1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:16,080 Welcome to the happy, healthy, hustle podcast, where we explore the intersection of health, 2 00:00:16,080 --> 00:00:23,040 happiness, and productivity. I'm your host, Christiane, and I'm super excited to be here 3 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:29,560 with you today. In this podcast, we discuss ways to improve your life. In today's episode, 4 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:37,280 it's all about food labels, specifically why food labels are great, but food labeling 5 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:44,040 and not so much. So let's start with the food labels. And I'm personally a big fan of food 6 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:52,040 labels. I find a food label on packaged goods. So I tend to study them when I go grocery shopping, 7 00:00:52,040 --> 00:01:00,360 particularly for new foods. So food labels are a fantastic tool that can help me make an even 8 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:06,200 more informed decision about the foods that I want to buy and that I'm going to serve my family. 9 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:11,960 Food labels are really important because I can see what ingredients are in there, 10 00:01:11,960 --> 00:01:19,000 the nutritional value that the food has, and of course, potential elegance. So with the information 11 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:24,520 of a food label, I feel I can make a choice. Do I want to purchase this particular product? 12 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:32,680 Does it align with what my family is looking for? And what needs do we have? So when I read a food 13 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:38,760 label, I can make a more informed decision about the foods that we eat. So I want to give you some 14 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:45,080 tips about how to read a food label. And that might also then be picked up later when we're 15 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:52,280 going to discuss about why labeling food is actually not beneficial. So let's start with the food label 16 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:59,160 tips. So usually when I look at a food label, and they are also called nutrition facts panels, 17 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:07,480 I start looking at serving sizes. So in a family of four, when I purchase something, I try to figure 18 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:13,960 out, is that something that will be a side dish? Is this something that will be a main dish? Is 19 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:20,280 this something that we will need to consume in smaller portions? So usually, the serving size is 20 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:26,440 aiming at one person. And so, like, let's say it is something I purchase for my children, do I need 21 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:32,200 to purchase one of those packages? Or do I need to purchase two? Would this be enough food for my 22 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:39,000 children? Now sometimes, serving sizes are way off. And it actually tends to be usually on the 23 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:46,440 smallest side. So sometimes when I purchase, I'd say, macaroni and cheese, I actually need to purchase 24 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:52,840 two packages because a serving size that's recommended on the package would definitely 25 00:02:52,840 --> 00:03:00,520 not be sufficient for my two growing teenage children. So the serving size on there is then 26 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:06,840 also what the whole information on the nutrition facts panel applies to in terms of the nutrition 27 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:14,600 facts. So the serving size is exactly calculated out and all the nutrition facts are then based on 28 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:21,480 that particular food intake. So I personally don't really look at calories all that much. And now 29 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:27,800 in our family, we don't count calories. And I also think that something that will not make your life 30 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:34,200 very enjoyable, it will probably make your life pretty miserable. So I look at serving sizes more 31 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:41,000 in terms of, are we going to have enough food, but less in terms of this is a diet that we 32 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:46,280 are following and the serving size needs to follow that diet. So again, we are not in our 33 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:52,840 family about restriction, we are rather about enjoying life and adding that particular joy 34 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:58,280 might mean that, well, we have enough food, maybe we are even going to have leftovers, 35 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:03,800 so even better for the next day. So after I looked at the serving size, then I look at the 36 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:10,200 nutrients. So the nutrients that I look at are particularly when it's a packaged food or a 37 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:17,880 processed food, I look at sodium. Sodium or salt is something that in processed foods tends to be 38 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:25,560 really high. It of course helps when there is a high salt content to keep a food shelf stable. 39 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:31,240 But at the same time, I don't want to serve something that's really high in sodium to my 40 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:37,480 children, because it is not something that you should consume in really high amounts. 41 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:46,040 And excess intake of sodium can actually lead to heart disease or issues in general with your 42 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:52,120 hydration might make you super thirsty. So if we eat something super salty at night, my kids will 43 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:59,960 get so thirsty and I really don't want that as a mom either. So I look for serving size, then I look 44 00:04:59,960 --> 00:05:06,440 for sodium. So I'm trying to gauge if is there high intake of sodium. Maybe in that one package 25% 45 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:13,480 of your daily recommended value, then I usually say no, this is too much because we already get 46 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:19,400 sodium from so many other things during the day that I feel this might be too much with this 47 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:27,320 particular one food item. So then, what I do is I look for added sugars. And the reason why I do this 48 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:35,960 is with the sugars is; of course, these sugars are typically synthetic. So high fructose corn syrup 49 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:42,600 or sucrose or glucose could be added sugars. And I personally don't really want to purchase 50 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:49,000 too many items with high fructose corn syrup, which is an artificial sweetener. So when there are 51 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:56,440 added sugars in there, I almost always find an alternative that does not have as many sugars. 52 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:04,360 So the particular products I look for with the added sugars are typically cereals that tend to 53 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:13,320 be really high in sugars. I look at juices. And, of course, I also look at condiments or any products 54 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:20,600 where there's hidden added sugars. So, for instance, ketchup tends to be really high in added sugars. 55 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:27,640 And you can almost always find an alternative that has a more natural appearance and fewer 56 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:35,400 added sugars or that are completely sugar free. With cereals, I always aim for nine grams per 57 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:40,680 serving. So I don't really want to have a cereal that is just full of added sugars. 58 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:45,800 Because to me, that that's something that we're probably going to get sugars from somewhere else 59 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:51,880 during the day, it does not need to be necessarily coming in the morning with our breakfast already. 60 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:59,000 At the same time, I also look for sugars in juices. So apple juice, for instance, 61 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:06,120 you can probably find an apple juice that does not have added sugar with it, maybe find a more 62 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:13,480 natural juice that is just the pure juice and the pure fruit, and that will be much more beneficial. 63 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:20,200 And sugars, of course, aside from the fact that we get them anyway with foods that become 64 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:28,120 prevented, such as sweets, tend to also lead to cavities. That's maybe what I'm worried about, 65 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:33,480 or it can lead to skin breakouts. But it also makes my children feel uncomfortable. 66 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:38,360 There's a high amount of sugar they consume; they sometimes tend to get pain in their stomachs. 67 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:46,280 And I want to make them feel good by eating. Food is nutrition, and it's aiming at making them 68 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:53,640 feel good and adding joy. So again, the steps are serving size. Then I look for nutrients. 69 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:59,480 So I look for sodium. I look for added sugar. And then the third one, and that's maybe the most 70 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:07,240 important one is allergens. So a food label will list all the ingredients that are in the food, 71 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:12,840 but it will list separately if there are common allergens in there. This could be nuts; it could 72 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:22,440 be wheat, soy, or dairy. And I look for particularly wheat. So it will say contains, for instance, 73 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:33,000 nuts, wheat, soy. So my daughter is very sensitive to wheat, gluten in particular. That's the 74 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:41,640 binding agent in wheat. So I will always look at food labels and make sure that there is no 75 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:49,240 gluten in there or no wheat in there. Because even small amounts tend to make her feel well 76 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:56,120 like queasy and uncomfortable in her stomach. So when I look for those allergens, there might 77 00:08:56,120 --> 00:09:02,440 actually, appear in foods you would never think that have wheat in there. But it is always good 78 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:07,960 to check. And again, that's why we have food labels and be more informed about the product you're 79 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:14,600 buying. And lastly, of course, what you want to make sure is maybe there are some vitamins in there, 80 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:23,240 like some vitamin C or any added vitamins. And if you feel there's no nutritional value in the food 81 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:31,160 at all, it's a quick valuation. Is that even worth purchasing? Is that adding something to our life 82 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:38,040 in terms of nutritional value? So again, the steps are serving size, then I look for nutrients. 83 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:46,440 So the sodium, the sugar, and then I look for allergens. For our family, it is wheat, but for 84 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:52,200 your family, it could be dairy or it could be nuts. And if you feel that they lead to some type 85 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:57,720 of insensitivities, the food label will give you fantastic information in breaking that out 86 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:05,720 and making you more aware about what you end up purchasing and then preparing. So now let's talk 87 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:13,160 a little bit about that growing trend where we are labeling foods. And by labeling foods, it means 88 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:22,200 that we're using certain descriptors for foods in making those foods sound more appealing or maybe 89 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:29,800 less appealing. So for instance, we could label certain foods as being good or being bad. So what 90 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:39,080 you have heard maybe a lot is good fats, what bad fats, good carbs, bad carbs, or in general, 91 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:47,400 just healthy foods, unhealthy foods. Now, while I sometimes use those words as well, and you just 92 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:54,440 kind of get used to using them, I actually have forced myself recently to stop using them. 93 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:59,320 The reason why I really have to stop using them is because I have two teenagers at home, 94 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:07,160 and I don't want to create a culture of shame and guilt around eating foods that are maybe labeled 95 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:13,960 as bad. So just imagine you're eating a food that's labeled as bad. Are you going to feel good 96 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:21,320 about this? Most likely you're actually feeling bad and consuming a bad food. Maybe that's high in 97 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:28,760 sugar or high in fat. At the same time, of course, think that some foods that are high in fat, 98 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:37,320 for instance, an avocado, you might label as high fat or bad because it is high in fat, 99 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:43,560 but avocado is itself actually really healthy foods. So it's not really always even true the 100 00:11:43,560 --> 00:11:49,960 descriptors that you use for those foods. So for me, it is all about adding 101 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:57,320 positivity and creating a culture where you feel ashamed or guilty around food is not really helping. 102 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:04,680 So maybe come up with some more positive words. So for instance, you're looking at ice cream 103 00:12:04,680 --> 00:12:11,080 that is high in fat and in sugar. How should we label ice cream? Because we certainly don't 104 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:18,280 want to create a guilt trip whenever you open your freezer. And over time, those labels and 105 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:23,480 description can actually lead to disordered eating habits where you're feeling you need to restrict 106 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:31,400 yourself or where you're feeling you're you can't really enjoy life because everything has a label 107 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:37,960 with it and that's maybe also negative. So what you should strive for is looking at food in a more 108 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:45,480 positive life. All foods have a place in our diet whenever you consume in the moderation. And they 109 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:53,400 don't need to be labeled to find a place in your life. So labeling foods as good or bad sometimes 110 00:12:53,400 --> 00:13:01,400 even needs to stereotypes or biases. So some foods that I eat in certain cultures could be unhealthy. 111 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:09,000 And it could be that they are very important to that particular culture. So we need to celebrate 112 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:16,360 diversity of foods and recognize all cultures have unique and valuable culinary traditions. 113 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:24,600 And that's something to respect and learn about and not really stereotype or have biases towards. 114 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:31,720 So instead of labeling foods as good or bad, what's really great is actually learning something 115 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:39,640 about those foods. I'm all about educating myself, looking at nutritional values and how I could 116 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:48,040 incorporate foods into a healthy nutrition. So I always emphasize balance. I love variety. 117 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:54,920 And I love things in moderation rather than setting up strict rules where we say we can't eat this at all. 118 00:13:54,920 --> 00:14:02,840 So we always have some ice cream in our house. And we use ice cream, of course, as you know, 119 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:10,200 every so often we try it, every so often we experience new flavors. But it's something that we don't 120 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:20,120 want to use as a special occurrence and say, now I can have some bad food because I ate the good food 121 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:27,400 during dinner time. So setting it up that way means that you basically feel already bad eating the ice 122 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:34,040 cream after you finished your dinner, not at all this way. So labeling it that way doesn't quite 123 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:42,360 lead to the same amount of enjoyment. I'm personally because I do research foods and nutrition a lot. 124 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:47,640 I feel that it's good to make healthy food options more accessible and affordable. 125 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:54,440 So when you look at fruits and vegetables, you can eat them in abundance. So there's no need to 126 00:14:54,440 --> 00:15:02,360 really set any restrictions on it. And I have those openly available in our house. I don't necessarily 127 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:09,160 call them good foods though. What I do is just we count how many fruits and vegetables have you 128 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:16,040 eaten during the day. And we aim to eat five. We don't really think that much about that. 129 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:23,640 We don't really think that much about serving sizes, but we make sure that we have an abundance and we are adding in. 130 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:33,560 And we're thinking of those being in balance with whatever snacks or dinner or lunch items the kids are consuming. 131 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:40,120 So to summarize, food labels are super valuable because they're informing us. 132 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:49,080 However, labeling food as good or bad is really leading to a harmful attitude and behavior towards food. 133 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:58,120 So maybe focus on promoting a balance, a variety, eating motivation, and what I'm personally a big fan of, 134 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:07,720 celebrating diversity of food. So I like to advocate for embracing curiosity when you go grocery shopping. 135 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:16,680 Look at foods that you have not tried and just buy it and give it a shot. It might be your next best favorite thing. 136 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:24,200 And again, just be curious and embrace adding new things into your life. 137 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:32,120 Well, with that, I am personally curious. Is there something that you have tried recently that you are not familiar with, 138 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:39,160 whether that's from a different culture, whether that's maybe just a new food item you hadn't previously seen? 139 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:46,920 I would love to find out about it. So reach out to me and let me know. It's always great to hear from you. 140 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:53,320 Because that's it for today's episode of the Happy Healthy Hustle podcast. 141 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:58,520 Hope you enjoyed our discussion about food labels and labeling food. 142 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:05,640 I hope this has been helpful in giving you some tool to use in your daily life and on your wellness journey. 143 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:31,800 Thanks for tuning in and we'll catch you next time. Talk to you soon. Bye-bye.