Nutritional labels in holistic nutrition

One of the most important concepts when it comes to efficiently applying the basic principles of holistic nutrition is that of nutrition labels.

Nutrition labels are extremely necessary, because they allow us to make a correct reading of what we ingest on a regular basis. Although they are created on the basis of a simple logic to understand, not many people master the content of the same, and often tend to make purchases biased or manipulated by commercials that do not show the reality of what each product contains.

When we go to buy vegetables and fruits we have no problem. These are products that in themselves are only one ingredient. So we choose the amount we need without paying attention to anything else. But when we talk about a complex product, which is composed of several ingredients, everything changes drastically, and that is where a good command of nutrition labels can be very useful.

What does a nutrition label contain?

A nutrition label contains the final number of calories that we will add to our body once we consume the product. This number of calories is divided between the macronutrients that compose it and the micronutrients that it will provide to the body.

This information is presented in portions. This is the first point to master, because the amount of calories indicated on the label is shown for a single serving, so if you eat a product that contains ten servings you must multiply by 10 the number of calories indicated.

The label will also show you the total carbohydrates; proteins; fat; sugar; vitamin; minerals; among others.

Nutrients

There are nutrients that you should avoid and others that you should favor in your consumption. When choosing a product we must pay attention to issues such as saturated fats or trans fats. These fats are found in products such as butter, milk, ice cream, among many others.

Not to be confused with the rest of the fats that are recommended in a healthy diet, saturated fats are extremely harmful to our organism, since they considerably increase the level of cholesterol in our body, causing heart attacks and cerebrovascular problems. If you are going to buy a product, be sure to avoid high levels of it.

Look for products rich in vitamins, calcium and potassium. These are the nutrients that are often lacking in our body and that we need most in the development of our vital functions.

Unsaturated fats

We have already talked about how harmful saturated fats are for our body, but as you know from previous topics, not all fat is bad, and our body needs it to perform its functions normally.

Unsaturated fats are abundant in products such as vegetables, nuts and fish. Unsaturated fats can contribute to the control of cholesterol levels and are truly essential in a properly balanced diet.

What is the percent daily value?

The percent daily value is one of the most important aspects of a nutrition label. It is nothing more than a display of the nutrients that the product will contribute to your daily diet. The basic rule to know if a product is rich or poor in a certain nutrient is to look at its percentage.

More than 20% is considered that the product is rich in that nutrient; while a figure of less than 5% means that the nutrient is scarce in the product.

Salt on the nutrition label

It is possible that if you have not read this before, you will not find salt on the nutrition label, and this is because salt appears as sodium on the labels. Sodium or salt, which are used as synonyms on these labels, are not favorable for our organism. Try to consume products with less than 5% sodium, following the rule explained above.

Excess sodium causes diseases related to increased blood pressure. Our body needs very little sodium to function normally, and as a general rule we consume much more than we need in our diet.

Increase fiber intake

A product rich in fiber is very beneficial to your daily diet. Fiber is very useful to satiate the appetite and control the amounts of food we eat. It is very positive for our digestive system and is an extremely valuable nutrient in a balanced diet.

Cholesterol

This is one of those substances that in small amounts are very beneficial to our body, but the excess of them can end our life or significantly deteriorate our health. It is preferable to buy products low in cholesterol, because we regularly acquire cholesterol from many products that are common in our daily diet.

Reducing the consumption of these saturated fats will help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels.