You’re right on track with your goals – you’ve increased your exercise, sleep, and water, and decreased your stress and pant size. But what about your food choices and eating habits? I’m sure you’re very conscious of what goes into your mouth, but is it the right food for the right reasons?

As a Holistic Nutritional Consultant, my goal is to teach you how to make the whole-food healthy choices that are right for you today, but in a baby-step manner so these will stay life-long habits. A great place to start in evaluating your food choices is by reading labels. How do you really know what you are eating unless you read the label? (Except of course with whole foods, straight from the ground, in their own packages!)
Food and drink packages have three sections to look at.

1. The Company Marketing – ‘natural’, ‘sugar-free’, ‘under 100 calories’, ‘healthy choice’, Heart & Stroke Health Check, etc. This is where marketing is used to get you to buy it with no further questions. Who’s to say what makes a healthy option for PepsiCo. makes it a healthy option to you? But we’re smarter than to let company’s make the big decisions for us, right?

2. The Nutrition Panel – calories, carbs, fats, proteins, fibre, vitamin C, etc. Lets you know the breakdown of the nutrients found in a food. But are you getting 200 empty calories, or 200 nutritionally-packed calories, which your body can use for rebuilding, repairing, and restoring? Percent daily values are based on an ‘average’ person – but you’re not average, you’re exceptional! These guidelines may not provide exactly what is needed for your particular body.

3. The Ingredient List – the real scoop about what is in your food. It’s here you will find out if the 10 grams of fat comes from hydrogenated margarine or whole almonds. It’s also where you can determine how ‘real’ a food is – the fewer the additives, preservatives, artificial flavours, and artificial sweeteners, the better it is for you.

When reading these labels, remember you are built and fueled by what you eat. Look for short ingredient lists with ingredients you recognize as food (and can pronounce!) Don’t be fooled by foods that make healthy claims – prove it to yourself by reading the label.

Angela Wright is a Registered Nutritional Consulting Practitioner (RNCP) who operates Align Holistic Health and Nutritional Services. For more nutrition facts, whole food recipes, and information on her services, please visit her website – www.alignnutrition.com. Be sure to sign up for the Align Newsletter to keep informed of upcoming events and new recipes.

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