Facts About Nutrition Labels

The nutrition label located on each and every food item,

will tell you all the information about that food. For

some however, this information isn't exactly that reader

friendly. Fear not, as it's actually easier than you

think.

Serving Size

This size is based on the amount people eat. Similar

food items will have similar serving sizes, thus making

it easier to compare 2 foods of the same category.

% Daily Value

This indicates how food will fit in a 2,000 calorie

diet. This will help you to understand if the food

has a lot, or just a little of the important nutrients.

The middle section

The nutrients you'll find listed in the middle section

are the ones that are most important to your health.

This information can help you to calculate your daily

limit of fat, fiber, sodium, and other nutrients.

Vitamins & minerals

The percent daily value found here is the exact same

as the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamins

and minerals.

Now that you know what the nutrition label actually

means, it'll be a lot easy to eat healthy. Eating

healthy is a great thing - especially when you use the

nutrition label to assist you with your food choices.

Nine Facts About Fiber

If you've been looking for a way towards a high

octane diet, you'll find fiber to be exactly what

you need. Even though research has shown fiber to

be powerful, many people aren't taking this nutrient

seriously.

To help you fuel your health with fiber, here are

10 facts to help.

1. Fiber fights diseases. A diet high in fiber can

help to prevent colon cancer and heart disease. High

fiber helps the body to eliminate cholesterol by

binding it in the digestive tract. For thousands of

years, fiber has been used to stop constipation.

2. Fiber can actually help with overeating. All high

fiber foods will take longer to chew and digest,

making you feel satisfied longer

3. Most popular foods don't have enough fiber. If

you like the more popular foods, you probably need

to increase your intake of fiber.

4. Grains offer the most fiber. Dietary fiber is

actually plant matter that we cannot digest. The best

sources are whole grains and concentrated grain

products.

5. Kids need fiber as well. Children that are older

than 2 years of age should consume a daily intake of

fiber. Kids are most receptive to fiber found in

fruits, vegetables, and even fortified breakfast

cereals.

6. More fiber needs more water. In order to keep

fiber moving through your digestive tract, you'll

need to consume a lot of water. With your diet of

fiber, you'll need eight or more glasses of water

every day.

7. Fiber cannot be cooked out. When you cook

your fruits and vegetables, don't worry about cooking

the fiber out, as it stays. The fiber found in

fruits and vegetables aren't just in the skin or

in the peel.

8. You can get enough fiber. If you eat more than

50 grams of fiber in a day, you can get diarrhea

and bloating, which can interfere with your body's

absorption of other key minerals.

9. Getting the right amount of fiber in your diet

doesn't have to be hard. Even though you may think

so, getting the amount of fiber you need isn't very

hard to do. All you have to do is eat the right

foods and you'll be well on your way to a fiber

rich lifestyle.

As one of the key ingredients to healthy eating,

fiber is something you don't want to skip. Fiber can

serve many different purposes, which were covered

above. If you aren't getting enough fiber in your

diet - you should do something about now instead

of waiting until it is too late.

Fast Facts On Potatoes

Throughout America, potatoes are the most popular

vegetable, even being ahead of other well known

vegetables such as lettuce and onions. You can

cook potatoes in a variety of ways, and they are

included in one out of three meals eaten by almost

all Americans. When they are prepared in a healthy

way, a potato can be an excellent source of energy

and also pack a nutritional punch.

Like oranges, potatoes are very high in vitamin C.

The fact is, one medium potato contains 45% of the

vitamin C that's recommended for good health.

Potatoes are also high in fiber and carbohydrates

and contain more potassium than a banana.

A potato is naturally low in calories and contains

no fat, sodium, or cholesterol. The skins of the

potatoes provide a helpful dose of fiber, iron,

potassium, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, and several

B vitamins.

You can prepare potatoes by boiling them, steaming

them, or even roasting them. If at all possible,

you should avoid putting potatoes in the refrigerator

or freezing them, as cold will turn the potato

starch to sugar and cause them to turn dark when

they are cooked.

When you store potatoes, keep them in a cool, dark

place. Too much light will cause them to turn green.

You can store them in the basement if you have

one, as the basement is the best place to keep

potatoes.

From mashed potatoes to baked potatoes, a potato

is something we all know and love. They serve

many different tasty foods, and they provide our

bodies with plenty of healthful benefits. We all

eat potatoes, some of us even grow our own. Whether

you grow your on or buy them, the potato is

the one vegetable that makes everything just a