance

The amount of carbohydrates in sports drinks (6-7%, or 60-70 g per litre) is adequate if you follow the fluid recommendations for proper hydration.

Fluids and Athletic Performance:

Many research studies have shown that athletic performance for endurance activities such as running will be improved by staying well-hydrated (drinking adequate fluids). As little as 1-2% dehydration will impair athletic performance. You cannot simply rely on sense of thirst. By the time you feel thirsty, it’s already too late!

Exercise: Set SMART Goals for Getting Results

Five important guidelines you should consider following when setting up an exercise routine.

 1. Write down specific goals for your training. Are you looking for fat loss? How much and by when? Make sure your goals follow the SMART formula: Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic and Time-oriented. For example, your goal may be to lose 20 pounds of fat (specific & measurable) by working with a personal trainer and nutrition coach to devise a food and exercise plan that suits your lifestyle (action-oriented). And you want to achieve this goal by July 1 (time oriented).

2. Don’t avoid lifting weights. Avoiding weight training is especially prevalent among women, fearful of getting “bulky”. Weight training turns your body into a fat-burning machine, strengthens bones, boosts immunity, offsets the effects of aging and corrects muscle imbalance. 

 3. You must lift weights using proper techniques. To achieve the most from your weight training program, it is important that you i) understand which exercises you should be doing; ii) understand how to progress so that you can surpass your plateau and iii) understand how heavy the weights you choose. My advice: hire a qualified strength coach, such as someone who has completed the prestigious Poliquin International Certification Program or belongs to the National Strength & Conditioning Association.  These coaches have the expertise to design a safe and effective weight training program.

4. Never ignore proper nutrition. Too often, people complain to me about not achieving results. Too often it’s these same people who believe they eat well and think they don’t cheat that much on foods they should likely avoid. Clients who follow my recommendations on nutrition do achieve amazing results.

5. Keep a training and nutrition log. If you’re not logging your workouts (exact sets, reps, weights, tempo, rest periods) and food (yes, including that tiny square of chocolate), you have no way of tracking your progress, and your coach will have no way of making adjustments. A simple spiral notebook works just fine. There are also several free online sources for tracking food and exercise.

 Start with these five important guidelines for exercise tips and I’m confident that you’ll begin to see the results you want.

Fats – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly!

Heart-Healthy Fats

Hard to believe, but fat is an important part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. Foods contain several different types of fat such as saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans fats — but some kinds are better for your health than others are.  Choose the healthier types of fats and enjoy them in moderation.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The Good Fat- Unsaturated fats (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated)

Unsaturated fats are plant-based sources of fat. When used in place of other fats, it can lower your risk of heart disease by reducing the total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) levels in your blood and raising your HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol). One type of polyunsaturated fat, omega-3 fatty acids, may be especially beneficial to your heart. Omega-3 appears to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease. It may also protect against irregular heartbeats and help lower blood pressure levels.

Best Food Sources of Unsaturated Fats Monounsaturated fat– Olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, nuts and seeds Polyunsaturated fat–    Vegetable oils (such as safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cottonseed oils), nuts and seeds Omega-3 fatty acids–    Fatty, cold-water fish (such as salmon, mackerel and herring), flaxseeds, flax oil and walnuts

 Bad Fat- Saturated fats

 The Bad Fat- Saturated fats

Saturated fat comes mainly from animal sources such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, high fat dairy products, lard and butter. However, they can also be found in a few plant sources such as palm kernel oil, coconut oil and other tropical oils. Saturated fats can increase your risk of heart disease by increasing your total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, which poses the greatest risk to heart health. 

The Ugly Fat- Trans fats

Trans fats are found mainly in processed food. They are synthetically produced when vegetable oils are partially hydrogenated. Because trans fats do not break down as easily, they increase the shelf life of processed foods.  Trans fats not only increase the LDL cholesterol, “the bad cholesterol”, but also decrease your HDL, “the good cholesterol”.  Many food manufacturers are reformulating their products to eliminate trans fats, but it is still very important to check the food label to ensure that product contains no trans fats.

Trans Fat Sources: Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, commercial baked goods (such as crackers, cookies and cakes), fried foods (such as doughnuts and french fries), shortening and margarine

Five Ways to Improve Your Fat Intake

1. Choose fish, poultry or lean meats more often and remove any visible fat or skin.
2. Choose lower fat dairy products (skim or 1% milk, 1% yogurt and cottage cheese). Eat cheese in small amounts (1 serving = 1 oz of cheese) or choose a lower cheese-milk fat. The milk-fat percentage should be less than 20.
3. Choose non-hydrogenated margarine instead of butter.
4. Choose more meat alternatives such as beans, peas, lentils and tofu.
5. Limit eating commercially-baked goods such as cookies, crackers, pies, muffins, waffles, snack foods and deep-fried fast foods.

A Case of Stress Mismanagement or a True Lack of Life Balance

 

Stress and a lack of life balance are modern maladies that continue to plague our health and well-being.  Not just media stories, but also statistical evidence attests to our high level of stress – both business and work-related. We think the real culprit is often a case of mismanaging stress, rather than lacking life balance. 

To understand the difference, let’s define both.  Stress management, in its simplest form is recognizing a stressor, understanding its effect on us (good or bad) and taking action to reduce or eliminate that stressor. We need to recognize that sometimes we can’t immediately reduce or eliminate the source of the stress. In these cases, it is most important to have techniques we can use to deal with the stress in the moment. 

Simple stress-reducing tips

Some simple stressing-reducing tips are to remove yourself from the situation, take several deep breaths or get some exercise – like a short walk.  These techniques can help you compartmentalize the stressor, until you have the time to deal with it more fully. 

Lacking a life balance is a much greater issue.  Life balance is a highly subjective state, unique to each individual, which changes over time. It is feeling in control of your life, as well as gaining a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment with a quality of life as it relates to you, your work and your family.  Life balance does not mean that work, family and self are equal priorities. Instead, each component fits uniquely into one’s life to create a sense of balance that is constantly changing as priorities do. 

Achieving a life balance

Life balance is not easy to achieve in today’s highly competitive world. It requires planning, commitment and determination.  There is no such thing as work/life balance, and to strive for that is futile.  For almost everyone, work must fit into your life and you need to define how to make that adjustment.

Achieving life balance may seem impossible, but it is not.  You first need to recognize whether it is a stress-related issue, or a much greater life balance issue. And the best way to do that is to begin with the basics. 

• Separate exhaustion and normal anxieties or stress from life balance. 
• Ask yourself if you get enough sleep, exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet – without a lot of false stimulants.
• And finally, don’t lose your perspective.

We believe that most people suffer from the inability to manage stress effectively. This leads to a loss of control and thus a sense of having no life balance, as opposed to not actually having any balance in their lives.