In this day and age, it can be easy to lose sight of the exact ingredients we are putting into our bodies. With the convenient access to frozen foods and/or packaged foods in the grocery aisle, people are becoming more and more unaware of the foods they are consuming. Learning how to properly read food labels is incredibly vital to optimizing one’s health and better understanding in what ways your diet might be lacking certain nutrients.
For some, reading food labels can become a toxic and self-detrimental activity. Please prioritize your mental health above all else. It is understanding the difference between what seems important and what is actually important can completely change one’s perspective.
In the wellness world, there is a lot of chatter emphasizing that carbohydrates and fats are the enemy, when in reality this could not be farther from the truth. Carbohydrates and fats are two essential macronutrients we all need in our diets to thrive. Instead, let us focus on how best to read our food labels to avoid processed sugars and inflammatory ingredients.
Paying attention to the nutrients you are putting in your body will also help make your gut health enzymes as efficient as they can be. Digestive enzymes help your body break down the foods you are consuming and allow you to reap the benefits of the nutrients in said food.
Why Food Labels Matter and How to Read Them Properly
Food labels help to inform us about what the food contains and help us make choices on what to consume. Reading food labels will help you to get a better understanding of the different nutrients you are consuming. Reading the food labels will help you reach your nutrient intake goals.
Here are what each of the sections tell you:
Serving Size: This tells you the amount of food that would consist of one serving and will help you understand and connect the amount of the nutrients in one serving. This will also tell you the amount of servings within the container.
Calories: This tells you the amount of calories you are consuming per serving. Knowing your calorie intake is only truly essential if you are looking to stay in a calorie deficit or calorie surplus.
Total Fat: This section will break down how many grams of fat within each serving of food and will identify the different types of fats the food has as well.
Cholesterol: Your body will generally produce a sufficient amount of cholesterol on its own, so it is not necessary to consume cholesterol. It is actually recommended to keep your cholesterol intake on the lower side.
Sodium: While sodium is essential for us to survive, too much sodium can cause inflammation and bloating. Be cognizant of your sodium intake.
Total Carbohydrate: This section will generally be broken down in sections including dietary fiber, total sugars, and added sugars. While fiber is an essential nutrient needed for your gut health to thrive, added sugars are not and can actually cause more harm than good. Try to keep added sugars to a minimum.
Protein: This section will tell you the amount of protein that the food contains. A high protein diet is actually trending right now in the wellness world for its benefits towards sustaining a healthy lifestyle.
Other Nutrients: Depending on the food, there will be another section that identifies how much of a certain nutrient is in the food. Some nutrients include, but are not limited to, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium.
The Role That Your Diet Plays On The Status of Your Gut Health
So, you may be wondering, why do we care so much about the nutrients we are putting into our bodies? Well, these nutrients are what helps our bodies to function properly. They give you the energy, strength, and sustenance you need to thrive.
It is crucial that you are maintaining a well-balanced diet that contains a variety of different macronutrients and micronutrients. When it comes to your gut health, probiotic-rich and anti-inflammatory foods are best. While it is recommended to take a probiotic for bloating such as Probiotic Renu, eating probiotic rich foods will only help strengthen your gut health.
Your gut health will thrive with a diverse diet that contains many fresh vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. There is no one size fits all diet to consider, so be sure to explore the different ways of eating to see what fits best for you and your lifestyle.
How To Reset Your Gut To Offer Your Body a “Clean Slate”
From time to time, people tend to let their well-balanced diet fall to the wayside, and their digestive system suffers as a result. When this happens, a person might experience digestive ailments such as bloating, constipation, and irregular bowel movements.
A slim supplement such as GutCleanse contains anti-inflammatory ingredients that aim at helping to remove any backed up waste from your system. For example, GutCleanse contains magnesium — as oxide —which helps to draw water from a person’s intestines and in turn will promote bowel movements. This supplement regime will help give you a clean slate and reset your gut health.
When you are looking to reset your gut, it is important to take care of other aspects of your health as well. This means exercising, drinking plenty of water, and getting lots of rest. This is the only way your body is going to get the support it needs to properly do its job.
Maintaining one’s gut health is a lifelong journey that will require consistency of these wellness rituals. By learning small tasks such as reading your food labels, you are becoming more informed and prepared to take care of your health. Our bodies should be treated with respect, and they will only thrive if we give them the nutrients it needs to survive. While it can seem overwhelming at times, writing down your wellness goals each day can help you to keep track of the small tasks that can lead to big accomplishments.