Surprise ! Surprise ! 5 common food labels that doesn't mean what you think they do..!!

The Food and Drug administration (FDA) are in-charge of defining food labels, and  now-a-days it seems like every food label is designed to make you think its contents are healthy (or at-least not all that bad), so for this purpose manufactures are constantly coming up with new labels that  aren't regulated, don't have any real definition, but are very eye catching for the customers. And the one's that have been defined by the FDA are rarely explained on food packing - so the chances of you know what it means is slim- says Nicolette Pace, founder of NutriSource in Great Neck, New York.

Walking through a grocery store, we took a look at some of the most common labels you'll find on foods and broke down what they typically mean, when it matters, if the claims are regulated, and most importantly, if the labels are worth paying more for.

1. "Made with.." :

What we think: It's a good source of whatever ingredients they labeled under "made with"

What it actually means : It contains at-least a bit of these ingredients, but since this label is not defined by FDA, we can only guess the actual amount of the ingredient present.

Possible Solution:   You can get an idea of the amount of ingredient the food contains, by looking into where it stands on the ingredient list, the closer it is to the beginning of the list the more of it the food contains.

SEE ALSO: 5 Health Foods that Satisfy Salt and Sugar Carvings.

2."Natural" :

What we think : It's not processed and doesn't contain any synthetic or artificial ingredients.

What it actually means : It probably doesn't contain any added colors, synthetic or artificial ingredients, but FDA hasn't been able to agree on a proper definition of "natural ingredients", so they have set some standards according to which they look for the food that has these ingredients less than natural ingredients, so it's hard to define a product as natural, as it might be processed and might not be truly natural.

Possible Solution: Check  how long the ingredient list is, generally less ingredients indicate that the food is less processed.

SEE ALSO: 7 Simple Tips That Will Help You Lose Weight.

3."lightly sweetened" :

What we think: It has very little sugar.

What it actually means : Since FDA doesn't regulate this label, so it can possible mean that the product can still have a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Possible Solution: Watch out for the ingredient containing the ending  "-ose", they indicate that it contains some or the other form of sugar.

SEE ALSO: 5 Foods that you should keep at work for healthy lunches

4. "Low Fat ,Fat Free or Reduced Fat" :

What we think: It is free from fat or has very less grams of fat.

What it actually means:  According to FDA To be considered low fat, foods must have three or less grams per Reference Amount Customarily Consumed (RACC aka serving size). For Fat Free, the food must be completely free of fat. However, the companies are allowed to use the term "reduced" if they have 25% less than the original product or other similar products, but it should be kept in mind that the other 75% still there. Also, when companies remove fat or salts form their products they might add extra sugar or additives to still keep the product tasty.

Possible Solution: Before buying the product, it is recommended to compare the nutritional labels of  "Low" , "Reduced" and "Fat Free" products with the original product, this will get you an idea of the type of fat which is less and also the amount of calories. This is important to know specially when you're trying to lose weight or being health conscious.

5. "High in Fiber" :

What we think: The product is loaded with natural fibers.

What it actually means : For a food to be labeled as high in fiber, it should provide more than 5 grams of fiber per serving. However, that doesn't mean that the fiber can be all natural, it can be additive too.

Possible Solution: Look for whole grain label, if it is present in the top three ingredients, there is a high chance of most the the fiber to be natural.

SEE ALSO: Mediterranean Diet May Be Good For The Brain

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7 simple tips that will help you lose weight

There are a lot of diet plans available now, and it has become really difficult to choose one out of them. Going for a low-calorie diet can be trouble as if you reduce your calorie intake too much, you might start feeling tired and irritable.

So it is important to continue taking the required amount of calories/day, to keep your energy going through out the day. In order to lose weight many physicians recommend you to lower your calorie intake and exercise regularly, but whats important here is, that it's not only about the quantity of calorie intake but also the quality of calories.
And this doesn't have to be complicated at all, we just need to exclude some bad calorie choices from our diet.

1. Eat Apples before Every Meal : 

For loosing weight try eating an apple before each meal. Since it takes about 20 minutes to realize that you’re not as hungry as you were before eating, you should eat the apple at least that many minutes before you plan to have a meal. One medium-size apple with skin has approximately 100 calories, so eating one doesn’t add much to your caloric intake.

Apples have no fat, sodium, or cholesterol, and they are rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber. Lots of varieties exist, and each of them offers a unique quality of flavor and crispness.

2. Don't Drink Calories : 

Some beverages other than water contains a lot of calories, and depending upon how much you consume them in a day, you might be taking in more calories from them throughout the whole day, so it is very important to know the amount of calories your favorite beverage contains, specially if you are planning on loosing some weight.
Few of them are as follows:

- 12 ounces (350ml) of Orange juice has about 160 calories.

-A cup of coffee with half-and-half and sugar for breakfast has about 90 calories.

-Medium cafe latte has about 250 calories.

-Large soda with lunch 300 calories

-Beer or a glass of wine during dinner about 150 calories.

If you add all this up throughout a day, just imagine how much calories you are getting just from the beverages you drink.

3. Avoid White carbohydrates : 

Most of these White carbohydrates are processed to the point that they have lost much of their nutritional value.Bread, rice, pasta, cereal, crackers, and bread crumbs made from white flour have been linked to an increased risk of obesity when excessive amounts are ingested. Eating white carbohydrates on occasion is not a bad thing, as long as it is done in moderation.

The human body needs a certain amount of good carbohydrates to function properly. However, it is healthier for people to eat simplecarbohydrates rather than those found in foods made from white flour.

Simple carbohydrates include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. Eating simple carbs and foods made from unrefined flour will keep you feeling full longer, helping you to limit your caloric intake.

4. Drink a lot of water : 

You should drink about eight to ten 8 ounce glasses (230ml) of water each day.

It might sound like a lot, but drinking that much water each day can boost your body’s metabolism, which helps you to burn more calories each day whether or not you exercise.

5.Eat only Lean Proteins : 

It is necessary to understand the importance of lean proteins when trying to lose weight, While sources of lean protein (meat, fish, beans, and dairy products) might have a higher calorie count than fruits and vegetables, they are an important part of losing weight.

Eating lean protein allows you to feel full longer than you would if you ate an orange or handful of raw snow peas. This is because protein remains in the stomach longer than most fruits and vegetables.

From the moment you eat it, protein begins to help you to lose weight. It takes longer to digestand metabolize protein, so your body uses more energy and calories to do so. Lean protein sources allow you to avoid the extra calories that are found in animal fats, so you should choose skinless chicken or turkey, lean cuts of beef, and pork tenderloin.

6. Include more Vegetables to your Diet : 

Fresh, unprocessed vegetables are low in cholesterol, salt, and fat. Choosing fresh vegetables is better than selecting frozen or canned versions that might have added salt in them, and since they are so low in calories, you can eat as many vegetables as you want as long as you do not add butter, dressings, or sauces.

Not only can a diet rich in vegetables help you to lose weight, but it also provides lots of nutrients.These nutrients include vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, and folic acid.

7. Exercise Several Times a Week :

Of-course we all know, in order to lose weight it is necessary to exercise several times weekly, but now that we have know about our food intake, exercising would be more effective.

Each time you exercise, will burn more calories, hence helps you lose weight faster, you should find time to participate in a regular physical activity for at-least 30-minutes a day, and if you can't find a block of 30-minutes straight, you can always break your routine into a 10 minutes session each.

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5 Healthy Foods That Satisfy Salt and Sugar Cravings

Healthy Foods That Satisfy Salt And Sugar Carvings

1.Sunflower seeds :

The sunflower is one of my favorite flowers, and its plentiful seeds are packed with health benefits that can help you from head to toe. They’re easily available all year round, and just a scant handful of them can mean dramatic improvement in the way you feel.

Here’s a short list of what they can do for you:

-They control cell damage, thus playing a role in preventing cancer. This is because sunflower seeds are a good source of selenium, which is a proven enemy of cancer.
-They contain bone-healthy minerals. Besides calcium, your bones need magnesium and copper to stay strong. Sunflower seeds have both these minerals. As a bonus, they also contain Vitamin E, which helps ease arthritic pain.
-They keep you calm. Yes! The magnesium in sunflower seeds is reputed for soothing the nerves, thus easing away stress, migraines and helping you relax.
-They bring a glow to your skin. The star in this role: Vitamin E again, which combats UV rays and keeps skin youthful.
-They ease every condition that’s inflammatory in nature, such as joint pain, gastric ulcers, skin eruptions, asthma and such. That’s because sunflower seeds are loaded with antioxidants.
Just ¼ cup of sunflower seeds a day can keep heart troubles away. These small seeds disallow ‘bad’ cholesterol from sticking to the walls of your arteries, thus preventing heart attacks.

2. Plain Yogurt with fresh fruits :
It has less fat than ice cream but five grams of filling protein per serving. Fruit gives it more flavor, texture, and vitamins.It can also help you lose weight and fend off a cold.

Most brands of yogurt contain good-for-you bacteria, also yogurt helps you recover faster after a workout.
Recommended - 1 1/2 cups / day.

3. Dark Chocolate :

Just a small portion of this antioxidant-filled treat satisfies a sweet tooth, plus it has got a lot of health benefits, like :

- Dark chocolate improves blood flow and and helps lower blood pressure and protects from clot formation.

-Dark chocolate is good for your brain, as it increases the blood flow to the brain and hence helps decrease the risk of stroke, it also has slight amount of caffeine in it, which acts as a mild stimulant.

-Dark Chocolate is loaded with antioxidants, which helps decreasing the aging process and also protects us from different types of cancer.

Recommended-1 oz dark chocolate with 65 percent (or more) cacao

Related : Dark Chocolate's benefits are released by the good gut microbes

4. Pistachios :

They satisfy a salt craving while delivering more natural antioxidants than most other nuts, also contains a lot of vitamins like vitamin E, A, C and minerals like Copper, Magnesium, Iron, Phosphorus, Zinc. Plus, the shells will slow you down.

Recommended - about 30 in-shell nuts/ day

5.Mini Whole-Wheat Pretzels:

Crunchy and packed with fiber to keep you fuller longer, so you won't reach for a higher-calorie food.

Recommended : 1 oz pretzels (about a handful)

Related : 5 Foods that you should keep at work for healthy lunches

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Seven Women's Diseases that men can have.

As we know there are variation's in genes, anatomy and hormone levels between men and women, so there are some diseases that attack women more than men and  vice-versa. However, thinking of diseases that women are more prone to as so-called "women's diseases" can leave men vulnerable to serious health problems.

Here are seven so-called "women's diseases" that can also strike men. If you experience symptoms, don't let your gender stop you from getting treatment.

1. Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis reduces the density of bone, making it more vulnerable to fractures. One in three women are at risk, but so are one in five men. Women experience rapid bone loss following menopause, but by 65 to 70 years old, men lose bone mass at about the same rate.

Kidney and thyroid problems, vitamin D deficiency, and prolonged exposure to steroids, cancer therapies, and anti-convulsants put you more at risk. You may not have symptoms, so ask your doctor for a bone density test.

2. Breast Cancer

Women get breast cancer more often than men because they have more breast tissue. Although only about one percent of all breast cancers affect men, research shows that incidence is on the rise. Men rarely heed the warning signs, so the cancer is allowed to develop. Therefore, men typically don't survive as long as women once a diagnosis is finally made.

If you're over 50, of African-American descent, or obese, you're more at risk. Watch for any unusual lumps or skin abnormalities in the chest.

3. Thyroid Problems

The thyroid is a small gland that rests in the middle of the lower neck, where it produces hormones to control metabolism. If it produces too much, hyperthyroidism results. Symptoms include:

fatigue
weight gain
forgetfulness
dry, coarse skin and hair

If the thyroid doesn’t produce enough hormones, hypothyroidism results. Symptoms include:

irritability
muscle weakness
sleep disturbances

Women are five to eight times more likely to have some form of thyroid disease than men, but men can still be affected.

4. Eating Disorders.

As more men feel the pressure to be thin and look good, more are falling victim to eating disorders. Only 10 to 15 percent of people with anorexia or bulimia are male, but the effects can be equally devastating. Men also are less likely to seek treatment, leaving them more at risk for complications such as:

heart problems
bone loss
organ failure
death

Athletes, obese boys, men with gender issues, and those who are anxious or have perfectionist personalities are more at risk.

5. Bladder Infections

Bladder infections are much more common in women, but men can get them, too— particularly men with an enlarged prostate, kidney stones, or an abnormal narrowing of the urethra. Treatment involves antibiotics and is typically very effective, but men need to be aware of the symptoms.

They include:

-frequent urination
-cloudy urine or bloody urine
-a strong urge to urinate
-a burning or tingling sensation during urination
-low-grade fever

6. Depression

Women are two times more likely than men to be diagnosed with depression, but that may be because their symptoms are different. Women may feel sad and cry more often, whereas men are more likely to show anger, irritation, frustration, and discouragement.

Men may turn to drugs or alcohol, or engage in risky behavior. They are also more likely to complete suicide if they try it. Because of these differences, many men go undiagnosed. Without treatment, depression is likely to worsen.

7. Lupus

About 90 percent of those diagnosed with lupus are women, but this autoimmune disorder can also strike men. Symptoms include:

-joint swelling and pain
-muscle weakness
-extreme fatigue
-unexplained fever
-hair loss
-leg swelling
-eye puffiness
-mouth sores
-swollen glands
-butterfly-shaped red rash across the bridge of the nose and cheeks

The disease is treated similarly in both genders. Your doctor may overlook it because it is rare in men. If you have symptoms, ask for testing.

Stay safe, stay healthy. )

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How to Kick the Junk Food Habit and Eat Healthy

Kick the junk food habit !

In my previous post, i discussed about What happens to our brain when we eat junk food, and why we crave for it. Now, the question that we face is, what can we do about it? how can we avoid our junk food habit?

Well, the good news is according to researchers less junk food you eat, the less you crave it.

So,If you can find ways to gradually eat healthier, you'll start to experience the cravings of junk food less and less. There are 3 strategies that James Clear posted in his blog.
1. Use the "outer ring" strategy and the "5 ingredient rule" to buy healthier food.

The best course of action is to avoid buying processed and packaged foods. If you don't own it, you can't eat it. Furthermore, if you don't think about it, you can't be lured by it.

We've talked about the power of junk food to pull you in and how memories of tasty food in the past can cause you to crave more of it in the future. Obviously, you can't prevent yourself from ever thinking about junk food, but there are ways to reduce your cravings.

First, you can use "outer ring" strategy to avoid processed and packaged foods at the grocery store. If you limit yourself to purchasing foods that are on the outer ring of the store, then you will generally buy whole foods (fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, etc.). Not everything on the outer ring is healthy, but you will avoid a lot of unhealthy foods.

You can also follow the "5 ingredient rule" when buying foods at the store. If something has more than 5 ingredients in it, don't buy it. Odds are, it has been designed to fool you into eating more of it. Avoid those products and stick with the more natural options.

2. Eat a variety of foods.

While you may not be able to replicate the crunchy/creamy contrast of an Oreo, you can vary your diet enough to keep things interesting. For example, you could dip a carrot (crunchy) in some hummus (creamy) and get a novel sensation. Similarly, finding ways to add new spices and flavors to your dishes can make eating healthy foods a more desirable experience.

3. Find a better way to deal with your stress.

There's a reason why many people eat as a way to cope with stress. Stress causes certain regions of the brain to release chemicals (specifically, opiates and neuropeptide Y). These chemicals can trigger mechanisms that are similar to the cravings you get from fat and sugar. In other words, when you get stressed, your brain feels the addictive call of fat and sugar and you're pulled back to junk food.

We all have stressful situations that arise in our lives. Learning to deal with stress in a different way can help you overcome the addictive pull of junk food. This could include simple breathing techniques or a short guided meditation. Or something more physical like exercise or making art.
Moral of the story: Eating healthy doesn't have to be bland. Mix up your foods to get different sensations and you may find it easier than eating the same foods over and over again. (At some point, however, you may have to fall in love with boredom.)

See also : Why do we carve for JUNK food and how does it affect our brain

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Why do we carve for JUNK food and how does it affect our brain

Why do we carve for junk food? 

Almost all of us know and agree to a point that Junk food is unhealthy. We also know that poor nutrition is included as a major risk factor for many heart conditions, such as high blood pressure.

But the question is,

why do we still keep eating it?

Well, according to the food scientist Steven Witherly, who has been studying about certain food addictions for about 20 years, there is an answer to this question-

when you eat tasty food, there are two factors that make the experience pleasurable.

First, there is the sensation of eating the food. This includes what it tastes like (salty, sweet,etc.), what it smells like, and how it feels in your mouth. This last quality -- known as "orosensation" -- can be particularly important. Food companies will spend millions of dollars to discover the most satisfying level of crunch in a potato chip. Their scientists will test for the perfect amount of fizzle in a soda. These factors all combine to create the sensation that your brain associates with a particular food or drink.

The second factor is the actual macronutrient makeup of the food -- the blend of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates that it contains. In the case of junk food, food manufacturers are looking for a perfect combination of salt, sugar, and fat that excites your brain and gets you coming back for more.

Here's how they do it...

How Science Creates Cravings

There are a range of factors that scientists and food manufacturers use to make food more addictive.

Dynamic contrast. Dynamic contrast refers to a combination of different sensations in the same food. In the words of Witherly, foods with dynamic contrast have an edible shell that goes crunch followed by something soft or creamy and full of taste-active compounds. This rule applies to a variety of our favorite food structures -- the caramelized top of a creme brulee, a slice of pizza, or an Oreo cookie -- the brain finds crunching through something like this very novel and thrilling.

Salivary response. Salivation is part of the experience of eating food, and the more that a food causes you to salivate, the more it will swim throughout your mouth and cover your taste buds. For example, emulsified foods like butter, chocolate, salad dressing, ice cream, and mayonnaise promote a salivary response that helps to lather your taste buds with goodness. This is one reason why many people enjoy foods that have sauces or glazes on them. The result is that foods that promote salivation do a happy little tap dance on your brain and taste better than ones that don't.

Rapid food meltdown and vanishing caloric density. Foods that rapidly vanish or "melt in your mouth" signal to your brain that you're not eating as much as you actually are. In other words, these foods literally tell your brain that you're not full, even though you're eating a lot of calories.

The result: You tend to overeat.

Sensory specific response. Your brain likes variety. When it comes to food, if you experience the same taste over and over again, then you start to get less pleasure from it. In other words, the sensitivity of that specific sensor will decrease over time. This can happen in just minutes.

Junk foods, however, are designed to avoid this sensory specific response. They provide enough taste to be interesting (your brain doesn't get tired of eating them), but it's not so stimulating that your sensory response is dulled. This is why you can swallow an entire bag of potato chips and still be ready to eat another. To your brain, the crunch and sensation of eating Doritos is novel and interesting every time.

Calorie density. Junk foods are designed to convince your brain that it is getting nutrition, but to not fill you up. Receptors in your mouth and stomach tell your brain about the mixture of proteins, fats, carbohydrates in a particular food, and how filling that food is for your body. Junk food provides just enough calories that your brain says, "Yes, this will give you some energy," but not so many calories that you think, "That's enough, I'm full." The result is that you crave the food to begin with, but it takes quite some time to feel full from it.

Memories of past eating experiences. This is where the psychobiology of junk food really works against you. When you eat something tasty (say, a bag of potato chips), your brain registers that feeling. The next time you see that food, smell that food, or even read about that food, your brain starts to trigger the memories and responses that came when you ate it. These memories can actually cause physical responses like salivation and create the "mouth-watering" craving that you get when thinking about your favorite foods.

See also : How to Kick the Junk Food Habit and Eat Healthy

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Shocking foods that have more fat than a doughnut.

Most people have a negative knee-jerk reaction to the word "fat" — but they shouldn't, as fats promote heart health, keep us feeling full and satisfied, and may even help ward off cognitive decline.
The following foods contain more fat than a glazed doughnut ( which contains 14 grams), but this doesn't mean you should exclude them from your diet , here is why :

1) Half an Avocado : each half of an avocado contains 15 grams of fat, but 10 grams of those fats are monounstaturated fats, which improves cholesterol levels, they may also help to prevent belly fat.

2) Two table spoons of peanut butter : two table spoons of peanut butter contains about 16 grams of fat, half of which is monounsaturated fat, also about 4 grams of it is polyunsaturated fat, which helps to reduce type-2 diabetes.

3) 1 Ounce of unsweetened dried coconut : It contains 18 grams of fat which is almost all saturated fat, but according to a new research that suggests there's a place for saturated fats in our healthy diets (and that they may not be as strongly linked to heart disease as previously thought). Since the recommendation is to get no more than 10 percent of your daily calories from saturated fats (and that comes to about 20 grams for an 1,800-calorie diet), you definitely don't want to go overboard with dried coconut—but you can work some into a healthy diet.

4) 3 large eggs : you'll get about 14 grams of fats from 3 large eggs, but this fat is equally distributed between saturated, unsaturated and polysaturated fats.

5) 12 Olives : these contain about 15 grams of fats, out of which majority of fat is monounsaturated.


All the above mentioned foods have more grams of fat, but they have a lot of nutritional benefits that a doughnut doesn't have.

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