Food Labels: Health Claims vs. Marketing

There are 3 different claims that you might find on a food and nutrition label of any food product on the market.  They are 1) Health Claims, 2) Structure/Function Claims, and 3) Nutrient Content Claims.  These claims are regulated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).  

Last week we blogged on Nutrient Content Claims, so it only seemed appropriate to do a quick blog on health claims. The FDA states that health claims 'describe a relationship between a food, food component, or dietary supplement ingredient, and reducing risk of a disease or health-related condition'. A health claim has 2 parts: 1) some kind of substance (ie. food, food product or dietary ingredient) & 2) a disease or health related condition (ie. high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, etc).  

An example of a health claim might be "diets high in calcium may reduce the risk of osteoporosis" or "diets low in dietary fat may reduce the risk of some cancers".  Calcium and low dietary fat have been studied over the years and the conclusive evidence from research suggests that they reduce the risk of the stated above.  The FDA has certain requirements that these claims must maintain.  Read HERE for a complete list of health claims and their requirements.  

As you can see these claims are regulated and have evidence to back them up.  Therefore, they are appropriate for the consumer to know and so they are appropriate to be placed on the label of a food product. If a consumer is interested in reducing their risk of osteoporosis, knowing that the products they are deciding between will or will not help them in that goal is important to purchasing a product.  

On the other hand, there are claims that the manufacture places on the label that are not regulated by the FDA.  These claims are simply marketing claims.  They grab your attention and try to make you think you NEED a product based on the claim being marketed and a lot of times they are successful in doing so.  However, the research and evidence to back them up is not there! Be aware of these statements-they are traps to get you to buy their product.  Here is a short list of "marketing claims" that manufacturers use to get your money!

• Doctor-recommended
• Eco-friendly
• Energy
• Green
• Naturally raised, naturally grown
• Natural (except for the term's regulated use on meat and poultry)
• High-quality
• Local
• No additives
• Sustainable
• Wholesome

The food label and design, along with the claims, can be very eye-catching and persuasive when deciding between products, but you must be careful what "catchy" images or words make you purchase a product.  Think through and know the difference between something that is helpful in knowing and something that is just there to encourage you to purchase a product! Those marketers are good...but we can outsmart them if we understand what they are doing!

  

What Does THAT Mean on the Food Label?

The food label provides a plethora of information that most Americans can only dream about understanding.  What they do understand is something that grabs their attention whether it is the color, images or design on the product container.  In addition to the design, the words can also provide a reason to choose a product over another.  Phrases like "lower calorie", "good source of", and "fat-free" are at the top when it comes to grabbing the consumers attention when they are deciding between similar products. 

What are those phrases and what do they mean?  They are "nutrient claims" that are regulated by the FDA and must meet certain requirements in order to be noted on a products' package/container. Read on HERE in an article by the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics to find out what the requirements are for the claims that you see most often.     

Do you see the claim in the picture below?  (hint: reduced fat)

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Happy Valentine's Day

Show yourself some love by making this year's V-Day special with festive Health One Chocolate Brownies using a heart shaped muffin pan.  This is a creative way to spice up your meal and make your meals fun!  If you happen to make this a reality this year...send us (rstandeford@hntindiana.com) a picture! We would love to see them.

Brownies & Icing

4 Packets Chocolate HEALTH ONE

1 Tbsp Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding

1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract

1 Tbsp. Splenda^®

1 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Baking Powder

3 Tbsp. Fat Free Cream Cheese

¾ cup Water

Mix ingredients together. Bake in 8x8 pan at 350° for 25 minutes.

Icing:

3 Tbsp Fat Free Cream Cheese

8 tsp. Splenda^®

1 Tbsp. Vanilla extract

Cocoa powder to taste

Butter extract to creaminess

Spread over brownies while it’s still warm.

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Thinking About a Salad? Think Twice when for Weight Loss or Maintenance

The salad has We hear it all the time, "I ate a salad" or "I chose to get the salad bar instead of what I normally get", etc.  Chances are if you are trying to watch your weight you have said something similar.  Google provides this definition of salad: 

sal·ad  

/ˈsaləd/

Noun A cold dish of various mixtures of raw or cooked vegetables, usually seasoned with oil, vinegar, or other dressing: "a green salad". A mixture containing a specified ingredient dressed with mayonnaise: "tuna salad". The salad has been around for a long, long time.  We're talking since the beginning of time when people gathered edible leaves as part of their meal plan. However, the salad we know today is not just edible greens! That would mean that the salad would consist of greens such as Romaine, Iceberg, Kale, Spinach, etc with little seasoning and a rather low calorie snack or meal.   Today, the calories in a salad has not only grown due to increased portion sizes, but also due to the number of non-vegetable additional toppings. Because of the increase in calories, the salad may not always be the first and best option for weight loss or weight maintenance.  A salad can be a great option if you think twice about the amount and type of toppings that you add.   Toppings to GO ahead and include these vegetables/herbs: snow peas green/red/yellow/orange peppers tomatoes carrots broccoli cauliflower mushrooms green beans cucumbers zucchini asparagus beets artichoke hearts peas radishes onions salsa basil/mint/chives/parsley/dill Toppings to CONSIDER, but not get carried away with include fruits (remember fruits have calories too!): pears mandarin oranges apples cherries grapes  strawberries pomegranate Toppings to CONSIDER if you desire more lean protein: low-fat or no-fat cottage cheese grilled chicken canned tuna baked fish ground turkey, cooked egg whites tofu edamame/hummus Toppings to LIMIT if you desire tasty salad, but want to limit calories: cheese avocado croutons dried fruit sunflower seeds sesame seeds other seeds nuts/water chestnuts salad dressing (creamy, oil based) *Ask for on the side to dip fork crispy noodles  pasta high calorie meats: those that are cooked in oil or fried Instead of this: Image Source Choose something that looks like this: Image Source

A veggie-filled salad will yield fewer calories and provide fullness unlike no other salad you could make AND you will be happy with your choice of building a salad that IS considered a good option for weight loss or weight maintenance!

Indianapolis, IN Running Events for ALL Stages of Fitness

Accountability is huge when it comes to weight loss, but it's also important to have accountability for physical activity.  One form of accountability is to sign up for a local walk/run event. These events, races or runs, whatever you call them, are tons of fun because there are loads of people there to encourage you along the way.  Sign up with a friend and make it a social event too!  

Most events are for charitable causes where the small entry fee is a donation.  Even with a little investment, the accountability is higher than no investment to keep the commitment to participate.  

The first few months of 2013 are packed with events on the calendar.  Below are a few for the first few months, but click HERE for more details & and all inclusive list of events around and in the Indianapolis area to keep you accountable.  You could realistically sign up for one or more events each month to keep you on track with your physical activity goals!

2/3/13: Groundhog 7 (7 miles) A free race, can good donations are welcome to benefit Gleaners Food Bank
2/16/13: Be My Valentine 5K run/walk. All proceeds go to Friends of Garfield Park
2/23/13: Polar Bear 3 or 5 mile in downtown Indianapolis
3/9/13: Spring Fling 2103 5K run/fitness walk in Plainfield, IN
3/16/13: Shamrock Run/Walk 4 miles. Benefits Indy Sports Foundation; downtown Indianapolis
4/13/13: Family Run/Walk 5K. Benefits Peyton Manning Children's Hospital, Indianapolis, IN
4/28/13: Best Buddies 5K. Benefits Best Buddies Indiana High School and College Programs.  Indianapolis

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Worst Celebrity Diets for 2013

Americans aren't the only ones looking for lots of fast weight loss!  The Brits too desire this.  The British Dietetic Association, a sister association of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, has announced the top 5 worst celebrity diets for 2013.  After reading the list, it is ridiculous to think that one would actually try one of them, but the reality is there will be a lot of people who do as a "last" result for trying to lose weight.  

Here are the top 5 & our comments on each.  To get full information or read the original article click here. 

5. The 6 Weeks to OMG Diet: this includes ridiculous, limited-research suggested routines such as drinking black coffee in the morning and taking cold baths to delaying breakfast until 10 am, excluding snacks, & removing fruit from your eating plan.  This type of plan is not realistic long term and even if followed in the short term may not even present you with the results you are looking to achieve.  

4. Alcorexia/Drunkorexia Diet: just as it says...starving yourself during the day to "save" calories for your nightly drinking habit.  This is an unhealthy way to fulfill the calories you need in a day and with out a doubt you are fueling your body with zero nutrition.  Not to mention toxic levels of alcohol and recommendations for alcohol consumption being "in moderation".

3. "Party Girl" IV Drip Diet: traditional IV drips are used in hospitals to help the malnourished and ill by providing them with the nutrition they need.  Celebrities are now paying for these sort of drips to prevent them from feeling "run down".  There isn't any evidence or research that concludes that this is effective or a safe means for weight loss or gaining nutrition. 

2. The KEN (Ketogenic Enteral Nutrition) Diet: another "diet" that is traditionally used for patients who are unable to eat "regular/grocery store food" due to a severe illness, disease or another chronic condition.  Who would have thought that any one would try this outrageous method of wearing an NG (naso-gastric tube) tube that allows liquid nutrition to automatically pump into your stomach throughout the day to try to lose weight?  So, wearing a pump with a hose down your nose is the latest and greatest to weight loss?  I'm not sure I would consider that true.  

1. Dukan Diet: The most popular of the "worst" diets includes many phases & confusing directions that would lead anyone to go crazy! Not to mention, completely excluding food groups that can lead to lack of proper nutrition.  This makes it hard to do long term and thus why it is a diet (short term) and many move on to another to achieve the results they are looking for elsewhere.  

The bottom line, diets are short term and will provide short term, if any at all, results that will lead one to another diet.  For more information on "Staying Away from Fad Diets" click here.  Choose wisely the plan that is best for you and be sure that you consult a Registered Dietitian to provide you with the information you need to make a sound decision when joining or doing anything to lose weight.  Our staff consists of several Registered Dietitians that can get you on track with weight loss.  We are happy to help at any time.  Call our office 317-489-4817 or email us at info@hntindiana.com to get any questions you have answered! 

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Your Medical Chart; Does it include Physical Activity?

Do you participate in activity?  Physical activity that is or movement of your body parts. If so, do you know how many minutes you do each day or on a weekly basis? Do you know what is recommended?

If the answer to all these questions is "no", then you might be surprised or taken back when your doctor asks you report the number of physical activity minutes you are doing. The Associated Press came out with this article stating that there is a push for doctors to record this type of information as a vital sign (blood pressure, pulse, etc).  Reporting and recording it is just as important as a persons blood pressure and that it is of higher concern than most people would typically think for physical activity.

The guideline for Americans age 18-64 for physical activity is at least 150 minutes per week.  "Adults gain most of these health benefits when they do the equivalent of at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity (2 hours and 30 minutes) each week. Adults gain additional and more extensive health and fitness benefits with even more physical activity. Muscle-strengthening activities also provide health benefits and are an important part of an adults overall physical activity plan." ~2008 Physical Activity Guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services.  

We promote physical activity and encourage all of our patients to increase the number of minutes they are doing physical activity each week.  This might be increasing from 0 minutes to 5 minutes per day of intentional physical activity.  Whether or not this is something that you will see from your doctors office in the future or not, it is definitely proven that those who participate in regular physical activity are healthier than those who do not. 

Start now by increasing your minutes that you are active each day by setting a timer 5 times per day to take a 5 minute walk or getting up to walk around the office every hour.  Even a little improvement is worth the benefit!

Major Company Coca-Cola Addressing Obesity in Commercials

Have you caught the commercials yet?  Coca-Cola has gotten a lot of negative press as part of the "problem" as the U.S. obesity rate has continued to rise.  In hopes to combat this negative press, they are airing several commercials about obesity and how they are helping to solve this problem.  Coca-Cola's arguments: 

-They have 180 low & no-calorie drinks
-Works to produce better-tasting low calorie sweeteners
-They have introduced a smaller can size

The increased press is most likely due to the upcoming New York City soda ban (larger than 16 ounces) in movie theaters, stadiums, etc.

Read more about this HERE.

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Indianapolis Area Health & Wellness Fairs

Health is our #1 priority for our weight loss patients, but we also promote health for those who are not our patients.  Awareness is a very powerful tool when it comes to achieving and sustaining optimal health because without awareness it is not possible to have optimal health.  Awareness simply means "having knowledge of".  If you don't have "knowledge of" your health then you are not aware. 

A great, inexpensive way to become aware of your health status is to attend a health and/or wellness fair.  Many times they will offer free screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, skin cancer, bone density, etc just for attending.  These screenings are one way to make awareness and therefore health a priority.  The Indianapolis area has a few health and wellness fairs on the calendar already and those are listed below.  Some make you pre-register others do not.  Check out the information necessary to make your health a priority.  If you don't know it's "under the weather" or broken, you can fix it or prevent it from becoming broken! Take your health in your hands today!

Saturday 1/19/2013
Women's Health & Wellness Event: Riverview Hospital, Noblesville
8:00 am-12:00 pm
Women's Pavilion (Entrance #11)
To register call: 317-776-7999

*FREE Screenings at the event include: cholesterol, blood glucose and blood pressure; skin cancer; pap screening
*Additional screenings (not FREE) include: dexa bone density screening, CT calcium heart scan, screening mammogram

For more information on the event: click HERE

Saturday & Sunday 4/27-28/2013
WTHR Health & Fitness Expo: Indiana State Fairgrounds Expo Hall
Click here to stay tuned for all the details. 


Saturday & Sunday 4/27-28/2013
LAC Women Expo:  Castleton Square Mall
Click here to stay tuned for all the details.

Look for the dates TBA for these fairs that have been in the Indianapolis area in the past:
-Women, Wisdom & Wellness Fair Presented by St. Vincent Women's Services and hosted by WFYI
-St. Vincent Carmel Hospital Women's Event (FREE to attend)
-Indiana Latino Health Fair

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The Post Holiday or New Year "Diet" Trend

Now is the time! The time to jump on board with a new year's resolution in hopes of keeping it throughout the year.  According to statisticsbrain.com, losing weight was the #1 new year's resolution and "staying fit & healthy" was ranked #5 in 2012.  Here are a few more stats from statisticsbrain.com:

-45% of Americans usually make new years resolutions
-8% successful in achieving their resolutions
-24% never succeed and fail on their resolution each year

It's interesting that "lose weight" is the #1 new years resolution, but it's not surprising since the overweight/obesity trend in America is rising each year.  Why is this?  Plain and simply answered...over consumption.  Americans are eating too much; too many calories that is.  And the new year falls on the heals of the major 6 week, "over consumption period of time", beginning with thanksgiving.  So, Americans spend 6 weeks (or more) eating too many calories then they decide to make a goal or resolution to lose weight.  Great idea if they are the 8% who are successful in achieving their resolutions, but not so good when it means another fad diet ending in starvation and disappointing results. 

What Americans really need is a reliable program that will provide them with the necessary tools to make lifestyle changes.  

life·style noun (ˈlīf-ˈstī(-ə)l): the typical way of life of an individual, group, or culture;  a particular way of living:the way a person lives or a group of people live 1
 

Trying each year to participate in a short term diet or short term stint at the gym to accomplish weight loss is not the key.  The key is participating in changes that you can do for the rest of your life (all year round; including holidays, get togethers, etc.).  Those are considered "lifestyle" changes. When a person is able to make lifestyle changes that they can do ALL year around and not just the first 6 weeks of a new year, this is when they are successful in achieving their goal of weight maintenance or weight loss. 

 

HNT is that reliable program to provide quick weight loss results (that's what you want) while meeting nutritional needs (that's what our registered dietitians and other health professionals on staff want) as you learn the tools you need in order to make the necessary lifestyle changes. 

 

The idea of weight loss is simple....if you overeat or eat too many calories at some point you must compesate by eating fewer calories.  Otherwise you will gain weight if you continue to eat too many calories-as many Americans do each year.  Did you catch that?  I said the "idea" or "concept" of weight loss is "simple".  I didn't say actually "DOING" it was! That is why we are here to help-it's our job!

 

We are here when you are ready.  Call 317.489.4817 for more information on how you can break the cycle of creating the same new years resolution each year and not being able to be successful.  Come to one of our FREE orientations to get started.