LIFE IS ABOUT BALANCE
Nutrition Labels – I
Every day we encounter a sizable variety of processed and packaged foods, and it is crucial to know exactly what the labels and tags mean to properly understand what is included in them.
Many times we buy products without understanding what the nutritional contents are and thus it’s crucial to learn how to read the labels so we are better informed to buy the right products and not be misled.
Part 1: Information regarding portion size
It is key to understand that all the information included in a Nutrition Facts table is based on one single portion and there are food packages which contain more than one portion. To understand this concept, let’s look at the following example…
Part 2: Caloric information
The amount of calories is one of the most crucial pieces of information in the Nutrition Facts table. There are two things to look at: Total calories and calories from fat.
The total calories come from macronutrients – carbohydrates, fats and proteins, like this…
Part 3: Percentage of daily value
What each person needs to eat in a day varies according to gender, age, weight and amount of exercise, among other factors. Nonetheless, the daily value on food packages is calculated on a 2000 calorie diet which is considered a population average.
The percentage of daily value can help you identify in an easy and fast manner if the food contains high or low amounts of any of the nutrients. Bear in mind the following…
Part 4: Nutrients to be aware of
Each time you look at package labels make sure you look at the content of the following nutrients:
Fats: Usually you see a number for total fats and then one for saturated fats and trans fats which are both crucial as a diet high in these two ingredients is associated with overweight, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, increased levels of LDL cholesterol (or “bad” cholesterol), increase risk of heart disease or cerebrovascular accidents.
Part 5: Other nutrients
Let’s begin with carbohydrates: It is very important to take carbohydrates into account when choosing what foods to eat as a diet high in carbohydrates, just as one high in sugars, can lead to weight increase, sugar problems, diabetes, hypoglycemia, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and on top of this, the more sugar you eat, the more sugar your body will demand.
Do not eat products with more than 10g of sugar per portion and if you are trying to lose weight, try to eat only products with less than 5g per portion.
Coffee – Is it good or bad for you?
Let’s begin by saying there truly is no food that is inherently good or bad by nature, we have already mentioned several times that moderation while consuming foods is the most important.
The main component of coffee is caffeine, which stimulates the nervous system, by improving its state of alert. For example, when a person is going to drive during the night time, or for long working sessions, or to activate in the morning and after working out specially, caffeine reduces the sensation of fatigue.
Are you afraid of soy?
Soy is a great food, specially for vegetarians or vegans since its a terrific replacement for animal protein, nonetheless we are being bombarded with myths and disadvantages of soy. Most of them aren’t true, so we don’t recommend you from eliminating soy from your diets because of fear.
Benefits of Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a very good option to give an extra punch of flavor to foods. Today we will share its benefits as well.
In a study that was developed by The American Journal of Medicine, with over 60 people with type 2 diabetes, it was revealed that ingesting anywhere from 1,3 to 6 grams of cinnamon a day during a period of 40 days, reduced their level of glucose in the blood by 18-29% (which means their cells were responding better to insulin).
Emotions and nutrition
Emotions lead us to make choices over the way we eat, what, when, and how much to wat, hence it is very importante to identify the moments in which you are emotionally hungry, because by doing so you will be able to take control of your emotions and what really is happening to you and not wanting to cover it with food…
Spearmint
It can be prepared in teas, infusions, or aromatic waters, chew the entire leaf, add it to salads, combine it in juices with other fruits, rub to make massages or boil it in water and inhale it, among other uses…
Water with lemon: Does it make you lose weight?
Drinking water with lemon while fasting, DOES NOT help you burn fat, that is a myth. Water with lemon can help you hydrate yourself and thanks to the alkalizing properties of lemon, you can receive this benefit, but don’t take it thinking that it will help you lose weight or lose focalized fat, because it isn’t true…
Coming back from vacations
• If you missed a lot of you work out hours in vacations, its time to reactivate yourself, start over and do so progressively.
• Don’t eliminate all of the carbohydrates of your diet abruptly, this will make you feel anxious and won’t allow you to quit them in a sustainable manner. Start eating more balanced, increase your fruit intake, as well as vegetables and fresh foods, decrease the carbohydrate portions, and avoid processed foods the most you can.
• Hydrate yourself well, drink a lot of water, and avoid sugar drinks like sodas, teas, boxed juice, or bottled juice.
• Don’t fall prey to miracle diets or magical products like pills, shakes, etc. Just begin by changing your habits and if you need help and don’t know how to do it, at Quick Balance we offer you a personalized accompaniment. Book your appointment with us.
Take full advantage of the weekend
Plan the meals you will have throughout your week, in the weekend. You will be able to buy anything you are missing, leave certain things cut and chopped, as well as to organize some foods. This will help you organize yourself better during the week.
Do you excessively eat foods that aren’t healthy for you?
Take into consideration that although certain foods are healthy, you should not consume them excessively and you must control your portions, that we sometimes think are healthy because of the product’s nature. This makes us believe we can eat it without boundaries, though every food should be eaten in its appropriate amount, the amount that is right just for you. For this reason, balance is very important in your diet.
A common example are dried fruits, that for their content of “healthy fats”, we can tend to eat them limitlessly, nonetheless their caloric composition is quite high, so portions must be controlled.
The chain for anxiety
When anxiety appears and you want to open the fridge and eat everything that appears infant of you, we recommend…
Are you constantly fighting with your weight?
Today, it is common to find a new method to lose weight every month, or we learn about the “fad diet” and feel curiosity if this one will actually work…
Do you know if your body digests all of the foods you consume?
Foods are present throughout the whole day, be it as a breakfast, lunch, dinner, or because we are celebrating, we were invited, we’re going to watch a movie, or a relative’s birthday is taking place. Many of the dynamics of humans, are built around food, and have you ever asked yourself if everything you are eating is being digested by your body?
The relationship between emotions and food
Sadness is a basic emotion that every human has felt, and just like any other emotion it can bring us a message, when we feel it maybe it is because we are judging that we are losing something and that by losing something that we care about, a gap appears within.
When Grocery Shopping
When you grocery shop consider the following: don’t do so while being hungry, have a list of what you need to buy ready, avoid the aisles of processed foods and be calm, this will help you to avoid making bad decisions at the moment of choosing what foods to buy.
Ingredients matter
When you buy a food, observe the list of the ingredients it contains. It is important that you know the amounts of every ingredient the food actually has. Do not buy foods where sugar is in the first 3 or 4 places and consider that if there is any ingredient that you have a hard time pronouncing, your body will probably have a hard time digesting as well.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is an excellent option to replace refined carbs and you can eat it before training, at breakfast, or make pancakes out of it. Oatmeal has a good amount of fiber which will help your digestion, and by being a complex carb, it slowly liberates the energy you need and has a better glycemic index.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has a chemical composition that makes it stable to heat while cooking, and that’s why its use in the kitchen is highly recommended, nonetheless it is a saturated fat that raises what people call “bad cholesterol”, that is why its consumption should me quite moderate, and not believe that because it’s a trendy healthy food right now, that we should eat it excessively.
Good nutrition and exercise, the perfect combination
When you want to lose weight and you start to make changes in your eating, this brings approximately 70% of the success in your results, the other 30% is achieved through exercise and activating your body. This is why the best recommendation is that you adjust your eating habits and that along with this, do some good exercise routines to reach the goals you are looking for.
What to eat before training?
It is important to consume foods that provide you with energy, and here is where carbs are key. Carbs like oatmeal cookies, a cereal bar, oats, cereals, fruits. Their quantities depend on how long your training is going to be and what kind of exercises you will be doing. For this reason, you should get advise from a specialist that can help you design a nutrition plan. just for you.
The key is in hydration
Hydrate yourself very well. This is key to keeping healthy; a good recommendation could be to drink approximately 6 to 8 glasses of water a day, nonetheless this requirement is different for every person and it also is dependent on the amount of physical activity you do during the day, of how functional your kidneys are, how good your cardiovascular condition is, that is why feeling your body is the most important, and when you feel thirsty it may be a sign of dehydration. It’s important that when you are thirsty you don’t let yourself fall for the impulse of drinking soda, juice, tea, or sugary drinks. These will all make you thirstier, so drink water.
Does eating at night make you fat?
Many times we have heard people say that eating at night makes you fat, which is false. When we sleep our bodies keep their functions working, and they need energy to do so, so on the contrary, if you don’t eat anything at night but until the next day, you will have made a very long fasting period, and this can make you gain more weight. The body starts to store all the fats after a long period of fasting, in case another period of fasting approaches. So, don’t stop eating dinner, or the 5 foods you should eat every day. It is important that you consider having this meal at least 2 hours before going to sleep.
Chia seeds
Chia seeds are very trendy right now, and thanks to the immense nutritional benefits they offer to our health, their consumption is higher every time. They are a super food that help you regulate and control anxiety, and feel more satisfied, thanks to their large quantities of fiber. Thanks to their energy values, they are also great for people who exercise. Include them in your diet so you can enjoy all their benefits.
A cup of antioxidants
Today we want to share with you a recipe that is super easy and delicious as well, and it provides you with a large amount of antioxidants thanks to its contents of Vitamin A and C. Using a juice maker or a blender, place the juice of one orange, a medium carrot, ginger, and half a cup of water, and combine them. That’s all… Enjoy!
What can I sweeten my drinks with?
Every time there is a larger tendency to use non caloric sweeteners, such as stevia, splenda, sucaryl, and sabro, amongst many others. The question to answer is the following: Which of them all should I use? The recommendation is to use stevia, since it is a natural sweetener and it doesn’t contain any artificial additives.