Reading the Nutrition Label: Part Two

Welcome back! This is a continuation of last week’s blog where I took a closer look at reading the standard nutrition label, beyond calories and %DV’s (percent daily values).

If you missed part one, click here. I examined

• What it means when a food contains the word “imitation” (hint: it’s got less of the good stuff)
• Why “juice” will never be as simple as it sounds (read the ingredients!)
• The sad truth is that we’ll never know what’s in special sauce unless someone decides to bottle and sell their special sauce.

First up to bat: Nutritional Content Claims

Reading the Nutrition Label: Part One

Today's topic is the allmighty nutrition label. I’m sure we’re all familiar with picking up a box or bag of something and reading the food label. It's a snapshot of what to expect inside: serving size, calories, fat calories, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, all based on an "average" 2000 calorie per day diet. Typically we’ll look at everything that’s highlighted on the image below, right?

Focus Your Efforts with Heart Rate Zone Training

Perhaps this post could be called an ode to the heart rate monitor, my favorite training tool. It gives instant feedback and lets me know how hard I'm truly training, based on my cardiac output. If you're a gym-goer you've probably jumped on a cardio machine and seen this familiar sticker or one of its familiar variations. Why so complicated, cardiovascular machines? I'll explain why one (heart rate) zone doesn't fit all because we all have different training goals.

Fitness Can Be Fun: Urban Dare Pacific Beach 2011

Honestly, I’m not a runner. I can run, I do run, but I’ve never considered myself to be a runner. Why? Growing up around runners has put them on a pedestal of low body fat, expensive shoes, and clocking miles at a 2-for-1 pace versus mine. It’s mostly the latter that distinguishes me from them; they’re fast and I’m slow. I’ll call myself a jogger…but not yet a runner.

Rules of Reading: Know the Source & Get the Full Story

Sifting through health-related studies can be a daunting task, especially when those studies get condensed into bite-sized paragraphs or scare-inducing headlines. For example, the New England Journal of Medicine recently released a twelve-page study titled Changes in Diet and Lifestyle and Long-Term Weight Gain in Women and Men. The study followed 120,000 healthy individuals in health related professions for 20 years, checking in every 4 years to weigh them and assess their lifestyle habits.