Look, Learn, and Eat HEALTHY!
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So, you're out grocery shopping for, say, the ingredients to this delicious and heart-healthy pizza. But do you take the time to read the nutrition information on the foodlabels? Fewer than half of Americans do, according to a recent survey by the American Heart Association. That's a discouraging figure, considering the tremendous effect the food we eat has on our health – particularly our heart-health.
However, research shows that shoppers who do read food labels cut about twice the amount of fat from their diet as those who don't read labels. If you're trying to stick to a healthy eating plan, having reliable label-reading skills is obviously important. Yet, in the modern media climate of fad diets and daily "breakthrough" discoveries, choosing healthy food can be more complicated than ever. Just getting through the grocery store can be a challenge, considering all the product "health claims" bombarding consumers.
Take heart. There are simple ways to quickly and reliably find what your body – specifically your heart – doesn"t need in the food you eat.
First, look for these two red flags: saturated fat and cholesterol. As the nation's foremost authority on heart-health, the American Heart Association states that reducing saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease – America's #1 killer of women and men.
Next, continue reading the food label for information on calories, sodium, added sugars and other ingredients your doctor may advise to watch in your diet. For even faster healthy food shopping, look for the heart-check mark. The distinctive red heart with a white checkmark was developed by the American Heart Association's Food Certification Program to help consumers quickly and reli ably identify foods that can be part of a heart-healthy eating plan. Located on the product package, the familiar mark is easy to find and easy to use – right when and where you're making your food selection.
The American Heart Association red heart-check mark is a great way to find heart-healthy foods simply and reliably," says Rebecca Mullis, Ph.D., head of the University of Georgia's nutrition department. "Consumers can rest assured that the mark is based on the best science available." Mullis says it's one tool she recommends to her own patients to help them build a heart-healthy diet. Anyone with a medical condition, she adds, should contact a physician or registered dietitian about special dietary needs.
