Nutrition: Organic vs. Natural….Is there a difference? A BIG ONE

Nutrition, can be one of the most complicated aspects of weight loss. It’s very difficult to read nutrition labels and understand exactly how honest the manufacture is being with you.

More and more products are being labeled “all natural” and “organic,” both labels promise you healthy nutritious foods but only one is legally obligated to deliver.

Heart Smart Minute Nutrition: “All Natural” Breakdown

The first nutrition fact you must understand is that the FDA and USDA does not regulate the term “all natural.” This means that any manufacture can and most often times will, label their product as “all natural” because they know it will sell. You are much more likely to by a bag of potato chips labeled with “all natural” then you are labelled “will clog your arteries and loaded with preservatives.” Did you know that High Fructose Corn Sugar is considered “all natural” by the FDA…I’m not sure what nutrition value it adds to your food and it certainly doesn’t help with your weight loss goals, but since it comes from corn it passes as natural.

All Natural Products can contain:

Pesticides

Herbicides

Heavy metals

Toxic fluoride

MSG

Synthetic chemical vitamins

Heart Smart Minute Nutrition: “Organic” Breakdown

Organic is your best pick for your Heart Smart Minute, nutrition and weight loss goals. USDA Organic products are made without the use of toxic pesticides, GMO’s, antibiotics or growth hormone. Organic meats require that the animal‘s welfare is taken into consideration, cows are required to be on the pasture and all meats must be inspected. Make sure you look for the USDA stamp (white and green circle) on the product. This means it has been inspected and is certified organic. Always buy organic meats, chicken and fruits that you eat in entirety (don’t remove the skin or outer layer).

Take a look at this easy reference Heart Smart Minute Nutrition Chart:

Issue	Organic	Natural
Toxic Pesticides	not allowed	allowed
Antibiotics	not allowed	allowed
GMO’s	not allowed	allowed
Animal Welfare requirements	Yes	No
Certification required inspections	Yes	No
Cow required to be on pasture	Yes	No

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Heart Smart Minute Nutrition . . .

Sugar Breakdown:

Sugar is the single largest source of calories for Americans. A 2009 study determined that 50% of Americans consume 1/2 pound a day of sugar…that’s 180lbs a year!

Companies are now using sugar in nearly everything from lunch meats to baby formula, and the majority of sugar being used is the incredibly cheap High Fructose Corn Syrup (processed from corn).

Your Heart Smart Minute fitness plan is key to building strong muscles but the other half of the equation is a strong nutrition plan–you may be eating much more sugar than you think!

Heart Smart Minute Nutrition Tip: Where is Sugar?

Here are the top 5 food items loaded with sugar:

Soft Drinks

Fruit Juice

Sports Drinks

Infant Formula (as much as a soda! Kids are being addicted early)

Processed Foods (lunch meat, breads, ready made meals)

Heart Smart Minute Nutrition Tip: The 5 major sugar players

Sugar Alcohol “Sweeteners” (Xylitol, Glycerol, Sorbitol): Provide fewer calories because they are not completely absorbed in the small intestine but cause bloating, diarrhea, and IBS. There are much better options for your Heart Smart Minute Nutrition plan, such as Stevia.

Sucralose “Splenda”: This is not in any form real sugar. It is a chlorinated artificial sweetener with zero nutritional benefits–a definite No No for your Heart Smart Minute Nutrition plan.

High Fructose Corn Syrup: Extremely popular because it is easily processed from corn and very cheap for manufacturers. Found in diet drinks, snacks, ice cream and baby formula. AVOID FRUCTOSE. This is the bad sugar which is responsible for weight gain and metabolism breakdown.

Agave Syrup/Honey: There is a BIG difference between Agave syrup and Honey. Agave Syrup (syrup is the key word), is not natural and is highly processed leaving it as far away from the agave plant as possible. Honey in it’s RAW form is 100% natural and is fine to use in moderation and actually provides antioxidants, but make sure it’s Raw Honey…there is a difference.

Stevia: A sweet herb from South America, fine for use in moderation in your Heart Smart Minute Nutrition plan.

Heart Smart Minute Nutrition Tip: WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH FRUIT??

Should you or should you not eat fruit? Well, I’ve yet to meet a person who told me they got fat from eating fruit, but here’s the deal…Fruit does contain fructose, however it also contains a high level of nutrition benefits such as vitamins and antioxidants which counteract the affects of the fructose. Limit your fructose intake to 25g at most per day. You most likely are not eating enough fruit to do yourself harm or hurt your weight loss efforts. However, NEVER drink fruit juice. A glass of fruit juice is loaded with fructose and the healthy antioxidants are lost.