Luckily for us, the FDA (the US Food and Drug Administration), regulates how our food is labeled with specific guidelines for manufacturers. Learning how to recognize the difference between juices made from 100% fruit juice and those that are only made from 50% fruit juice can make a world of difference in the amount of sugars you and your family consume. Choosing the right products are half the battle in implementing a low fat, heart healthy diet for lowering Cholesterol or weight loss.
Juice—manufacturers can be pretty sneaky when it comes to the labeling of juices and soft drinks. Next time you are in the supermarket notice that some drinks will be call juice, soft drinks, drinks etc. This is because for a drink to be labeled as juice it has to contain a certain amount of actual fruit juice. The easiest way to be sure that you are buying 100% fruit juice is to check the ingredients. 100% apple juice should contain only apple juice and water. If it has sugar as a first ingredient, it is not real 100% apple juice.

Jams—jellies, jams, marmalade, etc, they may all seem the same, but they are actually made through different preservation processes that require the use of sugars and honey among other not so healthy ingredients. If you want to buy the most pure jam that is made from just 100% fruit, look for jam that has “no sugar added” on the label. But once again, the only way to be sure about what’s in your food is to check the ingredients. Sugar should not be first on the list.

Popsicles—Most popsicles may be fruit flavored, but may actually contain no fruit at all. Popsicles made from real fruit will usually pronounce this in big letters on the packaging. If it doesn’t claim to be made from real fruit, you can bet it does not even contain any fruit at all. So read your ingredients, and make your choice accordingly!

Simple Carbohydrates – are the carbs found in white potato, white rice, white breads, and lots of other processed foods. While these are generally considered not as heart healthy and more fattening, some simple carbohydrates, like those found in fruits and natural sources, are actually good for you carbs.

Complex Carbohydrates—are those carbs found in whole grain breads, sweet potatoes, whole grain pastas, etc. These are considered more healthy, and an essential part of a balanced diet.

So what are Net Carbs? First let’s just clear the air about one simple fact: Carbohydrates are not only healthy and nutritious, but are also important for your diet and weight loss. What’s important is choosing the right carbs that will keep you feeling satisfied, and will add to your heart healthy diet. The more fiber that is contained in a particular carbohydrate, the more filling it will be, and generally the more nutritious as well. Net Carbs is a calculation: total carbohydrates minus total fiber. The lower the number, the lower excess carbohydrates for your body to digest, and eventually turn to fat.

Following a heart healthy diet that incorporates healthy carbohydrates will help you lower cholesterol and lose weight. Speak to your doctor about cholesterol medication like Zocor, which can be taken in conjunction with an appropriate diet and exercise

1.      Arnold Sandwich Thins: The truth is, if you’re going to just have a plain turkey sandwich (or tuna, or whatever), then two slices of most other breads won’t bring you too much higher than 100 calories. What these round, flat, bun-like slices are good for, are burgers—hamburgers, chicken patties, salmon croquets, or veggie burgers. They’re shaped in a way that the top and bottom slices create a bun-like enclosure around your burger and you get all of the convenience and flavor of a bun, without all the extra, unnecessary breadiness of a bun. They are, of course, also tasty for regular pb&j. The Thins contain 100 calories, 1 gram of fat, 5 grams of dietary fiber, and 4 grams of protein.

2.      Thomas’ Bagel Thins: You can say the same thing about these Bagel Thins as you can about shaving down the extra breadiness of a hamburger bun. You can have your lox and cream cheese on a bagel thin and get all the satisfaction of having some shmear on bread without loading your belly down with a 240 calorie bagel. The Bagel Thins contain 110 calories each, 1 gram of fat, 5 grams of dietary fiber, and 6 grams of protein.

3.      Vitalicious Muffin Tops: Here’s your perfect on-the-go dessert, snack you leave in your purse, lunchtime surprise for your kid, and nosh for your very hungry one-year-old. They come in tons of flavors—banana nut, golden corn, chocolate fig, raisin bran, cran-bran, etc.—and can be eaten hot, cold, or anywhere in between. You can even spread peanut butter, cream cheese, or jam for a more substantial snack. And best of all, they’re each only 100 calories and offer a hefty serving of vitamins, minerals, iron, and fiber.

If eating breakfast doesn’t come as naturally to you, you may want to reconsider your morning routine. Studies show that people who eat breakfast every morning are happier, healthier, and maybe even smarter. And unlike other health/happiness/intelligence research which can always be proven in the opposite direction, you will be hard pressed to find an anti-breakfast party. In fact, I think it’s pretty safe to say that everyone agrees that breakfast is best. Here’s why:

Health benefits of breakfast:
•    Breakfast-skippers actually tend to be more overweight than faithful daily breakfast-eaters. This may seem unintuitive, but the reason is simple: If you skip breakfast, you’re more likely to binge later on and give in to cravings that hit when you’re hungry—usually high fat and high sugar foods. And soon enough you may just find yourself on a nasty diet pill rollercoaster.
•    Also, when you skip a meal, your body transitions into starvation mode and your metabolism begins to hibernate. As soon as you do get food (later on in the day), your body is so grateful to finally have some grub in its system that it holds onto it greedily, not knowing when its next meal will be, not unlike a squirrel who hordes food for the winter. Your body then stores the food as fat instead of metabolizing it and using it for fuel—hence the weight gain.
•    Research shows that eating a healthy breakfast in the morning can reduce your risk of life-threatening diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease (high cholesterol, clogged arteries), and stroke. It strengthens your immune system and reduces your chances of contracting colds and the flu.

Mental benefits of breakfast:
•    Hunger can negatively affect memory and concentration. Likewise, having a belly full of healthy food will allow you to focus more on tasks, activities, and thoughts not food related. This is important for school children and adults with careers who need to focus on their work—a healthy breakfast should do the trick, especially since breakfast-eaters are less likely to suffer from hyperactivity (ADD and ADHD).

And how will eating breakfast make you a happier person? Well weren’t you listening? You’ll be thinner. Your digestive system and metabolism will work more smoothly. You’ll be able to focus on your school work or your job, not to mention use your heightened memory and concentration on other important tasks. Studies even show that breakfast-eaters reduce their risk of suffering from anxiety and depression.

Breakfast-eaters are, in a word, happier. Don’t you think it’s time you tried it?

Oolong tea comes in different flavors, some closer to green tea and others close to black tea. The different flavor is created when the tea leaves are left to dry for varying amounts of times. This means that whatever your taste in tea, you should be able to find a variety of oolong that you like.

Oolong works by stopping cholesterol and dietary fat absorbing into the body. This means that weight loss is accelerated. Scientists have found that oolong tea increases the rate that the body burns fat by 12%. This means that in conjunction with a natural diet pill such as Acai Effect, you can lose more weight faster.

And not only can oolong tea help you lose weight, it also has other health benefits. It contains fluoride, which helps prevent cavities and keeps your teeth healthy and strong. The antioxidants contained in tea help your body stay healthy, and help the immune system build up and stay strong. And the reduction of cholesterol caused by oolong tea isn’t only useful for weight loss. Cholesterol is a major factor in heart disease and strokes, because it blocks your arteries.

And what could be easier than brewing a cup of tea? This is a quick weight loss tactic that is painless and simple, and when combined with exercise and healthy eating will help the weight drop off and help your body stay healthy.

The health benefits of tuna:

•    Tuna can help prevent cancer. The fat from tuna has been known to reduce the risk of kidney cancer and breast cancer.
•    Studies show that people who consume high amounts of fish cut their risk of getting Alzheimer’s or dementia later in life.
•    Tuna is low fat. Both light and chunk white varieties are low in calories and low in fat.
•    Tuna is high in protein. Very high.
•    Bye bye Cardizem and Benicar! Tuna can help reduce high blood pressure. The omega-3 fatty acids in tuna are great for lowering blood pressure. In fact, they’re great for heart health in general.
•    Worried about your eyesight? A pack of tuna a day can help reduce the risk of age related macular degeneration.

The convenience of tuna packs:

•    The packs are filled with fully drained tuna. So whether you’re at home or on the go, you don’t need to worry about spilling out the smelly tuna juice.
•    No can opener necessary.
•    When you’re done, the packs take up less room in your garbage can.
•    You can mix low fat mayo and veggies straight into the pouch for a no-mess tuna salad.
•    The packs are flat and are more lightweight than the cans. So you can pack them up for long trips, keep one in your purse, or send one along with your kids’ school lunch.
•    The packs come in a variety of flavors and styles. You can get light or chunk white tuna, or tuna fillets in delicious flavors like lemon pepper or mesquite BBQ.