Top 5 Tips for Deciphering Food Labels – Part 4

     Today I will finish my series on the top 5 tips for deciphering food labels and for those of you who are carbohydrate conscious eaters, this post may be particularly interesting. However, even if you do not watch your carb intake, the information in the final tip can still be very useful for deciphering food labels and learning some general information about carbs as well.

Tip 5: Understand net carbohydrate (net carb) labeling

     Net carb values can now be found on more and more product labels, especially products marketed for weight loss. Consumer awareness of the carbohydrate content of foods has increased in recent years due to the popularity of Atkins and other carb restricted diet programs. While these highly restrictive diets are not as popular as they once were, new low carb foods are coming out all the time and the low carb food market appears to be more popular than ever. This has led to companies labeling products with “net carbs” to attract carb conscious eaters. As with the term “low carb,” there is no current government approved definition or standard for calculating grams of net carbs.

     Fortunately, there is an unofficial general consensus about what constitutes a net carb. The net carb value is supposed to represent the grams of carbs contained in a product that will impact your insulin levels (cause levels to increase). This is important, because higher increases in insulin result in more fat storage. The typical approach to calculating net carbs is to take the total carbohydrate content and subtract fiber, sugar alcohols, artificial sweeteners, and any other carbohydrate that is not fully digestible. Any carbohydrate left over is considered a net carb. Products with lower net carbs are promoted as being better for losing fat or preventing fat gain. While there is some truth to this concept, as usual it is not the whole story.

     The biggest problem with the net carb approach is it fails to account for the fact that different carbohydrates affect the body’s insulin response to different degrees. You may have heard of the glycemic index, which is a system used to determine how quickly different foods are absorbed in the body and how much they will affect insulin levels (faster absorption = higher insulin spike = more fat storage). For example, table sugar (sucrose) will cause insulin levels to rise more than fruit sugar (fructose), but they are both considered net carbs. In addition, proteins, fats, and the size of the overall meal will also affect the insulin response. Simply looking at the net carb grams does not accurately reflect how the food will affect your body’s insulin response.

     Of course, the carbs that are removed from the “net carb” calculation (fiber, sugar alcohols, etc.) are noteworthy as well. Even though these ingredients are not considered net carbs, they also have varying effects on your body. Sugar alcohols (sorbitol, maltitol, isomalt, xylitol, etc.) are not sugar or alcohol, but they share some of the chemical properties of both. They are only partially broken down by the body, which is why they are not supposed to have an impact on insulin levels. It takes around 2 grams of sugar alcohols to equal the number of calories in 1 gram of regular carbohydrate. The problem is that anything that cannot be broken down must still be processed and removed from your body. For many people, consuming significant amounts of sugar alcohols can result in an upset stomach or other intestinal issues. In addition, some people still experience insulin responses and feel fatigued or “crash” after consuming sugar alcohols.

     Artificial sweeteners are different, because they have essentially no calories, but they can even cause an insulin response in some people. The big problem with these ingredients is many people have negative physiological reactions to consuming them, such as feeling run down, not being able to think as clearly, or experiencing headaches. Plus, people can experience withdrawal symptoms when they initially stop consuming them (strong cravings, increased irritability, headaches, etc.). If you have noticed similar reactions yourself, try natural sweeteners, such as stevia instead.

     Fiber, on the other hand, is worth noting because of its positive attributes. Sticking with the insulin theme, soluble fiber will slow down the absorption of foods, which will actually improve (decrease) your insulin response. It also helps lower cholesterol levels and can make you feel more satisfied/full after meals. Much of the fiber found in foods is insoluble, which does not have much of an effect on insulin, but it is still good for you, because it will improve your intestinal health, prevent constipation, and may help prevent some types of cancer. Most people do not get enough fiber and increasing your intake can improve both your health and your fat loss.

     * Note: If you have a low fiber intake and want to eat more, start with small increases. If you increase your fiber intake too quickly, your body may not be able to handle it and you could end up with stomach cramps or similar problems. Also, try to spread out your fiber intake over multiple meals instead of trying to get your daily requirement all at one time. Your eventual goal should be consume at least 25 grams of fiber per day.

     As you can see, net carbs and carbohydrates in general can be rather complicated, especially when considering that different individuals can respond very differently to the same ingredients. In any case, negative reactions become more likely when larger amounts of artificial ingredients are consumed. My best advice is to become aware of how your body reacts to different foods and ingredients. If you notice yourself feeling tired or fatigued after a meal, try to figure out what item(s) or ingredients (s) could be causing the problems.

     The simplest thing to do is start writing down what you recently ate, whenever you feel similar fatigue symptoms after a meal. Fairly soon you may start to see patterns of foods or ingredients that keep appearing. Then you should limit your consumption of those foods or ingredients and see if you start feeling better. Improvement may not happen overnight and there are many other things that contribute to fatigue or other negative physical symptoms, but this is a good place to start when trying to figure out what specific foods you should avoid.

WRAP UP:

     This concludes my 5 tips to help you better understand food labels. Hopefully this information helps you become better at reading food labels and gaining quality information about the foods you eat. Using these tips when shopping should enable you to choose healthier products that ultimately help you look better and feel better. As an added bonus, these tips can also save you money.

     People often assume products that costs more will be healthier, but this is often not the case. Utilizing these tips will make you better at comparing similar products, which can help you find less expensive substitutes are just as healthy as more expensive ones. Also, you will likely come across a number of expensive products that contain a lot of unhealthy ingredients. It may take some practice to become good at reading labels, but the rewards are well worth the effort. Try using these tips next time you are at the store or just start by examining the products you have at home. You may be surprised at what you find.

     As a final note, I just want to say that while this concludes my series on deciphering food labels, it does not mean I am necessarily finished writing about the topic. I wanted to cover 5 of the most important issues with food labels, but there is certainly more information that could be covered. If there are any food label issues you want me to cover in the future or if you have questions or thoughts about any of my top 5 tips please leave a comment and I will be sure to address them later. If you have questions or comments not related to food labeling (other nutrition issues, exercise, etc.), it is best to contact me through my Precision Health & Fitness website. Thanks,

     Ross