Hot Topic: Carb Labeling Remains an Issue: FDA

From the Headlines:
FDA Asks for Clearer Labels of Food, Menus
FDA Weighs in: Come Clean on the Calories 

Commentary:
The FDA's Obesity Working Group on Friday released its report containing six recommendations to help curb what many see as an epidemic of obesity that threatens the health of millions of Americans.

The recommendations included:

• Enhancing food labels to display calorie counts more prominently and to use meaningful serving sizes

• Initiating a consumer education campaign emphasizing a healthy diet

• Encouraging restaurants to provide calorie and nutrition information to consumers

• Increasing enforcement to ensure food labels accurately portray serving sizes

• Revising FDA guidance on the development of drugs to treat obesity

• Working with other government agencies, non-profit organizations, industry and academia on research to reduce obesity and to develop foods that are healthier and low in calories

The Deputy Commissioner of the FDA and Chairman of the Obesity Working Group, Lester Crawford said "We're going back to basics, designing a comprehensive effort to attack obesity through an aggressive, science-based, consumer-friendly program with the simple message that calories count."

Carbohydrate Labeling Addressed

"Consumers often see food labels bearing the words low, reduced or free to describe the amount of carbohydrates in a product," Crawford said. "The FDA is aware that many processed food manufacturers are making such claims in response to consumer interest in popular low-carbohydrate diets. We'll allow that type of thing as long as it's truthful and not misleading. But if a company says it has a low-carbohydrate product and it turns out not to be a low-carbohydrate product, then we're prepared to take action because that is a deceptive labeling practice.

In the meantime, the FDA said it hopes food manufacturers will police themselves and voluntarily take steps to ensure all product labels accurately reflect the contents of their products. The Carbohydrate Awareness Council is working to develop standards and guidelines for the industry that consumers can trust are accurate and based on scientific evidence. 

Weekly Feature:  Top Ten: Secrets of Success

Want to know what the secrets to long-term success on low-carb are? Well, look no further - here are the top ten things successful low-carber dieters do as they continue the lifestyle and eat controlled-carb for the long-term:

1. The vast majority of their foods are "real foods" - vegetables, fruits, meats, poultry, fish, nuts, seeds, fats/oils and 100% whole grains. These foods are the least processed and have the most nutrient bang-for-the-buck. 

2. They cook! Instead of relying heavily on packaged, processed foods, successful low-carbers cook the majority of their meals. In doing this, they eat less fillers, less preservatives and less chemical additives - all leading to eating higher quality nutrients!

3. They do not replace old high-carb junk food habits with low-carb junk food habits. By understanding controlled-carb  is a lifestyle - one that is not based on processed junk food that is encouraged in low-fat, low-calorie diets - they recognize these products for what they are - an occasional snack or treat to have in moderation. 

4. They read nutrition labels on the packaged foods they do use. They've learned the importance of knowing what they're eating and read those labels to see ingredients used and ratios of fat-protein-carbs to decide which packaged foods they will choose to eat.

5. The largest volume of food they eat in a day is non-starchy vegetables and salad greens. While not the highest percentage of calories in a day, these foods provide the most bulk in a day, and are nutrient dense. Additional carbs come from limited amounts of whole grains, 100% whole grain products, nuts, seeds, legumes and starchy-vegetables along with dairy products and other foods that have carbs. The base of their "pyramid" forever remains veggies, veggies, veggies!

6. They've learned portion control and understand its importance in the long-term for weight management. With the beneficial improvements in health and well-being, they understand that healthy eating is all about balance - not too many carbs or you have an excess of glucose, thus an excess of insulin and fat storage potential - adequate protein intake and proper fats and oils all contribute to long-term health and weight management.

7. They're physically active - whether through a formal exercise regime or just having an increased energy, they maintain a higher level of physical activity than before losing the weight.

8. They understand just how subjective the term "moderation" is and come to understand what it means for them as an individual. What one person views as "moderation" does not work for everyone, and those who are successful long-term on controlled-carb have learned what moderation means for them - whether it's that occasionally they can have an indulgence with a slice of birthday cake, or it's the ability to use real sweeteners again like raw honey or blackstrap molasses (nutrient-dense sweeteners) - they find what works for them and integrate that into their way of eating.

9. They eat enough calories to maintain their weight and provide the nutrients they need to be healthy. They abandon the idea that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie and understand that more important in their day is their nutrients. They don't try to starve themselves of calories or nutrients anymore, but eat the proper amount of calories to maintain their weight - and most are surprised at just how many a day that is since it's usually much higher than they expected.

10. They are not afraid of natural fats and oils, but shun man-made trans-fats like the plague! They've come to understand how nutritionally important high quality fats and oils are in their bodies and do not avoid using them, even if it takes their percentage of calories in a day higher than the "recommended" 30%. They choose high quality fats and understand how damaging trans-fats are in the body.

Cooks Nook

CITRUS ROSEMARY SALMON
4 Servings

1 pound salmon, washed, cut into 4 equal portions
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced (or 1 tablespoon dried)
freshly ground pepper, to taste (about 2 pinches)
lemon slices and rosemary sprigs,for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Place the salmon skin side down into the pan.

2. In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, garlic, rosemary and pepper. Brush the mixture onto the fish.

3. Bake in oven about 20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily. If fish is 1 inch thick, bake 20 minutes; if 2 inches thick you'll need about 5 minutes more baking time.

4. Garnish with lemon slices and fresh rosemary sprigs.

Per serving: 
Total Carbohydrate: 1g
Fiber: 0g
Net Carbs: 1g

Reader Questions & Answers

Question:  Everyone keeps telling me I need to drink more water when I am following a low-carb diet.  Is this true?  How much should I drink?

Answer:  Water is critical to the body. It is important that we all remember to drink at least eight 8oz glasses of water each day - on a low-carb plan or not! 

A good rule of thumb when you're looking to lose weight is to increase your water intake each day by 8oz for every 25 pounds you need to lose, so if you're 200 pounds and need to lose 50, you should look to drink your eight 8oz glasses of water each day plus two more 8oz glasses of water!

Water serves a number of important functions in the body, including: 

• Nutrient delivery throughout the body in the cells of the body 

• Helps to dissolve vitamins, minerals, glucose and amino acids in digestion 

• Helps with chemical reactions in the body 

• Helps flush wastes from the body 

• Helps to maintain body temperature 

• Involved in the production of energy 

Depending upon your tastes, you can drink tap water, bottled water, or flavored waters. Seltzers (no or low-sodium) also count toward your daily water intake.

Do you have a question you’d like answered, email us!  Please be aware we may not be able to answer all questions received.

Quote of the Week

"It's difficult at the beginning, but every single one of us has got to take care of ourselves. We can't expect somebody else to do it for us, and there's not going to be a pill out there that we can take that's going to make us healthy and happy and beautiful."

--Tommy Thompson, Secretary, Health & Human Services in the article Obesity Fight Hits Home for Thompson, Twin Cities Pioneer Press