Walmart is the largest grocery chain in the US and they have now pledged their support of First Lady Michelle Obama's fight against childhood obesity. They say they will change the formulas of many of their Great Value brand items to lower the amount of sodium and sugar they contain. This could really help Americans in the efforts to achieve weight loss success.
This is a great move for consumers as the "hidden" sugar in these goods has a direct link to many of our health issues and this country's obesity epidemic. In fact, the starting place is to focus on things like salad dressing, fruit juice and lunch meat--products that when you read the label you will often see have sugar in the top 5 ingredients.
Sales of Great Value label products amount to roughly 20% of Walmart's sales--so this is not a small promise. But don't expect to see the change on products tomorrow--reformulation will take some time. The goal is to reduce soium by 25% and reduce or remove added sugar from "some" of their label products by 2015.
Even if you don't buy your groceries at Walmart, this move will likely have an affect on you because of the power Walmart yields with suppliers. The chain gets this power because it controls roughly 15% of the grocery sales in the US--the closest competitor is Kroger, the parent company of King Soopers here in Colorado, which is about 1/2 the size of Walmart.
It is likely that suppliers and even competitors will follow Walmart's lead as they did when the giant encouraged a reduction in packaging.
Also in the plan is removing more trans fats (hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils) from the line which will also be a big health benefit.
In another health-positive move, Walmart is pledging to lower prices on fresh produce.
Since we won't see these changes overnight, it is still up to us to make conscious food choices and to read labels. As more of us vote with our wallets and stop buying foods that contain unnecessary sugar, sodium and trans fats, the grocery industry will scramble to meet the demand for healthier foods.
Showing posts with label Trans Fats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trans Fats. Show all posts
Friday, January 21, 2011
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Bob Greene's Best Life Plan Highlights--Foods to Eat and Eliminate
Bob Greene's Best Life program continues with tips on what to eat--and what to avoid.
Of course it is critical to eat a healthy breakfast. I wrote about this, too, including some of the science about WHY it is important.
Bob agrees that we should make small changes in our diet. Specifically he says cut only 100-200 calories per day out. This is to keep your body from thinking it is going into a famine.
Then Bob continues with a list of 6 foods to cut out for the first month or two of your program. The foods are:
1. alcohol
2. soda pop (because of the sugar and empty calories and the havoc it creates in your body)
3. trans fats
4. fried foods
5. white bread (refined carbs)
6. high fat milk & yogurt
While I believe there are no "forbidden foods" because by saying a food is off limits entirely it tends to make us want it more (supply and demand?) I can support what Bob is saying here.
However, if going off completely for 1 month will cause you to binge once the month is over, try for a week! Then when you have success, try for 2 weeks and so on.
It is the small changes that matter. One of Bob's points was making a commitment to yourself and keeping that commitment. Better to make a shorter commitment and keep it than to set a longer commitment and break it!
Remember--both Bob and Laurie say Put Yourself First...or as Oprah says, Put Yourself Back on the List!
Of course it is critical to eat a healthy breakfast. I wrote about this, too, including some of the science about WHY it is important.
Bob agrees that we should make small changes in our diet. Specifically he says cut only 100-200 calories per day out. This is to keep your body from thinking it is going into a famine.
Then Bob continues with a list of 6 foods to cut out for the first month or two of your program. The foods are:
1. alcohol
2. soda pop (because of the sugar and empty calories and the havoc it creates in your body)
3. trans fats
4. fried foods
5. white bread (refined carbs)
6. high fat milk & yogurt
While I believe there are no "forbidden foods" because by saying a food is off limits entirely it tends to make us want it more (supply and demand?) I can support what Bob is saying here.
However, if going off completely for 1 month will cause you to binge once the month is over, try for a week! Then when you have success, try for 2 weeks and so on.
It is the small changes that matter. One of Bob's points was making a commitment to yourself and keeping that commitment. Better to make a shorter commitment and keep it than to set a longer commitment and break it!
Remember--both Bob and Laurie say Put Yourself First...or as Oprah says, Put Yourself Back on the List!
Friday, October 17, 2008
More on Partially Hydrogenated Oils
Partially hydrogenated oils are also known as "trans fats". They are heated up and thereby chemically altered to they don't melt as readily. That's why you find them in a lot of items that do not require refrigeration.
This altering of the chemical structure is what makes them bad for us. One expert told me that their molecular structure is closer to that of plastic than the original food they came from. That sounds appealing!
Advertisers and those who label foods have found a "loop hole" and can actually claim their food is "Trans Fat Free" even though it has partially hydrogenated oils in it.
How can this be? The regulation is that if there is less than 1/2 gram of trans fat in a serving, the food can be labeled Trans Fat Free.
Is 1/2 gram that much? Hmmm...well, I have two thoughts on that question.
First, look at the serving size. Is the size they are calling a serving what you would really eat? Or would you be eating 4 or 5 servings?
Secondly, I wouldn't eat 1/2 gram of rat poison, would you? Sometimes a tiny bit is too much.
Look, there are plenty of wonderful food options for us. Ones that will actually help us be healthy, energetic and lose weight. Let's do our best to stay away from the ones we know are toxic! If I'm going to eat something "bad" for me, I can choose wisely and, as always, watch my portions.
This altering of the chemical structure is what makes them bad for us. One expert told me that their molecular structure is closer to that of plastic than the original food they came from. That sounds appealing!
Advertisers and those who label foods have found a "loop hole" and can actually claim their food is "Trans Fat Free" even though it has partially hydrogenated oils in it.
How can this be? The regulation is that if there is less than 1/2 gram of trans fat in a serving, the food can be labeled Trans Fat Free.
Is 1/2 gram that much? Hmmm...well, I have two thoughts on that question.
First, look at the serving size. Is the size they are calling a serving what you would really eat? Or would you be eating 4 or 5 servings?
Secondly, I wouldn't eat 1/2 gram of rat poison, would you? Sometimes a tiny bit is too much.
Look, there are plenty of wonderful food options for us. Ones that will actually help us be healthy, energetic and lose weight. Let's do our best to stay away from the ones we know are toxic! If I'm going to eat something "bad" for me, I can choose wisely and, as always, watch my portions.
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