Another healthy tip courtesy of Kelly Jones

To help kick start a healthy new year, focusing on nutrition labels is a must. One thing to look at is sugar. Sugar is everywhere, even naturally in our vegetables, fruits and dairy foods that are nutritious staples of any good diet. However, what you need to look for on nutrition labels are added sugars. Make sure to avoid products with sugar listed in the first five ingredients, and look to see how many total grams of sugar the product has per serving. Organizations like the American Heart Association recommend that women should attempt to keep their maximum daily sugar intake to 24 grams and men at 36 grams.

Another tip is to start a food journal. A food journal will hold you accountable to learning about the foods you eat, what portion sizes look like and how many calories, fats, proteins and carbs it contains. A 2008 study found that dieters who keep food diaries at least six days a week, lost twice as much weight as those who kept the journals one day a week or less. It’s easy to start a food journal. Keep it very simple and only record what you eat. Remember to record quantities, this will take a bit more work but it will teach you what portion sizes really look like. Learn how to read food labels and how to look up the calories, fats, protein and carbs in food by using a calorie counter book (I like Calorie King) or use an app on your smart phone. Lastly, track your weight loss results and adjust your calories accordingly to get the results you are looking for.

– Kelly Jones, Clinic Director and Personal Trainer at Medithin Weight Loss Clinics