Can someone help me with reading labels please?
Hello everyone! I have a huge favor to ask...but I'm really struggling and I need some help. I'm trying to read labels and there are a select few things I look for...protein, calories, sodium and sugars. Now, here's where I get lost and need the help. Sugars always trip me up because of the natural sugars in somethings and then the actual sugars in others. So, my questions are these and please bear with me.
1. No sugar added vs sugar free...HELP! Which is better? If I'm watching my sugars what should be the max per serving I'm looking at?
2. I picked up some Kashi Go Lean Crunch today...13 grams of sugar, but the box says naturally sweetened. I look at the label and see evaporated cane juice and brown rice syrup. Could those be the only sources of sugar?
3. What other names (ingredients) should I be looking for as far as "trick" words for sugar?
See why I'm confused? Is there a book on reading labels for someone like me?
1. No sugar added vs sugar free...HELP! Which is better? If I'm watching my sugars what should be the max per serving I'm looking at?
2. I picked up some Kashi Go Lean Crunch today...13 grams of sugar, but the box says naturally sweetened. I look at the label and see evaporated cane juice and brown rice syrup. Could those be the only sources of sugar?
3. What other names (ingredients) should I be looking for as far as "trick" words for sugar?
See why I'm confused? Is there a book on reading labels for someone like me?
Yeah, I can see why it's confusing.
Here's what I know:
"Naturally Sweetened" doesn't really mean a whole lot. Table sugar can be legitimately called natural, depending on how it's made. It's still sugar, straight up. "No sugar added" means only that they didn't add refined sugar to whatever it is. It could still be full of natural sugars. OJ is a good example. Even fresh squeezed, no sugar added, it's full of sugar. It's naturally naturally sweet, full of natural sugar (fructose), not refined sugar.
Anything that ends in "ose" is some form of sugar, or, in the case of sucralose, a sugar substitute. Others words are sucrose, fructose, lactose, even the word glucose means blood sugar. (Though I'd be very concerned if you found that on any ingredients list.) Sucralose is an artificial sugar, and, um, I think there are a few more...
Really, they're all just carbs. If you don't dump, then I think the general idea is to get the most nutritional bang for your carbs buck. In other words, yes it has carbs, but what else does it have? Protein? Nutrients? Fiber? If it has not too many carbs, and comes with a lot of these healthy companions, it's a good deal. If it brings you a lot of carbs and not much else... not so good. I try to find things that are as close to two-to-one as possible, protein to carbs-wise. Not a lot out there in the processed foods, but it's a good goal, in that the closer you can get, the better off you are.
If you dump, it's a whole other story. Sugar carbs, aka simple carbs, are absorbed faster than starchy carbs, (complex carbs) which need more steps to be converted to glucose so your body can use them. So complex carbs are not quite as much of a dump inducer. But the same kind of bargaining ("good deal" carbs that give you a lot of nutrition vs. bad deal carbs which just give you calories) applies to both complex and simple carbs, whether you dum*****t.
At least, this is how I've come to understand the whole sugar/carb issue. Others may have better info for you.
Good luck.
Here's what I know:
"Naturally Sweetened" doesn't really mean a whole lot. Table sugar can be legitimately called natural, depending on how it's made. It's still sugar, straight up. "No sugar added" means only that they didn't add refined sugar to whatever it is. It could still be full of natural sugars. OJ is a good example. Even fresh squeezed, no sugar added, it's full of sugar. It's naturally naturally sweet, full of natural sugar (fructose), not refined sugar.
Anything that ends in "ose" is some form of sugar, or, in the case of sucralose, a sugar substitute. Others words are sucrose, fructose, lactose, even the word glucose means blood sugar. (Though I'd be very concerned if you found that on any ingredients list.) Sucralose is an artificial sugar, and, um, I think there are a few more...
Really, they're all just carbs. If you don't dump, then I think the general idea is to get the most nutritional bang for your carbs buck. In other words, yes it has carbs, but what else does it have? Protein? Nutrients? Fiber? If it has not too many carbs, and comes with a lot of these healthy companions, it's a good deal. If it brings you a lot of carbs and not much else... not so good. I try to find things that are as close to two-to-one as possible, protein to carbs-wise. Not a lot out there in the processed foods, but it's a good goal, in that the closer you can get, the better off you are.
If you dump, it's a whole other story. Sugar carbs, aka simple carbs, are absorbed faster than starchy carbs, (complex carbs) which need more steps to be converted to glucose so your body can use them. So complex carbs are not quite as much of a dump inducer. But the same kind of bargaining ("good deal" carbs that give you a lot of nutrition vs. bad deal carbs which just give you calories) applies to both complex and simple carbs, whether you dum*****t.
At least, this is how I've come to understand the whole sugar/carb issue. Others may have better info for you.
Good luck.
Koko
HW-291 :: 1st WLS consult-281 :: Surgery-263 :: GW-154 :: CW-151 :: In my dreams - 138
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